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Carlton Palmer has suggested that Southampton should sell Danny Ings this summer, despite the influence he has in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What has been said about Ings?

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Palmer suggests that the South Coast club should actively be looking to cash in on the England international this summer, saying:

“I don’t like players going down into the last year of their contract.

“I would sit down with him now and say, ‘Right, listen, if you’re not going to commit to a long-term contract, it’s better that you move on now.’ Do the business now, move him on. Get some money for him and move him on.”

Should Southampton sell Ings?

Other than perhaps James Ward-Prowse, Ings is arguably the most important player in Hasenhuttl’s side at the moment, evidenced by the 22 goals he scored in the 2019/20 season, and the 12 goals he managed last season despite regular spells on the sidelines.

Although he is showing signs of improvement, Che Adams lacks the natural finishing ability of Ings, and without the former Liverpool man in their side next season, Southampton could seriously struggle to score goals.

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The likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with the 28-year-old forward this summer but Hasenhuttl has claimed that he will remain a Southampton player, despite him clearly favouring a move to a ‘top six’ club who can offer regular European football.

Whilst it would be a tough decision, the Austrian cannot afford to lose Ings on a free transfer next summer and with it clear that he won’t agree to a new deal at the club after rejecting a new four-year contract recently, cashing in on him might just be the right thing to do.

After rejecting an offer from the club last season, Ryan Bertrand was left out of Southampton’s remaining fixtures, so why should Ings’ situation be any different if he is no longer committed to the Saints?

Although he is an “outstanding” forward, as Eddie Howe put it, the money from his sale could be used to bring in a replacement such as the heavily-linked Adam Armstrong, and that would be a much more preferable situation than losing Ings for free next season and not having the money for a replacement, so Hasenhuttl should make the tough decision to sell him this summer.

And, in other news… Forget Armstrong: Southampton should swoop for “incredible” £4.05m-rated gem

Many Liverpool fans have slammed the performance of James Milner in their game at Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday evening.

The 35-year-old was run ragged at times in the middle of the park and it was no surprise to see him taken off for Naby Keita just shy of the 70-minute mark.

Milner lost out on five of his duels in total and also failed to record a single shot on goal or successful dribble, while his 65% pass accuracy was one of the worst out of any player on the pitch (SofaScore).

The veteran midfielder also failed to make any accurate crosses or long balls, while he was guilty of losing possession of the ball 10 times and had only 38 touches, 15 fewer than his own goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher (SofaScore), summarising his lack of positive impact on the match.

Liverpool fans slam Milner

These Liverpool supporters slammed Milner’s performance on Twitter, with one Kopite even going as far as to call him a ‘clown’:

“Clown Milner”

Credit: @DavidElliott720

“It’s painful to watch Henderson and Milner pretending to play football”

Credit: @Intrepide_

“Milner playing against us”

Credit: @davies_t_m

“Milner is making me cringe”

Credit: @EMxneyfella

“Hendo and Milner have been abysmal again”

Credit: @ewan_tc

“Watching Milner move is painful”

Credit: @fotballben1

In other news, find out what Mohamed Salah claim has left these LFC fans erupting

Wolves will head into the summer market with the need to add more bodies to their rather small ranks, something that has needed overseeing ever since the days of Nuno Santo.

The likes of Adama Traore and Trincao have rather unclear futures in the Midlands but it looks as though a potential replacement is in the minds of Jeff Shi and co.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Wolves are one of the teams plotting a move to sign Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos this summer.

They will face a battle with Premier League rivals West Ham to secure his signature in what could be a blockbuster deal.

It’s thought the Argentine winger’s release clause stands at a mighty £58m, although it seems unlikely a fee such as that will be required to land his services.

Terrorising Wolves

If Wolves can secure a deal for Ocampos, they could finally replace Diogo Jota in their ranks at Molineux.

The attacker left for Liverpool in the summer of 2020 and has quickly become one of the most feared prospects in the Premier League.

Jota has found the net on 20 occasions in 41 outings throughout the current campaign.

Ocampos has beat the goalkeeper eight times himself, while also registering four assists so his numbers aren’t quite as mesmerising. However, there are certainly similarities between the two.

Dubbed “electric” by Fede Prami, a journalist and River Plate fan, the Argentina international has shown his dazzling trickery with 1.6 dribbles per game this tally, a statistic that is rather synonymous with Jota’s mazy abilities.

Furthermore, he has been fouled on 1.8 occasions per match, demonstrating that he loves to draw defenders in and win opportunities up the field for his team.

