According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Crystal Palace are in talks with Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang over a loan deal for Yannick Carrasco.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Solhekol states that both sides have been in talks over a loan deal that would cost the south Londoners around £3m.

The Sky Sports reporter adds that the 41-cap Belgium international’s wages could, however, be a stumbling block as he earns ‘over £100k-a-week’ with the Chinese outfit.

Carrasco would be a real coup for the Eagles, as he comes with a decent level of experience in the Champions League and on the international stage, having netted in the 2016 Champions League final against Real Madrid while also appearing at the 2018 World Cup – the 26-year-old has also won the Europa League with Atletico Madrid.

Would be the perfect foil for Wilfried Zaha

One thing which is noticeable as soon as you watch Crystal Palace is that Wilfried Zaha can often be doubled, or tripled, up on by the opposition.

The Ivory Coast international is consequently fouled 3.1 times per game in the Premier League, which is the joint-second most in the Premier League alongside James Maddison and behind only Jack Grealish.

On many an occasion, Palace’s lack of other dangerous attackers means that the space afforded by Zaha’s treatment does not get taken advantage of, as the Eagles are currently the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers with only 22 goals in 24 outings.

However, with Carrasco also in the side next to Zaha, things could be different.

The former Monaco forward draws the same amount of fouls as the former Manchester United winger with 3.1 impediments per game in the Chinese Super League, although his 3.7 dribbles per 90 minutes are nowhere near that of Zaha’s five albeit still impressive.

Idiots Abroad: Do you know where these famous Brits are playing now?

However, given the similarities between the pair in the fact that they clearly enjoy dribbling and win a lot of fouls while doing so, Carrasco could provide the perfect foil for Zaha when he gets heavy treatment from the opposition.Â

In other news, an ex-Premier League winner has hit out at Roy Hodgson…

Aston Villa could probably do with a striker before the January transfer window closes.

Their first-choice number nine is out for the remainder of the season, and they’ve had to play Anwar El Ghazi out of position as a striker in recent weeks.

Striker’s have been linked with a move to Villa Park as rumours surrounding Davie Selke have most recently been doing the rounds.

However, the most interesting story this month has been around the potential return of Christian Benteke, and David Ornstein provided us with the latest update on his situation.

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What’s been said then?

The journalist was contributing to The Athletic’s live deadline day transfer blog, and one user asked about Villa’s hopes of landing another striker.

“I was told last Friday that Villa’s business was almost certainly done. My colleague Gregg Evans will know more and has suggested another striker could arrive. Crystal Palace probably haven’t given up hope that Villa could take Christian Benteke off their hands, but I’ve not heard anything to suggest that is happening.”

Shouldn’t do it

The fact that Palace are hoping that Villa come in for the Belgian tells you all you need to know about this move.

Benteke has scored just four goals over the past two and a half seasons, and that simply isn’t a good enough record.

Was he brilliant at Villa first time around? He netted 19 goals in one season so of course he was, but the Birmingham based outfit shouldn’t let blind nostalgia allow them to walk into signing a poor player.

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Leeds United’s fanbase is unlike any other set of supporters in England.How many other clubs do you know that would take 1,400 supporters to an U18s away game on a Wednesday night?There may be a handful of clubs that would take that many fans to watch a youth team game, but there aren’t many that would have had a senior player in and amongst the supporters orchestrating the noise.

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However, that’s exactly what happened at Old Trafford on Monday as Jamie Shackleton was filmed kickstarting a ‘we are Leeds’ chant as the U18s faced off against Manchester United.

The young midfielder may be a first-team regular, appearing 29 times in the league for the Whites, but he’s a Leeds fan first and foremost.

It’s great to see that a player still has an undying passion for the club, as it’s very easy to lose sight of what made you fall in love with football when it’s your full-time job.

In other news, one man is inexplicably escaping blame at Leeds.

James Chester has opened up about his loan move from Aston Villa to Stoke City, as reported on the Potters’ official channels.

What did he say?

The 31-year-old has played a total of 121 games for Aston Villa during his time there, becoming a popular figure at the club, especially due to his contribution to their promotion through the playoffs last season.

All of this has seen him grow an emotional attachment to those at Villa Park, which is clearly reciprocated by fans, as was indicated by their bitter disappointment at seeing him leave the club, even if it is temporarily.

Before hopefully making his debut for the Potters against relegation contenders Charlton Athletic at the weekend, he opened up about making the move:

“It was emotional. I’ve been there nearly four years and I’ve been a big part of what has happened over the time.

“There were people there that I became really close with, became close to… so it was difficult to leave in that respect. For the sake of my own career, I think that it was a really good opportunity to come and play the 16 or so games that are remaining in the season and that’s something I am looking forward to doing.”

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Making an impact

The Wales international has only played in two matches for Villa’s first-team this season – both of which came in the cups – so it is fair to suggest he hasn’t been able to make much of an impact on the pitch.

