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Leicester City have once again been linked with Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan.

According to Turkish outlet Ajansspor, the Foxes are still admirers of the 26-year-old having originally been credited with an interest in the summer of 2020 by Fotospor.

Despite the midfielder having drawn comparisons with former Manchester City dynamo Yaya Toure by former Fenerbahce Head Coach Vitor Fereira, he is simply not the type of player that Brendan Rodgers needs right now.

The Foxes are extremely well stocked in midfield positions at the King Power Stadium, especially in the box-to-box role that Tufan is so used to playing.

Youri Tielemans is currently in the midst of his joint-most productive season in the East-Midlands to date with eight goals and five assists in all competitions so seems undroppable at the current time. According to WhoScored, the former Monaco man is out-performing Tufan with more passes and key passes per game, more tackles and interceptions, whilst being dispossessed on far fewer occasions – and in a far stronger league.

Meanwhile, compatriot Dennis Praet is an extremely capable deputy in the position and Sidnei Tavares also has considerable promise.

Elsewhere, the likes of James Maddison and Ayoze Perez occupy the attacking midfield positions, whilst competition from Wilfred Ndidi, Nampalys Mendy and Hamza Choudhury mean that he is unlikely to find a starting berth in a somewhat more defensive role.

It all means that there is a real lack of space in the squad for Tufan.

Indeed, the 58-cap Turkish international would not want to follow compatriot Cengiz Under’s example of being starved of game time at the King Power Stadium. The on-loan Roma man has made just nine starts for the Foxes in all competitions this season and looks unlikely to stay beyond a solitary campaign.

Rated at just £8.55m and with just two years remaining on his current contract in Istanbul, his arrival would certainly not be the most expensive deal in the world but it is one that is simply not needed for the sake of Leicester’s squad or Tufan’s career.

It would certainly be a huge mistake in bringing him to the East-Midlands despite the club’s apparent long-vested interest.

AND in more news, take a look at which Leicester maestro has handed the Foxes a big injury boost ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Manchester City…

Celtic are thought to be interested in a move for Hatayspor striker Aaron Boupendza ahead of the summer window.

That’s according to an exclusive report from 90min, who claim that the Hoops are keen on the 24-year-old, with his current employers demanding £8.5m for his services.

Tottenham and eight more sides keen

Boupendza joined the Turkish side for free last summer and has scored 18 goals in 26 league appearances this season – averaging a goal every 93 minutes.

However, a number of Premier League sides are also monitoring the Gabon international ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Brighton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Southampton, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves have all been credited with an interest, as well as Celtic’s rivals Rangers.

Transfer Tavern take

At £8.5m, a possible deal for Boupendza appears to be in Celtic’s price range. Should a Parkhead switch go through, that could make the forward the club’s third-most-expensive signing of all-time behind Chris Sutton and Odsonne Edouard.

Edouard looks likely to depart Glasgow this summer, so replacing his goals could be crucial in the Hoops’ attempts to reclaim the Scottish Premiership next season.

Boupendza could provide plenty of them following his displays in recent months and could also give the new manager plenty of versatility, as he’s capable of turning out on either wing when needed.

In other news: A former Celtic player is keen on replacing Neil Lennon, seven years after turning the job down, find out more here. 

Premier League giants Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a move for former Aston Villa player Jordan Amavi.

French outlet Le10Sport have released a report about the situation of Amavi, mentioning interest from Arsenal and Italian juggernauts AC Milan.

Amavi could reject Arsenal interest and stay at Marseille

Le10Sport have stated that, while Amavi’s contract at Marseille runs out this summer of, Arsenal are monitoring his situation and the player is being courted in Serie A too. Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan are also cited as one of the interested parties.

The report added that Amavi and Marseille could soon reach an agreement for the left-back to sign a new contract. A new three-year deal could be penned by the defender so that he can continue his adventure at the Stade Velodrome.

That will come as a blow to Milan and Arsenal, who were following the defender’s progress in Ligue 1 recently. The 26-year-old has previously plied his trade with Aston Villa, who sold him to Marseille  in the summer of 2018 after an initial loan deal in France.

