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Derby County defender Scott Malone is set to join Millwall on a permanent deal this summer, bringing an end to his time at Pride Park.

The Lowdown: Derby stalwart before loan move

Malone signed for the Rams from Huddersfield Town back in the summer of 2018, becoming a key man during Frank Lampard’s time as manager.

He made 47 Championship appearances over the next two seasons, before joining Millwall on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, having fallen out of favour.

Left-back Malone has been a key figure for the South London club in 2020/21, appearing in 41 of their 46 league games, starting 37 of them, perhaps implying the Rams would have been better off with him in their own squad.

The Latest: Malone tipped for permanent exit

According to South London News, Millwall look set to snap up the 30-year-old on a permanent deal, once his Derby deal expires at the end of this month.

A move is already thought to be ‘locked down’, as Malone waves goodbye to the Rams, having been hailed as ‘excellent’ by Lions boss Gary Rowett.

The Verdict: Right time to move on

In truth, it makes perfect sense for all parties for Malone to move on, with Wayne Rooney seemingly seeing no future for him at the club.

It is pointless offering an unwanted player a new deal, and from the defender’s perspective, the thought of regular football is surely too good to turn down.

Malone will be remembered as a solid servant for Derby, however, at a time when they came so close to securing promotion to the Premier League.

In other news, some Derby fans have been reacting to news surrounding the proposed takeover of the club. Read more here.

Leicester City are expected to sign Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare this summer, acting as an undoubted blow to Leeds United.

The Lowdown: Leicester keen on Soumare

Marcelo Bielsa is expected to add to his squad in the coming months, in order bring new quality to it and ensure the Whites go up another level next season.

Soumare is a player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, having shone for Lille this season, making 30 appearances in Ligue 1.

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The Latest: Leicester set to swoop

Unfortunately, Leicester look set to swoop in ahead of Leeds, with ever-reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming as much on Twitter:

“Leicester are set to complete Boubacary Soumare deal also with last details – final fee will be around €23m to Lille. The agreement is imminent, medicals pending. Soumaré has accepted to join Leicester since February.”

The £20.7million-rated Soumare’s current deal expires in 2022, meaning this is Lille’s last chance to get a hefty fee for the 22-year-old.

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The Verdict: Undoubted blow for Leeds

Soumare is an extremely promising young defensive midfielder, so Leeds missing out on him has to be considered a blow.

Bielsa needs to sign someone who can battle Kalvin Phillips for regular starts, partly in order to give the Leeds star a rest from time to time and also to keep competition for places healthy.

Soumare’s defensive qualities in that deep-lying role could have made him an ideal addition – he has averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in Ligue 1 this season – but Leeds must now look elsewhere to sign a similar type of player as Soumare looks to be heading to the King Power Stadium.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to shine next season – find out who the individual in question is here.

A new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search as they still look to find a viable successor to Jose Mourinho…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, Spurs are actually one of several Premier League sides taking a keen look at Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic, who is set to leave the Signal Iduna Park at the end of the current campaign.

Both Newcastle United, if they move on from Steve Bruce, and Crystal Palace, who will let Roy Hodgson go this summer, are also said to also be interested in the 38-year-old.

Terzic, a former assistant to Slaven Bilic at West Ham, has already rejected the chance to take the reigns at Bundesliga outfit Frankfurt and he is set to be available this summer because BVB have opted for Gladbach guru Marco Rose in the long term.

Shades of Klopp

The German is certainly an interesting candidate for Daniel Levy to consider.

He temporarily took over from Lucien Favre in December and has steered the Black and Yellows to glory in the DFB-Pokal, as well as a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Terzic, unlike many of the other names mooted to the North London gig, will be without a club so that should instantly make him of more appeal.

The Sun believe it could take as much as £70m to lure Brendan Rodgers away from Leicester City, whilst the likes of Roberto Martinez, Graham Potter and Erik ten Hag are all still employed, despite being three of the four names on the shortlist, as per The Athletic.

The interim Dortmund boss’ inexperience shouldn’t put Levy off either as he’s not only proven he can develop players like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland but he has knowledge of the English top-flight already and has had major influence from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

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Terzic worked under the Premier League winner for several years.

ESPN’s Derek Rae believes the young gem ‘brings a Klopp-like intensity’ to the dugout, whilst Bilic has previously suggested that he “has everything.”

Furthermore, head of recruitment Sven Mislintat waxed lyrical about Terzic to The Times, he said: “[He has a] strong personality, with top-class analytical qualities and tactical understanding, clear about what kind of football his teams are best suited to. By that I mean he is not narrow-minded. He’ll be brave. He’ll make the difficult decisions.”

Many of the Dortmund players have taken to the caretaker, too, after young winger Gio Reyna praised him as he “lets me be free as an attacker.”

Terzic has won 61.2% of matches since taking control halfway through the season, which is a substantial improvement to Mourinho, who was sacked with a 52% win record.

It would certainly be a major gamble to appoint the 38-year-old but given Levy was interested in 33-year-old Julian Nagelsmann as a top target, he should have no qualms about the emerging Dortmund man.

