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According to The Express and Star, West Brom’s Zhang Yuning, previously on loan at ADO Den Haag, has returned to The Hawthorns before a proposed move to an unnamed Chinese Super League.

The Chinese striker, signed in 2017, is expected to depart for the East next week with zero minutes in Baggies blue and white under his belt.

The 22-year-old will not be returning to England to train in B71, instead leaving straight for China to finalise his move. Fortunately for the Baggies, the player has cost them nothing in fees as owner Guochuan Lai financed the transfer himself and paid his wages.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

Lai had surely been hoping that the hitman would significantly boost the Midlands club’s fanbase in Asia and perhaps develop into a useful player, but that hasn’t been the case as he has been unable to secure a work permit in England.

Here’s how the West Brom faithful reacted to the news on Twitter…

Craig Hope has revealed that Dan Ashworth could now be made to wait until November before taking up the role of sporting director at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Waiting game

Brighton and Hove Albion confirmed in February that Ashworth would be leaving the Seagulls, and it is thought by reliable sources that he is jumping ship to St. James’ Park.

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However, he has not officially taken on the new role in the North East yet, suggesting that some talks over the deal have reached a stumbling block – Lee Ryder revealed earlier this year that the compensation talks with Brighton were proving difficult.

The Latest: Hope update

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Mail journalist Hope has revealed that Ashworth could now be made to wait until November before he can take up the sporting director position on Tyneside, adding that ‘no progress’ has been made in PIF’s ‘negotiations’ with the Seagulls:

“Dan Ashworth could be made to wait until November before taking up NUFC sporting director role.

“Negotiations with Brighton continue but no progress yet.

“Club relaxed if Howe/Nickson/Staveley oversee summer transfers, as was case in Jan.

“Scouting meetings this wk.”

He continued:

“Told that Ashworth has a nine-month notice period and, as it stands, will be made to see it out.

“Brighton not making it easy for him to join Newcastle, as is their right.”

The Verdict: Blow

As The Times journalist Martin Hardy puts it, this is a ‘blow’ for the Magpies’ transfer plans if they cannot get Ashworth in before the summer window opens.

The 51-year-old has received glowing reviews, as The Times’ Henry Winter has said that he will bring ‘relentless enthusiasm’, a ‘great work ethic’ and a lot of contacts to the Toon, once he takes up the role.

Newcastle World journalist Liam Kennedy has previously hailed the pending appointment as ‘seriously good’, claiming that NUFC are starting to make ‘big moves’.

However, it looks as if they will now have to operate in the window without his skills, meaning that some of their targets may not be as easy to get, and perhaps even putting their masterplans on hold until Ashworth arrives.

In other news, find out the latest on a potential NUFC move for Neymar here!

As per The West Ham Way website, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared a transfer update out of Rush Green involving long-time target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham still chasing…

Since the Manchester United ace’s prolific 2020/2021 loan spell at the London Stadium, it’s no secret that manager David Moyes has been eager to sign Lingard on a permanent deal.

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The Hammers were knocked back in their summer attempts to do so but that interest has since continued into this January transfer window.

It is believed by reliable sources that Lingard is still a top target for Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman as the England international seeks a move away from Old Trafford in search of game time and one last major move before the twilight phase of his career.

Newcastle have also been attempting to sign the 29-year-old this month, but after those talks stalled, insider Ex believes West Ham are ready to try and take advantage in a last-gasp move.

The Latest: West Ham ‘attempting’ to now ‘reach a deal’…

According to the insider, via WHW, the Irons are ‘attempting now to reach a deal’ for Lingard after failed negotiations between Newcastle and his club.

As just two full days remain to conclude business, with the window shutting at precisely 11pm on Monday night, Newman and co are apparently at work on an eleventh-hour agreement.

However, there are still hurdles to the potential transfer as Man United seem ‘reluctant’ to do business with a direct challenger for the Premier League top four, while there are also still ‘issues’ to be resolved on Lingard’s side.