Wolves have seen first-hand just how devastating he can be, as he tore Matt Doherty apart when Sevilla met Wolves in the Europa League back in 2020.

The 26-year-old scored the goal which separated the two sides, on the night and completed an eye-catching five dribbles during the contest.

Ocampos also provided two crosses and managed four shots as Doherty had a night to forget.

The Irishman could only succeed with 55% of his passes and failed to block a single shot from the boot of Ocampos. He did manage four successful tackles but that was representative of what the Sevilla winger was doing to him down the flanks.

On that evidence, he’d be a rather exciting signing for the Old Gold.

AND in other news, Lage can axe “toothless” Wolves flop with swoop for “breathtaking” £28.8m-rated star…

Leeds United have been handed a big boost ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Elland Road…

What’s the latest?

It has been revealed that the Eagles will be travelling to Yorkshire without one of their key stars after his missed his first game of the season at the weekend.

Denmark international Joachim Andersen was absent during their defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon and manager Patrick Vieira has since confirmed that he will not be involved against the Whites this evening.

“He’s not going to travel, he is not 100%,” the Frenchman told reporters (via football.london).

“We don’t know. We have to evaluate the injuries every day and see how he’s feeling. But for the game tomorrow it will be too short.”

Huge boost

This will come as a massive boost to the struggling Yorkshiremen as not only are they in desperate need of a win but they have been futile in front of goal in the absence of Patrick Bamford.

With just two wins from their opening 13 games this campaign, Leeds sit one place and three points above the relegation zone and with fixtures coming thick and fast this festive period, they could well be embroiled in a dogfight at the foot of the table come to the new year.

Only three other teams have found the net fewer times than United (12) and that’s hardly a surprise given the 28-year-old, who bagged 17 goals last term, has missed each of their last eight league outings.

Without Andersen, Palace’s backline is a much weaker prospect and that has to be a major source of encouragement for Marcelo Bielsa’s frontline, so the Argentine will surely be grinning from his office ahead of kick-off at Elland Road.

Indeed, the 25-year-old centre-back had featured in every single match until his absence at Villa Park. He has been a vital part of their form this season, too, having averaged a joint-high of 1.5 interceptions per game and makes more long balls (6.3 per game) than any other player, via WhoScored.

“He is massively important. Joachim played in France, he played in Italy, he was in the Premier League last year. He has this experience of moving around and going to a new club,” claimed Vieira earlier in the season (via football.london).

“When you want to have possession and you have a centre-back who is really comfortable having the ball at his feet it’s quite important.”

Therefore, his absence is certainly going to aid Leeds this evening and as such, Bielsa must be buzzing by this news and he can now plan accordingly.

AND in other news, Bielsa must axe Leeds’ £12.5m-rated “absolute disaster” against Palace tonight…

Vice-captain, loyal servant and arguably a club legend, Leeds United defender Luke Ayling is something of a hero around Elland Road.

But having amassed 217 appearances and secured a Championship winners medal during his time at the west Yorkshire outfit, it could be time to move on.

There’s no denying that this season has been appalling – stopping just short of disastrous – as it appears as if new manager Jesse Marsch has steered the Whites to safety, having been involved in the relegation dogfight for the past few months.

A four-game unbeaten run, which includes wins over basement boys Norwich City and relegation rivals Watford, has seen Leeds move nine points clear of Burnley with six matches left to play.

They may have just done it.

However, the team is still the leakiest defence in the Premier League, having conceded a whopping 68 goals from their 32 outings – an average of 2.1 goals let in per game.

And when you’re having to score three goals every week to stand a chance at winning – without last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford too – then it’s no wonder the Yorkshiremen have found themselves in a precarious position at times.

It’s a backline that has largely been unaltered since promotion from the second flight and there have to be question marks over whether big players like Ayling can consistently cut the mustard at this level.

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Marsch ought to be ruthless this off-season by trying to secure a better option and that’s not through any fault of his own but Ayling has looked out of his depth at times.

During the recent win over the Hornets, commentator and former Wales international David Phillips described the 30-year-old’s defending as “awful”, whilst his seasonal 6.56 average WhoScored rating is bettered by eight other Leeds players right now.

No one is dribbled past more than Ayling either, letting his man run by 1.6 times per game and when you’re coming up against some of the best left-wingers in the division – ranging from Heung-min Son to Sadio Mane and Raheem Sterling – it’s going to cause plenty of trouble for his defensive counterparts.

