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Declan Rice’s future is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Indeed, West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that he is unsure whether the Hammers will be able to keep hold of the midfielder this summer.

Manchester United have previously been linked with a move, which is not too much of a surprise when considering Rice’s form during the 2018-19 campaign.

At 20, Rice is already a very good Premier League footballer, and has played his way into the England set-up, having switched his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland.

Pellegrini’s comments will not have filled the West Ham fans with too much confidence heading into this summer’s transfer window.

However, club insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that Rice does not want to leave, nor do the Hammers want to sell.

It would be fair to say that the news has gone down well with the West Ham fans, who would have been fearful.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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According to The Daily Express, Ralph Hasenhuttl is a big fan of Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and is keen to bring the Serb to Southampton this summer after the Cottagers suffered relegation.

The 24-year-old, renowned for his strength and clinical finishing ability, has notched an impressive tally of goals for Scott Parker’s side this campaign – a satisfactory return considering the chopping and changing of both players and staff.

Fulham are hoping to keep hold of the former Newcastle hitman and are set to hold out for £30m in return for his services in the hope that the eye-watering price tag may put off any potential suitors as they look to the striker to fire them back out of the Championship next term.

With Shane Long’s future uncertain and neither Charlie Austin or Danny Ings relied upon to remain fit for 38 Premier League games in 2019/20, Hasenhuttl is right to add another number 9 to his squad, but is Mitrovic the right man at that cost? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Jack Saville

“A move for Mitrovic makes perfect sense on paper but I have my doubts about whether Southampton should sign him. He’s proven that he can be devastatingly clinical since joining Fulham but he doesn’t suit Hasenhuttl’s high-pressing philosophy. His dominance in the air and physical prowess would make him a brilliant back-up option but he’s unlikely to be satisfied unless he’s the main man. At £30 million Southampton could make a surprise blunder despite Mitro’s obvious credentials.”

Matt Dawson

“If Southampton are to be taken to the next level under Hasenhuttl then a striker must be a priority this summer. However, Mitrovic is not the answer, particularly at such an inflated price. The Serbian had a good start to the campaign but like Fulham, his form rather fell away. There’s no doubt he’d probably find the net more with better service but at £30m it’s a monumental risk the Saints can’t afford to take.”

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Billy Meyers

“Signing Mitrovic would be an excellent decision by Southampton, but maybe not for a sum of £30m. He is a big bruiser of a forward who seems to enjoy the scrap in sides battling against relegation, and those who play a direct style with plenty of crosses into the box. In that respect, he might not be the ideal forward for Hasenhuttl’s system. Someone like RB Leipzig’s Jean-Kevin Augustin would probably be a better shout for the Saints.”

What a left peg Morten Gamst Pedersen had, crikey.

Graeme Souness is not much good for anything nowadays other than grinding down fellow pundits and fans with streams of miserable anti-United-anti-World-anti-happiness rhetoric. But he was not always like this. Grumpy grandparents were youngsters once, remember. And the same rule applies to Souness.

Indeed, once upon a time the former Blackburn man brought with him happiness and joy (maybe an exaggeration) and, of course, mid-table gem Morten Gamst Pedersen. After signing from Tromso in 2004 for an estimated £2.03 million (as per Transfermarkt) the Norwegian proceeded to lodge himself in the memory of Premier League fans for no apparent reason other than having a wand as a left foot.

We can only imagine that the former Tromso was reared on a diet of ‘head and volleys’, petrol and gunpowder when he was growing up as a young lad in Scandinavia.

Maybe it is a little reductionist to suggest that Gamst Pedersen was only good for producing goal of month contenders at an industrial rate. There was a real quality player in him as well; one that was entrusted with the left-midfield position by Mark Hughes, who could pick a pass and rain pinpoint crosses down into the opponent’s area. Just about anything that required that trusty old left foot of his, he was good at.

Pedersen’s most defining moment in a Blackburn shirt came at Old Trafford in 2005. The Rovers had failed to register a single win against Manchester United there since 1962 but the Norwegian soon went about changing that with a brace.

However, what really made him the ultimate midtable player was his loyalty. Gamst Pedersen could have quite easily sailed off into the distance at any point in his career, but he chose to stay at Ewood Park battling it out for nine years between 2004 and 2013.

After 342 appearances, 44 goals and 64 assists he eventually departed Blackburn’s shores for Turkey.