This season, Amavi has made 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. Andre Villas-Boas, who had managed him at Marseille earlier in the campaign, hailed the Frenchman as “amazing” and spoke highly of his defending, aerial ability and pace.

Signing Amavi could be a good move for Arsenal

Since Amavi’s contract runs out in the summer, he could be available on a free transfer for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side currently have just one out-and-out left-back option in the squad in Kieran Tierney. They loaned out Ainsley-Maitland Niles to West Brom over the winter and that move left them threadbare in the left-back department.

They need depth in that position and Amavi, still just 26, would offer them that. The £9m-rated defender could also offer some re-sale value further down the line, so it seems to make plenty of sense for Arsenal to pursue him.

In other news, Tony Cascarino believes one Arsenal player’s future is sealed – read more here.

There is no getting away from the fact that Liverpool are in dire straits.

The Reds slipped to their fourth successive home defeat in the league for the first time since pre-second world war times, having lost to local rivals Everton 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday evening.

Goals from Richarlison early in the first half and a controversial penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson ensured that the visitors took the three points and extended Jurgen Klopp’s miserable run.

Despite this, well-respected journalist for The Times Henry Winter had his say on Liverpool’s current predicament.

Winter reacts

Klopp has led the Reds to the pinnacle of club football, winning both the Champions League and the Premier League in the space of 13 months and during a global pandemic.

Winter was quick to remind supporters who had their doubts about the German tactician to remember what he has achieved at Anfield. Here is what he said on Twitter after the full-time whistle:

Transfer Tavern Verdict

There have been far too many knee-jerk reactions to this tricky spell for Liverpool. It was well documented that their impeccable run over the past two seasons was going to come to an end at some point.

Winter has hit the nail on the head. Klopp has turned the red half of Merseyside into a European powerhouse and a team that is feared across the globe.

We believe too much finger-pointing is taking place at this time. In reality, the supporters need to come together and back the manager to the very end, regardless of where they end up finishing this season.

In other news, Liverpool fans respond to links with “Argentinian Jack Grealish.”

Many Southampton reacted in their droves to Danny Ings picking up an injury during his side’s Premier League clash against top flight strugglers Sheffield United.

After just 12 minutes, the 28-year-old went down holding his ankle and was unable to continue at Bramall Lane, making way for Che Adams during the first period.

Ings has scored eight goals and provided three assists from 21 appearances for Southampton during the 2020/21 campaign (Whoscored) – there is no doubting the Englishman is the club’s most prolific striker.

Despite this, Ings has struggled with injuries over the years which spans back from his days at Liverpool, where he picked up back-to-back serious knee injuries. However, his most common setback has been related to his hamstring since his move to St Mary’s (Transfermarkt).

With this in mind, supporters were incensed by his latest issue, which will now be his fourth of the season, with some suggesting that he may have played his last game for the South Coast outfit.

Fans flock to Twitter after Ings injury

“Ings going off is bad, bad news. Don’t look like anyone else can score apart from Minamino and a JWP free-kick. Gulp.”

Credit: @mattlc180

“Ings injured already………. Please find who has cursed a dark spell upon my club. This is ridiculous”

Credit: @RhysTheSaint

“I swear Ings is made of glass”

Credit: @Jackthebrit

“Danny Ings is done here. This is not good at all.”

Credit: @SouthamptonPage

“Ings off again. Time to sell”

Credit: @thepump74

“Ings injured. Imagine my shock”

Credit: @BristolSaints

In other news, Southampton enquire about services of £120k-per-week Premier League star.

Steven Gerrard has said that Glasgow Rangers cannot defend Alfredo Morelos after his latest show of indiscipline.

Morelos cannot be defended

Colombia international Morelos will be missing for three Premiership games following his stamp on Hibernian’s Ryan Porteous during the Gers’ 1-0 victory (BBC).

