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After being linked with a move to PSV Eindhoven in the January transfer window, per Sky Sports, Patrick Van Aanholt is reportedly now a transfer target for French giants Paris Saint Germain, according to Eindhovens Dagblad and a lot of Crystal Palace fans are reacting to this news on Twitter, via CPFC News HQ.

The Dutch left-back has been a fan favourite since joining the club in 2017 for £9.45 million from Sunderland, per Transfermarkt, featuring 97 times and managing to score 13 goals along the way.

This season he has performed well at both ends of the pitch, managing 1.5 interceptions and 1.4 tackles on average per game, whilst also averaging 1.1 key passes and 1 shot per top flight match, via WhoScored.

The player seems pivotal to the side due to the fact that he does help both from an attacking and defensive perspective, and if he did leave it would be hard to find a player who can do the same for a price that is not massively inflated. It shows how good a role he plays on the pitch when Ligue 1 champions PSG want the player.

Here is what fans had to say following the news:

And there are some fans who don’t think he is good enough for Palace 😂

— WARREN GUEST (@WARRENG39) April 20, 2020

Palace fans, do you think it is a good or bad idea to sell Van Aanholt? Comment below!

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…

As quoted by The Evening Standard, Eddie Howe has given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a glowing endorsement for the work he has done at Manchester United.

What did he say?

Following a difficult start to the campaign, the Red Devils have bounced back in style in recent games, and look to be finding their feet once more.

Solskjaer’s men halted Liverpool’s flawless run in the Premier League with a battling draw at Old Trafford, before racking up three consecutive away victories in quick succession.

And now, Bournemouth boss Howe has given his seal of approval to what the Norwegian has achieved at United, and insisted he has done an “excellent job” so far.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “There’s positive signs for them. They’ve got quality players, a very good manager who has given them real stability. He’s working to the future to build a new Manchester United. I imagine it is (hard under that level of pressure). I think he’s handled himself really well and done an excellent job to this point.

“Certainly looking at their last few games, which I have in great detail, I think they have played very well. The game against Chelsea was a very strong performance. They’ll be pleased with their attacking play and defensive structures.”

Platform

For someone like Howe to deliver an encouraging verdict on Solskjaer’s time at Old Trafford, should act as a ringing endorsement for what the Norwegian has done. The pressure and the spotlight at United is second-to-none in the Premier League, and with his only previous managerial experience including Cardiff and Molde, the step-up to taking the reins at one of English football’s most dominant sides would have been intimidating.

And with speculation surrounding his long-term future at the club appearing to intensity earlier this season, the writing may have been on the wall. But, Solskjaer has kept cool, calm and composed in the face of adversity, and looks to have guided his stumbling United side around the corner. A win against Howe’s Bournemouth on Saturday lunch-time would firmly give them the platform to keep improving.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Pep Guardiola is far from a stranger to gargantuan fixtures but the trip to Anfield this weekend has thrown up a set of difficult circumstances.

The legendary manager has won consecutive league titles in Germany, England and Spain and has even dethroned some of the greats like Sir Alex Ferguson.

Just a few years after his playing career had finished, the Spaniard battled with Ferguson in two Champions League finals and tika-taka’d his way past a legendary Manchester United side on both occasions. These famous wins allowed Guardiola to secure a treble in 2009 and received the label as “the best team ever” in 2011 from his nemesis.

All of this came before he even had a chance to dwell on the fact he had just turned 40. Now, eight years on and after an unthinkably spectacular 198 points from two seasons, Guardiola now faces arguably his biggest individual test since arriving in Manchester.

This Liverpool side may indeed be the best team the 48-year-old has faced down the years, especially as the clash is at the formidable dome that is Anfield. Most seasons at Barcelona, Real Madrid struggled to get near Guardiola’s dominant side, conceding just one league title to them in four years. Then, in Germany, he comfortably bagged seven major trophies for Bayern Munich without breaking a sweat.

Now, against Jurgen Klopp, Guardiola finally faces a test he does not often see, as he chases a team and must win to perhaps avoid failure. Liverpool are arguably in the best shape they have been in during the Premier League era, having bagged 97 points and a Champions League title last season.

Defensively, Liverpool beat City right now by conceding one less goal, whilst the Reds’ front three is arguably the best in Europe.

But even with Liverpool’s imperious and relentless form in mind City would normally be fancied to come away with three points. The fact Ederson has been ruled out of the clash, however, seems to have swung the pendulum towards Merseyside.

Down the years, despite his unrivalled success across three countries, Guardiola has taken charge of teams already set to dominate. Now, this Liverpool side certainly has the capabilities to surpass what the former Barcelona man has done at City.

Guardiola is not familiar with witnessing a side get so close to him and perhaps be even better than his squad.

Should he beat Liverpool at Anfield, it will have to go down as one of his best ever victories.

Well, that lasted long then.

On Thursday, a number of Everton fans took to social media to lavish praise on Theo Walcott, who put in a much-improved performance against West Ham United in the Premier League last weekend.

