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Crystal Palace are interested in FCSB attacker Ianis Stoica, according to Romanian outlet Playsport. 

The lowdown

19-year-old Stoica is predominantly a right winger but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or a centre forward.

He only moved to Bucharest from CSM Slatina, a third tier Romanian side, in June last year.

But he penned a two-year deal on arrival, meaning he’s already into his final 18 months, possibly creating a great chance for the Eagles to swoop in and secure a reasonably priced deal.

The latest

The report states that Palace are among the sides keen on Stoica, with London rivals Arsenal also in the running.

It notes that The Eagles unsuccessfully tried to sign team-mate Florinel Coman, who plays as a winger, a couple of years ago.

The club’s owner, Gigi Becali, insists that he will not sell teenage talents, preferring to extract more from them before he lets them leave.

The verdict

Why might Stoica be on Palace’s radar? Well, he’s been shining despite his tender years, recording ten direct goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in his first 18 appearances of 2021/22.

Romania Under-21 manager Florian Bratu was impressed enough to call him up for international action, and he was rewarded with a goal in a friendly against Georgia in September.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled Stoica a ‘complete forward’ with pace in abundance.

And what’s more, Romanian football journalist Emanuel Rocu says the youngster reminds him of Sergio Aguero.

He certainly looks to be a real gem if Palace can find a suitable deal.

In other news, fans react to links with this PL ace.

Liverpool will take on AC Milan tonight in a Champions League clash that means very little to the Merseyside giants’ campaign but will mean everything to their opponents who desperately need to win this game to boost their chances of moving forward in the competition.

Jurgen Klopp will go into this game with full confidence and nothing to lose, as Liverpool have taken maximum points and subsequently qualified with ease from their group in the Champions League after five wins out of five so far.

Despite being through to the knock out stages already, the German manager is not the type to happily concede a game and will be fully intending to continue the unbeaten run Liverpool find themselves holding on to in Europe this season, with the potential to qualify on maximum points.

If the Reds beat AC Milan at the San Siro this evening, they will become the first English side in the history of the Champions League to win every single group stage game, a record that we’re sure Klopp would love to have under his belt.

With that being said, Klopp will be buzzing to learn that his opposition go into this game with a number of injury concerns that could have a negative impact on their chances to put goals past the in form Reds, and will only encourage the German coach further to rotate his team with ease.

Milan have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of hosting the six-time Champions League winners, with both Pietro Pellegri and Rafael Leao set to miss out on the action due to sustaining muscular injuries.

These fresh injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Italian giants, as they need to take all three points off the Merseyside outfit in the upcoming clash to qualify for a spot in the final stages of the competition, currently on four points in third position of the group, one point behind Porto.

It also represents a huge boost for the 19-time English champions as Leao has proven to be a devastating asset in the final third this term, scoring five and assisting three times. Thus, Liverpool’s defence will likely have an easier night defending their own goal, presenting them with the opportunity to perhaps field a young makeshift backline.

Not only will Milan need win tonight’s game, but they will also need to hope Porto do not take maximum points from their last game against bottom of the group, Atletico Madrid, who are also only on four points.

Atletico still have their chance to qualify too despite being bottom of Group B, needing to take three points from their last fixture against Porto and will need Liverpool to beat Milan.

Whilst the rest of their Champions League group remains open, Liverpool are now in a position to give their key players a rest and let their squad from the bench and youngsters step into cover positions, gaining a start in the line up and some much-needed game time on Tuesday evening.

In other news: Klopp could finally sign Wijnaldum replacement

Glasgow Rangers cruised to a 2-0 win at home to St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

Goals from Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent were more than enough to see off the SPFL’s bottom side, but given their dominance in terms of shots and possession, and the fact that Celtic have a better goal difference than them, they may have been left feeling aggrieved that they did not get more.

That said, it was the type of dominant performance that will breed competition for places within the squad, and not everyone will be happy with their individual displays.

