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Crystal Palace are interested in appointing Rafael Benitez as Roy Hodgson’s successor at Selhurst Park, and the south London outfit should do all they can to persuade the Spaniard to take charge.

Hodgson announced his imminent exit from the Eagles dugout earlier in the week after four successful seasons with the capital club, and who Steve Parish picks to replace the former England boss is guaranteed to have a huge impact over their immediate prospects.

The former England boss guided Palace to Premier League safety with ease throughout his tenure, finishing as high as 11th in 2017/18, but there was a growing feeling that the 73-year-old had taken them as far as he could.

Now that Hodgson’s departure has been confirmed, talk has turned to who could possibly take over the reins, with several big names such as Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker linked with the soon-to-be-vacant role.

However, according to the Daily Record, the Palace hierarchy are also keen to explore the possibility of appointing Benitez as the ex-Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea boss looks for his next management position.

The 61-year-old Spanish manager made history by ending Valencia’s 31-year wait for a La Liga crown back in 2002 and arguably went one better three years later, guiding Liverpool to the most dramatic Champions League victory in the competition’s history in Istanbul.

With all due respect to Palace, it’s not often that a club of their stature has the opportunity to appoint a head coach of Benitez’s calibre and quality, and it would be a masterstroke if Parish could pull this off.

It’s set to be a turbulent summer at Selhurst Park, with over a dozen players approaching the end of their current contracts, meaning an experienced head is more suited to the job a hand. And Parish admitted the task of finding the right man to replace Hodgson is a daunting one.

“I don’t think we should underestimate the size of the challenge. We can see with teams that have been promoted already, we have a quality league next year, but equally, it is a fantastic opportunity for somebody.

“This is a London club, and it is an exciting time to be around it, the academy is developing, and the catchment area for talent we know is outstanding. The staff are amazing, and we have now pursued plans for a new main stand with vigour through this difficult time,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports.

“It’s daunting, but we have been through this before. We are in better shape than ever before as a club to make this transition, that isn’t to say it doesn’t come with pitfalls and dangers.”

Hiring a young, forward-thinking boss who plays attractive football may please many Palace fans and football romantics, but in reality, now may not bethe time for that in south London. The Eagles are approaching a crossroads, and with so much upheaval in the playing squad set to occur over the summer, they need an experienced leader to guide them through.

Benitez has won 12 major honors throughout his managerial career, and steering Palace successfully through this transitional period would be another significant success story.

And, in other news…Parish masterclass: Palace must swoop for 19-goal gem dubbed the new Thierry Henry – opinion

Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager is now in its ninth week but we are still no closer to discovering who Neil Lennon’s successor will be at Parkhead.

The Bhoys have had a number of head coaches on their radar but a deal still eludes the club’s hierarchy.

What’s the word?

One of the names on Celtic’s shortlist has seemingly been American coach Jesse Marsch.

He’s currently in charge of RB Salzburg and admitted a few months ago that it was an honour to be linked with the Hoops job.

Journalist Christian Falk revealed soon after that he wouldn’t be heading to Glasgow and indeed, that is now on the verge of being confirmed.

A number of other teams have been interested in securing Marsch’s services with Tottenham and Frankfurt making contact in recent days.

However, after Julian Nagelsmann decided to leave RB Leipzig to become Bayern Munich boss, it has left the door open for him to move to another Red Bull associated side.

Taking to Twitter, the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano dealt a crushing blow to Celtic’s ambitions, saying: “Jesse Marsch is set to become the new RB Leipzig manager – ten Hag was also in the list.”

Disappointing news

With the idea of Eddie Howe arriving in Scotland becoming slimmer by the day, it surely won’t be too long before majority shareholder Dermot Desmond starts searching for other options.

Unfortunately, he won’t be able to target Marsch anymore.

This is a great shame for everyone at Celtic because out of the vast majority of candidates to be linked with the role, he was one of the most eye-catching.

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He might not have the experience or honours of a certain Jose Mourinho but he’s proven adaptable and flexible in recent years with Salzburg.

After all, what Celtic need right now is a manager who can dominate the domestic scene but then prepare suitably for European football.

