Juan Foyth would be a great loan signing for Leeds this year

Leeds United have to take advantage of Toby Alderweireld’s failed move to Manchester United by making a loan move for young centre-back Juan Foyth.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old Argentine joined Spurs last summer but was limited to eight cup appearances and hasn’t yet featured in the Premier League.

Leeds were reportedly interested in the young defender earlier this summer but have yet to make a move for the talent, but with clubs still able to make loan signings, Marcelo Bielsa could yet bring him to Elland Road this season.

With Toby Alderweireld close to leaving the club this summer, perhaps Mauricio Pochettino wanted to keep Foyth on his books just in case he needed cover, but now Leeds could take advantage of their surplus of central defenders.

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Class addition

Even though Leeds have got off to a flying start in the Championship, Bielsa could do with another central defender to add to Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi.

Foyth has shown in his limited game time in England that he has all the capabilities to become a top-class defender with assurance on the ball and a good reading of the game.

Bielsa should make use of his good friendship with Mauricio Pochettino, who played under El Loco for Argentina, to sign the talented youngster and shore up their defence.

Opinion: Manchester City are not reliant on De Bruyne and can still prosper in his absence

Manchester City suffered a huge blow yesterday after Kevin De Bruyne picked up a knee injury in training which, according to Sky Sports, could have the Belgium international sidelined for up to four months.

De Bruyne was in terrific form last season at the heart of Pep Guardiola’s team as he helped Manchester City clinch their third Premier League title in a campaign where the club smashed record after record, and his presence will certainly be missed.

But the former Wolfsburg and Chelsea man’s £45m-rated (via Transfermarkt) team-mate Kyle Walker believes the Citizens will be able to cope.

The Breakdown

“Kevin’s a great player and it’s just unfortunate that it’s happened to him in training, but there’s more than enough depth in the squad,” Walker told reporters (via Goal).

“We don’t just rely on one player. It’s a team game and whoever steps in will do well. Obviously it’s a big loss, but we’ve got more than enough cover.”

Without a doubt, De Bruyne’s absence from Manchester City’s starting XI is a massive loss and may have some supporters from rival clubs mischievously grinning.

But, in the words of Walker, by no means do Manchester City rely on one player.

Last season, in attack, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane’s contributions were momentous.

For all the criticism he gets for his efficiency in the final third, Sterling was able to score 18 Premier League goals while Sane managed to come up with 15 assists.

And, in terms of a direct replacement for De Bruyne in Guardiola’s starting XI, the Citizens have the brilliant Bernardo Silva, who has already done an exceptional job playing in a midfield role during this early stage of the new campaign.

Riyad Mahrez was also brought in this summer in a club-record deal, while Guardiola still has Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Gabriel Jesus to call upon, which further shows how scary the Citizens’ attack is even without De Bruyne.

Manchester City are anything but a one-man team.

Virgil van Dijk showed against Crystal Palace why Liverpool paid £75m to sign him

Liverpool maintained their 100% record in the Premier League this season with a gritty 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Jurgen Klopp named an unchanged eleven from the side that downed West Ham 4-0 at Anfield last weekend. The Reds dominated the early stages but couldn’t find a breakthrough until Mohamed Salah was tripped in the box and James Milner slotted the resulting penalty. Liverpool soaked up the pressure, and a late counter-attack was finished expertly by Sadio Mane to wrap up all three points.

It was another impressive display by the Reds led by one man in particular – Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman was a rock at the heart of the defence, keeping Christian Benteke at bay while helping Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez deal with the threat of Wilfried Zaha. It was an assured display that made the £75m fee Liverpool paid Southampton to look like a bargain.

Against Palace, Van Dijk won 100% of his tackles and nine aerial duels – more than any other player on the pitch. As well as dominating defensively, the defender completed 92% of his passes highlighting his quality on the ball (WhoScored). Last week against West Ham, Van Dijk retained an incredible 98.4% pass accuracy – a statistic which no player has bettered since the Premier League kicked off last season (Twitter).

The Dutchman has already stuck up an excellent partnership with Joe Gomez who has looked brilliant since moving back to the centre of defence. Their performances will be key to any success Liverpool have this season.

With Alisson Becker in goal and Van Dijk in defence, the Premier League title is definitely within Liverpool’s grasp.

Liverpool fans, what would you rate Van Dijk’s performance?

Andy Carroll the kind of statement signing Celtic desperately need to make

Speculation continues to persist that Moussa Dembele could leave Celtic before the end of the transfer window.

The French forward has attracted interest from Premier League clubs in recent seasons but looked set to stay at Celtic Park. However, the latest reports suggest that Lyon are interested in signing the forward before Friday’s transfer deadline. The 22-year-old missed training on Wednesday with a return to his homeland looking increasingly likely.