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Wales made it two-out-of-two with their 1-0 win over Slovakia on Sunday, mirroring that of their victory over Trinidad and Tobago four days earlier, with Daniel James netting the decisive goal just five minutes in.

Bournemouth fans who are willing to keep track of their stars’ progress during the international break will know that David Brooks started in the weekend win and was excellent in a more advanced role.

On the chalkboard

Having signed for the Cherries from Sheffield United in the summer, the 21-year-old has been brilliant in what is only his first season in the Premier League, chalking up six goals and four assists in 25 appearances.

The 10-cap international has been deployed all across the midfield at the Vitality Stadium but clearly thrives in a more central role, something Eddie Howe and Wales boss Ryan Giggs surely agree on.

Manchester United legend Giggs played Brooks just behind Gareth Bale against Slovakia and he was influential early on, driving forward before attempting to release his strike partner, only for the ball to be won by James, who fired home emphatically.

Unfortunately for the Warrington-born starlet, though, he has far fewer opportunities playing so far afield in club competition, with Joshua King a nailed down starter behind Callum Wilson. Can Brooks take the Norwegian’s centre-forward role?

Dethroning the King

Former Manchester United man King is a key component of Bournemouth’s attack, with his pace on the counter essential to the way Howe likes to set his team up – the 27-year-old has struck up a dangerous partnership with Wilson and Ryan Fraser – however he is quite untidy in possession.

The number 17 is dispossessed 2.8 times and takes 3.1 unsuccessful touches per game to Brooks’ 1.4 and 2.1, respectively. There are no questions that Brooks is far better technically but he isn’t as willing to carry the ball in the way that King does, which is detrimental to Howe’s preferred attacking style.

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The Cherries, though, often leave themselves exposed when they get bodies forward and have been poor defensively in recent weeks.

Perhaps having a player who can connect the dots a little better is preferable to slow things down, which should be a consideration for Howe if he wants to stop his side being caught on the counter.

Replacing King with Brooks could be the key ingredient Bournemouth are missing.

It now seems like a foregone conclusion that West Brom will have to earn promotion back into the Premier League via the play-offs, if they manage to do so. Indeed, after a season that started so well, the wheels have come off up at the Hawthorns. Frustrating, right? 

After the shocking sacking of Darren Moore, the Baggies players have continued giving their all, despite what has happened. Perhaps that hints at a fault on Moore’s behalf as there’s certainly talent in the squad, potentially enough to ensure a top-flight return at the first time of asking.

Now, the focus clearly remains on securing their spot in the play-offs with promotion back to the top flight the only thing on their mind right now.

West Brom look safe in amongst the four other sides so preparation into next season should be taking place right now. Still, whether it’s the top flight or Championship they find themselves in, the Hawthorns outfit need to strengthen their squad, with specific focus sure to be on their defence.

With that in mind, having been so potent attack but so vulnerable in defence at times, the Baggies should look at persuading Southampton’s Jack Stephens to join in the summer.

Stephens, (who is valued at £7.2 million on Transfermarkt) is a player who does possess enormous amounts of quality and it does come as a surprise to see him unused with Southampton at the moment. Yes, there have been some high-profile mistakes, but few would doubt his quality when not asked to be the main man in defence at a club leaking oh so many goals.

Having made 22 appearances for the Saints this season, the 25-year-old is now spending his time on the bench rather than the pitch, something that without a doubt he won’t be happy about. So, West Brom should be one of many sides who could take advantage of his current situation and offer him a way out of St. Marys’.

He would not only boost an average defence but he could also be there for years to come, seeing as he’s only 25. As a long-term Jonny Evans heir, the Southampton man certainly fits the bill.

West Brom fans, would you be happy with Jack Stephens? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has a big selection dilemma ahead of the visit of Millwall next weekend following Pontus Jansson’s injury which has ruled him out for up to three weeks, but his decision may have just been made for him following Mateusz Klich’s latest brilliant display for Poland.

On the chalkboard

Well, the 28-year-old has often played in the No.8 role for the Yorkshire outfit this season, and he has bascially been a regular in that position ever since the Argentine manager arrived at Elland Road.

However, he played more of a defensive role for his country in their 1-0 win away at Austria on Thursday night, and he excelled as they kept a clean sheet.

Given the conundrum the 63-year-old has for the important Championship clash against the Lions, this latest switch that worked so well on Thursday could actually work in his favour on March 30.

Move Klich back

Bielsa’s main issue is who is going to partner Liam Cooper at the heart of the defence, with Gaetano Berardi and Kalvin Phillips looking to be the two most favourable options.

