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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas is ‘amazed’ that Crystal Palace have offered Christian Benteke a new contract.

Nicholas made the revelation in his Premier League predictions column for this weekend’s round of fixtures, in which he tips the Eagles to come out of their game against Aston Villa at Selhurst Park with a 1-1 draw.

Benteke has reportedly been offered a new deal along with James Tomkins, as the Belgium international has under 12 months remaining on his current terms.

What did he say?

Nicholas said: “I saw them win at Man United, but where did that come from? Jordan Ayew was so composed with the first goal, and they will always be well-drilled under Roy Hodgson.

“I am amazed that Christian Benteke has been offered a new contract.”

Has every right to be amazed

It looked like money well spent when Benteke hit 17 goals in his first season as a Palace player, following a club-record £27m move from Liverpool, although things have turned sour very quickly.

Since that campaign, the former Villa man has scored just four goals in red and blue, all whilst earning a reported salary of £120k-a-week to make him the south Londoners’ third-highest earner behind Wilfried Zaha, who gets £10k more per week, and Max Meyer who earns £125k-a-week.

Given his huge salary and minimal contribution over the last two seasons, Palace should probably just cut their losses on the forward and wave goodbye to him, even more so now that Jordan Ayew looks to have taken his place in the side – the Ghanaian was named ahead of Benteke for the win at Old Trafford.

To be in such dismal form – if you can ever call it form anymore, that is – and be rewarded with a new deal is a ludicrous move from the south London-based side, and Nicholas has every right to be amazed at their baffling decision.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Following a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United in pre-season, there were some concerns from certain segments of the Leeds faithful over their defence after it was claimed Marcelo Bielsa was happy with what he had.

Pontus Jansson had departed for Brentford and Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper didn’t look particularly convincing as United tore through the Whites.

However, what they hadn’t seen yet, was what Ben White could do, as the Brighton loan man has added a sense of stability in the early weeks of the season.

Leeds have looked more assured, evidence of which is proving why some fans didn’t need to be as worried as they were.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the chalkboard

One of the main reasons for Leeds’ solid defensive displays this term has been thanks to White.

He has been somewhat of a colossus among the back four and in the first couple of weeks of the new term, the youngster has won two tackles per match and also made 3.5 interceptions every outing on average.

But it’s important to note just how compact Leeds have been, something which has restricted their opposition to a lack of key passes, particularly inside their penalty area.

Bristol City serves as their worst match in terms of this number, being on the end of three key passes and an overall total of 11 inside their box.

However, there has been a stark improvement since.

Above are the number of final third passes made by each team during Leeds 1-1 draw with Forest.

In blue, per WhoScored, are the latter’s passes with Sabri Lamouchi’s men kicking towards the left. However, as can be seen, only two of their 90 passes which landed in the final third were actually in the penalty area, pieces of play provided by Joe Lolley and Alfred Semedo.

This second graphic comes against Wigan. This time, Leeds’ opposition are in red, kicking towards the right and again there is a lack of passes inside their penalty box. Only five of the Latics’ 117 final third balls were close to Kiko Casilla’s goal, but none of them serve as key passes according to WhoScored.

Against Brentford, Leeds were even better in this department.

The Bees’ final third passes are demonstrated in blue above, kicking to the left. They managed 165 inside the Whites’ half but remarkably only one of them fell in the area as Ollie Watkins finally found space in the 72nd minute.

These passages of play show how compact Leeds have been this term. They’ve kept two clean sheets and ultimately restricted their opposition to shots on goal, thus proving why initial concerns have been swatted away.

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BBC Sport journalist Phil McNulty has stated that he believes some of Marco Silva’s current struggles at Everton to be due to some of the players he inherited at Goodison Park.

What he said

McNulty shows some sympathy with the Portuguese coach, whose side have slumped to 9th in the Premier League table having gone on a run that has seen them lose four of their last five matches in all competition.

