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A new candidate has emerged in Crystal Palace’s prolonged managerial pursuit, with former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre now entering the frame.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been searching for a new leader for many weeks following the departure of Roy Hodgson after four relatively successful years at the helm.

According to The Guardian, Palace have made contact with Favre’s representatives and are expected to hold talks with the 63-year-old over the coming days.

Fans will surely be buzzing 

Several big names have been linked with the vacancy at Selhurst Park, including Chris Wilder, Frank Lampard and Eddie Howe.

It looked as though former Wolves manager Nuno Santo was set to take over the reins, though, until some last-minute demands from the Portuguese tactician saw that move fall through.

However, news that chairman Steve Parish is now targeting Favre will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing.

The Swiss boss has enjoyed successful stints at Ligue 1 outfit Nice and Dortmund in recent years, guiding them both into the Champions League while playing some exciting, entertaining football.

And it’s his style and reputation for nurturing young talent that has reportedly attracted the capital club’s hierarchy to Favre.

Palace had the oldest squad in the Premier League last season, and it’s a major issue that Parish is desperate to address over the next few years.

While Favre has been out of work since being sacked by BVB back in December, he did steer them to consecutive second-place finishes in the Bundesliga during his only two full seasons in charge.

And in that time, he oversaw the progression to young hopefuls such as Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, who have become first-team stars ever since.

The retired Switzerland midfielder is thought to be keen to manage in the Premier League and is understood to have attracted interest from Everton as they plan for life after Carlo Ancelotti.

Having taken control of almost 800 games throughout his managerial career, Favre is an experienced head capable of achieving results greater than the sum of the parts available to him.

Given the sizeable task at hand for whoever takes the job in south London, having many years of knowledge and expertise will be essential for them to succeed next season.

Favre would be an ideal appointment for Palace, and their loyal fanbase will surely be urging Parish to get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Huge update emerges about “phenomenal” £40.5m-rated Palace gem, fans will be gutted

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via sportslens.com), Tottenham are still interested in signing Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs prepare for new campaign

While Tottenham remain without a permanent manager, Daniel Levy will surely be looking to bring in new players this summer.

With Harry Kane asking to leave the club (Sky Sports) and the likes of Davinson Sanchez (Football Insider) and Dele Alli linked with the exit door, it promises to be a busy few months.

The Latest: Spurs remain in the hunt for Sabitzer

Tottenham were heavily linked with a move for the Austria international last year (SportBild), but he ended up staying at Leipzig.

However, this latest report suggests they are still eager to sign him from the Bundesliga outfit. He was a strong target for Jose Mourinho, but he remains on the north London outfit’s radar even without the Portuguese boss in charge.

The Verdict: Top quality target

Sabitzer has enjoyed another impressive campaign with Leipzig. He scored nine times and provided seven assists in 39 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) as he captained the team throughout the campaign. He will also be representing Austria at the upcoming European Championships. Such is his importance to Leipzig, journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt labelled him as a “lynchpin” earlier this year (inews.co.uk).

With 109 goals to his name throughout his career for club and country despite being a midfielder, £37.8m-valued Sabitzer (Transfermarkt) could be a real threat in the Premier League. He has just one year remaining on his contract this summer, so the German side could face the decision of cashing in to avoid losing him for free next season.

In other news, Tottenham could sell this Champions League star this summer.

Former Everton ace Michael Ball has delivered a brutal verdict on Carlo Ancelotti’s Goodison Park exit to Real Madrid by claiming he “bottled it”.

The Italian made the shocking switch to the Bernabeu last week, returning to the club with whom he won the Champions League in the 2013/14 season.

Ancelotti did not manage to win La Liga but he also lifted the Copa del Rey and, the following season, the FIFA Club World Cup.

At Everton, though, he struggled to turn them into winners, finishing 10th in his only full season on Merseyside.

Ancelotti signed a four-and-a-half-year deal when he joined the Toffees, but his spell lasted just 18 months.

Ball believes there was supposed to be a long-term project with Ancelotti as manager, but that he has run to the easiest option at the first sign of a new opportunity.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “But I just think it was an easy option for him. I feel at his age, he just realised that it was going to take a lot longer at Everton to get where he wants them to be. He is a winner at the end of the day.

“You know Everton can’t go out and be paying 80, 90 million pounds on four or five players. And I just feel that he bottled it at Everton.

“I think he really just looked at the project and thought this is much more difficult than what I thought.

