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Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Romelu Lukaku in recent months and after another superb performance in Inter’s 3-0 win against Genoa at the weekend, the Belgian international has well and truly shown Pep Guardiola what he is capable of.

The powerful striker left Manchester United in the summer of 2019 after struggling with the Red Devils and has excelled in his time in Italy, contributing 58 goals and 12 assists in 82 appearances for I Nerazzurri.

This season in particular has seen the 27-year-old impress, as he now has 18 goals and six assists in 23 Serie A appearances, which has seen him average an outstanding 7.64 average rating.

Sunday’s performance against Genoa summed up Lukaku’s current form as he was a constant thorn in Davide Ballardini’s side’s side, both with his attacking and creative play.

As per SofaScore, the Belgian international would earn an 8.4 match rating for his display – which was the best of any player on the pitch.

Lukaku opened the scoring within 60 seconds, driving at the Genoa defence with incredible speed before finding the bottom corner with his weaker right foot.

The striker would then provide the assist for Matteo Darmian’s goal in the second half before his saved shot was nodded in by Alexis Sanchez on the rebound, so he had a big part to play in all three goals.

The former Chelsea man would register five shots on target against Genoa, which emphasises how dangerous he is in front of goal, but he would also play as many as four key passes, which shows how good his link-up play can be.

Therefore, based on his performance at the weekend and his superb campaign overall, it seems fair to suggest that the £81 million-rated striker would be an excellent addition to this Manchester City side, and would undoubtedly score a lot of goals if he were to make the switch to the Etihad this summer.

And, in other news… Txiki should swoop for £19.8m-rated striker much more clinical than Gabriel Jesus

أشاد أيمن يونس لاعب الزمالك السابق بالمستوى الذي قدمه الفريق الأبيض أمام المقاولون العرب خلال مواجهة اليوم الثلاثاء في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك تمكن من التغلب على المقاولين العرب بنتيجة 2-1، خلال المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم.

وقال أيمن يونس في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس1”: “الزمالك كان الأفضل اليوم مع كارتيرون، حازم إمام أدى مباراة عمره، الظهور الأول لـ رزاق سيسيه كان غريبًا، تشعر كأنه منسجم مع الفريق منذ فترة، وسيكون منافسا قويًا لـ أشرف بن شرقي”.

وأكمل: “محمود علاء كان رائعًا اليوم، وقوة الزمالك تكمن في إمام عاشور وطارق حامد في وسط الملعب، كارتيرون طور مستواهما الهجومي”.

وأردف: “بن شرقي كان أقل اللاعبين ولكن يظل مُنتج في الملعب، مباراة جيدة للزمالك بعد فترة توقف، فوز مميز على فريق قوي، وأعتقد أن كارتيرون سعيد بالفريق اليوم، خاصة وأن تغييراته كانت إيجابية”.

طالع | كارتيرون يوضح سبب استبعاد أوباما وتغيير رزاق سيسيه في مباراة الزمالك والمقاولون

واستطرد: “يوم جميل للزمالك وحزين على المقاولون، ويجب أن يحزنوا لأن طريقتهم لابد أن تتغير، يمتلكون لاعبين جيدين ولكن الأداء ضعيف”.

واختتم: “يُحسب لـ الزمالك اليوم أنه أعطى 90 دقيقة جيدة، كان هناك إرادة وقوة وتصميم على تسجيل الهدف الأول، هذا الهدف يُعبر عن شخصية الزمالك اليوم”.

After securing their second successive win in the Premier League last weekend, Leeds United are beginning to pick up a bit of momentum again.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side followed up their first victory of 2021, against Newcastle, with a superb 3-1 victory away at top-four chasing Leicester City.

The Whites are back in Premier League action tonight when they take on Everton at Elland Road, and Bielsa has some major injury concerns heading into the game.

Below is a look at how Leeds might line up when Carlo Ancelotti’s side come to town on Wednesday night.

The back-five should remain unchanged, with the Whites, of course, still without summer signing Diego Llorente, whose career at Elland Road is yet to take off after some rotten luck with injuries.

The one enforced change that Bielsa has already confirmed will have to be made comes further forward, with Rodrigo ruled out after being substituted early on in the clash against the Foxes with an injury.

That could see the return of Mateusz Klich into the engine room, whilst there is also a doubt over winger Raphinha. If the Brazilian doesn’t make it, the £10.8m-rated Helder Costa could come into the side.

And up top, Patrick Bamford also has an asterisk next to his name, with the English ace suffering a suspected dead leg, Again, if he isn’t able to pass a late fitness check, Tyler Roberts could well get the nod to play.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Alioski; Phillips, Klich, Dallas, Costa, Harrison; Roberts.