However, McNulty comes to the manager’s defence, stating that he is being hampered by the likes of “Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun, two expensive, highly-paid flops Silva has been saddled with.”

What is behind Liverpool’s recent title race slip ups? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video above…

He continues to suggest that the club’s previous poor transfer dealings are partly responsible for the Merseyside outfit’s current predicament, “yes, Silva has struggled to get performances and results but it would be wrong for him to assume total blame for the mistakes of others.”

Demanding more

Whilst it cannot be denied that Walcott and Tosun have failed to shine since their arrival at Goodison, they are not hapless. At 29-years-old, Walcott should still have plenty more in the tank. The 47-cap England international scored over 100 goals for Arsenal in his time at the Emirates Stadium, proving he has the capacity to deliver.

Tosun, too, has plenty of the attributes required to be successful in the Premier League. Neither him nor Walcott can be considered world class, but both should be performing better. It is Silva’s responsibility to coax the best out of his players, whether they were his own signings or not.

Silva must demand more from the likes of Walcott and Tosun, and the longer their toils continue, the more should be demanded from Silva himself.

Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side head into Saturday’s Premier League fixture in a decent run of form, having picked up two wins in their last three top-flight outings, with the 45-year-old undoubtedly hoping for another impressive performance at Molineux this weekend.

With Wolves’ visitors Newcastle United yet to register a Premier League win this season, the fixture against Steve Bruce’s side very much appears to present Lage with an opportunity for his team to send a message to the rest of the top flight with a convincing victory.

Will the Portuguese manager make any changes to the team which started in the victory over Southampton last time out? Here’s how we think Wolves could line up against the Magpies, along with the latest team and injury news…

Jonny Otto, Pedro Neto and Yerson Mosquera are all confirmed absentees for today’s fixture against Newcastle, while Rayan Ait-Nouri is once again available for selection after recovering from concussion.

With this in mind, we predict that Lage will make four changes to the side which lined up against Southampton last week.

The first of these comes at left wing-back, with the £16.2m-rated Ait-Nouri coming straight into starting XI after impressing in Wolves’ Carabao Cup penalty shootout loss to Tottenham Hotspur recently. He takes the place of Fernando Marcal, as the 32-year-old did not have the best of games in the victory over Saints.

The second change comes in the middle of the park, with Ruben Neves being reinstated alongside Joao Moutinho in central midfield, while the £75k-per-week Leander Dendoncker drops to the bench having been one of Wolves’ poorest performers at St Mary’s six days ago.

The final two alterations come in the front three, with Adama Traore and 21-year-old Francisco Trincao taking the places of Hwang Hee-chan and Daniel Podence on the left and right flanks respectively, as Lage will certainly be hoping for much more attacking impetus than his front three in the Southampton game offered. Wolves won despite having just five shots all afternoon on the south coast.

In other news: Lage must unleash “smooth” £19.8m-rated Wolves dynamo today, he’d terrify Newcastle

Many Liverpool supporters are keen for the Reds to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have received criticism for their lack of business in the transfer market as only Ibrahima Konate signed in a quiet window.

But the Liverpool manager remains on the lookout to bolster his squad and England international Bellingham is now allegedly Klopp’s top target after dazzling in Germany since his move from Birmingham City.

According to Daily Star journalist Jeremy Cross [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], a deal could cost up to £80million and the Reds face competition from Manchester United to secure his services.

The Daily Star have reported that Klopp wants to bring in a statement signing and the 18-year-old has been identified as that player.

With Georginio Wijnaldum departing on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Liverpool are in need of another midfielder, and it looks like they will need to break the transfer record fee they paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018 to sign Bellingham.

Liverpool fans excited with Bellingham talk

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the rumour.

“Get this guy at any cost. Brilliant talent”

Credit: @LFC_purpose

“If you honestly think Bellingham would be worth the punt of £80m then you’d be… Absolutely right!”