“The players probably couldn’t go out and perform the way he’d liked because he’s always been with high profile, high calibre players who will probably take that information and deliver on a football pitch.”

Ancelotti has never spent over two seasons at a club apart from with AC Milan, with whom he spent eight years.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa could light up Elland Road by making a move for Brest winger Romain Faivre this summer.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season now close to wrapping up, attention will surely be turning towards the summer transfer window and how the Whites could strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

According to Le Parisien (via Get French Football News), Bielsa is interested in signing Faivre and the Yorkshire club have made contact with the player’s entourage over a possible move.

However, Leeds are set to face significant competition from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and AC Milan.

Shades of Raphinha

One of the undoubted success stories of Leeds’ return to the Premier League has, of course, been the performances of summer signing Raphinha. In Faivre, Bielsa could sign someone very similar in terms of his dribbling skills and ability to provide something out of the ordinary.

Steve Mounie, his teammate at Brest, said: “He’s an elegant player, you know, as you can see. He’s a brilliant dribbler, every weekend he does some enjoyable dribbles, and he helps us a lot, he creates chances, and helps the team in different kind of ways.”

It’s also something that Brest manager Olivier Dall’Oglio has previously hailed, saying: “He’s a boy with real potential. He’s comfortable on the ball, and fast in possession, he’s got great vision too. He’s got something special. He rarely loses the ball, he can break through the lines by dribbling, and his passing creates so many chances for us. He’s a boy who can provide passes, but who’s also capable of scoring goals.”

With fans potentially set to return for next season, Bielsa could help light up Elland Road with the signing of Faivre, who along with Raphinha could bring a dash of flair and magic from out wide.

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The £26m-rated Faivre could be the ideal kind of signing to excite Leeds fans and get them off their seats.

Meanwhile, David Ornstein has revealed a major boost for Leeds United…

Molineux was rocking for Nuno Santo’s very final game in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday but the players on the pitch were unable to send their manager away in style.

It was a tough ask for this Old Gold side as they faced a Manchester United team who had competed so admirably for the Premier League title this year.

Having supporters back in the stadium certainly helped their cause and spurred them on, however.

Nelson Semedo was rampant down the right-hand side and even popped up with a rare goal but Wolves ultimately fell short as they were made to rue Mike Dean and the dreaded VAR.

The Midlands outfit weren’t clinical enough in attack but they let themselves down defensively as they have done for large parts of the campaign.

Donny van de Beek enjoyed some bright touches in the middle of the park and it was the Dutchman that was brought down for a penalty the ultimately won United the game.

Romain Saiss clumsily dangled a leg out with a rash piece of play that cost Wolves the match and let Nuno down on his final match at Molineux.

That said, he wasn’t their worst culprit during the 2-1 defeat.

That honour, unfortunately, had to go to Leander Dendoncker. Fresh from being picked for the Belgium squad at the upcoming European Championships, he hardly sent a positive message to Roberto Martinez.

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Picked in the middle of the park over the more attacking Vitinha and Morgan Gibbs-White, it was a decision that ultimately didn’t pay off.

Dendoncker completed 93% of his passes but in terms of his physical game, he was way off it.

The £75k-per-week earner was anonymous as he somehow failed to involve himself in a single defensive duel.

That meant the Belgian didn’t win a tackle or complete an interception. The midfielder’s stats sheet from the game was full of zeroes with him making no key passes and not registering a single dribble.

This wasn’t the first time he’s let his manager down this season, though. He was skinned by Adama Traore when Wolves played Leeds back in March.

It feels that when the Old Gold play against teams on the counter-attack, Dendoncker seems to struggle with the pace and energy.

Nuno’s spirits won’t be too dampened by this performance but he can’t have been too impressed.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jimenez: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w gem who is “similar to Neto”…

Daniel Pinder, editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, doubts that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann will be tempted to move to Tottenham Hotspur, telling Football Fancast that he is likely waiting for the Bayern Munich job.

Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday, per David Ornstein of The Athletic, in an explosive 24 hours that also saw the club sign up to be founding members of the new European Super League. Ryan Mason and Chris Powell are to take over first-team duties.

Mourinho has struggled at times this season and Spurs are currently seventh in the Premier League table prior to this week’s game with Southampton, and this weekend’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

Reports have previously linked Nagelsmann with the Spurs job, with the Daily Telegraph reporting he would become the top target if Mourinho was sacked.