Meanwhile, Bielsa has confirmed a huge Leeds United blow ahead of the clash against Everton…

Matt Crocker can seal Southampton’s push for European football with a January swoop for Vitoria Guimaraes defender Jorge Fernandes.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, a host of Premier League sides are beginning to show an interest in Fernandes ahead of the January window after becoming aware of Os Vimaranenses’ need to raise funds this winter.

Fernandes has played an instrumental role in Vitoria Guimaraes’ early-season form, having started all eight of his Liga Nos appearances, as manager Joao Henriques’ side sit fifth and in the Europa League positions with the division’s joint-best defensive record heading into Christmas.

Fernandes is under contract at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques through to the summer of 2024 in a deal which features a €50m (£45.5m) buyout clause, though Southampton could complete a deal for far less with Vitoria Guimaraes seemingly open to offers of around £16m in January.

Vitoria Guimaraes are willing to part with the highly-rated 23-year-old for far less than his release clause as Portuguese sides continue to feel the financial impact of the pandemic, which has made sales of their brighter prospects a necessary measure.

Premier League clubs are seemingly reluctant to spend much in the upcoming winter market, but Fulham, Southampton and Newcastle United are said to see Fernandes as a long-term option that would make a January splurge worthwhile.

Forget Stephens, sign Fernandes

Southampton will soon be facing a key decision over the future of Jack Stephens with his £48,000-per-week contract set to expire in 2022, but Saints Director of Football Crocker can better solidify the south coast side’s long-term future and immediate push for European football by getting Fernandes.

Stephens has rarely featured under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season whilst Jannik Vestergaard often shines at St. Mary’s, with the 26-year-old only starting three of his four Premier League appearances and only featuring twice since October – including a 90-minute run-out at left-back.

Fernandes, meanwhile, has been thriving for Vitoria Guimaraes having helped to claim six clean sheets in the Liga Nos to date with a staggering average haul of 1.6 successful tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 4.0 clearances a game while winning 3.9 duels, per SofaScore.

He’s safe on the ball, too, with 67.8 touches leading to 49.8 accurate passes with an 87% completion rate, which rises to 94% for attempts carried out in Os Vimaranenses’ territory.

Centre-back signings may not be an immediate concern for Hasenhuttl with surplus options already to hand, but a promising and young centre-half hitting the market should be enough for the Saints and their Director of Football Crocker to consider a move.

AND in other news: “Unless you’re going to Man United” – Exclusive: Pundit drops claim on £75k-p/w Southampton ace.

David Sullivan must be careful as West Ham United risk missing out on signing Silkeborg defender Frederik Alves Ibsen in January due to Brexit.

What’s the word?

According to TuttoMercatoWEB, the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union on January 1, 2021 could see West Ham struggle to obtain a work permit for Alves.

The Denmark U21 defender has been widely linked with a move to the London Stadium after holding talks with the Irons ahead of a winter deal, thought to be worth around £1.2million.

Alves was photographed with his agent Christian Bysted in the English capital earlier this year following a rumoured medical, and was expected to put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

The Irons’ negotiations appeared to have seen Sullivan fight off rival approaches from Leeds United, Russian outfit Rostov and Serie A side Torino.

One hurdle still to overcome was in Alves obtaining permission to play in England having never represented his country at a senior level, which Silkeborg director Kent Madsen recently confirmed had delayed an official announcement.

“He is sold with what I would call a very small reservation,” Madsen told Midtjyllands Avis. “He must be able to obtain a residence and work permit in the country he is going to. We consider it a formality, but I can say that [the delay] is due to Brexit. That is why we have not announced the buying club.”

But, as Silkeborg were relegated to the Danish second-tier last season, the club now sit in what will be Band 6 for the UK’s work permit applications post-Brexit and, as such, Alves will not receive sufficient points.

Sullivan beware

As well as needing work permits for players signed from abroad post-Brexit, Premier League clubs will be limited to three U21 signings each window and will not be able to acquire any players under the age of 18.

The regulations were designed between the Football Association, Premier League, the EFL and the government to safeguard the future of the England national side, but come at the detriment of foreign players competing in low-ranking FIFA nations.

A player arriving from a side ranked lowly by FIFA would have had to play almost all senior international fixtures over the past two years to score enough points, with 15 points needed.

Exceptions can be made via the Exceptions Panel based on if the player in question is deemed to be of “the highest quality”, which Alves may struggle to be classified as.

The 21-year-old has featured just five-times for Denmark’s U21s, while an injury has restricted his involvement in this season’s NordicBet Liga to eight appearances.

