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The impossible is slowly but surely turning into likely or even expected – Lionel Messi is set to leave Barcelona after almost 20 years of service and playing under the same banner his whole career. And Manchester City are waiting to take him to the Premier League.

The Argentine has now missed the initial pre-training tests at the camp and is likely to also miss Ronald Koeman’s first training session today as well. All of this certainly points towards an almost definite separation.

But Man City should also be really optimistic because according to Terry Gibson, Barcelona themselves would love nothing more than to actually sell the Argentine in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Here’s what he said for Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast: “It’s a sign now that there is going to be a war between Barcelona and Messi. If you’re asking me what is going to happen eventually, I think Manchester City are the favourites now. But part of me thinks (Josep) Bartomeu and Ronald Koeman want to see Messi out of the door now.

“They want to eradicate his wage bill, Luis Suarez’s wage bill, the team needs rebuilding. If Barcelona can get the transfer fee from Manchester City, get Messi off the wage bill and try to pin the blame on Messi, that’s the outcome which suits Bartomeu, Ronald Koeman, and the outcome that will suit Manchester City.”

The Catalans have been struggling with their wage bill and do have enormous financial issues. Selling Messi, however weird that may sound, could potentially throw them a lifeline.

Of course, Pep Guardiola is just waiting for that to happen and then he’ll pull the trigger.

Verdict

There have been various different discussions of whether Messi would fit in at Man City. He’s 33 now and doesn’t exactly run too much and the Citizens are all about intensity, speed and aggression.

But are we really discussing whether adding the world’s best player to a team would indeed make that team better? It does seem like a no-brainer.

They may have continued their unbeaten streak, but Rangers will surely feel their 2-2 draw against Hibernian on Sunday was two dropped points.

The Gers enjoyed 70% of the possession at Easter Road, and took 12 more total shots than the home side (19-7). And yet, even despite the dominance, they couldn’t convert their opportunities in front of goal, and a couple of defensive lapses at the other end cost them big time.

Are you a massive Rangers fan? Know everything about the club? Well do you know your Gary Stevens from your Michael Ball? This quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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And whilst Ianis Hagi played a key part in Scott Arfield’s lovely team goal, the Romanian struggled to impose him on the game, and ended up losing six of his nine total duels.

After seeing his performance, Rangers fans took to Twitter to share their reactions about the attacker.

A couple of Rangers fans insisted Hagi was miles off the pace, and urged Gerrard during the game to take him off.

The 21-year-old has scored just the once in nine games for Rangers this season, and there’s no doubt Steven Gerrard’s side need a lot more from the talented Romanian.

Getting him to be consistent even during a game could be key to whether the Gers can finally lift the league title, and if he can add goals to his locker like his manager did, then the Ibrox side will fancy their chances of ending their long wait.

It’s fair to say it hasn’t been the greatest of seasons at Tottenham.

From all the fall-out of Mauricio Pochettino’s exit, to the very little excitement produced since Jose Mourinho took over, there has not been a lot of positives in north London.

And one area that has really let them down badly has been their back-line, with their total of 44 goals conceded only better than Chelsea and Burnley in the Premier League’s top ten.

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But according to Turkish journalist Mehmet Demirkol, Spurs may have already identified their defensive problem and set about trying to fix it.

Speaking at beIN Manset, Demirkol revealed that Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak is “on his way to Tottenham this season”, and after hearing about the links to the 6 foot 1 man, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of fans insisted how Kabak, 20, could provide Spurs with someone who could be the future of their defence, with one supporter envisioning how he and Japhet Tanganga could be the mainstays for the next decade or so.

One Spurs fan in particular meanwhile listed the reasons why Kabak could be perfect for them, and insisted that he “would be a rock in the heart of defence”.

Averaging an impressive 1.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the Bundesliga for Schalke this year, Kabak has been a mainstay of the German side’s back-four despite only being 20-years-old.

With Jan Vertonghen set to depart the club once his contract finally expires, Spurs will surely be on the look-out for a new defender, and Kabak’s age marks him out as someone who Jose Mourinho could build the future around.

After trailing twice in their clash against West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Newcastle managed to secure themselves a creditable 2-2 at St James’ Park.

Steve Bruce’s side would no doubt have been hoping to follow up their impressive 4-1 thrashing of Bournemouth with another victory in the top-flight, but whilst they didn’t manage to do just that, they kept up their unbeaten run in the league.