The 33-year-old has been with Leipzig since 2019, and they are currently second in the Bundesliga, though they are seven points behind leaders Bayern.

Bayern have announced that Hansi Flick, their current coach, will leave the club at the end of the season and Pinder, editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, has speculated that he will take over from Joachim Low as Germany manager after this summer’s European Championships.

And asked about the prospect of Nagelsmann moving to north London, he rejected the assertion, insisting he is far more likely to replace Flick.

He told FFC: “I don’t think Nagelsmann would go to Spurs. I think he’s waiting for the Bayern Munich job.

“I was thinking earlier, there’s already a managerial merry-go-round in Germany, with Marco Rose to Dortmund, Adi Hutter to Gladbach, which then leaves a space at Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I think if Hansi Flick is the coach of the German national team after the Euros then that’ll open up the Bayern Munich spot and I think, ultimately, that’s where Nagelsmann will want to be in the end.”

The search for Celtic’s new head coach is like looking for a needle in a haystack. No matter how hard the Bhoys try, they can’t seem to lure anybody to Parkhead.

A number of names have been thrown in the hat to replace Neil Lennon but the Hoops are stuck with an interim manager for now.

What’s the word?

Roy Keane is back among the contenders for the vacant position at Paradise but Eddie Howe is still thought to be the favourite. Celtic are relaxed about the 43-year-old’s situation despite a number of complications, but they received a real boost in their pursuit on Thursday.

Tottenham have just sacked Jose Mourinho and, as such, there is a big opening for the Englishman in north London. However, Football.London reported this week that Howe isn’t expected to be in the frame for the Spurs job.

Desmond surely buzzing

With Celtic already facing such stern competition for his signature, this will come as sheer delight for Dermot Desmond. The majority shareholder has not had it easy in the last few weeks with Howe playing Celtic around on a regular basis.

He doesn’t want to return to football until the summer, which has enabled both Crystal Palace and Brighton to join the race for his services.

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Peterborough director of football Barry Fry told This is Futbol last week that Howe was stalling over the job at Parkhead because he didn’t view it as a big enough challenge.

When Tottenham fired Mourinho, therefore, it would have been easy to look towards Spurs as his next destination. They are a big club at this moment in time and have an attractive new stadium.

With that in mind, Desmond would have been fretting over the worst-case scenario. At last, the opportunity for which the former Bournemouth manager had been waiting was staring him right in the face.

He isn’t too keen on moving his family to Scotland, while the manager’s representatives think he can still get a job in the English top flight.

Although it may be a personal setback to the Englishman to be out of contention for the Spurs job, it will come as music to the ears of those at Celtic.

Perhaps negotiations with Howe will now improve? Only time will tell in this unpredictable chase for a new manager at Parkhead.

AND in other news, Forget Harkin: Celtic could find their new Van Dijk by appointing title-winning 39 y/o…

David Moyes can convince Jesse Lingard to stay at West Ham beyond his loan deal after the key factor behind a potential return to Manchester United was revealed.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, Lingard will only return to Old Trafford at the end of the season if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can guarantee the England international a regular role in his plans.

Lingard was given just three appearances by the Red Devils boss this season before sealing a temporary switch to the London Stadium in January, where Gareth Southgate believes he has been “excellent”.

The 28-year-old has scored five goals and been credited with three assists in seven Premier League games in claret and blue, and has only failed to influence the scoring in one of his outings under Moyes to date.

West Ham are keen to work on negotiating a permanent transfer for the 27-cap dynamo, who was recalled to the England set-up last month after a two-year hiatus, but are expected to face a wealth of competition.

The Red Devils will have a decision to make on Lingard’s future come the end of the season with the midfielder due to enter the final year of his contract in June, so will either have to present the academy product with new terms or listen to offers.

It is not considered likely that the £13.5m-rated Lingard will gain his desired minutes at Old Trafford in the No. 10 role he has thrived in for West Ham, with Bruno Fernandes the favoured option under Solskjaer.

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Manchester United denied the Irons a £15m option to purchase Lingard in their loan agreement for the £100,000-per-week playmaker, believing that a strong run of form could see his value exceed £20m.

A boost for Moyes and West Ham

Lingard’s alleged stance on his Manchester United future will come as a huge boost for West Ham in the east London outfit’s efforts to retain the England international, as Moyes can use his position to the Hammers’ advantage.

Lingard would face a real challenge to displace Fernandes at Manchester United were he to return to Old Trafford, with the Portuguese proving to be one of the best playmakers currently in the Premier League.