It remains to be seen if West Ham can convince the Exceptions Panel to award Alves a work permit to join and unite with David Moyes’ squad in east London, though could look to complete the defender’s transfer before securing a loan deal for him to gain further minutes elsewhere this winter.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can right a summer blunder by swooping for a “great talent” West Ham previously courted.

Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for Manchester City defender Eric Garcia recently, and the Spanish defender could prove to be an excellent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The 19-year-old’s contract with City is set to expire at the end of the current season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, where he started his career in the La Masia academy.

In his career, he has made 30 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side and established himself in the City first-team last season, making 13 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a 6.69 rating.

However, it seems that he was not willing to sign a new contract with the club, as he refused City’s offer and made it clear that he wanted to leave, with it also suggested that the Citizens would demand £30 million for his services.

This was in the summer, however, and you imagine that as we get closer to his contract expiring, his value will decrease dramatically, especially as Barcelona could begin negotiations with him in January with the view to signing him on a free transfer.

Therefore, despite Liverpool being direct rivals in the Premier League, City may well be tempted to sell to the Merseyside club in January at a cut-price deal, rather than potentially receiving nothing for him if he were to re-join Barcelona.

Whilst Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips have impressed filling in at centre-back this season, the injury-prone nature of Joel Matip suggests that Klopp could continue to be short of defensive options throughout the season unless the Reds add to their squad in next month’s transfer window.

Therefore, completing a deal for the £18 million rated Garcia would make a lot of sense, as he has already shown his ability to play at the very top with Guardiola’s side.

Guardiola was full of praise for the young defender earlier this year, saying:

“He doesn’t make mistakes, he’s always focused and this game we knew we would play against dynamic, fast players.”

Liverpool would definitely be signing a player who is already capable of playing in the Premier League and is still just 19-years-old, so it would be a great piece of business from Michael Edwards if he could seal a bargain deal for the City ace in January.

And in other news… Klopp must perform transfer U-turn on teenage “sensation” who can replace Jota

أهدر فريق تشيلسي نقطتين ثمينتين في سباق المنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لهذا الموسم، بعدما سقط في فخ التعادل الإيجابي مع خصمه بيرنلي مساء اليوم السبت.

واستضاف ملعب ستامفورد بريدج مباراة الفريقين في إطار منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله. أهداف مباراة تشيلسي وبيرنلي

تقدم تشيلسي في الدقيقة 33 من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق كاي هافيرتز، بعد عرضية من ريس جيمس حيث وصلت الكرة إلى هافيرتز المتمركز أمام المرمى ليسددها في الشباك بطريقة رائعة.

واستمر تفوق تشيلسي ساريًا حتى الدقيقة 79 حيث تمكن ماتاي فيدرا من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح بيرنلي.

بتلك النتيجة، حصل كل فريق على نقطة واحدة، حيث أصبح رصيد تشيلسي 26 نقطة في المركز الأول، بينما أصبح رصيد بيرنلي 8 نقاط في المركز الثامن عشر.

Rangers will continue their quest to qualify for the Europa League when they welcome Galatasaray to Ibrox on Thursday night.

Steven Gerrard’s side have so far stayed unbeaten this season, thrashing Motherwell 5-1 at Fir Park last weekend, so they will want to extend their winning streak this evening.

Given the current circumstances, the game will be played behind closed doors, but that won’t stop supporters from cheering the Gers on at home as they bid to reach the group stages for the third successive season in a row.

The Rangers boss has tinkered with his team here and there and he is expected to do the same again even though they are so close to qualifying for the Europa League.

Take a look at the lineup we are expecting to see at Ibrox Stadium, including three changes from their last league outing.

Fans may be surprised to see Gerrard ring several changes with so much still at stake.

Allan McGregor will most likely start between the sticks after such an impressive performance in the third-round qualifier in the Netherlands.

And James Tavernier will probably keep his place at right back amid interest from West Ham. The club captain bagged a brace against Motherwell at the weekend.

This may see Filip Helander and Connor Goldson slot into place alongside him as the former has been so impressive in Europe ever since he arrived at the Ibrox Stadium.

They could be joined by Croatia international Borna Barisic at left back even though Calvin Bassey impressed in his first start for the club against the Steelmen.

Moving further afield, the midfield trio of Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield are most likely to keep their places as Ryan Jack has only recently returned to training following a short spell on the sidelines.

Gerrard’s side have scored nine goals in both of the previous rounds combined as well as keeping two clean sheets. Sadly Cedric Itten is set to miss out after the £2.5m signing suffered a knee injury in training.