Credit: @Twiss95

“Need it to happen”

Credit: @lfcellex

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Please”

Credit: @lukewalshdesign

“Pay whatever they want”

Credit: @davegarcia83

“Worth every flaming penny”

Credit: @JotaBelieveIt

In other news, Liverpool fans are buzzing with links to teenage sensation. Find out more here.

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge believes Emerson Royal fits the bill of what Tottenham were looking for. 

Spurs signed Royal on deadline day from Barcelona, with the right-back signing a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2026. BBC Sport reported that the agreed fee for the right-back was €30m (£25.8m).

Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo added five new faces to his squad this summer, with Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil, Pape Matar Sarr and Emerson Royal all penning deals with Spurs.

Michael Bridge believes the latter ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham, telling Football FanCast: “Nuno knows him quite well. He’s had a very good reputation from Real Betis, sort of fits the bill of what Tottenham are looking for – good defender, but can bomb forward, he’s six foot as well so quiet a decent height. He’s 22 which is a fantastic age, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”

It’s been a good summer transfer window for Spurs and they’ve also had the perfect start to the Premier League campaign, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently sit top of the league and are the only team with maximum points from their opening three matches.

Alongside being successful domestically, Spurs have also progressed to the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, after beating Pacos de Ferreira 3-1 on aggregate over two legs and have been drawn to face Rennes, Muta and Vitesse in Group G.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly offered midfielder Moussa Sissoko in part exchange in an attempt to sign Juventus ace Weston McKennie [Tuttosport via Sportlens].

The Lowdown: Spurs continue squad re-structure as window nears an end

As 2021/22 starts to take shape, recently appointed Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to continue re-structuring his squad as he eyes a push towards Champions League qualification this campaign.

Thus far, the Portuguese coach has managed to complete three additions in the form of Pierluigi Gollini, Cristian Romero and Bryan Gil [Transfermarkt].

Now, could it be a case of one in and one out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following recent developments.

The Latest: Spurs offer Sissoko in attempt to sign McKennie; Ndombele was initially offered

Tottenham were originally said to have offered former Lyon anchor man Tanguy Ndombele as a carrot in their pursuit to sign USA international McKennie this window [Sportslens].

However, his Italian employers refused the proposal, leading Spurs to present 32-year-old Sissoko as an alternative swap-plus-cash in order to acquire McKennie.

The Frenchman is one of the biggest earners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on around £79,000-p/w [Salary Sport], but isn’t considered to hold precedence within their plans this season.

The Verdict: McKennie would be an inspired addition for Spurs this summer

Needing fresh blood in the middle of the park, McKennie would be an inspired signing by the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy due to his tenacious nature and abundance of energy.

In 2020/21, the American showed his quality in attack, registering nine goal contributions in 46 appearances; six goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, his ability and composure within the midfield came to the surface last term, with McKennie managing to record a passing accuracy of 85.4% in Serie A across the piece [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘outstanding’ by former Schalke executive manager Christian Heidel, Spurs should look to close a deal before the window concludes [Schalke 04 Official].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur eye a La Liga star. Find out who here

West Ham United have been offered a bargain solution to their ongoing striker problems but he’s not of interest to David Moyes…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, the Irons have previously held an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach forward Alassane Plea and have watched him recently.

He has been offered to Moyes and co this window, though it is thought that any potential is not close as the Hammers have never submitted a bid.

The 28-year-old frontman is available for just £15m but right now, other options are being explored instead.

Moyes U-turn

The Hammers’ search for an alternative option to injury-prone Michail Antonio continues to frantically rumble on, with less than two weeks to go in the transfer window.

GSB sanctioned the exit of club-record flop Sebastian Haller back in January yet have failed to replace him ever since, meaning Moyes had to close out the season with the 31-year-old, who missed three of their last eight matches.

Now with the east Londoners in the Europa League, the need for another striker has increased tenfold, so it’s quite the risk to leave their business so late.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-much-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

If Plea has indeed been offered to them for just £15m, then the Scot would be foolish to not consider sanctioning a move.

