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Leicester City have received a potentially worrying blow after defender Wesley Fofana admitted he wants to play for La Liga giants Real Madrid at some point in his career.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old centre-back established himself as one of the Premier League’s brightest prospects before suffering a broken leg on the eve of the new campaign and has now declared his interest in one day following in the footsteps of his friend Eduardo Camavinga by moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Rumours of Real Madrid?” he said in an interview on YouTube (as relayed by Spanish outlet Marca). “It’s an honour; Real Madrid is the club of my dreams. It’s the biggest club in the world, and my dream is to play there.”

Leicester fans gutted?

Although it’s unlikely that Fofana will be departing Leicester any time soon due to the severity of his recent injury setback, the youngster’s willingness to speak so openly about his future ambitions away from the club may leave some fans feeling gutted.

The France U21 international arrived at the King Power Stadium from boyhood club Saint-Etienne in a £30m deal and went on to make 38 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ charges in all competitions, playing a pivotal part in the club’s FA Cup success.

As per SofaScore, Fofana averaged 2.2 interceptions per game last term, 1.8 tackles and 3.3 clearances, highlighting his impressive impact during his maiden campaign on English shores.

But the youngster was equally imposing with the ball at his feet for the Foxes, achieving a passing accuracy of 86% and a dribbling success rate of 71%.

Unfortunately for Leicester, they’re set to be without Fofana’s services for the majority of the season due to his fitness woes, but large sections of the fanbase may now be worried about losing him on a permanent basis.

The Midlands outfit have often sold their best players like Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell in order to fund new investment and to continue their progress both on and off the pitch, but this summer saw them adopt a different approach.

No big star was sold by Rodgers’ side, while several high-profile new acquisitions were brought to the club, illustrating the newfound ambition the hierarchy now have after consecutive fifth-place finishes under their Northern Irish tactician.

Therefore, Fofana expressing his desire to move to Madrid may come as a big disappointment to the Leicester chiefs and fanbase alike, as Fofana has the potential to form the foundations of a successful side for man years to come.

And, in other news…Leicester receive boost in pursuit of £9m-rated beast, fans will be buzzing 

It’s Christmas Day which means 2022 is soon on the horizon. And with the New Year comes a new transfer window.

Leeds United will surely be active given their struggles since the start of the season.

Injuries have crippled Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad and the Yorkshire giants have found themselves sat in 15th place, just five points above the relegation zone and are at risk of being pulled into a relegation dogfight.

Second-season syndrome, perhaps?

The Whites notoriously do not operate much in the winter when it comes to transfers but you’d imagine that changes next month. It’s unlikely they spend big, though can you get 100% right in this quiz about Leeds’ most expensive signings?

Do you know your Rio Ferdinand from your Raphinha?

So sit back, enjoy your Christmas dinner and take on this not-so-very festive transfer quiz from us here at Football FanCast.

If you think you’re a die-hard Leeds fan, then you should have no trouble getting all of these right…

Sunderland have had their fair share of transfer successes and disasters over the years as they have felt the wrath of the window as well as the joy of it.

Not all moves work out as it is impossible to guarantee that a player will be able to fit in with the squad and consistently perform on the pitch.

Whilst it is easy to look at the transfers that did happen and judge them, you can also look at prospective switches that didn’t go through in the end.

According to The Sunderland Echo, one player the Black Cats attempted to land was Brad Friedel for £600k in 1995 as Peter Reid looked to snap up the shot-stopper. The move fell through due to a work permit issue, despite him having played for Newcastle’s reserves earlier in 1994.

Instead of moving to Wearside, he sealed a transfer to Turkish giants Galatasaray. The giant kept 15 clean sheets in 37 appearances before moving back to the MLS with Colombus Crew, playing 45 times and keeping 13 clean sheets for the American outfit.

He then found his way to England as he secured a switch to Liverpool in 1997. This suggests that Sunderland did not get in quickly enough as soon as he was eligible for a work permit, as their interest in 1995 indicates that they would have had an advantage over their rivals as they already did their homework on the goalkeeper and had spoken with him previously to agree the £600k transfer.

Friedel endured a mixed time with the Reds as he kept eight shutouts in 31 outings across three seasons. Blackburn snapped him up from Anfield in 2000 and this is where his career exploded as he enjoyed a sublime spell with the Lancashire side. He played a whopping 355 matches for the club and kept the opposition out 118 times in what was a magnificent spell at Ewood Park.

The USA international ended his career with Aston Villa and Tottenham, making 198 appearances between the two clubs – keeping 55 shutouts.

Mark Bosnich previously lavished the veteran with praise, saying: “I remember talking to my then-agent Graham Smith and saying ‘this boy is really talented.’

“He then arrived at Liverpool, had a bit of a tough time, but since then his form for Blackburn and Villa has been absolutely outstanding.