While Ianis Hagi hasn’t hit the same heights he enjoyed during his loan spell last season, the 21-year-old still has big game experience, as he showed several times in Europe last term, which should be more than enough to see him fend off the rest of his rivals. Do not be surprised to see him start tonight.

This may come across as a bit of a shock to the system but seasoned veteran Jermain Defoe could replace Alfredo Morelos upfront, which means there will be no place for Jordan Jones despite the fact he scored on Sunday afternoon.

Defoe scored during the 5-0 thrashing of Lincoln FC in the first round and he has made two recent cameo appearances in the league after returning from injury, but Morelos will probably feature from the bench at some point.

The ever-reliable Ryan Kent will retain his rightful place on the left wing to form the rest of the front three.

AND in other news, Rangers should reignite interest in Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster…

He may not be Aston Villa’s sporting director anymore, but there’s no questioning that Suso’s work in signing Douglas Luiz on a permanent basis was a stroke of genius.

The Midlands club brought in the midfielder for £15m in the summer of 2019, and he has gone on to establish himself as a key part of Dean Smith’s side, both last season and at the beginning of this new one too.

He played 36 of Villa’s 38 Premier League games in the 2019/2020 campaign, and has started in every one of his side’s matches in the top-flight this season.

And after months of playing high-level football, Luiz finally picked up his second senior cap for Brazil on Saturday, as he was named in the starting line-up for the World Cup qualifying clash against Bolivia.

In a resounding 5-0 victory, it was the Villa ace who arguably stole the show, running things in the middle of the park and proving what an absolute steal he was for his club side.

Lining up in a midfield three alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona stars Casemiro and Philippe Coutinho respectively, Luiz controlled the tempo of the game, recycling possession and playing it with precision both short and long.

As per Sofascore, he had a game-high 107 touches, and also boasted another game-high of a 95% passing accuracy. The key thing to note is that Luiz didn’t just try and keep things simple or play it safe.

Instead, he always looked to probe and move the ball forward, delivering two key passes (only Casemiro had more with three), and successfully completing all five of his attempted long balls.

Hailed as “outstanding” by Villa boss Smith, Luiz’s exceptional display for a star-studded Brazil proved once and for all that he is the real deal, and that Suso delivered a masterclass by signing him for just £15m last summer.

And in other news, Aston Villa must look to offload this fringe man before next week’s transfer deadline.

Australian defender Matthew Jurman has reflected on his time with Sunderland and revealed that he would like to return one day.

The 30-year-old has recently seen his contract expire at Western Sydney Wanderers and is available on a free transfer this summer.

Having spent the majority of his career in his homeland winning the A-League title on three occasions, Jurman also had a spell in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad.

With Sunderland now looking to bolster their side ahead of a third spell in League One after failing to gain promotion to the Championship for a second successive season, Jurman has seemingly offered himself to the Wearside club.

Speaking to FTBL, Jurman who had a trial with Sunderland at the age of 18, said: “I’d been in Scotland trialling but after they said they wanted me back in pre-season. So I got a trial at Middlesbrough.

“Then I got a chance to trial with Sunderland. I was at Sunderland for a week. The facilities at the training centre in Sunderland were absolutely unbelievable.

“While I was there I watched one of Sunderland’s Cup games at the Stadium of Light. Honestly, it was incredible.

“I stayed near the water in Roker I think, and they really looked after me. It was a nice place.

“I have good memories. Seeing all the training facilities. Everything was really professional. I met Roy Keane [then Sunderland manager] but I was a bit intimidated by someone like him. I was excited to meet him but I mainly worked with Sunderland’s youth coaches.

“And while I was training at Sunderland, they had another young player called Jordan Henderson. I’m a Liverpool fan and now he’s their captain, so that was pretty amazing and I recall the striker Martyn Waghorn was there, too.

“It’d be a mad experience to play at a club like Sunderland.

“You don’t quite know where you’ll be with the way the world is now, but that’s also quite exciting.”

Aside from Jurman’s comments, the FTBL article also comments on Sunderland reported plans to sign Australian defender Bailey Wright this summer.

Why not have a look at Jurman if you are Sunderland? Linking him up with Bailey Wright could be a good thing.

Indeed, the Black Cats do need new recruits at centre-back given that they have already lost three players in that position this summer, including Alim Ozturk.

One thing that may halt a potential deal for Jurman to Sunderland is the fact that he has never played in English football before, and that could be a gamble in itself. But in the current climate where all walks of life are facing financial restraints, he could be worth a punt on a free.

Do you think Jurman would be a good signing for Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…