Using statistical experts SofaScore, The Transfer Tavern have now analysed who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) for the hosts were on the night, as they may now be looking over their shoulder as they attempt to keep Giovanni van Bronckhorst happy…

Allan McGregor

Very harsh given that he kept a clean sheet, McGregor was given a relatively low 7.3 by SofaScore, perhaps mainly down to how quiet things were for him.

The goalkeeper had just one save to make, had one successful punched clearance and only had to run out and claim the ball once also.

However, his 86% pass accuracy was actually one of the lowest in the team, while he was also guilty of giving the ball away on four separate occasions in the match, hardly ideal for the man between the posts.

Scott Arfield

Like McGregor, Arfield was also given a 7.3 overall rating by SofaScore.

The only Gers player to be booked in the game, the central midfielder lost out on three of his duels, and also failed to record a single dribble, clearance or interception, while he lost possession three times.

Calvin Bassey

Perhaps harsh again given the clean sheet, Bassey was ranked as the Light Blues’ worst player on the night with a 7.2 rating from SofaScore.

The makeshift central defender did not make a clearance, interception or tackle, while he also lost the ball seven times.

It was a good night overall for the Teddy Bears as they picked up another three points on their way to retaining the title, but these three will surely be looking to get right at the weekend when they host Dundee United.

In other news, find out what Academy news has RFC fans buzzing here!

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘ready’ to fight for the signature of Braga striker Vitor Oliveira, according to Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

The youngster appears to be making his first team breakthrough at Braga, having featured in four of their last five league matches and earned his Europa League debut.

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Last weekend, he emphatically made his case to be a regular going forward with a four-goal haul against Santa Clara in a 6-0 Taca de Portugal mauling.

The 21-year-old, who has three years left on his contract, is presently valued at just £450,000 by Transfermarkt.

The latest

According to Calciomercato, Oliveira’s form for Braga is said to have attracted the interest of ‘numerous foreign clubs’.

Spurs are among them, but so are their London rivals West Ham United, so the stage is set for the two capital clubs to do battle for his signature in 2022.

The verdict

Oliveira has also earned international recognition this month, making his Portugal under-21 debut in a European Championship qualifier against Cyprus.

The signs are that what looks like a modest price tag might about to be skyrocket after his flying start to the season, which has seen him hit seven goals in nine first team appearances for Braga.

However, one possible consideration for Spurs when buying young strikers is the impact on Dane Scarlett, whose path to the senior team could be blocked if Oliveira is signed. The Spurs starlet has plundered in 23 goals in as many matches for the under-18s, so you could question the need to look at emerging strikers elsewhere.

In other news, Conte has made this transfer request to Paratici.

As per Calciomercato, an update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s on-and-off again links to Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Insigne move…

The Lilywhites have been tipped with a swoop for the 30-year-old since as far back as 2016, with the Daily Mirror reporting at the time that former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was interested.

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More recently, Spurs were also linked during the last summer window as new transfer chief Fabio Paratici eyed a raid on his homeland for new talent.

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia), Tottenham made contact over the summer, and it appears that they’ve come back to the window once more.

The Latest: Spurs make Insigne approach…

According to Calciomercato.it, as Inter Milan also eye a swoop also, it appears that Tottenham have ‘probed the ground’ for Insigne as they make a pre-January approach.

The Italy international is free to negotiate a pre-contract in the winter window with the view to leaving on a free transfer next summer, with his Napoli deal set to expire in 2022 as it stands.

If the Serie A side can’t agree a new deal, that very much looks like a possibility, as this report states nothing is concrete and an extension agreement looks ‘far away’.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Shining for Italy at Euro 2020, Insigne was one of the stars of the summer, and it’s little wonder that Inter, Tottenham and others are hovering in the pursuit of his signature.

The £43.2m-rated star could leave for nothing in 2022, representing a bargain for any club at any level, with the53-cap Azzurri international proving his worth on the biggest stages in football.

Insigne has also attracted real praise in the past, drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi, with Goran Pandev once saying he is similar to dribbling style (Radio Marte via ESPN).

On a free deal, Tottenham would have very little to lose, with the only question mark potentially being around his age and lack of sell-on value.