With a win rate of 67% under his belt, he certainly knows how to crush opponents and the way he took the game to Liverpool, losing 4-3 in the 2019/20 Champions League, shows he can adapt to playing bigger and better sides away from the Austrian Bundesliga.

They finished third in their group that season, ending up on seven points in a pool that included the holders at the time and Napoli. They only lost 3-2 to Atletico Madrid in this season’s Champions League too.

Celtic have long been underwhelming in Europe and ended their Europa League run this term having conceded 19 times in just six games.

Marsch, therefore, could have taken the Bhoys to a different level and made them a more respectable unit in Europe. Take into consideration his idea of pressing and it only adds further glamour to the idea of bringing him to Celtic.

Once more, that could have made them a tougher outfit to break down, something we alluded to when discussing why the club should consider Oostende boss Alexander Blessin.

Both coaches came through the ranks at Leipzig, learning the ways of Ralf Rangnick, the father of the modern-day press.

It’s a big blow to lose out on him when he was so willing to leave Salzburg; Desmond should be gutted.

AND in other news, Forget Howe: Celtic should hire jaw-dropping 47 y/o instead, he’s shades of Rodgers…

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sean Dyche as Steve Bruce is ‘under growing pressure’, according to the Daily Mail.

However, as per the news outlet, Crystal Palace are also interested in taking on the Burnley manager with Roy Hodgson’s future unclear as his current deal at Selhurst Park runs out at the end of the 2020/21 term.

Newcastle should consider Dyche

The St. James’ Park faithful should seriously consider hiring Dyche as their next coach if Bruce were to leave.

The former Watford boss is vastly experienced in managing in the Premier League, and has kept the Clarets in the top flight for a number of seasons now on a relatively low budget.

He even managed to guide the Lancashire club to a very impressive seventh-placed finish in the division back in the 2017/18 campaign, which gave them a chance to play in Europe, but unfortunately they missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Europa League group stages.

Nonetheless, what Dyche has been doing season after season with Burnley is quite remarkable, as former EPL striker Frank McAvennie branded him as ‘exceptional’ earlier this month following links to Celtic, and with the Magpies currently flirting with potentially being relegated down to the EFL Championship, some stability could be very useful in the North East.

Dyche is certainly a manager that the Tyneside club should at least be considering if they were thinking about replacing Bruce.

In other news, find out what takeover claim Ben Jacobs has dropped involving PIF and Inter Milan here!

Fans of West Bromwich Albion have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Baggies confirmed that Kieran Gibbs would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

According to a statement on West Brom’s club website, Gibbs will remain at The Hawthorns for the remainder of the Baggies’ Premier League campaign, after which the 31-year-old will leave the club for Major League Soccer side, Inter Miami, on a free transfer.

Having joined West Brom from Arsenal back in the summer of 2017, Gibbs has so far gone on to make 100 appearances in all competitions for the club, chipping in with five goals along the way.

And, after West Brom relayed the news of Gibbs’ impending departure on Twitter, fans of the Baggies flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of the £30,000-per-week left-back leaving their club this summer, due mainly to his injury history.

So, what exactly did these West Bromwich Albion fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Kieran Gibbs?

“I’ll pay for his flight over there.”

@WBADyl

“Good, 70k off the wage bill for someone with a hamstring made of glass.”

@RobWBA_

“Bye then. Rolls Royce in the Championship I saw him once described as. More like clapped out in the prem. 55 grand a week? Nah, not for me.”

@nickwestwood33

“I wouldn’t give him another contract anyway. Never lived up to his name sadly. Good luck to him.”

@KnaveofAlbion

“Great move for him.”

@Blackjack42B

“Get in.”

@vivalaalbion

“Quality most of the time for us, all the best Gibbo.”

@danwba_

In other news: these WBA fans unleashed their fury at “pathetic” stars following John Percy’s report – find out more here!

Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara has been heavily linked with a move away from Ibrox ahead of the summer transfer window, but Steven Gerrard may already have his replacement in Nnamdi Ofoborh.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who has been heavily praised by Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in the past, was signed on a pre-contract deal from AFC Bournemouth and will make the move to Ibrox this summer, to add to Gerrard’s options in the middle of the park ahead of next season.