Speaking ahead of the Ibrox outfit’s clash with St. Johnstone, Gerrard confirmed that he could not defend the actions of the 24-year-old. He said (via SportsMole):

“I have looked at the incident a lot of times and I don’t think there is a case for us to defend in this situation.

“Having said that, it doesn’t mean we are pleased with everything that happened in that game or has happened during this season or previous seasons.

“So it is something behind the scenes that myself and the board are working very hard on in terms of trying to find better solutions in terms of the disciplinary and the processes that go on.

“It is something we will continue to try to be a support to in terms of the authorities to try and make things better and more consistent.

“It is obviously disappointing from my point of view not to have Alfredo available, it is what it is and my focus is on the players that are available.”

No-one to blame but himself

You would forgive Gerrard for running out of patience with Morelos. The former Liverpool captain has already seen the striker receive his marching orders seven times under his tutelage (Transfermarkt), and he has sailed close to the wind on a number of occasions already this term – he slapped the back of Scott Brown’s head in the first Old Firm derby of the season, while he avoided a red card after elbowing Dundee United’s Mark Connolly (he was retrospectively given a two-match suspension for that incident).

He has popped up with some important goals this season – for example, he bagged a brace as the Gers defeated Aberdeen 2-1, and he netted the only goal of the game in that victory over Hibs – but he remains a player Gerrard cannot fully rely on, and you feel he may never mature enough to eradicate these moments of madness from his game.

With Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten and Jermain Defoe all at the boss’ disposal, the absence of Morelos is no longer a huge problem.

In other news, Rangers fans were delighted with a clip of this broadcaster.

Steve Bruce has pulled off a masterstroke getting Newcastle United to offer Ciaran Clark a new two-year contract.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have announced that Clark has signed a new deal at St. James’ Park, keeping the Republic of Ireland international under contract on Tyneside through to the summer of 2023.

Clark was due to become a free agent at the end of the current season after entering into the final six-months of the £35,000-per-week terms agreed under Rafa Benitez in 2016.

Clark moved to the north-east from Aston Villa in a £5m deal following the Toon’s relegation to the Championship, and was named as United’s Player of the Year after helping to secure their return to the Premier League with 14 clean sheets over his 34 second-tier outings.

Since returning from a nine-month lay-off with an ankle injury in November, Clark has become a key aspect of Bruce’s backline as the first-choice left-sided option, starting Newcastle’s last 10-straight top-flight games.

Clark had begun attracting interest from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace due to his impending free-agent status, with the Eagles considering the 31-year-old as a potential replacement for Mamadou Sakho at Selhurst Park.

Bruce masterstroke

Newcastle tieing Clark down to a two-year contract comes as a clear sign of the Toon giving their backing to Bruce and his vision for the club, after the Magpies boss had called for the £4.5m-rated brute to be given a new deal.

“He’s not an unsung hero to me, Ciaran is a really good player who gives you a nice balance with his left foot,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “We’d like to keep him at the club. I think he deserves that, and he has played very well for me.”

It should only be seen as a masterstroke by Bruce to get Newcastle to commit to Clark, who former teammate Daryl Murphy lauds as a “no-nonsense” ball player, even though he was initially signed for a season in the Championship.

Clark has come on leaps and bounds from being someone needed to take the second-tier by storm, to become arguably the most important centre-back at St. James’ Park over the past few months.

One of his best traits is in taking control of the air and protecting Karl Darlow in goal with few Premier League defenders more successful in the duel than Clark, who wins four a game on average – only Leeds United’s Liam Cooper (4.33) and Southampton’s Jannik Vestergaard (4.15) fare better, among those who have featured more than five times this season, per SofaScore.

Clark’s four aerial duels won a game is also the same as Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, the £80m man signed for a world-record fee for a defender. The 31-year-old is not afraid to carry the ball out from the back, either, with 0.3 successful dribbles – more than that achieved by full-backs DeAndre Yedlin (0.17) and Javier Manquillo (0).

Bruce also sees Clark dictate how the Magpies play out from the back with 35.9 passes a game, more than any other Toon defender, while Fabian Schar is the only member to break up opposition play more often with 1.73 interceptions to the Republic of Ireland ace’s 1.5.

