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There are only two games left of the season and no one knows what is happening with Mo Diame.

The 31 year-old has been at Newcastle since 2016, in which time he has racked up 102 appearances with eight goals.

Now though, he is just weeks away from ending his contract with the club, with no sign of a new deal in sight.

As reported by The Evening Chronicle, his current terms will be extended for another year if he starts both of the remaining fixtures, while the player himself wants a two-year extension.

With that in mind, we asked the writers at Football FanCast – how do you solve a problem like Diame?

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Harry Elnaugh

“No, they should not extend his deal in any capacity. His Newcastle career is over, basically. The Senegalese ace isn’t creative enough to thrive in the number ten position, while the likes of Sean Longstaff, Isaac Hayden and even Jonjo Shelvey bring much more at the base of midfield. He hasn’t done nearly enough to earn an extension in my opinion.”

James Beavis

“Lee Charnley won’t be held to ransom in this situation. If the club believe Diame isn’t worth a two-year deal and he won’t accept a 12-month deal, then they should let him go. The Senegal international doesn’t deserve another two seasons at St James’ Park and has shown in the past that performances can drop when he is in a comfortable situation. The midfielder is easily replaceable, and given the options the Magpies already have in that position he is arguably surplus to requirements already.

Matt Dawson

“I don’t think Newcastle should be considering a new deal for Diame at all, regardless of whether a one or two-year extension is on the table. The Magpies have a number of promising players in midfield and in recent weeks Isaac Hayden, his most natural replacement, has been excellent. Diame is far too inconsistent and it is players like him that the club needs to move on, focusing instead on convincing the want-away Hayden to remain on Tyneside.”

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According to Sky Sports, Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Swansea for the services of Dan James, in a transfer worth £15m.

The 21-year-old has caught the eye in what has been his first full season in the Swans’ first-team, after spending last term in the youth ranks whilst making sporadic cup appearances for the senior side.

Will OGS still be in charge of Man Utd come next May? The Flying Pig discusses in the video below…

James scored on his debut for Wales earlier this year under former United legend Ryan Giggs’ tutelage, and came close to moving to Leeds in January until Swansea pulled the plug on the deal – he has hit five goals and recorded 10 assists in the current campaign.

It is rare for the Red Devils to dip into the Championship for a signing, so are United making the right move in pursuing James? Football FanCast’s writers have their say…

Matt Dawson

“Dan James is a fantastic talent but if he’s the sort of player Manchester United are targeting then questions need to be asked. At £15m it wouldn’t represent too big of a gamble, and it could see a major shift in transfer policy but United have ambitions of winning the league and achieving big things in Europe. Signing James would not help them do that whatsoever. When they signed another promising Championship winger in Wilfried Zaha a while back it didn’t go well. As a result, the club need to learn from previous failings.”

Harry Sherlock

“James is a smart signing for United. They have a ridiculous transfer budget and can afford a £15m wonderkid, and that’s what he is. He ripped Manchester City to shreds in the FA Cup and is perhaps the best player in the Championship. One feels, however, that Swansea should be asking for a little bit more if there is such genuine interest from United. Ed Woodward, after all, is not the shrewdest negotiator – adding another £10m to the price tag is unlikely to see him bat an eyelid.”

James Beavis

“Ed Woodward will win back the faith of United fans if he gets this deal done. This is the fresh transfer strategy the club has needed for years – signing a talented youngster with huge potential who is ready to make a splash in the Premier League. He won’t cost the earth and will be on modest wages – yes, I’m looking at you Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez. James is a left winger, Welsh, lightning-quick, can finish and has plenty of assists to his name. Say it quietly, but the comparisons to Ryan Giggs are there for all to see. Martial and Sanchez beware, United are ready to change things for the better.”

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According to The Times (subscription required) via HITC, Crystal Palace have come to a decision on the future of Alexander Sorloth, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Gent.

The 6 ft 4 hitman endured a dismal 2018 at Selhurst Park and struggled to make any kind of splash in the first team; now it seems that his career in red and blue will be brought to an abrupt end in the coming months.

What’s the word?

Well, The Times (subscription required) report via HITC that the Eagles will look to sell the former Midtjylland striker this summer having been less than impressed with his goalscoring exploits since signing in January.

The 23-year-old has notched just once in 20 appearances across all competitions for the Eagles and his spell in Belgium, where he scored five goals in 22, hasn’t gone much better.

With Christian Benteke also looking likely to be a casualty of Palace’s summer plans, Sorloth surely saw next term as the perfect opportunity to stake his claim in the starting XI, although he could be following his fellow behemoth out the door.