The 5 ft 9 ace was handed another chance to impress against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon but struggled to make his mark.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

According to WhoScored, the 30-year-old only had a pass success rate of 70% whilst he was dispossessed on three occasions before leaving the field in the 72nd minute.

Everton took a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute of the match through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Neal Maupay made it 2-2 in the 80th minute before an own goal from Lucas Digne saw the home side triumph at the death.

Walcott could well feature against Watford in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, although it would be a bit of a surprise if he was in the XI against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend when considering his disappointing showing against Brighton.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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…

Amidst all of Aston Villa’s summer transfer business in which the club shelled out over £130m on new arrivals, the signing of Marvelous Nakamba is currently proving to be one of Dean Smith’s shrewdest additions and the Zimbabwean international has been speaking out regarding his time so far in the West Midlands.

What did he say?

Speaking to The Herald, Nakamba said: “The (Villa) fans are very friendly, they are amazing, even if we walk in the streets, they are very supportive. I am feeling at home and enjoying the experience.

“I am giving everything, it is a new league and I am trying to adjust to the new environment, now I am more mature, I have played somewhere and it is a bit easy to adapt.”

“I am 25 now and I think I can handle the pressure. For me it is an honour playing against the best players in the world week-in-week-out.”

Nakamba’s growing importance

Nakamba, 25, arrived from Club Brugges in an £11m deal in July, and the defensive midfielder has featured regularly for Smith’s side in the current campaign – starting all of Villa’s last eight league matches.

The summer signing has nailed down a regular starting berth at the expense of Douglas Luiz who had initially impressed for the newly-promoted side, but Nakamba’s relentless work ethic and tenacity in central midfield is proving to be exactly what Smith is looking for in the centre of the park.

Although the club are currently on a tricky run of form, having lost their last three league matches to Manchester City, Liverpool and Wolves, Nakamba will be looking to get his club back on track when they host Newcastle following the conclusion of the international break.

There can be no doubting the former Club Brugges man is enjoying his time so far in the English top-flight and is impressing accordingly, too. 

Strong in the tackle, Villa’s number 11 has won 3.8 of them per game in 2019/20, as well as producing 1.8 interceptions. He’s certainly been a big presence.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Seeing as it’s the international break, and talk has already begun about transfers at the City Ground, it would be a shame to miss out on the fun.

The goalkeeping position certainly has been one of much debate so far this season. As Paul Taylor put it in his latest column for The Athletic, ‘when the prospect of Nottingham Forest signing another goalkeeper cropped up in early August, there was borderline outrage among some fans… the question on many lips was Why?’’.

Whilst the club started off the season with Kosovan Aro Muric as the undisputed number one, with Sabri Lamouchi vehemently stating that Brice Samba was ‘for the future’, it took a while for him to be convinced to change his mind.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But having been appointed as the number one during the Fulham game in late August, Samba has never looked back and has become a real fan favourite along the way, and when you have as many clean sheets as you do goals conceded, it’s not hard to see why.

So with Samba now the undisputed number one at the City Ground, barring a catastrophic run of mistakes in the future, it begs the question of what exactly is going to happen with the rest of the goalkeeping hierarchy.

Having spoken so highly of him last season, Pep Guardiola might not be too happy to see Muric sat on the bench, and with Preston North End reportedly looking at him over the summer, it wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility to see him return to City sooner rather than later.

The possibility of departing also goes for Costel Pantilimon who was reportedly a target for Olympiacos in the summer having been the number one last season.

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship away kits in the video below…

Meanwhile, Jordan Smith at the age of 24 is at a ‘now or never’ stage when it comes to making a breakthrough for first-team action, so he may look to make a loan or permanent move elsewhere if he doesn’t feel his future is best suited in the Midlands.

It seems as though there could be either a lot of movement or no movement at all in January. Whilst Forest may know what their Plan A is, it seems as though Plan B might not be so straight forward – they must address this before January.

For a team with several options in their goalkeeping department, everything feels a bit uncertain.

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…

Noel Whelan has heaped praise on Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, but suggested the winger could leave the Reds for one of the La Liga giants.

What’s he said?

The BBC pundit spoke to Football Insider about the Senegal international, who was on the score-sheet again on Wednesday night against Red Bull Salzburg.

“What a player, he’s incredible. He is so dangerous, the worst nightmare for any defender. Everyone talks about Mohamed Salah but Mane looks the man and the biggest threat of all.

“He’s so quick and elusive, and unpredictable, too. He scores goals from inside and outside the box, sets them up, takes players on. He can do everything. He would walk into every team in the world – Man City, Real Madrid. Anyone.

“He is worth £150million now. His commodity is massive at the moment.

“Would Liverpool cash in? Well, they sold Coutinho and Suarez, so there’s always that possibility of a Spanish move. He’s such a unique talent, he’s the one you think they will sell if anyone.”

Hard to disagree

Pretty much everything the former Coventry City and Leeds United striker said is spot on.

It would hurt Liverpool fans to lose Mane. His down-to-earth personality combined with his world-class talent and killer instinct on the pitch have forged a bit of a cult hero, and he fully deserved that Champions League medal last season.