The Verdict: Time to move on?

As West Ham also chase the signing of a striker and centre-half in this final hurdle, Moyes shouldn’t spend too much time chasing his former favourite.

One final attempt may be worth it to see if an agreement can in fact be reached, especially considering United run the risk of losing him for nothing in the summer.

Valued at around £18 million by Transfermarkt, the Irons could potentially snap up Lingard for far less given his contract situation, which is set to expire later this year.

Pundit Rio Ferdinand also branded the player ‘amazing’ for this spell on loan in east London last year, as evident by his nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts.

However, if this transfer continues to drag into deadline day, Moyes, unfortunately, has no time to waste and alternatives simply must be pursued at that point.

In other news: West Ham eye late window bid for ‘world class’ player after manager leaves him out of squad, find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have slammed James Milner’s ineffective performance in the Reds’ 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were in semi-final first leg action on Thursday evening, hosting a Gunners side that had just been dumped out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest.

It proved to be an extremely frustrating night for Liverpool, who performed badly throughout, failing to break down an Arsenal side who had Granit Xhaka sent-off in the first half.

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The Reds mustered a single attempt on target and now have plenty of work to do in the second leg at the Emirates next Thursday if they want to make it into next month’s final against Chelsea.

One player who struggled more than most was Milner, who offered little in the middle of the park, losing possession 13 times and playing no key passes, according to Sofascore, with that lack of creativity summing up the team’s overall display.

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Liverpool fans slaughter Milner performance

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to criticise the veteran’s display, with one supporter calling it a ‘disgrace’.

“I’m sorry but Milner and Henderson in the same midfield actually breaks me”

Credit: @ilab1612

“Honestly, I’ve had enough of Milner. He’s washed, it’s a bit of a disgrace he still gets minutes for us”

Credit: @TDJS_92

“Milner and Hendo were woeful yet again”

Credit: @_umairg

“Love Milner done lots for us but surely he has to go”

Credit: @sam76803802

“Milner is one of the worst players in the Prem”

Credit: @UnbiasedLiverp1

“Announce Milner as part of the coaching staff @LFC”

Credit: @KingAfo

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to one transfer update. Read more here.

As per The Athletic, an update has emerged involving Aston Villa, Leeds United and West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph as more January news comes to light.

The Lowdown: West Ham have quiet window…

In the last week of the winter window, multiple reports of marquee bids and last gasp striker signing attempts came out of the woodwork as the Hammers left it too late to bring someone through the door.

Indeed, West Ham and manager David Moyes apparently made big offers for star Leeds United duo Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips before turning their attention to deadline day striker swoops for Benfica’s Darwin Nunez and Duvan Zapata of Atalanta.

Jesse Lingard was also the subject of intense final day interest but recruitment chief Rob Newman fell short in all of these last gasp attempts.

In some exit news, sharing who West Ham and Moyes stopped from leaving, The Athletic have made a claim involving Randolph.

The Latest: West Ham block Randolph exit…

According to their sources, the Irons told their third-choice shot stopper he couldn’t join Leeds or Villa as both sides plotted loan moves for the 50-cap shot stopper.

Indeed, despite being on the very fringes of West Ham’s first team, Moyes held firm and refused to green-light a temporary exit for Randolph.

The Verdict: Wrong move?

Given the 34-year-old’s lack of game time at the London Stadium, we believe not sanctioning a move away is a strange call.

Loanee second-choice goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has barely been granted game-time himself, starting just one Premier League game all season, making you wonder what purpose Randolph has sitting behind the Frenchman.

Randolph’s current deal expires in 2023, giving West Ham two more transfer windows to make a profit off his sale, and letting him attempt to establish game time at another Premier League side could’ve potentially done wonders for his market value.