Newcastle would have had to find a mine to unearth as much gold in the transfer market than they have hit by retaining Clark.

AND in other news, Newcastle face heightened competition for a £2.7m target…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast’s Tom Ward, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer waxed lyrical over “talented” Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli after his impact from the bench this weekend.

Jose Mourinho’s side could only muster up a draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, but still managed to keep their place atop the Premier League table ahead of this week’s stern test against defending champions, Liverpool.

Alli, who has been linked with an exit in January, has barely featured in the top-flight this season. Indeed it was only the third time he was actually named in their matchday squad.

In all competitions, the 24-year-old has played just 338 minutes, though Palmer was impressed with what he saw against the Eagles during his five-minute cameo.

He told FFC:

“He’s a young lad and without a doubt, he’s a talented player. If he takes that on board, which is the side of his game which is missing.

“It’s just like [Jack] Grealish. Jack Grealish has done that.

“When they had the break just before the end of the season, where Villa had those three or four weeks where they had to change things around because they were as good as down. Jack Grealish has realised that’s [defensive duties] part of the game now.

“He knows he has the ability on the ball, but he now knows what he has to do off the ball. And he’s doing that now.

“Dele Alli can turn his career around as simple as that.

“As he did on Sunday when I realised that and Mourinho’s the type of person that will give him plenty of confidence and will have told him ‘this is what I expect from you’.”

According to the Daily Mirror, Premier League rivals Everton are a potential destination for the out-of-favour attacking midfielder, who is currently valued at a whopping €70m (£64m) by CIES Football Observatory.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain could well reignite their loan interest from the summer too, as per Sky Sports, so Alli won’t be short of options.

However, if Alli continues to display a new defensive side to his game as Palmer suggests, then there could well be a future for him under Mourinho in N17 – as unlikely as that currently seems right now.

AND in other news, 38% duels won: Spurs calamity with 93 touches surely left Mourinho reeling with anger…

Fans of Crystal Palace have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which featured footage of Eberechi Eze’s remarkable solo goal against Sheffield United last weekend.

Since arriving at Palace from Queens Park Rangers in what was a £16.02 million deal back in August, Eze has highly impressed over his 15 Premier League appearances for Roy Hodgson’s side, scoring two goals and providing two assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.84 – ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer in the top flight.

The latest of the 22-year-old’s goals came in the club’s recent 2-0 victory against Sheff United, where the midfielder picked up the ball inside his own half, before winding his way through a couple of United challenges and finishing beautifully from 18 yards out.

And, after the Crystal Palace official account relayed this footage on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the goal, with many of them heaping praise on the England U21 international.

So, what exactly did these Crystal Palace fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Eberechi Eze’s goal?

“What did we do to deserve him?”

@RoccoSeipel

“Made it look so Eze.”

@DerekPallardy

“Love the steward just checking there won’t be a pitch invasion after the goal”

@EastonAdam

“The way this kid goes past players is unbelievable. Great talent”

@James_h1892

“GOOOO GOOOOO GOOOOO”

@cpfcames

“It’s Ray Lewington shouting go for me”

@conread_

In other Palace news, this bizarre statistic has left fans of the club unhappy, find out more here!

Glasgow Rangers fans were absolutely delighted with the display of Ryan Jack for Scotland against Israel on Wednesday.

The Tartan Army were beaten 1-0 away from home, meaning they failed to earn promotion in the UEFA Nations League. However, despite the defeat, the Ibrox midfielder was in top form for his country. He completed 96% of his passes, and lost the ball on just three occasions throughout the clash.

With the international break now over, the 28-year-old will return to the Gers, and Steven Gerrard will be hoping he can continue this stunning form at club level as Rangers go for their first piece of major silverware since 2011.

Rangers fans may not have the best relationship with the national side, but they were delighted with Jack’s display against Israel. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his showing.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Jack below

In other news, Glasgow Rangers fans had plenty of praise for this club icon.