But whilst a few of the Magpies players emerged from the game with some credit, Emil Krafth in particular had a largely forgettable game. Whilst the Swede did pick out Miguel Almiron for Newcastle’s first equaliser, the right-back endured a torrid outing in every other respect.

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As per Sofascore, he made just one tackle and no interceptions, whilst also losing nine of his 12 total duels – out of the five that he contested in the air, he came out second-best in every single one.

And those defensive struggles extended to his quality on the ball too, with Krafth managing to lose the ball on 25 separate occasions over the course of the 90 minutes. To put that into context, Jonjo Shelvey, who lost it the second-most, only conceded possession 18 times.

Every time the full-back found himself in a promising position out wide to put a dangerous delivery into the box, he failed. He attempted six crosses for the Magpies, and absolutely none of them found their mark, with his two attempted long balls also going awry too.

With Joelinton playing out wide on the left, had Krafth managed to deliver a decent delivery to the back-post, the Brazilian could well have made his mark on the game.

Instead, West Ham found it far too easy to clear their lines, and it was no surprise that his 6.7 match rating was the third-worst of any Newcastle player on the pitch.

The Swede badly let down Steve Bruce in a game the Magpies could really have continued to kick on from.

A lot of Celtic fans were reminiscing over former player Brian McClair after a fan posted a picture of him on Twitter.

The Scottish international played both in attack and in midfield for the Hoops and made 198 appearances for the side, scoring an impressive 122 goals during his four years at the club, as per Soccerbase.

He also came away with a league title and a cup winner’s medal, and clearly a lot of this was due to his performances as he also received the personal accolade of Scottish PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1987 and also Scottish Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in the same campaign.

He had a quite successful four-year stint at the club and it did not go unnoticed as English giants Manchester United signed him for £850,000 from the Hoops, and he went on to score 129 goals for the Red Devils. It is worth wondering how much a player with such a good goal record would cost in today’s market.

Here is what some Celtic fans had to say following the tweet:

Celtic fans, just how good was McClair in his time at the club? Comment below with your views!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur earlier last week and was very quickly replaced by Jose Mourinho.

This mammoth news is bound to send shockwaves through English football, and this move could directly affect Leeds United.

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Of course, we’re talking about the possibility that Jack Clarke could be recalled in January.

There has been plenty of speculation around the winger in recent months, and Phil Hay has outright stated that he expects him to return to Spurs once the winter window opens. Even though it was already likely, the chances of that happening may have just skyrocketed.

It was made very clear that Pochettino simply didn’t want Clarke as a part of his squad this season, and that his signing this summer was ultimately Daniel Levy’s call.

However, the new manager may fancy having a closer look at Clarke, and when you consider that his recall was already looking likely, the sacking of Pochettino may have been the final straw for the teenager’s Leeds United career.

Reports suggest that Levy never even wanted to loan the teenager back to Leeds this summer, and it’s clear that the chairman is an admirer of the youngster.

It’s unknown whether or not Mourinho has ever even seen Clarke play, but he may want to take a look at him in more detail by recalling him, especially if Levy gives him a glowing review.

The new Spurs boss has already said he’s excited about getting to work with Tottenham’s academy players and given Clarke is only 18, this might speed up his potential return to north London.

Sunderland fans were left to throw the blame on a variety of people after their defeat against Burton on Tuesday evening.Phil Parkinson received the brunt of the abuse, taking stick from supporters who hoped Kevin Phillips would replace him.Midfielder Grant Leadbitter was also the subject of frustration from fans but Joel Lynch has been made another scapegoat.[ad_pod ]The defender put in a rather strange performance as his mentality didn’t look right for large portions of the game.One fan suggested he went to bits in the second half, citing a backpass to goalkeeper Lee Burge with Sunderland trailing in the dying embers.A further individual accused him of not being switched on for the goal that eventually cost Sunderland a point.Lynch completed a measly 63.5% of his passes but did record a colossal six interceptions. That being said, he failed to deliver in some of the key moments.The 32-year-old has featured eight times for Parkinson’s side in 2019/20, winning 5.4 aerial duels per game along the way.Here’s the best of the reaction to his display in midweek.

Meanwhile, check out what Sunderland fans have been saying about Kevin Phillips…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.

Macauley Bonne has been cleared to play in Charlton Athletic’s match against Cardiff City, as reported by London News Online.

What’s the story?