In other news: Eight players now safe from Spurs axe after impressing Conte behind the scenes, find out more here.

With things beginning to look on the up for Celtic under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou in recent weeks, as the Bhoys have picked up 12 points from 12 available over their last four fixtures in all competitions, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another positive result when the Hoops make the trip to Hibernian on Wednesday evening.

And, with Jack Ross’ side being in rather contrasting form to Celtic at present, with Hibs currently on a run of three straight defeats in the league, Postecoglou will be more than aware that the fixture presents his team with a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on the current Scottish Premiership leaders.

So, will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 2-0 win at St. Johnstone last Saturday? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Hibernian, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently revealing that he has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Wednesday’s fixture, as well as suggesting James McCarthy could be in line to make a return to the matchday squad, we predict that the 56-year-old will make two changes to the team that lined up against St. Johnstone last weekend.

The first of these changes comes in the heart of the Celtic defence, with the £20k-per-week Cameron Carter-Vickers making way for 21-year-old Stephen Welsh – who could very much do with a run-out having not featured in any of the Hoops last four league fixtures.

The remainder of the back five is untouched, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks, while Josip Juranovic and Anthony Ralston retain their spots at left and right-back respectively, and Carl Starfelt lines up alongside Welsh at centre-back.

In the middle of the park, Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic also retain their starting spots, with the trio having highly impressed for the Bhoys in recent weeks – while, despite his return to fitness, James McCarthy has to make do with a place on the bench.

The second change comes in Celtic’s front three, with the recently recovered Mikey Johnston replacing Jota on the left-hand side of the attack in order to afford the £900k-rated man some much-needed game time, while Georgios Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi line up alongside the 22-year-old.

In other news: Ange must unleash £2.7m-rated Celtic “phenomenon” vs Hibs, he’s a game-changer

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes the late draw against Wolves last weekend was ‘huge’, ahead of the Whites’ trip to Norwich City.

The Lowdown: Leeds salvage point

Marcelo Bielsa’s looked set to experience another damaging result in the Premier League last Saturday, trailing 1-0 at home to Wolves.

Rodrigo’s last-gasp penalty earned Leeds a point, however, and the celebrations that followed summed up how important the moment felt.

The draw still leaves the Whites languishing in a relegation scrap though, with a trip to bottom-placed Norwich looming on Sunday afternoon.

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The Latest: Pundit hails ‘huge’ moment

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills claimed Rodrigo’s goal could be a turning point in Leeds’ season, as they look to overcome their disappointing form at Carrow Road:

“It’s huge. If you lose that game, you’re right up against it. You salvage a point, it feels like a bit of a win.

“All of a sudden, you go into a really crucial game with Norwich with confidence. You’re thinking ‘If we win this game, we can get ourselves heading right up the table’.”

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The Verdict: Time to kick on

There is now almost a quarter of the league season gone and it is time for Leeds to click into gear, having won just once to date in the competition in 2021/22.

Granted, injuries to the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford haven’t helped, but Bielsa’s men are better than the table suggests currently, as highlighted by their ninth-place finish last time around.

Norwich represent the perfect opponent this weekend, and if Leeds can pick up all three points at Carrow Road, it could be the next significant step on the road to recovery.

In other news, Leeds could have to break their transfer record to sign a reported target. Find out who it is here.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl defended his team’s style of play following the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

His post-match comments were relayed by reliable reporter Dan Sheldon, which led to a number of Saints fans hitting out at Hasenhuttl on social media.

Southampton conceded two late goals at Stamford Bridge following James Ward-Prowse’s red card in the second half after the captain had earlier levelled the scores from the spot. The result means the Saints are still yet to win in the Premier League this season and sit 17th in the table going into the October international break.

Hasenhuttl was asked following the defeat about the way his team plays and defended his style, claiming that it is ‘nice to watch’ as he said: “Why should we change? It’s also nice to watch. I’m not a fan of parking the bus against the big teams.”

However, some fans aren’t happy with that response, with the club winning just two of their last 15 top-flight league fixtures.