An attack-minded, young and progressive coach that knows the league sounds like the perfect blueprint, so the Spurs chairman must make a bold push for him if the interest is genuine.

AND in other news, Spurs can forget about keeping Kane if Levy hires “exceptional” 48 y/o lauded by Guardiola…

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Wilfried Zaha’s situation at Crystal Palace will not affect the club’s manager search.

Goal recently reported that Zaha is attracting strong interest from Everton and Tottenham as the 28-year-old winger considers his future.

Zaha once again proved to be Palace’s talisman this season, scoring 11 goals in the Premier League campaign that has just gone.

Losing a player of his quality will no doubt make the Eagles a much weaker side, and replacing him will probably be no easy task. Still, Palmer does not believe that will detract managers from the Palace job.

When asked by FFC if losing Zaha makes the vacancy for the Selhurst Park dugout less attractive, the ex-Leeds United star said:

“No, not really. You’ve got to expect at a club like Crystal Palace, no disrespect to them, you’re going to produce players like Wilfried Zaha… you know that the player is not going to stay.

“They must have had discussions with Wilfried time and time again about, ‘Stay for this time and we’ll allow you to go then at that time.’ ”

Even if Zaha does end up staying in south London this summer, Roy Hodgson’s successor still has a momentous rebuild job on his hands.

Palace have 15 players who will soon be out of contract, while striker Michy Batshuayi is also set to return to parent club Chelsea.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is eyeing up a move for Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season now over, the Magpies can focus on trying to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign, and it appears the Tyneside club are looking south to Chelsea for a couple of their promising talents.

According to The Northern Echo, Bruce is keen on exploring a loan deal for Gilmour, with the 19-year-old having initially being lined up for a temporary move away from west London in January before Thomas Tuchel stepped in.

The report adds: “Having enabled Joe Willock to flourish during his loan spell at St James’ Park, Bruce will hope to persuade Tuchel and the rest of Chelsea’s coaching staff that Gilmour would also benefit from a spell in the starting line-up at Newcastle.”

He wowed Roy Keane

The Magpies saw the success of bringing in a midfielder on loan from one of the Premier League’s big six in Joe Willock, and are now eyeing doing so with Gilmour.

The Scot has already earned rave reviews for his performances with the Blues at Stamford Bridge, with Manchester United legend Roy Keane telling Sky Sports last season (via talkSPORT): “As the game started I literally got out of my seat, which I very rarely do, and I thought, ‘Who is this kid?’ There are certain traits you want from a midfielder, quality on the ball, football intelligence, composure. He had everything. It was one of the best performances I have seen in a long, long time.

“He makes the game look easy, he looks forward, he’s got his head swivelling, looking over the shoulder, he was very positive with his passing.”

His fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, meanwhile added: “He’s so talented on the ball. He looks so comfortable; the minute he moves, he manipulates it. He’s a big talent for Chelsea and Scotland going forward – and a really well-rounded kid.”

The £9m-rated midfielder could come into St James’ Park and have the same kind of refreshing impact that Willock brought from Arsenal – a young talent desperate for first-team game-time in the Premier League and wanting to impress.

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After the years of seeing Jonjo Shelvey toil away in the engine room for the Magpies, and not really leading his Newcastle team anywhere, perhaps it’s the perfect time for the changing of the guard.

A loan spell on Tyneside for Gilmour would give Newcastle and Bruce some fresh ideas in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must land this “electrically fast” Championship star…

Some Everton fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged on Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

As per a report from the Daily Mail earlier this week, which has since been shared by The Toffee Blues on Twitter, the Goodison Park faithful as well as both Aston Villa and Southampton are interested in signing the Chelsea man in the summer window, but his high wages may be a stumbling block in any deal.

Loftus-Cheek did not have the best seasons on loan at relegated Fulham, in which he only managed to score one goal and not a single assist in 32 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The central midfield player also has a very poor injury record, and coupled up with his high wages, it is no surprise to see that some supporters of the Merseyside club do not want him to be signed.

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Everton fans on Loftus-Cheek transfer update

These Toffees fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.”

Credit: @EFCNovaScotia

“So now we are after younger treatment tables!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Credit: @BagFullofToffee

“It’s getting worse”

Credit: @redreg74

“Yeh, nothing like another top 4 reject to help @Everton push for mid table”

Credit: @EvertonLeague

“He’s very poor, no thanks”

Credit: @GoodisonMoore

“Not for 26 years old this year, not even reached anything in his career and have a look at his injury record.”

Credit: @SteveKelly86

In other news, find out who Bill Kenwright wants to be the next Blues manager here!

Leeds United youngster Oliver Casey is reportedly in talks to join Blackpool this summer, allowing him regular football away from Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Casey impresses in academy

The 20-year-old has been a key performer in the Whites’ academy in recent years, making a total of 23 appearances for the Under-23s.

The 6 foot 2 centre-back has also appeared three times for Leeds’ first team, with his first game coming in the Championship in 2019/20.

There is no denying that minutes are going to be hard to come by for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, however, given the centre-back depth at the manager’s disposal.