Although things didn’t go to plan for the youngster in the second half of this season, as he struggled for game time on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, the fact that he was handed a four-year deal with Rangers suggests that they believe he has a lot of potential and therefore, he may well have a big part to play with the Gers next season.

Upon his signing, Ross Wilson had this to say about the Nigerian midfielder:

“We look forward to welcoming Nnamdi to our group in the summer. We are extremely impressed by his qualities and he is a player that has real progression in him.

“He has a positive and determined personality and is very much looking forward to becoming a Rangers player at the end of this season.

“In the meantime, we are really pleased that Nnamdi will play week in week out until the end of the season in the Championship at Wycombe, a club he excelled at previously under Gareth Ainsworth.”

Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition, as he made just three starts for the Chairboys in the second half of the season, failing to make a single appearance after a 1-0 win against Preston North End in March.

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However, he was a regular for Ainsworth’s side last season as they won promotion from League One, making 21 league appearances and scoring one goal, with Bournemouth U’21 manager Shaun Cooper rating it as a “fantastic” loan spell.

He will certainly be given an opportunity to impress in Gerrard’s side next season, and he could even prove to be the man to replace Kamara should he depart Ibrox.

The Finland international has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League and whilst the Gers can offer him Champions League football ahead of next season, he may find it hard to turn down the wages on offer in England’s top-flight.

Like Kamara, Ofoborh can play as both a defensive and central-midfielder, whilst he has also filled in as a centre-back on two occasions in his senior career.

WhoScored suggests that Ofoborh’s main strengths include his ability to win aerial duels, his dribbling and his tackling, which immediately marks him out as someone who could step up should Kamara leave this summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

And, in other news… Gerrard must axe “dangerous” Rangers beast after huge setback

Plenty of Crystal Palace supporters have been reacting to an update regarding AS Roma manager Paulo Fonseca on social media.

According to reliable reporter Nicolo Schira, Fonseca will leave his role with the Italian giants at the end of the season.

Fonseca has reportedly held talks with the Eagles in recent weeks, and Schira claimed that the 48-year-old’s agent ‘has offered him to Crystal Palace’.

Roy Hodgson’s Palace deal expires in a matter of months and it seems as if the club are now lining up his replacement, with the likes of Burnley’s Sean Dyche, Celtic target Eddie Howe and former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard on a three-man shortlist to become Hodgson’s successor last month.

Palace fans react

Schira shared the update regarding Fonseca on Twitter in the early hours of Saturday morning.

As to be expected, a number of Palace fans had their say on the news, with many excited at the possibility of the Portuguese taking the reins at Selhurst Park.

“Either him or Lampard will take over from Roy in the Summer”

Credit: @lukeyCPFC34

“Just make it happen”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“Ok this is getting me excited”

Credit: @localpla9tic

“It’s gonna happen lads”

Credit: @CPFCMax03

“Some of the replies…”

Credit: @RRcpfc

“I think he has the biggest range of success to failure. If he does well with us, we’ll do very well but if he fails, we’ll go down, likely bottom. The other options like Dyche would be anywhere between 13th-17th imo. But that risk with Fonseca is one we need to take to progress”

Credit: @Callum_CPFC_

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to Wilfried Zaha development, find out more here. 

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Aaron Ramsey this summer after Steve Howey claimed that a move to the London Stadium “would suit” the Juventus midfielder.

Former Newcastle ace Howey has been speaking exclusively with Football Transfer Tavern amid widespread rumours linking the Welshman with a return to the Premier League.

Ramsey only moved to the Serie A at the end of his Arsenal contract in 2019, but has struggled to establish himself at the Allianz Stadium, where he earns £400,000 per week.

West Ham is one potential destination for the midfield maestro, with reports in Italy suggesting that the Irons could make a move as Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici weighs up avenues to clear space in Andrea Pirlo’s squad.

