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Southampton had no chance of signing new Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, the club’s former midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern.

Guehi recently joined Palace in an £18m deal from Chelsea following a couple of successful loan stints with Swansea City in the Championship.

However, according to The Athletic, Southampton were one of many suitors who were keen on the 21-year-old as they look to strengthen their backline this summer.

At £18m, though, Palmer feels his old side were never really in the running to sign Guehi. When asked by TT if St. Mary’s was a realistic destination, the former Saints star said:

“Not a chance, not really. When your budget is £10m, you’re not in the hunt, are you? It’s a difficult one, but when you’re a manager, you know what your budget is, you know what your capabilities are. 

“The manager has to be creative with loan players, get good young players in and give them the opportunity.”

Guehi looks like he could have been a good addition to Southampton. Last season, the England U21 international won 3.3 aerial duels per league game (via WhoScored), more than any player in the Saints’ squad bar Jannik Vestergaard (also 3.3).

However, with Ralph Hasenhuttl stating that the south coast club are indeed looking at players who will cost £10m or less, a deal always seemed unlikely.

Wolves have been linked with a move for AC Milan striker Rafael Leao as they firm up their summer recruitment activity [Calciomercato, via Sport Witness].

In need of striking reinforcements after the serious injury sustained by talisman Raul Jimenez, it is said that Leao could be available for ‘offers over €30m’ [Sport Witness].

The Portuguese striker enjoyed a decent 2020/21 season for I Rossoneri, registering 13 goal contributions in 40 appearances; seven goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Despite this, the 22-year-old did not make the final cut for Fernando Santos’ Portugal Euro 2020 squad [Telegraph].

Furthermore, he has not hit double figures as a centre-forward since the 2017/18 campaign for the Sporting Lisbon B team [Transfermarkt].

In light of this, no wonder loads of Wolves diehards took to Twitter to vent their frustrations as these recent developments.

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans react:

Replying to popular Wolverhampton Wanderers fan outlet Talking Wolves, here is what some fans had to say regarding the latest news, as one supporter called a move ‘pointless’:

“No chance we’ll pay that unless we sell some of our own big players. Would be pointless!!”

Credit: @SteveWiles20″No thanks had our fingers burned by cutrone”Credit: @Tofts8″Please, no”Credit: @marcobertoli87″Not worth that much money”Credit: @lewis__wwfc7″That’s a no go then with the price tag”Credit: @DuckinsDavid”Is he better than we already have? #wwfc”Credit: @BlosephIn other news, Wolves fans react to a pursuit of a reported target.

West Ham United have been a huge boost ahead of today’s crucial Premier League fixture…

What’s the latest?

The Hammers are just one point away from securing a place in the Europa League and have been given some rather encouraging news from the Southampton camp.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that he would not risk striker Che Adams as he has one eye on this summer’s European Championships.

“Che cannot play on the weekend because he has a small groin injury, so he will also definitely be out,” he told reporters, via the Daily Echo. “It is five to 10 days, so his chance for the weekend is a small one, but we didn’t take the risk because we know he has the Euros coming up, which for him is a big tournament.”

He also revealed that Oriol Romeu is in line to return to the squad for the first time since late February following a knee injury but given he has only just begun training again, it would be hard to see him start from the off, handing Moyes and West Ham further encouragement.

Will Smallbone is also a confirmed absentee.

It’s a big boost

There is so much on the line for the Irons today, less so for Southampton.

One more point will secure a Europa League berth and their best-ever finish since the 1997/98 campaign when Harry Redknapp guided them to eighth place.

In reality, this is a must-win game for West Ham, just to ensure they get over the finish line with no worries. A loss, with results going against them elsewhere, could tarnish what has been a phenomenal run under Moyes.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-and-the-latest-gossip” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

It was nearly a year ago that he steered the East London outfit to safety with one game to go, now he’s one more match away from achieving what would’ve been unthinkable before the season started.