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Of course, moving the latter backwards from his usual defensive midfield role would create a void to be filled there, but the Pole proved that he could do it and more following his Euro 2020 qualifying performance.

Adam Forshaw – if he is fit – would be the other choice, but Bielsa should put his faith in a player he has done on so many other occasion already during the current campaign.

You would back him to deliver in a huge match against one of the division’s strugglers at Elland Road, and there are plenty of options to fill in when it comes to the more attacking positions in Leeds’ starting XI.

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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa confirmed in his press conference on Monday that striker Patrick Bamford is fit and will start for the Whites against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday, as reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post.

This news regarding the 25-year-old constitutes a huge boost for the Elland Road club. Bamford has been in fine form recently, having scored four goals in his last four Championship outings, including the winner against the Robins last time out. 

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Not only is the English forward Leeds’ most prolific scorer at this time, he is also Bielsa’s only reliable option available for leading the line. With Kemar Roofe still sidelined with injury, the Whites absolutely need Bamford to be fit and they have very little quality striking depth beyond him.

Following the announcement, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to celebrate the positive news. The Elland Road faithful will hope that the centre-forward is able to continue his fine form against the Royals on Tuesday…

Borussia Dortmund will be without the services of Marco Reus for the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Dortmund official Sebastian Kehl has ruled the attacker out of action, with a thigh problem meaning that the attacker will be unable to feature.

Reus has been in excellent form for Dortmund this season, finding the back of the net on 17 occasions in 27 appearances in all competitions.

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The 29-year-old has 13 goals and nine assists in 19 Bundesliga appearances, although he only struck once in the group stage of the Champions League.

The Tottenham fans have been on social media reacting to the news and it would certainly be fair to say that a large number are absolutely delighted.

Spurs will certainly be looking to secure a first-leg advantage at Wembley ahead of a difficult clash in Dortmund early next month.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino turned down the chance to sign Barcelona attacker Malcom before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Malcom joined Barcelona from Bordeaux last summer, but the 21-year-old has only made six La Liga appearances this term and managed just two goals for the club.

According to The Sun, Tottenham had the opportunity to sign Malcom this month, but Pochettino  turned down the move.

Spurs came from behind to beat Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday night, but it has been a difficult few weeks for the club after suffering elimination from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

And with Harry Kane and Dele Alli on the sidelines until at least March, it is somewhat of a surprise that the Spurs boss snubbed the chance to sign a player who was arguably the most exciting young forward in Europe last season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Tottenham fans can be seen below:

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GOAL previews the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier Italy vs England, with team news, predictions, head to head record, key players

Italy will take on England as they begin their defence of the European championship in the EURO 2024 qualifier on Thursday.

⚽️ Where to watch Italy vs England

The defending EURO champions failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, and head coach Roberto Mancini will be hoping for a strong response with a win against England in their first game of the EURO 2024 qualification round.

Gareth Southgate is under pressure to deliver results with England after the Three Lions failed to get past France in the quarter-final of the World Cup. Harry Kane and co. have struggled against Italy in the recent past and will hope to get their first win in 11 years against Thursday's opponents.

GOAL previews the EURO 2024 qualifier between Italy and England, with team news, predictions, head-to-head record, key battles and much more below.

GettyTeam analysisItaly team news

Italy Starting XI

Gianluigi Donnarumma; Leonardo Spinazzola, Francesco Acerbi, Rafael Toloi, Giovanni Di Lorenzo; Marco Verratti, Jorginho, Nicolo Barella; Lorenzo Pellegrini, Mateo Retegui, Domenico Berardi

Recent form

Italy topped their group in the Nations League and booked their place in the final four of the competition. Having missed out on a ticket to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, they played two friendlies during that period. In the first of the two friendlies, Vincenzo Grifo's brace helped Italy pick up a 3-1 win over Albania. In the second match, they lost 0-2 to Austria in November, 2022 and that was the team's last outing.

Key players

Italy will have Arsenal midfielder Jorginho looking to control the tempo in the centre of midfield against England. Following his transfer from Chelsea in January, the midfielder has made 11 appearances for the Premier League title favourites and will be high in confidence during international duty.

Injuries & suspensions

Mancini's team will be without Federico Chiesa, left-back Federico Dimarco and goalkeeper Ivan Provedel who are not part of the camp due to injuries. Mancini has instead called up four uncapped players to the squad – Marco Carnesecchi, Wladimiro Falcone, Alessandro Buongiorno and Mateo Retegui.