Crystal Palace are also monitoring Ramsey’s situation, while Everton have allegedly been offered the Wales international for €15m (£13m). The 30-year-old has been suggested as Georginio Wijnaldum’s replacement at Liverpool as well.

Newcastle even tried to sign Ramsey last summer, only for the Cardiff City product to reject a move to St James’ Park, and Howey doubts that he would take up the Toon’s offer this year if a return to the capital with West Ham is possible.

“I think it would suit him, it’s London. I can’t see him coming up north, if I’m being brutally honest. I think that could be a good one,” Howey said.

“Jesse Lingard, would he want to go back to Manchester United? He’s gone to West Ham and absolutely turned it around, because he was disappearing and disappearing fast [at Old Trafford].”

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It remains to be seen how highly Juventus value Ramsey come the summer and which clubs are willing to offer the Welshman a return to the Premier League, but Moyes should ensure that West Ham are near the front of the queue.

Ramsey’s time in Turin may have been blighted by injuries which have left the Old Lady considering moving the midfielder on at the end of the season, but he was a creative maestro in the Premier League.

Over 11 seasons at the Emirates Stadium and 262 top-flight appearances for Arsenal, Ramsey was involved in 91 goals (40 scored, 51 assisted) and never ended a campaign with less than five goal involvements between 2011 and 2019.

Only Lingard (six goals, four assists) and Tomas Soucek (nine goals) have been involved in more than five from central midfield positions for West Ham this season, with each of Pablo Fornals’ involvements (three goals, three assists) coming from wide roles.

However, doubt resides over Lingard’s future at the London Stadium as the Hammers could not agree a purchase clause with Manchester United when signing the England international on loan, and recent reports suggest that the Red Devils would now demand £30m.

Moyes also has a lack of depth behind Soucek and Declan Rice in the holding role – which the latter’s lateral knee ligament injury has made clear – with Mark Noble the only natural senior cover.

West Ham could plug two gaps with one stone by signing Ramsey this summer, and add a high-calibre option to Moyes’ squad who Gunners icon Ray Parlour has lauded as “a brilliant player” and expects will “probably finish his career in England”.

AND in other news, West Ham land major boost in race to sign “complete” £11m-rated target for free…

Sheffield Wednesday return to Championship action this afternoon but they will be without manager Darren Moore in the dugout after a fresh health concern, meaning assistant Jamie Smith will lead the Owls out for the fourth time in their last five games.

The South Yorkshire side will be looking to bridge the eight-point gap to safety but know that a defeat would all but confirm relegation to League One as there are only five games left to play, including this one.

Last time out, Wednesday were beaten by promotion-chasing Swansea City and now they welcome an out-of-form Bristol City to Hillsborough Stadium, with both teams desperate to pick up three points.

Moore may not be at the game but he will undoubtedly have a big say in terms of team selection, so here is our predicted XI along with the latest news from the Owls camp…

There could be three changes from the side that tasted defeat in midweek, though it is unlikely that any of their recent injury absentees feature just yet.

Between the sticks, we should see Keiren Westwood remain after his return to the starting XI on Tuesday night and Moore could well revert back to his usual back three, having tinkered it against Swansea.

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That means Julian Borner and Tom Lees welcome back 20-year-old gem Osaze Urhoghide, with Sam Hutchinson moving into midfield to continue his partnership with Barry Bannan once again.

Adam Reach is surely going to keep his place at left wing-back, though the Owls boss could be tempted to inject a spark into his side on the other flank, so don’t be surprised if forgotten man Kadeem Harris is given a run-out over 29-year-old Liam Palmer, despite starting eight of their last nine games.

Harris should give them more flair in attack, and let’s face it, Wednesday need to score more goals to stand a chance of surviving.

The third and final change is likely to be in the attack with top goalscorer Callum Paterson returning alongside Jordan Rhodes up top, having been a casualty from the alterations in midweek.

Soon-to-be departing midfielder Liam Shaw will drop to the bench. The 20-year-old academy graduate is due to join Celtic at the end of the season.

As a result of Wednesday pairing the Scottish duo together, Josh Windass will drop deeper in a no.10 role behind the pair.