Only Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane (13) and Manchester City maestro Kevin de Bruyne (11) have provided more assists in the top-flight this term than Fernandes (10), who additionally ranks first for total number of key passes (82), per SofaScore.

Fernandes has created six more goal-scoring opportunities than any other player in the division to date, while his vision has led to a league-high 17 big chances for the Red Devils to score.

Moyes would be able to use that to show Lingard why he would have to accept a back-up role at Old Trafford next season if he were to head back, despite the 28-year-old proving his credentials while at West Ham.

Only Aaron Cresswell (1.52) and Vladimir Coufal (1.28) have averaged a higher number of key passes per game for West Ham in the top-flight this term than Lingard (1.14), who has also provided the third-most big chances created (0.29) per game.

With claims that Lingard is West Ham’s outright top-target for the summer market, ESPN’s report may give Moyes all the ammunition he needs to convince the playmaker to stick around at the London Stadium long-term.

AND in other news, West Ham are in a three-way Premier League battle for a 6 ft 6 titan with “all the attributes”…

Southampton have been linked with moves for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks recently but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Harry Winks:

According to Football Insider, Southampton are keeping tabs on the England international, who has struggled to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans at Spurs in recent months.

The 25-year-old has made just seven starts in the top-flight this season and has struggled to impress, as he seemingly doesn’t suit Mourinho’s counter-attacking style of play, which perhaps relies on hard-tackling, box-to-box midfielders rather than a playmaker such as Winks.

Although he has now made 167 appearances for Spurs having progressed through their academy, he has just four goals and four assists to his name, so wouldn’t offer Hasenhuttl’s side much in an attacking sense.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles:

According to The Telegraph, Southampton are likely to return for Maitland-Niles in the summer after seeing a January loan move for the 23-year-old breakdown, with the Arsenal academy graduate keen to leave his boyhood club after a lack of first-team opportunities under Mikel Arteta.

Since joining West Brom on loan, the England international has made eight appearances for the Baggies and averaged a solid 6.61 rating for Sam Allardyce’s side and will have a chance to impress Hasenhuttl when Southampton travel to the Hawthorns on Monday evening.

Although he has suggested that he wants to play as a midfielder, some of his most impressive displays at Arsenal have come as a wing-back, so he could offer the Austrian manager excellent cover at full-back next season should he join.

Who would be better?

Maitland-Niles has clearly outperformed Winks this season despite playing in a poorer team, so would arguably be a better option in the summer for Southampton.

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He would offer Hasenhuttl more versatility and is younger than Winks so has more scope to improve in the future, whilst his reported interest in leaving Arsenal could see his asking price lowered.

Stuart Pearce claimed earlier in the season that he thought Maitland-Niles had been “outstanding” for Arsenal at the start of the season, so he could definitely add something to Southampton if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

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Therefore, Martin Semmens should perhaps forget about signing Winks and instead focus on bringing the £16.2m-rated Maitland-Niles to Southampton this summer.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Bertrand: Saints could repeat KWP masterclass by signing £9m-rated gem

Crystal Palace have enquired over the possibility of signing former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

That’s according to transfer expert Nicolo Schira, who claims that both the Eagles and fellow Premier League side West Ham ‘have asked info’ over the possibility of signing the Wales international.

Ramsey’s summer exit?

Schira believes Ramsey could leave Juventus in the summer, and it appears as if he is wanted at Selhurst Park. He’s made 61 appearances in Turin since leaving Arsenal in 2019 but has started just 12 Serie A fixtures this season.

Ramsey is still under contract in Italy until 2023 and is valued by Transfermarkt at £18m.

Transfer Tavern take

Some Eagles fans will still remember Ramsey’s injury-time winner for Arsenal against Palace seven years ago, and it’s safe to say he’s gone on to big things since then.

He won three FA Cups with the Gunners and already has two trophies under his belt in Italy.

To us, we can’t see a Palace move for Ramsey materialising. He’s reportedly on £187,000-a-week with Juventus – £57,000-a-week more than Palace’s top earner, Wilfried Zaha.

Journalist Matt Woosnam recently admitted that the club will look to reduce the wage bill this summer. It has also been suggested that there will be no significant funds available for transfers.

That said, if they could find a way to bring in the man with 40 Premier League goals and 51 assists to his name – and keep him fit – it would be one hell of a coup.

In other news: Many Crystal Palace fans react as ‘awesome’ transfer news emerges, find out more here.