The 24-year-old striker had been forced to pull out of international duty with Zimbabwe due to what he referred to as “unforeseen medical grounds” on Twitter.

He has had cardiac tests since releasing his statement, which have cleared the Charlton man to carry on playing, though he will continue to be checked on.

Charlton’s statement on the matter, via London News Online, stated: “The club’s medical team can confirm that Macauley Bonne underwent some planned cardiac investigations last week following a recent routine cardiac screen.

“The results of these investigations have been discussed with the sports cardiologist and the player will continue to play and train as normal. The club will continue to regularly screen his heart as recommended, as we do with all our players from U15 through to the first team.”

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Vital inclusion

Bonne has become a vital player for Charlton, having signed from Leyton Orient in the summer and coming to prominence in the absence of Lyle Taylor.

The 24-year-old has made 8 Championship starts this campaign, coming off the bench twice, scoring 5 goals, including the only strike of the game in a victory against Leeds United.

He has dealt with the step up from the National League to Championship football admirably and he can definitely play his part against Cardiff.

It is uncertain whether or not Taylor will be able to feature in the game, as he looks to make his return from injury, but Bonne should be able to impact the game regardless of whether that is from the start or off the bench.

More importantly though, they will be relieved to know that Bonne is okay and able to carry on with his career without any potential health issues looming over him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Jonjo Shelvey has enjoyed mixed fortunes this season, but he could begin to find more consistency and become more important for his side if played in a more advanced role.

On the chalkboard

When Steve Bruce first arrived he made the former Liverpool man a central part of his plans, deploying him in a deep-lying role in midfield behind Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff.

The Magpies boss likely designed that system to make the most of Shelvey’s long-range passing ability, but it was quickly found out and cost Newcastle points early on.

Since then the 27-year-old has proved his worth with displays against West Ham and Bournemouth, but he’d be a lot more effective if he was able to play further forward.

It is an alteration that could work given Newcastle’s preferred 5-2-3 formation, as it would allow both Shelvey and Hayden to focus on the best aspects of their game, with the latter excelling defensively this term.

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Playmaker

In his typical inconsistent fashion Shelvey has underperformed with a pass accuracy of 71% this season, but in averaging 3.1 successful long balls per game he is an important factor in the Magpies’ attack.

Playing closer to Joelinton could work wonders. It would help the Brazilian get more involved in play and increase the number of opportunities he would receive, as Shelvey would likely be able to improve on his 1.4 key passes per game.

That return highlights the midfielder’s skill at producing chances, with the wingers often the beneficiaries, and suggests Newcastle are already a little reliant on his quality.

In a more attacking role Shelvey would have his defensive responsibility reduced, which also suits him. He has managed just 0.9 tackles per game compared to Hayden’s 2.9, so there is little point in restricting him to play alongside his midfield teammate.

Shelvey has also shown that he knows where the goal is. He has two goals this term from just six league starts, and his power could allow him to rifle home chances in and around the penalty box.

The key here is Joelinton though. There is a clear lack of service for the 23-year-old, who ranks 50th in the league for shots per game, with a measly 1.7. Shelvey would help to address that issue, and if he can get the striker scoring more then Newcastle should become a strong attacking team.

Many Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on social media to reports by TEAMtalk, after the North London outfit were linked with FC Metz striker Habib Diallo.

It is understood that Spurs, along with Chelsea, Watford, Newcastle, Leicester and Norwich City, have watched Diallo in recent weeks, and could present a big-money offer for the 24-year-old in January.

The forward has been a mainstay of Vincent Hognon’s side at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium this season, playing the full ninety minutes in 12 of his 13 Ligue 1 appearances.

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Diallo has scored eight times in the French top-flight, and captained Metz on three occasions as Les Grenats beat AS Saint-Etienne and FC Nantes while being held to a draw at home to Toulouse.

Only Olympique Lyonnais’ Memphis Depay and AS Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder have scored more goals in Ligue 1 than Diallo so far this season, leading to Metz placing a price tag of around £10million on the Senegal forward.

Diallo’s haul of goals accounts for 73% of Metz’s total strikes so far this season, as they sit 17th in the table and one point above the relegation play-off spot currently occupied by Dijon FCO.

Metz secured their promotion into Ligue 1 last season after Diallo struck 26 goals in 37 second-tier fixtures, and made his international debut last November before earning his second cap against Brazil this October.

Here are some of the reactions shared to TEAMtalk’s report…