Ex-Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate, Randolph’s former boss, even called the player ‘outstanding’ during their time together at Middlesbrough – perhaps indicating he is wasted on the sidelines.

In other news: ‘Fancies West Ham’…£18m man ‘let down’ after failed January move, find out more here.

While Tottenham Hotspur have been in excellent domestic form under the management of Antonio Conte, going undefeated in seven Premier League games since the 52-year-old’s arrival in north London back in November, the Italian will nevertheless be hoping for a much-improved performance from the 1-1 draw with Southampton last time out when they face Watford this afternoon.

Indeed, despite Mohammed Salisu being sent off in the first half at St Mary’s, Tottenham badly struggled to break down the Saints, with Harry Kane’s 41st-minute penalty being the only time they made their attacking play count.

This lack of attacking edge was certainly not helped by the lacklustre displays of a number of Spurs’ more creative players, with Dele Alli’s showing alongside Son Heung-min in attacking midfield, as well as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s performance in the middle of the park, being particular lowlights at St Mary’s.

Conte must ruthlessly axe Dele

Indeed, over the course of his 62 minutes on the pitch against Saints, the £22.5m-rated Dele failed to have any real impact on the game whatsoever, completing just 17 of his 24 attempted passes, a success rate of 71%. He had no shots at the Southampton goal, failed with his one attempted dribble and was dribbled past twice by an opponent.

The £100k-per-week 25-year-old also gave away the ball on 12 separate occasions and lost six of his 10 duels, with these returns seeing the player who Jose Mourinho previously claimed was “creating problems” in the Spurs side earn a SofaScore match rating of a mere 6.6. That ranked him as his team’s third-worst starter on the day.

As such, with Conte undoubtedly hoping that Tottenham can kick off 2022 with a return to winning ways against Watford on Saturday, it would seem advisable for the 52-year-old to axe the former England international from his starting XI at Vicarage Road, as Dele could quite easily cost Spurs dearly once again.

In other news: Spurs begin talks for £116k-p/w gem dubbed “the best”, he’s “more stable” than De Ligt

Celtic have been dealt yet another injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash against Dundee United.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, Ange Postecoglou suggested that Benfica loanee Jota could be set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory over Hearts on Thursday evening.

Speaking about the 22-year-old’s knock, the Bhoys boss said: “It’s always a concern when a player comes off injured. Jota’s one who has played every game and he’s one we’d love to give a break to at some point. But it’s the kind of stage as a squad we’re at this moment.

“He wasn’t too downbeat after the game, he was hopeful it was nothing too serious. Ultimately, we need guys like Mikey and Liel [Abada] to step up, that’s why they’re here at the club. And if the opportunity exists for them it’s up to them to take it.”

Fans will be livid

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since joining the club this summer, the news that the winger looks set to spend what could be a considerable amount of time on the sidelines is sure to have left Hoops fans outraged.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 key passes and taking three shots per game.

These returns have seen the Portugal U21 international average a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the sixth-best performer in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

As such, the fact that Jota looks to have picked up what could well be a serious injury will come as a huge blow to Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points against Dundee United on Sunday.

And, considering Postecoglou’s suggestion that his knock is due to playing too many minutes this season, fans will also undoubtedly be livid with their manager.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for “prominent” £13m-rated beast who “stole the show” in EL

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has lauded the brilliant Sadio Mane after his influential performance in the Reds’ 3-2 win over Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Reds down City at Wembley

Jurgen Klopp’s side got the better of their Premier League rivals on Saturday afternoon, producing a scintillating performance in the first half of their FA Cup semi-final clash.

Liverpool raced into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to Ibrahima Konate’s header and a Mane double, with Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva replying for City after the break.

The Reds hung on in the dying minutes, keeping their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple alive in the process.

The Latest: Carragher hails Mane

Taking to Twitter during the game, Carragher paid special attention to Mane, as he produced one of his most impressive performances of the season:

“What a player you’ve been & still are for @LFC Sadio.”