Is this admirable ruthlessness from Palace or just a lack of patience in the young forward, who has just 864 minutes under his belt since signing on deadline day just over a year ago?

Harsh from Hodgson?

Admittedly, the number 9 doesn’t quite look up to the pace of the Premier League when he’s afforded a chance to make an impact, although he’s hardly been on the pitch enough to acclimatise.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

With a surprising amount of pace to complement his size, Sorloth has all the physical attributes to be a success in England if he’s given time to adjust, although it looks like Roy Hodgson may have already cast his judgement.

Given that he is one of the younger players in Palace’s first team squad, you’d have thought there would be hope that in the next couple of years Sorloth could blossom into a shrewd singing for the Eagles; his departure would be particularly confusing given the recent decision to award sick-note striker Connor Wickham with a new deal.

Perhaps Hodgson and Co have put their eggs in the wrong basket here?

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Eighteen-year-old Daniel Church is yet to make his first-team debut for Celtic.

However, the left-back was named on the bench as Celtic recorded a 2-1 win over Hearts on the final weekend of the 2018-19 Scottish Premiership campaign.

With the title long secured, interim boss Neil Lennon selected a youthful side.

And that meant a spot on the bench for Church.

The teenager would have been desperate to see some action against Hearts – it wasn’t to be, but he was involved in the celebrations at the end of the match.

The defender then took to social media on Sunday night to reveal that he was delighted to be included on such a special day for the club.

Was Georgios Samaras a better player for Celtic than fans gave him credit for? Keith from C’mon the Hoops explains why he was in the video below…

And that led to a number of Celtic fans paying tribute to Church, with many backing the Scotland Under-19 international to be a big player for the Hoops in the future.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

كشف أحمد كشري المدير الفني السابق لفريق نادي أسوان النقاب عن رد فعله بعد تعرضه للهجوم الشديد من رئيس نادي الزمالك مرتضى منصور عقب فوزه على الأبيض.

وكان أسوان تحت القيادة الفنية لكشري قد حقق فوزه على الزمالك في الجولة 28 من عمر الدوري بهدف دون رد.

وقال كشري في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “صدى البلد” عبر برنامج “الماتش”: “بعد تحقيق المكسب على الزمالك في الدوري، تم تحريف تصريحاتي”.

طالع | فاروق جعفر: الونش يلعب مع الزمالك والمنتخب وهو مصاب بقطع في غضروف الركبة!

وأضاف: “صورة كان مكتوبًا عليها اسمي، وإلى جواره تصريح منسوب (لو كل الفرق زمالك كان أسوان فاز بالدوري)، وهذا لم يصدر مني وتصريح مفبرك”.

وتابع: “وقتها كان يتردد كلامًا كثيرًا على سبيل (التحفيل) من الجماهير كما يقال”.

وأردف: “للأسف رئيس نادي الزمالك صدق هذا الكلام وسار خلفه، وتعرضت لهجوم شديد منه”.

وأتم: “ضحكت كثيرًا عندما سمعت تصريحات رئيس الزمالك عني، وعندما أبلغتني زوجتي بأنه يهاجمني، كان ردي عليها أن (دمه خفيف) وضحكت”.

Like the previous one, this campaign has also been difficult for Southampton supporters.

Though things have drastically improved under Ralph Hasenhuttl, it has been another season where the St. Mary’s faithful have had to watch their side battle to beat the drop.

Having sold their best players transfer window after transfer window, though, the above probably would not have come as a surprise to the pessimists supporting the south coast club.

For them and the rest of Southampton’s support, however, there is now reason to be optimistic going into the next transfer market and season.

According to the Daily Mirror (via Tribal Football), the Saints are looking to bring in RB Leipzig striker Jean-Kevin Augustin in a move that would reunite the 21-year-old with Hasenhuttl.

Augustin is unlikely to come on the cheap, with the Daily Mail reporting back in February that Leipzig will demand around £35m for their player.

But even so, the Frenchman is exactly the kind of marquee signing Southampton supporters deserve.

They have had to watch star names leave time and again while also being forced to welcome the arrivals of some very lacklustre additions along the way.

A lot still obviously needs to happens in order for Augustin to join Southampton, but it is about time the Premier League outfit start targeting players of the France U21 international’s quality.

Southampton fans, would the signing of Augustin make up for some of the club’s recent bad pieces of transfer business? Join the discussion by commenting below.

This season, Roy Hodgson has been very flexible at Crystal Palace when it has come to formations.

The Eagles boss has had no problem with using a 4-4-2 in one game, then a 4-3-3 in another.

And it is something he is likely to continue doing in the next campaign, especially if he loses his talisman Wilfried Zaha, with a transfer to former club Manchester United currently being mooted (The Telegraph).