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The Latest: Blackpool linked with move for youngster

According to Football Insider, Blackpool want to sign Casey, having secured promotion to the Championship.

They see the youngster as a promising talent who would represent a good option in the second tier, and the Whites are happy for him to leave on a permanent deal.

A Thorp Arch source has allegedly told the outlet that negotiations are now underway to see the young talent leave the club for good this summer.

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The Verdict: Right time to leave

While it is also nice to see young players make the grade at Leeds, for Casey’s sake, a move away makes far more sense at this stage in his career.

In Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk, Bielsa already has four strong centre-back options to call upon, meaning the Englishman could stagnate if he stays put.

Casey could find his level in the Championship, proving to be a key man for Blackpool and going on to enjoy a strong career – perhaps the Whites can even insert a buy-back clause in case his development in the second tier is really impressive.

In other news, Leeds could be pipped to the signing of one player this summer – find out who it is here.

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he cannot see Marcelo Bielsa leaving Elland Road because of player sales.

This comes after ex-Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor suggested that the Argentine could walk if Raphinha is sold this summer.

Raphinha was one of Leeds’ top performers during the 2020/21 season after joining from Rennes, racking up nine assists in his debut Premier League campaign.

The Brazilian attacker is now being linked with a move to Liverpool, but Palmer is not expecting any big exits at Elland Road – including Bielsa.

“I don’t see it happening,” the ex-Leeds star exclusively told FFC. “I’ve heard the Leeds chairman come out and talk about the relationship he’s got with Bielsa and that’s vice versa.

“If they want to keep Bielsa, they’ve got to keep progressing. I don’t think Leeds are in a position that they need to sell players.”

Raphinha still has three years left to run on his contract having only joined Leeds in the last summer transfer window, so he is certainly one player who the club do not need to sell.

Elsewhere, Patrick Bamford is said to be another name who Liverpool have looked at, so it could be an interesting next couple of months for the Yorkshire outfit.

Daniel James has impressed during Wales’ first two games in the Euros, which may spark further interest after recent links to Leicester City, but former Hull City star, Dean Windass, can’t see Manchester United letting him go.

James, 23, got a huge move from Swansea City to Man United in the summer of 2019 and after a solid debut campaign, he found first-team starts a lot more difficult to come by last term, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handing the winger just 11 in the Premier League.

Leeds famously thought they had signed him in January 2019, only for Swansea to pull the plug on the potential deal on Deadline Day, despite James having signed everything and already taken pictures holding the shirt.

Man United appear to have their sights set on landing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, which could be a huge worry for James’ future at Old Trafford but, despite this, Windass can’t see the Red Devils letting him go, which he exclusively said to Football FanCast:

“I can’t see Ole letting him go because he’s still a young lad who is learning and he’s doing very well for Wales so I can’t see Man United letting him go.”

James would no doubt love to become a regular at Man United, however, he appears to be a long way behind the likes of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and also Sancho, if the England international does arrive at Old Trafford this summer.

It may be a case of giving it one more season to prove that he is good enough because he is certainly a great impact player for the Red Devils to have considering his lighting quick pace, which he showcased for Wales against Turkey in the Euros.

Reported Manchester City target Robin Gosens produced a superb display for Germany against Portugal at Euro 2020, which emphasised exactly why Pep Guardiola should sign him this summer.

City have regularly been linked with a move for the Atlanta left-back, who has been one of the most consistent performers in Serie A in recent seasons, and he showed his class in Germany’s 4-2 win in Group F on Saturday afternoon.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old would earn an extremely impressive 8.7/10 rating for Joachim Low’s side, which was joint with Cristiano Ronaldo as the best of any player to feature in the game.

Featuring as a left midfielder in Germany’s 3-4-3 system, Gosens caused the Portugal defence all sorts of problems throughout the game, first providing the cross that was inadvertently turned home by City defender Ruben Dias to make it 1-1.

He later squared for Kai Havertz to make it 3-1 before getting the goal his performance deserved as he emphatically headed Joshua Kimmich’s cross past Rui Patricio.

Considering he managed three shots on target in the game, as well as having an early goal ruled out, Gosens’ attacking quality was clear to see throughout the game and emphasised that he could be a seriously dangerous threat in Guardiola’s side next season, should he complete a move to the Etihad.

Following the game, Low was full of praise for his performance, saying:

“I don’t know if it was the game of a lifetime for him, maybe he still has to play that.

“But an amazing performance from him. He worked very hard and on top of that he was a constant threat up front as well.”
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Last season saw the £31.5m-rated defender contribute 11 goals and six assists in just 32 appearances, which helped him average a superb 7.19 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

City’s two main left-backs Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko, disregarding Joao Cancelo who is more of a natural on the right, would manage just two goals and one assist between them last season, so you could definitely argue that Guardiola could certainly do with an attacking left-back without the injury problems of Mendy.

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Therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely try and bring Gosens to the Etihad this summer after he showed just what he was capable of in the exciting win against Portugal.

And, in other news… Man City may already have their Cancelo heir in “superb” teen rated one of “the best”