The Frenchman has already gotten the new Bundesliga season off to a perfect start with a goal against defending champions Bayern Munich on the opening day, though he’s not really been prolific throughout his career.

But that doesn’t matter.

After all, the £19.8m-rated star will be playing second fiddle to Antonio and his versatility presents Moyes with even more options, such as providing further depth out wide behind the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma, particularly after the exit of Felipe Anderson.

Across 109 appearances for Gladbach, Plea has found the net 38 times and has also provided 20 assists, meaning he contributes towards a goal once every 131.5 minutes, via Transfermarkt. Not too shabby at all.

Bundesliga.com have likened the 5 foot 11 talisman to Harry Kane, largely thanks to his unpredictability in leading the frontline – he can play with his back to goal, can run the channels, and is strong and robust.

The self-proclaimed “fighter” would be a very interesting option before the August 31st deadline and with other alternatives going elsewhere, it would be wise for Moyes to complete a U-turn over his stance on Plea.

Also lauded as “phenomenal” and “quick and clever” in the past, Plea could be the answer to the Irons’ ongoing problems, especially considering he’s available for just £15m.

AND in other news, Moyes can end West Ham transfer nightmare in bargain swoop for 6 ft 3 “absolute beast”…

Wolves came into the transfer window with plenty of work to do but it could only happen if they sold some of their best players.

The Old Gold had limited spending power and it was thought that in order to reinvest in the playing squad, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore would have to leave Molineux behind.

What’s the word?

Wolves are heading into the final weeks of the window still aiming to sign a centre-forward but they are set to gain the necessary money in order to do so by selling the likes of Rafa Mir, Patrick Cutrone and Romain Saiss.

That’s according to Tim Spiers who delivered an encouraging update on the future for Wolves in the window.

In his latest column for The Athletic, Spiers revealed that Wolves aren’t anticipating selling either Neves or Traore.

Arsenal’s interest in the former has never materialised and they will now only sell if their sizeable asking prices are met.

Huge boost

After Wolves finished 13th in the Premier League last season, this will come as a massive boost to their hopes of getting back in continental action.

During Nuno Santo’s final season at Molineux, he struggled to find an answer to their troubles as the Old Gold slipped down the table after missing Raul Jimenez from November onwards.

Pedro Neto finished as their joint-top scorer alongside the aforementioned Neves. That provides a big reason as to why they simply have to keep hold of the central midfielder.

Furthermore, Traore has shown that he’s one of the most dangerous players in the top-flight.

During the 2020/21 campaign, no player in the whole division recorded more successful dribbles than his 4.1 per match.

He did only score two goals last term but on his day, the Spaniard is an unstoppable force capable of scaring defenders with his remarkable speed and trickery.

Lage hasn’t had an ideal start to life in the Midlands but the idea that the Wolves hierarchy isn’t keen on selling should be music to his ears.

They are two key components in the Wolves XI and if they are to replicate their top-half finishes, they will need them to remain at the club. Consequently, fans should be absolutely delighted at this update.

AND in other news, Lage heading for big howler after Wolves submit bid to sign 35-goal “monster”…

Evening Standard journalist Jack Rosser has revealed West Ham United boss David Moyes is desperate to welcome more reinforcements to the London Stadium ahead of a campaign of European football.

The Hammers are set to have a jam-packed season having qualified for the Europa League thanks to registering a club record Premier League points tally last season.

More minutes on the pitch means Moyes could do with adding strength in depth, but West Ham have only been able to confirm the arrival of Alphonse Areola so far.

Areola, who has joined on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain with an option to buy, made 37 appearances as he shone for Fulham last term.

But Moyes is not willing to stop there and has been linked with a host of strikers – including Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham – and central defenders since the the transfer window opened.

Rosser insists Moyes is working around the clock to strengthen his options.

He told Football FanCast: “They’re certainly looking and Moyes knows there is a need to invest this summer if they want to compete in Europe and maintain a top 10 place in the Premier League. That will be the aim, I think, next season.”