Hodgson, however, should look towards using a 4-2-3-1 on a more permanent basis if Zaha does end up leaving Selhurst Park.

The Ivorian’s departure would almost certainly leave a creative void in Crystal Palace’s team, and switching to a formation such as the 4-2-3-1 might just be the thing that helps Hodgson to fill it.

Realistically, the Eagles are going to find it hard to find a like-for-like replacement for Zaha who is of equal ability.

Bearing that in mind, getting three attackers into the side behind a striker, which the 4-2-3-1 allows, may be the way to go.

In the likes of Andros Townsend and Max Meyer, Hodgson already has a couple of decent offensive options.

After using the Zaha money to reinforce that area, Hodgson could have the tools to field a very good three-man attack, one more capable of making up for the Ivory Coast international’s loss than a sole like-for-like replacement.

As far as life after Zaha goes, 4-2-3-1 could just be what Crystal Palace need to get by.

Crystal Palace fans, how would you like to see your team line up next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، برئاسة عمرو الجنايني، نتيجة المسحة الطبية للكشف عن فيروس كورونا التي خضع لها جميع أعضاء بعثة منتخب مصر، التي عادت صباح اليوم من توجو.

فاز منتخب مصر على توجو بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء أمس الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس الأمم الإفريقية، 2022، بالكاميرون.

اقرأ ايضًا.. ترتيب مجموعة مصر بعد الفوز على توجو في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا

وأظهرت نتائج المسحات التي أجريت لأعضاء بعثة المنتخب المصري صباح اليوم، فور عودتها من توجو، عن سلبية نتائج جميع أعضاء البعثة عدا ثلاثة ظهرت نتائجهم إيجابية وهم: أحمد حسن كوكا، مهاجم المنتخب، وشادي الجيلاني المنسق الإعلامي لمنتخب مصر، ومحمد عبده مدلك الفراعنة.

يذكر، أن محمد صلاح، جناح ليفربول الإنجليزي، ومحمد النني، لاعب وسط أرسنال الإنجليزي، قد تعرضوا للإصابة بفيروس كورونا، حيث غاب الأول عن لقائي توجو، بينما تغيب الأخير عن مباراة توجو بالأمس.

It has been yet another dramatic week to be a Leeds United supporter, hasn’t it?

The Whites created national headlines against Aston Villa last Sunday following Mateusz Klich’s controversial goal last Sunday which sparked a five-minute melee at Elland Road.

Although Marcelo Bielsa sportingly allowed opposition player Albert Adomah to walk-in an equaliser straight from kick-off, the actions of Patrick Bamford during this particular period of hysteria has created a serious problem for his manager.

After being found guilty of ‘successful deception of a match official’ by the Football Association following an altercation with Anwar El-Ghazi, the 25-year-old was handed a two-match ban on Thursday (via the BBC).

With Bamford suspended for Leeds’ clash with Ipswich Town at the weekend as well as the first-leg of their play-off semi-final, Bielsa must consider giving Izzy Brown the opportunity to prove himself.

The Chelsea loanee has only featured once for the Whites this season following a myriad of injury issues but could be in line for a return to first-team action having played on several occasions for the club’s under-23 side in recent weeks.

If Brown is indeed handed his first start for the Yorkshire-based outfit on Sunday, he could force his way into Bielsa’s plans for the play-offs by delivering a stand-out performance at Portman Road. An undeniably talented player, at his very best he can be a real menace as his outstanding versatility has seen him thrive in a number of different positions during his career.

Having failed to win any of their last three games in the Championship, Leeds are in desperate need of a spark heading into the defining period of their season and may just uncover the missing ingredient in their push for promotion by taking a risk and playing Brown.

What do you think Whites fans? Should Bielsa start Brown against Ipswich on Sunday? Or is it too much of a risk to play him giving his recent history of injury problems? Let us know below.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that Rhian Brewster would be part of the Liverpool squad to take on Barcelona this evening at Anfield in the Champions League semi-final.

The teenager has been out of action for around 14 months after having surgery on both his knee and ankle, in what has been a tough spell for a precocious youngster who had just won the World Cup with England’s Under-17 side before injury struck – he also picked up the Golden Ball in the tournament.

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Speaking ahead of the tie, and when quizzed on Brewster, Jurgen Klopp responded sharply, saying: “He’s ready.”

The 19-year-old has never made an appearance for the senior side at Anfield, despite starring in the youth ranks for a few years now.

It would be a huge call from Klopp to hand Brewster his debut against the Spanish champions in such a huge game, but judging by their reactions on Twitter, loads of Liverpool fans want the former Borussia Dortmund manager to play him…