Former manager Marcelo Bielsa was a big admirer of the full-back, especially as he could often slot in at centre-half for him. He even once waxed lyrical about his talents in this regard. He told reporters:

“He was quick, he was agile, he defended well, he headed well, he used the ball well, he transmitted serenity to the rest of the team.”

Just because he has been at the club for the best part of six years, doesn’t mean Marsch owes him anything. If a better option can be secured, then he must look to axe the Leeds favourite for the benefit of him becoming a successful manager at Elland Road.

The £35k-per-week ace just isn’t good enough for the big time, at least in a team that shouldn’t be fighting to keep their place in the division. A ruthless decision, but the right one.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops Robin Koch update amid Leeds exit rumours…

Nuno Santo’s Tottenham side will be looking to bounce back in the Premier League when they host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening, and the north Londoners could pile the pressure on under-fire Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a victory.

Spurs recorded a narrow victory against Burnley in the Carabao Cup in midweek, where 29-year-old winger Lucas Moura was the difference-maker with his 68th-minute header.

The Brazilian was called into action earlier than expected after he replaced the injured Bryan Gil early on in the first half and it proved to be a fortuitous decision as he netted the game’s only goal.

As such, he must be in contention for this weekend’s clash with the Red Devils as he is in the sort of form which could punish the out-of-sorts visitors, who were whitewashed by Liverpool last Sunday – a result which saw them sink outside the top six.

Somehow, the Lilywhites find themselves one point ahead of the team which has Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho amongst their attacking options.

It is in defence where United’s problems lie, having failed to keep more than one clean sheet across their last 20 matches in all competitions, another reason why Nuno should call upon Moura.

He currently ranks as their second-best player for the season so far, earning an average WhoScored rating of 7.05, which is only bettered by the less attacking Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The £18m-rated dynamo, who stands at just 5 foot 8, leads the way at Spurs for aerial duels won (3.6) and dribbles (2.9) per game, proving to be a major influence in the final third. Meanwhile, only Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have averaged more shots per game than Moura (1.8), as per WhoScored.

According to teammate Eric Dier, the former Paris Saint-Germain star is an absolute “nightmare” to train against, so if he can bring that sort of energy to the match on Saturday, he could prove to be a massive nuisance against a team which seemingly can’t defend right now.

Moura’s involvement from the off could help pile more misery onto Solskjaer, and seeing United sink further down the table will only bolster Spurs’ top-six credentials.

AND in other news, “Been watching him”: Sky Sports journo drops Spurs transfer claim…

While things under the leadership of Bruno Lage have started to look on the up for Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent weeks, with results on the pitch having improved rather drastically, there is nevertheless one particular issue that could be starting to play on the 45-year-old manager’s mind.

This is the conundrum of Morgan Gibbs-White, with the attacking midfielder having been sent out on loan to Sheffield United this summer as a result of Wolves’ additions of both right-winger Francisco Trincao and centre-forward Hee-chan Hwang.

Indeed, speaking recently about the potential January activation of a recall clause in the 21-year-old’s temporary contract at Bramall Lane, Lage said: “When Hwang came, we took the decision to let Morgan go and play. We are very happy with him and what he is doing.”

It is easy to see why the Wolves boss is happy with Gibbs-White’s performances for the Blades, as, over his eight Championship appearances so far this season, the £6.3m-rated man has scored three goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the former England U21 international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Slavisa Jokanovic’s fourth-best player in the second tier of English football.

However, with Lage himself admitting that the signing of Hwang has pushed Gibbs-White down the pecking order at Molineux, it is difficult to see where Gibbs-White fits into the 45-year-old’s plans. Wolves have the option of signing the South Korea international for around £13m next summer while holding a similar option to purchase Trincao from Barcelona at the end of the season.

This is a situation that certainly has the potential to cause the former Benfica manager a problem, as, with Wolves fans not appearing happy at the player who Chris Basham dubbed a “breath of fresh air” being bombed out of the club on loan this summer, the prospect of Lage selling Gibbs-White permanently is likely to be an even less popular decision.

In other news: Report reveals key update on “excellent” £19.8m-rated gem, Wolves fans will be buzzing

Fabrizio Romano has insisted that Crystal Palace are yet to make a bid for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

The Lowdown: Romano on the ball with Celtic

The transfer expert has been an in-the-know source when it comes to a number of the Hoops’ moves this summer.

He shared numerous updates in the club’s pursuits of Carl Starfelt and Joe Hart, while also posting about Celtic’s interest in right-backs Brandon Soppy and Aurelio Buta.