That said, when the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona come calling, even while both are in much worse condition than Liverpool at the moment, it is hard to turn down due to the sheer amount of money on offer.

Cesc Fabrgeas showed just how highly Mane is thought of on the continent earlier this week, anointing him one of the three best players in the world, and if the Spaniard’s former club agree with that verdict, then a fee of around £150m, as Whelan suggests, seems reasonable.

For all of Mane’s qualities, he will be 28 by the end of this campaign, and Liverpool have shown before with Philippe Coutinho that under the guidance of Michael Edwards and Jurgen Klopp they know full well how to reinvest a big transfer fee into the right areas.

If either of the La Liga titans were to stump up £150m, the Reds may well be tempted to take it and replace their superstar with a younger model like Jadon Sancho.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Back in the summer, Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle signed QPR right-back Osman Kakay on a loan deal until January in order to get some game time under the right-back’s belt.

The 22-year-old has been with QPR since the age of eight, coming through the Londoners’ academy and going on to gain international recognition with Sierra Leone – Kakay has one cap, coming in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia.

Kakay has previously made 12 first-team appearances for the R’s before his departure to Scotland, but his early performances for Partick Thistle have been encouraging, to say the least.

The youngster has only made two appearances in the Scottish Championship, but earned the Man of the Match award last time out from two outlets – the sponsors named him as the Man of the Match, as did the ‘Jag Zone’.

It is of course early days, and Mark Warburton will presumably not be thinking about putting Kakay immediately into his first-team, but his starting right-back – Todd Kane – has been putting in some pretty dodgy showings so far this term.

We detailed how the on-loan Chelsea man lost possession 25 times against West Brom recently in what was a terrible performance, and he has come in for some more criticism elsewhere.

Gareth Dixon, from QPR podcast Ranger Things, recently told Love Sport Radio just how bad Kane’s performance against the Baggies was.

“His performance against West Brom was one of the worst I’ve seen from a full-back”

As aforesaid, Warburton isn’t going to put Kane’s questionable form alongside Kakay’s impressive loan showings and swap the two around in the pecking order – that would be a far-fetched statement, to say the least.

However, if Kakay can keep his form up and Kane cannot find a way to shrug off his poor showings, then there is certainly reason for the 26-year-old to be concerned upon Kakay’s return in January.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness

Charlton could well be without their star man Lyle Taylor for the game against Birmingham this weekend, after the forward suffered an injury while on international duty with Montserrat.

Taylor, the Addicks’ top scorer so far this term with five goals, played in his nation’s CONCACAF Nations League win over the Dominican Republic on Saturday but missed Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Saint Lucia.

Taylor returned to south London after cutting his international commitments short due to the injury.

How bad is it?

Not too bad it seems, although Bowyer could not give confirmation on whether or not the 29-year-old would be available for this weekend’s game.

The 42-year-old said: “It’s just a precaution.

“We are going to try and get him out training tomorrow and see how he responds to that.”

While that doesn’t sound like the worst update in the world, it doesn’t appear as if the 29-year-old is a surefire bet to appear against Birmingham.

Chance for Tomer Hemed to shine

Former Brighton striker Tomer Hemed joined the south Londoners this summer after the Seagulls agreed to terminate his contract at the Amex Stadium, due to the 32-year-old’s desire to play regular football.

Two substitute appearances for the Addicks – 45 minutes on his debut against Brentford and nine minutes against Reading – is all that the Israel international has managed so far, with Bowyer saying towards the end of August that Hemed needs to get a bit more match fitness under his belt before he can start games.

However, having had a full international break to work on his fitness, one would assume that Hemed is ready for a start in Taylor’s absence.

There is no doubting Hemed’s pedigree at this level. He notched 17 goals for Brighton in the 2015/16 season, and also netted 11 goals as the Seagulls won promotion back in the 2016/17 campaign.

He has netted 93 goals across his career and has an impressive 17 goals in 38 appearances for his country – he certainly knows where the back of the net is. Last season, while on loan at QPR, he scored seven goals in the Championship.

With star man Taylor potentially out injured, this could be Hemed’s chance to shine from the first whistle.

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Norwich City fans have taken to Twitter to show their love for inform striker Teemu Pukki.

Norwich striker Teemu Pukki unsurprisingly claimed the Player of the Month for the Canaries after the 29-year-old netted five goals in the four Premier League of August. [WhoScored]

The award comes two days after Pukki also bagged the EA Sports Player of the Month and became just the 10th player in Premier League history to score in his first three appearances in the competition, whilst also becoming the first Finnish player to win the award since Mikael Forssell in March 2004.

Indeed, Pukki has continued his breathtaking form from last season and has established himself as one of the league’s top scorers during the early stages, as Sergio Aguero and Tammy Abraham oneÂahead of him on seven goals each.

Most recently, although not in August, Pukki scored the third and decisive goal in the historic victory over Manchester City, and fans just can’t get enough of their main man right now.

Here’s how they reacted to his POTM award…