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The Verdict: A true Liverpool legend

There is an argument to say that, at 30, Mane is not quite the all-conquering player he was, but he remains someone who would walk into most teams in Europe, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Klopp in the past.

He was magnificent against City in a new central attacking role, pressing relentlessly and providing two of the game’s standout moments, charging down Steffen for one goal and volleying home the other.

There is no question that Mane is now a Liverpool legend in his own right, like Carragher, having scored 115 goals in 259 appearances, not to mention winning the Champions League and Premier League along the way.

In other news, a pundit expects a renewal from one Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

Ianis Hagi is likely to leave Rangers, and Rijeka’s Robert Muric could replace him. 

That’s according to a report from Croatian outlet Germanijak (via Ibrox News).

The lowdown

Hagi only joined Rangers permanently in the summer of 2020 in a £3.15m move from KRC Genk following an initial loan spell at Ibrox. The Romanian, who is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract.

It emerged on Tuesday that he would miss the remainder of the 2021/22 season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup, so there’s now a possibility that the 23-year-old has played his last game for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

The latest

The report from Germanijak (via Ibrox News) claimed that Hagi will ‘probably’ leave Ibrox come the end of the season.

Muric is being lined up as a potential replacement, although Rangers have yet to make a formal approach for the 25-year-old Rijeka wizard.

The verdict

Hagi would no doubt be a big loss at Ibrox. His four goals and four assists this season take him to an overall tally of 36 direct goal contributions in 85 games for Rangers. He has started 15 times in the Premiership this season, and three times in the Europa League group stage, further emphasising his importance to the Light Blues.

Would Muric be an able replacement? To his credit, the £2.7m-rated Croatian boasts some pretty strong numbers, with eight goals and seven assists in his 20 appearances in the current campaign.

However, it’s worth stressing that the Croatian top flight ranks 17th in Europe, a full eight places below the Scottish Premiership, so there’s no guarantee he could make the step-up to this league, especially for the reigning champions and current leaders.

In other news, many Rangers fans were buzzing over this development

With Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side heading into Wednesday evening’s Premier League clash in something of a slump in form, having won just one of their last four league outings and scoring just one goal over these fixtures, the 45-year-old manager would have undoubtedly been hoping for a much-improved result from Wolves’ trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.

And, while it was by no means an all-out attack display from the visitors, Romain Saiss’ superb first-half strike following a delicious Ruben Neves through ball was enough for Wolves to take all three points back to Molineux, with the game ending 1-0.

However, while it is true that both Saiss and Neves were two of Lage’s better performers on the night, it was undoubtedly 26-year-old Daniel Podence who really stole the show against Brighton.

Won 62% duels

Being handed just his third start of the Premier League season, Lage somewhat surprisingly decided to unleash the Portugal international in a central attacking role against the Seagulls, taking the place of the suspended Raul Jimenez at the tip of Wolves’ attack.

And, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch at the American Express Community Stadium, the £22.5m-rated man highly impressed in an unfamiliar role, hitting the target with two shots, completing five dribbles, making two interceptions and winning eight of his 13 attempted duels – a success rate of 62%.

These returns saw the man who Pedro Neto dubbed a “mini-Hazard” receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.3, the second-highest of any player to feature in the match, while Birmingham Live also awarded the £60k-per-week forward an eight in their own player ratings, stating of the 26-year-old’s performance:

“Podence played as a false nine in Wolves’ fluid front three and popped up all over the pitch in an all-action display. There were lots of delightful flicks and tricks, especially one reverse pass to Marcal. Podence was a huge threat throughout.”

As such, considering how little game time Podence has been given by Lage so far this season, if the fixture against Brighton was the Portuguese dynamo’s big test, there is absolutely no doubt that the former Sporting CP winger passed with flying colours.

In other news: Tim Spiers drops 8-word Wolves injury update that will leave Bruno Lage buzzing