Southampton fans react

Sheldon, who is Southampton’s reporter for The Athletic, posted Hasenhuttl’s comments via Twitter on Saturday evening, with @SaintsExtra also relaying his tweet.

Here is what these Saints supporters had to say in reply, with many not happy and one labelling the manager’s response as ‘strange’.

“Yeah I love watching us lose even though we look good sometimes. I’d rather big Sam in atm.. at least we’re probably win a few games. RALPH OUT!”

Credit: @cleetus_van

“Is this a joke? Just because it’s ‘nice to watch’ doesn’t mean the loyal fans don’t mind us losing every week. Change because it doesn’t work, we can’t score and never win? That’s good enough reasons for me. 6 points needed from Leeds and Burnley and nothing less.”

Credit: @JackKnutsen_

“So we win 5 out of 33 league games and he doesn’t want to change anything ?? Seriously ????”

Credit: @curlywiggins

“Strange thing to say – we’re not that exciting to watch, mush.”

Credit: @Josh_b222

“Better to park the bus than taking a ride down to the Championship. Poor tactics.”

Credit: @HaraldStensdal

“Who exactly, apart from Ralph himself, is enjoying watching us play?”

Credit: @Beaumxntt

In other news: ‘Can’t keep watching him’ – Some Saints fans destroy ‘passenger’ who ‘should retire’. 

Journalist Luke Hatfield has been discussing Yerson Mosquera’s injury for Wolves, describing it as a ‘big blow’ for both player and club.

The Lowdown: Mosquera picks up injury

The young centre-back made the move to Molineux in the summer transfer window, sealing a switch from Atletico Nacional in his homeland of Colombia.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old has picked up a serious hamstring injury which is set to keep him sidelined for five months, coming as a big setback for him early on in his Wolves career.

The Latest: Hatfield discusses injury

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield of The Express & Star admitted that it was a blow for Mosquera and Wolves, but he has backed the youngster to make a full recovery.

The journalist said: “Losing Mosquera is a big blow. He was obviously a signing they had big hopes for and still do because he’s only a young player.”

The Verdict: Come back stronger next season

In many ways, Mosquera should almost consider writing off his first season in a Wolves shirt, considering that his return is unlikely to arrive until the spring.

By the time he is fit again, he will struggle to find the match sharpness to play a key role for Bruno Lage’s side, so focusing on next season instead makes more sense.

Mosquera has been described as ‘very, very quick’ by Colombian-based journalist Simon Edwards – the hope is that this hamstring issue doesn’t take away any of that speed.

In other news, some Wolves fans loved this Tim Spiers tweet. Read more here.

Frank McAvennie has been left worried by some Glasgow Rangers injury news that has emerged on Ryan Jack.

The Lowdown: Jack update

Speaking ahead of his team’s game away at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, Steven Gerrard has now revealed that Jack is due back on the training pitch ‘any day now’, but may have to wait another ‘couple of weeks’ before he can be integrated back into the group.

The central midfielder has not played for the Ibrox faithful since February, and will no doubt be desperate to get back onto the pitch as soon as possible.

The Latest: McAvennie on Jack

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Celtic and West Ham United, still thinks that it is a ‘big concern’ that Jack is not available at the moment:

“It’s a big concern.

“It’s a big concern for Scotland as well. I genuinely think on his day he is the best player at Ibrox.

“Luckily, Rangers have plenty of options in midfield and they aren’t missing him too much.

“But he’s a quality player so you will always miss him at some level.

“Hopefully the return isn’t that far away because on his day he can really be a leader for that side.”

The Verdict: Patience needed

After a player comes back from a long-term injury, there is always patience needed to ensure that he comes back in the right shape and frame of mind.

There is no doubt that Jack is still a key man for the Light Blues, playing in 19 of their matches in the Scottish Premiership on their way to the title last season, scoring two goals and making one assist (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with some Gers not happy with Joe Aribo’s performance in the Scottish League Cup on Wednesday night, it may be time for the Gers to bring in some fresh legs in midfield.

In other news, find out what RFC news has fans buzzing here!