Dembele’s departure will come as a huge blow to the Hoops at a difficult time in the season. Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League and need to beat FK Suduva if they are to reach the group stages of the Europa League. Luckily for Brendan Rodgers, he still has time to replace him.

One man he should target is West Ham striker – Andy Carroll. Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, Carroll was once considered one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League after bursting on to the scene with Newcastle. He later moved to Liverpool for £35m but was then sold to West Ham after a dismal spell. Injuries have hampered his progress with the Hammers and never allowed him to leave his mark at the club.

With just one-year remaining on his contract, Manuel Pellegrini cut decide to cut his losses with the forward which could see Celtic pick up a great deal. Carroll has bags of experience in the Premier League, and 55 goals in 199 appearances is a respectable return. A switch to Celtic Park could be just what he needs to get his career back on track and force himself into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

When back to full fitness, Carroll could fire Celtic to their ninth consecutive SPFL title.

Celtic fans, thoughts?

Liverpool fans buzzing for Old Firm derby due to Gerrard link

Steven Gerrard has cemented himself as a Liverpool legend due to his 17 years of service.

The retired midfielder never won a Premier League trophy with the Reds, but he did guide them to the Champions League crown in 2005, upsetting the odds along the way.

Gerrard also won the FA Cup twice, the League Cup three times, as well as the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Now, the Liverpool-born star is embarking on a new career in management.

The 38-year-old’s first foray into his new role began in June when he officially took over as Rangers boss.

Gerrard gained coaching experience prior to that by working for Liverpool’s academy, but his first test has been in Scotland.

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So far so good for the ex-England international as he is 12 games unbeaten heading into Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash against Celtic at Parkhead.

Understandably, some Liverpool fans have taken an interest in the first Old Firm derby of the season, particularly as Gerrard will be going head to head with his former Reds manager Brendan Rodgers.

Some Liverpool supporters have been posting their thoughts on Reddit.

Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.Comment from discussion Not totally Liverpool-related, but a reminder that the first Old Firm derby between Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard is this Sunday, Sept. 2nd.

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Rangers fans are absolutely spot on: Allan McGregor simply must win Player of the Month

Rangers supporters have been somewhat quieter in recent times after seeing their team suffer their first defeat under Steven Gerrard last weekend.

The Light Blues went into their encounter with Old Firm rivals Celtic at Parkhead off the back of qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League as well as making an unbeaten start to the domestic season, but they were comfortably second-best against the Bhoys on Sunday. An Olivier Ntcham strike was enough to seal a deserved 1-0 win for Brendan Rodgers’ side to condemn Gerrard to his first loss in charge of Rangers, thus leaving them with five points from their opening four Scottish Premiership games.

Thus, there have been many disappointed Gers supporters up and down the country in recent times, although some have taken to Twitter to suggest that goalkeeper Allan McGregor should win the club’s Player of the Month award for August.

And while other nominees Alfredo Morelos and Connor Goldson deserve credit for also making solid starts to the 2018/19 season, those Rangers fans calling for the £900,000-rated goalkeeper (as per Transfermarkt) to win the award are absolutely spot on.

Ultimately, the 36-year-old was one of Gerrard’s first signings in charge of the Light Blues during the summer to underline just how much he felt the goalkeeping ranks needed improving at Ibrox, and the Scotland international’s efforts so far emphasise that he was right to lure him back to Rangers, six years after leaving the club.

The former Hull City and Besiktas shot-stopper immediately became the club’s number one, and that has proven to be the right decision with McGregor shipping just seven goals in 11 appearances for the Light Blues this term, keeping six clean sheets along the way.

Five of those clean sheets came in their qualification campaign for the Europa League, in which the 36-year-old particularly shone to keep his side in matches against Maribor and Ufa, the former of which seeing him save a penalty – thus, he was as influential as any in keeping them in Europe this season.

In fact, their Europa League campaign could well have been over were it not for some of the saves McGregor produced, especially in their away matches, over the course of the last few weeks, with his efforts rightly earning him a return to the Scotland national team – he has been outstanding.

And while messrs Morelos and Goldson deserve mentions and thus their nominations following their exploits in August, those Rangers fans calling for McGregor to win the award are absolutely spot on given how influential he was last month.

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham should be in the hunt for Hirving Lozano

Mexico forward Hirving Lozano continues to be linked with a move away from PSV Eindhoven, and Tottenham Hotspur should ensure that they are in the hunt for his signature.

What’s the word, then?

Tottenham did not improve their squad during the summer transfer window, but it has been suggested that the capital outfit could be active at the start of 2019.