It does mean that the likes of Andre Green, Izzy Brown and Elias Kachunga are snubbed again despite the Owls’ lack of fortunes.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday dressing room claim over Darren Moore…

With Leeds being linked with a stunning summer transfer move for Manchester City star Sergio Aguero, Marcelo Bielsa could form a lethal strike partnership at Elland Road by partnering him with Patrick Bamford.

Aguero recently confirmed that he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium once his contract expires at the end of the season, and reports in recent days have suggested that Leeds have pinpointed him as a potential target for the upcoming summer transfer window.

With Bamford firmly established as the Whites’ number nine – he has played in every single Premier League game this season – Bielsa may consider unleashing Aguero alongside the Englishman, rather than as his replacement.

While City have come accustomed to playing with just the one man up front, Aguero has shone in a two-striker formation before, both in his time at the Etihad and at previous club Atletico Madrid.

With the Citizens, the Argentine thrived alongside Edin Dzeko, particularly under Manuel Pellegrini’s leadership, with the duo combining for 17 goals between them whenever one provided the assist for the other’s goal.

However, his relationship with Uruguay hotshot Diego Forlan back at Atletico was even more remarkable, combining for a whopping 39 goals – only his partnership with former City stalwart David Silva has been more prolific in his entire career with 44.

Aguero’s more clinical nature and sheer consistency – last season’s tally of 16 Premier League goals came at an incredible rate of one every 91 minutes – goes a long way to addressing some of the issues which plague Bamford.

The Leeds man has often been someone who relies on needing a lot of chances to score – he has already missed 18 official big chances this campaign – but with Aguero alongside him, that burden and pressure of having to be the main source of goals for the team would be lessened considerably, and may just allow him to ease up in those crucial moments.

While Bamford could do more of the hard running into the channels, Aguero could work his magic inside the width of the penalty area and ensure that Leeds just don’t pass up gilt-edged chances because of poor finishing.

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Instead of seeing opposition teams come up with a snatch-and-grab, Bielsa’s side would feel more confident of going ahead in games or even closing them out by having a striker of the calibre of Aguero. It’s exactly why a partnership of Bamford and the Argentine could really light up Elland Road next season.

Hailed as “unbelievable” by Jason Cundy, Aguero’s potential arrival at the club would see Victor Orta surely complete Bielsa’s dream Leeds attack.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this liability by signing this Premier League titan…

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that youngster Joe Gelhardt can prove his worth in the next few months.

The Whites have enjoyed a successful first season back in the Premier League, sitting 11th in the table with nine matches remaining. There is no threat of relegation for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who have been a breath of fresh air in the top flight, with very few of their games proving to be dull.

In Gelhardt, Leeds having a hugely promising young talent who is pushing to make his first team debut for the club, having joined from Wigan Athletic last August.

Robinson tips Gelhardt to feature

Someone who thinks this is now a great chance for the 18-year-old to shine is Robinson, with the ex-England ‘keeper telling MOT Leeds News that this is Gelhardt’s opportunity to show Bielsa he can be trusted moving forward:

“It just shows how far he’s come in the last 12 months and what the manager thinks of him.

“I don’t think he’s going to start games if Patrick Bamford is fit but this is his big opportunity for the manager to take a look at him in the Premier League.

“He might influence Bielsa’s transfer activity in the summer. This is his opportunity to prove that he doesn’t need to sign another striker in the summer.

“Bielsa has hinted that he’ll get minutes so he obviously thinks very highly of him.

“This is his opportunity to show what he can do. Leeds are definitely safe already, they’ve got more than enough points and it gives Bielsa the opportunity to take a look at his talented youngsters.”

Transfer tavern take

Bielsa will no doubt be eyeing up reinforcements this summer, but if Gelhardt impresses in the remaining games of the season, it may turn his manager’s head.

The teenager is an attacking player with seemingly huge potential and, having frequently been on the bench for the first team in recent weeks, it will be exciting to see him handed an opportunity between now and May if he gets his opportunity.

In other news, a former Leeds star believes the club should sign a Premier League defender this summer – find out who it is here.