However, that should be very different during his time in the red and white of Stoke, who currently sit 21st in the Championship table, just two points above the relegation zone.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

If he is chosen to play against Charlton, who are just two places higher than Stoke, it will be a definite indication of the trust that Michael O’Neill has in him.

There is a real opportunity for Chester to make a difference for his club, as was the case at Villa last season, so it is understandable that he has taken the move.

Meanwhile, one Villa youngster has been enthused by his loan move away from the club.

Wolves fans have been left in an uproar this week following Tim Spiers’ update over the club’s allocation for their second-leg tie at Espanyol towards the end of the month.

The Atheltic correspondent tweeted out details that the La Liga side were not budging on their offer of 2,000 tickets despite a number of appeals from the west Midlanders as well as Spanish authorities.

When the fixture was announced back in December, the Wolves official club website relayed UEFA regulations that stipulate an away side is allowed a minimum of five per cent of the home team’s capacity.

The RCDE Stadium holds 40,000, so Wolves are getting the bare minimum amount despite hopes they would attain a further 1,000 before the match – the Express & Star also claimed they only average around 20,000 fans per game too.

Here’s what the Wolf Pack have been saying…

A couple of supporters blasted the decision as “ridiculous” as there would be thousands of empty seats in the ground and that it didn’t make any sense commercially whatsoever.

“Shock” and “joke” were also superlatives used.

It has caused a bit of debate amongst fans over what they should do as some have already paid for accommodation and flights whilst others were planning on going in the home end.

One member of the travelling Molineux faithful joked that he would pretend to be from Barcelona, using a sketch from Faulty Towers.

Another said he would be attending one way or another, whether that’s in the Espanyol crowd or not doesn’t matter.

And then there were a selection of fans from the west Midlands that said the club should do the same for them ahead of next week’s first-leg at Molineux.

Calling Premier League experts ONLY: Which year were these top flight clubs formed?

While in other news, Wolves handed HUGE EXIT warning by Lionel Messi’s former coach… 

The grand return of the Champions League didn’t really go as planned for Tottenham Hotspur as RB Leipzig outclassed them in north London and recorded a 1-0 away win.

Jose Mourinho’s troops managed to minimise the damage done by the Germans but nothing more than that, and now they have a mountain to climb in a couple of weeks’ time.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

The fans were naturally discussing how individual Spurs players fared on the night, and it seems that Gedson Fernandes divided opinion.

Some thought that he was brilliant and one of the best performers on the pitch.

And it didn’t take long for some of fans to start comparing him to other Spurs players and it seems that, for the majority of them, he outshined some of his teammates.

One fan stated that he was better than Dele Alli and Ben Davies, while one other called him the new Sissoko of the team.

But of course, some fans had a completely different standpoint.

One fan said he was nowhere near good enough while one another slammed him by calling him a “bargain basement”.

Elsewhere, many Spurs fans couldn’t believe what one journalist had asked Mourinho prior to the Leipzig game…

West Ham may be littered with discontent and apathy off the pitch but there were small signs of hope ahead – fans went from black balloons and banners against the regime in protest at Anfield to raving over one of their players despite the defeat.

The Hammers faithful haven’t stopped waxing lyrical about teenage full-back Jeremy Ngakia after his performance against the league leaders and soon to be crowned champions Liverpool.

David Moyes’ side so very nearly knocked the Reds off their unbeaten perch, having taken the lead in the 54th minute through Pablo Fornals but two clangers from goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski put pay to that.

Mo Salah and Sadio Mane both netted to hand the home side all three points, but that didn’t stop the 19-year-old defender from being enamoured with praise after the whistle.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

The praise for the Hammers academy grad was neverending, his display was described as “absolute class,” “outstanding” and “brilliant.”

One supporter claimed the 19-year-old was an “unbelievable talent” while another called him “mustard.”

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Per SofaScore, Ngakia recorded five tackles, four clearances, three interceptions and two successful dribbles, leading to a further member of the West Ham faithful claiming he sent Andy Robertson back to Hull City, his former club.

Others believe the young starlet is better than their more experienced options in the right-back role.

One fan said he was clearly their best option while others said he had more legs than Pablo Zabaleta and was “all round” a better player than Ryan Fredericks.

His display on the right flank against Mane led to some fans reminiscing about former players as he was likened to both George Paris, and a little more recently, Glen Johnson.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

And in other news, West Ham’s s Mr RELIABLE lets David Moyes down BIG TIME…

Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate show (March 10, 10pm), Danny Murphy has taken aim at Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho following a disappointing run of form.

What did he say?

Well, the main discussion between the former Liverpool man, Curtis Davies and host Geoff Shreeves was the Portuguese boss’ post-match dig at Tanguy Ndombele following the Burnley clash at the weekend.