Mid-season signings are always difficult, however, and it seems more likely that Spurs will spend next summer as they bid to become a serious challenger for the Premier League title.

PSV striker Lozano is one of the hottest young talents in world football, with the 23-year-old scoring 19 times and registering 11 assists in 34 appearances for his Dutch club last term.

Lozano also made a very positive impression at the 2018 World Cup, scoring against Germany and putting in a string of bright performances.

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United have all been linked with a move, but Tottenham should also be firmly in the hunt for his signature.

What would Lozano bring to Spurs?

As well as Lucas Moura has performed in the early stages of this season, Tottenham need more attacking options to ease the burden on Harry Kane.

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Kane has scored twice in four Premier League appearances this term, but it would be fair to say that the England captain has looked tired and in need of a rest.

Lozano – valued at £27m by Transfermarkt – has also started the 2018-19 campaign in impressive form, netting twice in four league appearances for PSV.

The forward has a contract with his Dutch club until the summer of 2023, but it seems likely that he will move on sooner rather than later, and his overall game would suit Tottenham.

Indeed, Lozano showed during the World Cup that he is also prepared to work for the team, and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy should break the bank for his signature.

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These Celtic fans gave a mixed reception to Filip Benkovic’s debut vs St Mirren

Defender Filip Benkovic made his debut for Celtic on Friday night and fans appear to be split on how good he looked in his first outing.

The Hoops drew 0-0 away to St Mirren, failing to capitalise on the impressive win over Rangers at Celtic Park before the international break.

It was a frustrating evening for Brendan Rodgers’ side, going down to ten men in the first half after Olivier Ntcham was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

The Celtic boss decided to start with three central defenders at the back, handing Filip Benkovic his debut after making the switch from Leicester City on a season-long loan.

While the clean sheet was kept, it did look a less than convincing set-up in the first half, with the home side enjoying the majority of attacking chances.

Benkovic looked fairly comfortable though, before eventually being taken off for striker Leigh Griffiths after an hour, with Rodgers looking for the crucial goal.

Many supporters seemed pretty pleased with his first hour in the Hoops…

While others are expecting more from the summer signing…

Hakim Ziyech would be a wonderful addition to a talent-packed Liverpool squad

Liverpool made it six wins from six in the Premier League to remain top of the Premier League table.

With their rivals dropping points, the Reds took full advantage with an easy 3-0 victory over Southampton at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp opted to rest both James Milner and Joe Gomez with Milner’s replacement, Xherdan Shaqiri, creating the first goal – forcing Wesley Hoedt to send the ball into his own net. Next up was Gomez’s replacement, Joel Matip, who brilliantly headed home from a corner shortly after. The three points were wrapped up before half-time with Mohamed Salah tapping home after Shaqiri’s excellent free-kick crashed off the bar.

The result moves Liverpool two points clear of Manchester City, and Chelsea in the standings and the Reds are the only side to have a 100% record in the Premier League thus far. The fact that Klopp was able to leave the likes of Naby Keita and Fabinho on the bench for the win highlights Liverpool’s strength in depth and cements their title ambitions. Attention now turns to the Carabao Cup and Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea.

As well as focusing on their next fixtures, Klopp should also be evaluating potential January recruits who could give his side a welcome boost in the New Year. One man he should be watching is Ajax playmaker – Hakim Ziyech. Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old enjoyed a stunning campaign in the Eredivisie and was close to sealing a summer move to Roma but ultimately stayed put in Holland.

Ziyech netted nine goals and registered an incredible 17 assists last season, highlighting the creativity he would bring to the Liverpool midfield. The Morocco international could be the number ten Liverpool have been lacking since selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona back in January. Ziyech is also comfortable on the wing meaning he would provide vital cover to Sadio Mane on the left flank.

The Moroccan has already scored two and assisted two this season – Liverpool must attempt to secure his services in January.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Newcastle fans react to fresh takeover talks

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a promising report, as the Mike Ashley nightmare may finally be coming to an end.

According to Sky Sports, American firm Rockefeller Capital Management are in preliminary talks over a takeover.

The report says the firm are working with former Manchester United & Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon, and that Kenyon has held discussions with Ashley.

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The Magpies are toiling away in the relegation zone after yet another defeat on Saturday, and fans are desperate for new owners.

Ashley did extremely well to bring Rafael Benitez to the club, but has completely refused to back the Spaniard since his arrival, practically forcing the manager to deploy painstakingly defensive tactics.

The Tyneside club haven’t won a major trophy since 1955, and they certainly aren’t going to with Ashley at the helm.

Lots of fans are freaking out about the news, while others are struggling to believe it. Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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