Saints could well be missing two key stars and this will only bolster their chances, so it’s huge news for the Scotsman heading into kickoff.

Adams is currently their second top-scorer on nine goals behind Danny Ings (12), though he offers more than just the ability to find the net, as he has averaged one key pass per game, which also makes him amongst Hasenhuttl’s most creative options, as per WhoScored.

Similarly, Romeu’s role in defensive midfield cannot be understated as he does the dirty work that often goes unnoticed, and he would be one tough battle for the out-of-form Jesse Lingard if he were to start.

He tops the charts for tackles (3.4) and isn’t far behind for interceptions (1.5) per game on the south coast.

All in all, this news should absolutely delight Moyes as his chances of securing that point have been bolstered massively.

AND in other news, Moyes must ruthlessly axe “incredible” £26m-rated West Ham star after midweek disaster…

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to an update regarding the futures of five first-team players.

The Evening Standard shared a story revealing Joel Ward is in talks over a new Palace deal.

However, the report also dropped hints on the future of five other members of Palace’s squad, all of which are out of contract in a matter of weeks.

Mamadou Sakho, James McCarthy and Connor Wickham are all expected to leave Selhurst Park, whereas Gary Cahill and Andros Townsend are set to stay at the club.

Transfermarkt claim Palace have 15 players whose deals expire at the end of June, and it seems as if the club are starting to make some big calls, despite not having a manager in place.

The five mentioned plus Cahill and Townsend were signified as a “free transfer” in the Premier League’s official released list on Friday, however, it is not definitive they will leave.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news on the Palace quintet on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

These Eagles supporters seemed to be in agreement with the club’s decision, with one describing it as ‘wonderful news’.

“Getting rid of deadwood finally”Credit: @cpfc_sean”Perfection.”Credit: @Phillyconcarne”Wonderful news!”Credit: @IlerReed”Sounds ideal”Credit: @msvfagottfan”I’ll be happy with them”Credit: @benh199225″I’m absolutely fine with that. Those three off the wage bill – especially Sakho – will be good.”Credit: @SuperSySez

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at links to 22 y/o European defender, find out more here. 

A big Rangers transfer update has emerged involving the future of Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Another top season for Morelos

Morelos has come off the back of yet another great season with the Light Blues, scoring no fewer than 17 goals and making a further 13 assists in 44 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Inevitably, he will attract attention from potential suitors in the summer window, especially if he performs well in the Copa America with Colombia.

The Latest: Porto eye Morelos

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), FC Porto are considering Morelos as a potential replacement for exit-bound Moussa Marega.

However, it is claimed that the striker would cost at least €20m (£17.1m), a fee that the Portuguese outfit are unlikely to be able to afford.

The Verdict: More!

£17.1m is simply too little for the Glasgow giants to even be considering selling their top man, given just how important he is to the team and the sorts of prices goalscorer go for around Europe.

There is no doubt that Morelos is capable of mixing it up at sides like Porto, as Steve Gerrard claimed that he was ‘outstanding’ in a UEFA Europa League display against their rivals Benfica back in November, but the Ibrox faithful should be holding out for a lot more money if they were to sell their prized asset.

At just 24 years of age, his value is only going to increase over the next few years, so the Gers will have plenty of other opportunities to cash in.

In other news, find out what worrying RFC transfer claim has been dropped here!

West Ham United’s destiny is in their own hands.

The Irons need to clinch four points from their final two Premier League matches to secure a place in Europe next season, and that begins with an encounter against West Brom at the Hawthorns this evening.

It sees the East London outfit lock horns with their former manager, Sam Allardyce, who has struggled to keep Albion in the division, so there will not be a better opportunity to pick up 75% of those required points than tonight.

David Moyes has plenty to ponder in terms of team selection, especially as his side have won just one of their last five outings and are in need of a result here.

The 58-year-old could perhaps count his lucky stars that the Hammers managed to secure a point down at Brighton on Saturday night as they struggled once again.