However, while the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss may have singled the Frenchman out for criticism and said he expected more from the club-record buy, Murphy believes that the 57-year-old needs to take a look in the mirror.

Having questioned the decision to play a youngster in Japhet Tanganga in a range of different defensive roles, the ex-Premier League star went on to say: “He’s got to take some responsibility himself because some of the selections I’ve seen, the first half against Burnley. Even though he was talking about lack of effort with players, the tactics were wrong. That’s on him.”

Is Murphy right?

He probably is, yes.

We have seen the Portuguese use this tactic before when perhaps his team isn’t performing that well – think Luke Shaw when he was manager at Old Trafford – and it appears to be the same situation here again.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Perhaps he feels that the tough-love approach is what is needed to get Ndombele up to the level needed to be a Spurs star in this team, and perhaps it is the kick up the behind the 23-year-old needs, but he does need to accept that he himself has got things wrong, too.

Both in the first half at Burnley – where he started five centre-backs – and against Leipzig, the north London outfit looked disorganised and some players unsure of their specific roles, and that simply isn’t good enough.

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Mourinho has come across as almost giving up on the season without the injured Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, last week suggesting the board needed to pick between either the Burnley or Leipzig clash as being a prioirty.

He needs to snap out of that and alter his view in the coming weeks and months if Tottenham are to salvage the 2019/20 campaign and try and qualify for the Champions League again.

In other Tottenham news, one journalist destroyed Serge Aurier for his performance in the defeat in Germany…

Leeds United ramped up the pressure in the Championship title race with a rampant victory on Sunday afternoon, which moved them to within one point of the league leaders.

The west Yorkshire outfit slammed four past local rivals Hull City on the same afternoon West Brom were defeated by Wigan Athletic.

Marcelo Bielsa was forced into one change following Kiko Casilla’s suspension the evening before, it meant a first league start was handed to on-loan goalkeeper Illan Meslier, and fans were thrilled with his impact.

While Luke Ayling, Pablo Hernandez and super-sub Tyler Roberts found the net at one end of the pitch, the 20-year-old was holding his own at the other.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

The rave reviews of the Frenchmen were never-ending, clearly, he’s already left a firm mark on sections of the Whites faithful.

Fans were calling him everything from “world class” to “formidable” while one supporter claimed that he would become a Leeds legend if he were to help steer them to the Premier League.

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His numbers from the match reflect such opinions too as he saved both of Hull’s shots on target whilst he also managed to high claim twice and had a passing success rate of 72%, per SofaScore, who handed him a 7.4 rating too.

It was Meslier’s second appearance of the season after facing Arsenal in the FA Cup last month.

Plenty would love to see the shot-stopper stick around next season, irrespective of the division they are in.

While some hinted at how big his future is, claiming that he could become Leeds’ number one for years to come and once again there was a suggestion that he could become a legend at Elland Road.

From Jay-Z to Tom Hanks: Do you know which clubs these famous celebrities support?

And in other news, Leeds loanee Jean-Kevin Augustin should be running scared…

Leeds United’s U23s were in action on Monday evening, and the performance of one player earned such high plaudits that the west Yorkshiremen may have stumbled across a ready-made replacement for loanee Ben White.

What’s been said?

The young Whites side, which featured the likes of Barry Douglas, Ian Poveda and Tyler Roberts, drew 1-1 with Barnsley but it was young centre-back Pascal Struijk that received rave reviews for his display.

Beren Cross, who writes for LeedsLive, attended the match and handed the 20-year-old a 7/10 rating and also waxed lyrical about his performance.

No other player that featured received a higher rating either as the former Manchester City winger netted the only goal of the game with a strike that only epitomised ‘Bielsaball.’

Speaking in his recent article, he said:

“Led from the rear as he often does at this level. Mopped up a lot of home danger during the first half with the visitors under the cosh. Reliable in the air and on the deck under pressure.”

Beren Cross, LeedsLive.

White replacement

Marcelo Bielsa is likely to have a task on his hands later this summer as the fan-favourite loanee will return to parent club Brighton & Hove Albion.

This will leave a monumental void behind, especially with Gaetano Berardi out of contract at the end of the season and Liam Cooper’s ongoing injury troubles.

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The centre-back position is going to be rather high on the agenda regardless of the division they play in and other external factors.

Struijk has only played twice for the senior side at Elland Road, but this glowing endorsement only highlights the potential at his feet, especially as he clearly is pulling up trees with his “reliable” and consistent displays.

At the very least, the young Dutchman should be given an opportunity to impress during pre-season – maybe they can unearth their very own White, and save millions this summer, or even their biggest success story since Kalvin Phillips.

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

Football Insider claim that the centre-back is “highly thought of” by Bielsa, so it would be right to put a little more faith in him by handing him such a chance in the near future.

And in other news, Stuart Dallas gives honest admission about Leeds run-in…