Tactical approach

Italy will need to start on a winning note in their defence of the European championship. They ended England's hopes of 'football coming home' by beating them on penalties in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley. As always, Mancini's team will be expected to be solid at the back without being boring and then find gaps in the final third in transition.

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Gianluigi Donnarumma, Wladimiro Falcone, Alex MeretDefenders:Francesco Acerbi, Leonardo Bonucci, Alessandro Buongiorno, Matteo Darmian, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessio Romagnoli, Giorgio Scalvini, Leonardo Spinazzola, Rafael Toloi;Midfielders:Nicolò Barella, Bryan Cristante, Davide Frattesi, Jorginho, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Matteo Pessina, Sandro Tonali, Marco VerrattiForwards:Domenico Berardi, Wilfried Gnonto, Vincenzo Grifo, Simone Pafundi, Matteo Politano, Mateo Retegui, Gianluca ScamaccaEngland team news

England Starting XI

Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Harry Maguire; Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Jude Bellingham; Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Jack Grealish

Recent form

England's last outing was in the 2022 World Cup where they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage with a defeat at the hands of France. Prior to that, they had gone five games without a defeat. Their previous loss, prior to the World Cup, was at the hands of Italy in the Nations League when Giacomo Raspadori grabbed the match-winner.

Key players

Harry Kane is just one goal away from becoming his country's all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing Wayne Rooney's tally of 53 goals. He has been excellent for Tottenham as well, with 21 goals this season and will be the one to keep an eye on for the Italian defence.

Injuries & suspensions

Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Nick Pope have pulled out from the England camp due to injuries and will play no part in the Euro 2024 qualification round opener.

Tactical approach

Southgate's been trusted to take England back to the top despite a lack of silverware in recent years. With plenty of attacking talent at his disposal, England will be expected to take the game to their opponents and control the game against Italy, with Kane at the forefront of the attacking line.

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Jordan Pickford, Aaron RamsdaleDefenders:Ben Chilwell, Eric Dier, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle WalkerMidfielders:Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, James Maddison, Kalvin Phillips, Declan RiceForwards:Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Ivan ToneyHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

September 24, 2022Italy 1-0 EnglandUEFA Nations LeagueJune 12, 2022England 0-0 ItalyUEFA Nations LeagueJuly 12, 2021Italy 1 -1 England (3-2 on penalties)Euro 2020Mar 28, 2018England 1-1 ItalyFriendlyApril 1, 2015Italy 1-1 EnglandFriendly

With four draws (in normal time) out of the last five meetings, games between these two teams have been hard-fought battles. England have not been able to beat Italy since a friendly win 2012 whereas Italy beat the Three Lions in both the Euro 2020 final and also the Nations League.

AdvertisementGettyItaly vs England match previewVenue, date & kick-off time

The Euro 2024 qualifier between Italy and England will be played at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Thursday, March 23. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm GMT (3.45pm EDT).

Match predictions & expected outcome

Both England and Italy have a point to prove to their fans. Moreover, England are badly in need of a victory against Italy due to a head-to-head record that has seen them hand the Three Lions two painful defeats – in the Euro 2020 final and in the Nations League which ultimately condemned them to relegation from the top tier. It should be a tight match once again, but with England emerging as the winner at the end of the game.

Key battles to watch out for

Kane will be looking to score his 54th goal for England and surpass Rooney to become the nation's all-time top scorer. However, Italian centre-back Leonardo Bonucci will be hoping to keep the Tottenham striker in check and that attack vs defence battle will be a fascinating one to watch on Thursday.

Potential game changers

Bukayo Saka has 12 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League this season. England will hope he can carry his incredible domestic form over to the international stage. The Arsenal man can act as the key to unlock the Italian defence and both score and also assist.

Getty/GOALOur final thoughts on the matchEngland have failed to win against Italy in their last six fixtures – their last victory against the Italians came in 2012.The Three Lions will depend on Kane who will be looking to score his 54th goal and surpass Rooney to become the country's all-time top scorer.Mancini will want to start Italy's EURO championship defence on a winning note despite missing players due to injuriesENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesUseful links

Italy team page

England team page

Live football on TV in the UK

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Where to watch England's EURO 2024 qualifiers

Mancini takes a dig at England boss Southgate

Italy vs England: Where to watch the match online, live stream, TV channels & kick-off time