He can thank substitute Said Benrahma for his late equaliser, and the Algerian winger ought to be rewarded with a start from the off this time.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-and-the-latest-gossip” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

It was actually his first strike for the club, a sublime effort too.

Benrahma picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and curled a delightful ball in off the post past the Seagulls goalkeeper, certainly showing signs of that Brentford form that earned him a £30m move to the London Stadium.

In the half-hour or so he was on the pitch, the £18m-rated dynamo was a far more creative influence than the man he replaced, Jarrod Bowen.

As per SofaScore, he recorded two key passes, a feat which was only bettered by Aaron Cresswell (four) whilst he’s amongst Moyes’ best options on the ball, having averaged 1.4 dribbles per game this season, which is above Bowen (0.9) too.

It can be argued that Benrahma offers a different type of threat to anyone else in the squad – he’s been lauded as a “real magician” by former Nice teammate Lorenzo Vinci and Brentford B coach Sam Saunders once claimed that the winger “could nutmeg a mermaid.”

This sort of spark against a team already down in the dumps could be a big game-changer, even more so given the Irons’ recent struggles in front of goal. There aren’t many who can provide the sort of quality we saw at the weekend, that’s for sure.

Moyes must punish the Baggies by unleashing Benrahma from the start this evening.

AND in other news, Moyes must ruthlessly axe £60k-p/w West Ham star tonight, he’s been shocking for weeks…

Gabriel Agbonlahor has dropped a revelation about Celtic’s chase of Eddie Howe.

The Hoops had an agreement in principle with Howe, and Agbonlahor has now revealed what he believes is a key reason why the deal isn’t done yet.

Howe has concerns about Celtic budget

Agbonlahor was speaking with Football Insider and he talked about potential developments in Celtic’s move for Howe.

The former Aston Villa striker said that he has heard information from multiple former Celtic coaches that new managers don’t get to change the whole structure at Parkhead, something the 43 year-old would likely want to do.

“I’ve heard from different managers before at Celtic that Celtic are very strong with this. You can bring in maybe two coaches and that’s all you get. You don’t get to change the whole system.

“Celtic are very strong in not giving managers too much power. ‘Bring in a couple of coaches, we’ll sort out the director of football, we’ll sort out everything else.’

“I reckon Celtic are being stubborn on that. Eddie Howe is probably thinking ‘I want to change a lot of things. I want my director of football, I want somebody to help me with transfers.’ They’ve probably said ‘No’ and that’s all it is.

“Eddie Howe’s probably thinking, with the job Celtic have got on their hands with Scott Brown leaving, Edouard probably leaving, ‘How much money am I going to be promised?’ There’s no point in signing a contract with Celtic, jumping the gun and being told you’ve got £15million in the kitty.

“He’s probably thinking I need a lot more than that to catch up with Rangers.

“There’s no rush to go there at the moment. We’ve got the Euros coming up, the season finishing. I’m sure Eddie Howe is not in a super rush to get back managing.

“It’s a big decision for him and his family to move to Scotland. You can’t travel, he’d have to relocate to Glasgow. Maybe he’ll only take the job if he’s given the clauses he wants with a director of football.”

Celtic need to meet Howe’s demands

That there has been no movement in the Celtic manager saga suggests that, while things haven’t moved forward, perhaps Celtic are still refusing to shift to another target. It has also been hinted by journalists that the Hoops are relaxed about the situation and that things are still on track, despite all the conflicting rumours.

Howe had stayed at Bournemouth for a number of years and he helped them rise from League Two to the Premier League, which shows that he knows how to raise standards at clubs. Celtic haven’t qualified for the group stages of the Champions League in multiple seasons and they have failed in the Premiership this year, too – it is time for a fresh-faced manager to lead a major overhaul.

They clearly need to refresh their standards and, considering Howe’s record, he may yet be the man to do that at Parkhead – if he and the club can reach a compromise on some crucial factors.