Romano was one of the first to reveal details of Edouard’s proposed move to Leicester City falling through earlier in the window and has now shared another update on the Frenchman.

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The Latest: Edouard post

Edouard has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace in recent days, with one reporter believing that Selhurst Park is the most likely destination in a potential £15m deal.

Romano, who has 4.3 million Twitter followers, was asked by a Palace fan for an update on any transfer late on Saturday evening, to which he responded at 9:39pm on Saturday night: “Fake. No bid from Crystal Palace for Edouard as of now.”

As Romano’s reply was directly to a Palace fan, it appeared to go under the radar, with fewer than 200 likes as of Sunday lunchtime.

The Verdict: A busy 10 days ahead

With the transfer window shutting in nine days’ time, it could well be a busy period for Dominic McKay and co at Parkhead.

The Hoops have already made eight signings this summer, but with Edouard’s contract up in less than 12 months, they could be keen to cash in on him now, providing they add a forward to their ranks.

Thomas Henry, Georgios Giakoumakis and Kevin Nisbet have all been linked in recent weeks, so if Celtic get one of those through the door, they may well look to grant Edouard his wish and sell.

Of course, a club would need to be open to striking a deal with Celtic for the 23-year-old, and as of now, that isn’t Palace.

In other news: Celtic set to sign another defender, find out who it is here. 

Wolves will take on one of the hardest fixtures of the season for any team in the Premier League today as they face Manchester City at the Ethiad Stadium.

Bruno Lage will need to go into this game with an immediate attacking threat and an early goal if possible to break down the incredible talents thriving in the Premier League champions’ starting XI.

Wolves are currently eighth in the Premier League table, with only one win from their last five games, but they may just fancy their chances of causing an upset at the Etihad in the early kick-off today to secure three points and get back into the conversation for a European spot in the league table.

With that being said, here’s how Football Fancast thinks Bruno Lage will set up his team against Manchester City…

Whilst there are only two changes in this line-up to the Wolves side we saw against Liverpool last weekend, they are both massive changes with the potential to have a positive impact and give Wolves a real chance of scoring in this game.

Daniel Podence returns after a viral infection, and many fans may well be buzzing to see the 26-year-old gem back in the side. He has offered plenty of attacking threat to the team so far this season, with two goals and two assists.

The Portuguese winger will be a welcome addition back into the team and could take the place of Adama Traore, who was hailed as a “fantastic talent” by Tim Sherwood last season.

The Spaniard has still failed to register a single goal or assist for his team in 16 appearances this term, which should put Lage off selecting the 25-year-old, as Wolves need to be clinical with their chances against Manchester City’s defence, which is the joint-moist miserly in the Premier League.

Another likely addition to the side is Joao Moutinho in place of Leander Dendoncker, which will be an important change to offer more experience and leadership in the midfield, where Premier League possession leaders Manchester City play a lot of their football.

City will do their best to break down Wolves in the middle of the park, so it’s important for Lage’s side to have experience of coming up against the level of quality in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Lage will be hoping that his team can go to the Etihad and pull off a shock result to give them a huge confidence boost going into the congested run of fixtures coming up at Christmas. The changes we have mooted may just help them to do that.

In other news: Wolves handed double injury boost ahead of Man City clash

Newcastle United are reportedly in a battle with another club in the Premier League to try and sign Jason Knight before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Knight impresses

Despite a very disappointing 2020/21 season for Derby County, who barely survived relegation from the Championship, Knight had an impressive individual campaign.

Described as a ‘manager’s dream’ by Wayne Rooney back in January, the versatile player won six of his duels per game in the division and also averaged 1.5 tackles per match, scoring two goals (Sofascore).

The Latest: Knight monitored

As per The Irish Examiner, Knight is being monitored by both Newcastle and Burnley ahead of a potential move.

He has emerged as a target for the Tyneside club as Steve Bruce looks to strengthen his squad before the new season starts.

The Verdict: Sign

The Magpies simply need to get bodies in before the deadline given that they have one of the smallest squads in the Premier League, and Knight could prove to be a valuable player for them.

Given that he would be coming up from the Championship into the top flight, the Republic of Ireland international should not cost too much, and at 20 years of age, he still has a lot of potential while also being entrusted as Derby captain on a handful of occasions last term.

However, with the Clarets also interested in his signature, the Magpies need to act fast in order to get their man.

In other news, find out which Premier League club have agreed a fee for this NUFC target