In other news, ‘Can neither confirm nor deny’ – Elusive answer emerges as McKay plots his first big Celtic move

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder believes Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic is very similar to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Kalajdzic has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this season, ranking among the top scorers in the division.

The 6 ft 7 forward is now being linked with a move to the Premier League, with Everton just one club said to be interested in his services.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, the Toffees and Newcastle United are both keen on the player, while Juventus are his admirers from Italy.

For Pinder, Kalajdzic is an individual who could bring a lot to Goodison Park and shares some similarities with Calvert-Lewin.

When asked whether the two could play alongside each other, the editor-in-chief at Get German Football News told FFC:

“I think they’re quite similar in terms of goal threat, but Kalajdzic can drop deep and play as a central attacking midfielder or as a false nine, so he can offer a lot to Everton.”

As well as Everton and Newcastle, West Ham are also said to be interested in the Austria international’s signature.

It means the Merseyside club could have a real battle on their hands should Kalajdzic decide he wants to move to England, especially if West Ham manage to qualify for the Champions League.

The Derby County takeover bid lodged by Erik Alonso is no longer being considered by the club, while Mel Morris has entered into new talks regarding the sale of the Rams.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a statement posted on the Derby County website, in which the club’s CEO Stephen Pearce confirmed that the board are no longer considering the takeover bid of No Limits Sports Limited.

However, Pearce added that Mel Morris is actively discussing the sale of the club with a number of interested and credible parties.

He said: “An announcement was made in April that a deal was agreed between Mel Morris and No Limits Sports Limited, but subsequent developments mean the deal is no longer an option.

“However, Mel Morris is in touch with a number of credible parties in respect to purchasing both the football club and Pride Park Stadium.”

Fans must be buzzing

Considering just how much Derby fans have had to endure this season – with their team narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship, the frustration of two takeover attempts ending in failure and knowing their side face a points deduction for breaking Financial Fair Play rules – Pearce’s clarification on the current situation regarding the sale of the club is likely to leave the Pride Park faithful buzzing.

Indeed, with a number of concerning issues coming to light regarding Alonso’s bid for the club, it could easily be argued that Derby may well be better off without the Spanish businessman becoming their new owner.

Furthermore, with Pearce confirming that there are a “number of credible parties” interested in purchasing Derby, the prospect of the club being sold appears to have some potential ahead of next season.

As such, if the sale of the club is completed this summer, this would allow Derby and their fans to start looking forward to the future with a new owner who could back Rooney in the transfer market in the 35-year-old’s bid to build a team capable of pushing for promotion and duly putting this year’s disappointments firmly in the past.

In other news: Derby dealt big transfer blow over “fantastic” £1.35m-rated gem, Rooney will be gutted – opinion

Celtic managerial target Eddie Howe is now on a three-man Crystal Palace shortlist to replace Roy Hodgson in the summer following talks with the Eagles’ board.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claimed that Howe and Burnley’s Sean Dyche are the frontrunners for the Selhurst Park job, with Frank Lampard third choice, as revealed by a source from the south London club.

Celtic’s feelings revealed

The report added that the Hoops, who had verbally agreed a move with Howe before he had second thoughts, are still hopeful of landing the former Bournemouth boss. However, their chances of doing so have taken a major hit in recent days.

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic are looking to bring in a new manager and director of football, but the two roles could be causing the club some problems. The Hoops were thought to be closing in on Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin as director of football prior to the developments with Howe.

However, the 43-year-old wanted to reunite with Bournemouth director Richard Hughes in Glasgow, and we feel that such a complication may have been one of the reasons that talks with the Hoops have stalled.

Celtic, who appointed Neil Lennon in the shower back in 2019, are going about things correctly this time around, but it seems as if they now face serious competition for Howe’s services from Palace.

In other news: Hoops keen on record-breaking teenager related to Tottenham legend, find out more here.