“He is like a fine wine – as he’s got older he’s got better and better. Fair play, even when I first saw him he was very talented and he’s developed brilliantly.”

Overall, the monster ended his career with 450 appearances in the Premier League and 132 clean sheets between the sticks. He enjoyed a fantastic spell in England and Sunderland missed out on his talents, which is why this failed transfer was a blunder by the club as he was one that got away…

AND in other news, Sunderland heading for big disaster over £2.7k-p/w gem who’s “a dream for any manager”…

Manchester United have been meandering of late, lacking clear instructions from their manager and drive from the players on the pitch.

Moments of individual brilliance have continued to hold Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sinking ship together so far this season, but things will have to rapidly improve if it’s to stay afloat in the long term.

And while the Norwegian has rightly been apportioned a large amount of blame for the Red Devils’ current struggles, his apparent lack of tactical nouse is not the only factor at play.

It’s believed that Solskjaer made his demands for a new holding midfielder clear to the club’s hierarchy over the summer, only for a centre-back and right-winger to be prioritised instead.

The pragmatic double pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay that proved so effective in previous years for the 20-time English champions no longer has the same effect, exposing United’s underperforming defenders with alarming regularity.

However, football director John Murtough may not have too cast his net too far in search of the much-needed solution to United’s engine room woes.

It was reported by the Manchester Evening News back in September that United’s hierarchy had identified West Ham United’s Declan Rice as a priority signing after missing out during the summer.

The England international had just enjoyed the best season of his career after playing a pivotal part in the Hammers finishing in sixth position in the top-flight table before being called up the Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for Euro 2020.And the youngster carried his eye-catching form onto the international stage throughout the tournament, earning praise from several pundits, including Teddy Sheringham.“(He’s a player I see at a club like Manchester United) without a doubt. I thought Declan Rice was our outstanding player at Euro 2020,” he said.“I was very disappointed when he got brought off in the final, it was the wrong decision. We couldn’t retain possession when it was tough against the Italians — and he was one player who did retain possession.“He moved like a Rolls-Royce with the ball out of a problem and then found a pass after that. It’s invaluable to be able to do that and he showed what a top player he is. He’s a top player so he will be going somewhere quite soon.”The ex-United and England striker then lavished more praise on Rice and continued to link him with a potential move to Old Trafford, even comparing him to two former midfield greats of the club.“He’ll definitely be on Manchester United’s radar. He’s in the mould of Roy Keane and Michael Carrick, who were two top, top players, which you’ve got to have in midfield for Manchester United. So he’d easily fit in there,” Sheringham concluded.

Since then, Rice has taken his game to another level under the tutelage of David Moyes, bagging three goals and providing three assists in 13 appearances as West Ham currently sit in a Champions League qualification spot.

It’s arguable that United have never replaced Keane in the middle of the park since his controversial departure in 2006, with Carrick more of a successor to Scholes than the Irishman.

But Rice certainly has the drive and tenacity that Keane had in abundance and that Solskjaer’s charges are desperately in need of.

Only time will tell if the £62,000-per-week titan, who Gary Lineker dubbed “magnificent”, makes the move to Manchester, but he’s certainly a player that Murtough should be closely monitoring if he wants to catch up with his domestic and European rivals.

And, in other news…Forget Pogba: Man Utd lightweight who lost 60% of his duels was “exposed” vs Atalanta

Wolves are ready to turn down the opportunity to re-sign Matt Doherty from Tottenham this month, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Doherty tipped for Wolves return

The 29-year-old has struggled to make a significant impact at Spurs since leaving Molineux in 2020, making just 42 appearances in the last couple of seasons.

As such, Doherty has been linked with a return to Wolves in the January transfer window, in a move that could potentially go down well with Wanderers supporters given his incredible production in his last spell with the club, scoring 28 times in over 300 appearances..

If a new report is to be believed, however, the 25-cap Republic of Ireland international will not be making his way back to the Midlands.

The Latest: Contrasting rumour emerges

According to The Mirror, Wolves are ‘ready to snub’ a return for Doherty, with the player himself not thought to be keen on the idea of a move back.

The right-back still wants to remain in the Premier League, however, and an exit from Spurs could still be on the cards.

The Verdict: Could be an error

Doherty was a brilliant servant for Wanderers over many years, so the idea of missing out on a reunion with him is disappointing.

Granted, the former Black Country star is about to turn 30 later this month but he has been hailed as ‘absolutely superb’ by Danny Mills in the past and his attacking quality is undeniable, having registered 41 assists for Wolves last time out – that sort of creativity from the flank would not go amiss.

He would provide ideal competition and support for Nelson Semedo, adding depth in a position that requires players to maintain an immense level of fitness.

In other news, some Wolves fans have flocked to a piece of transfer news. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to extend their lead at the top of Group G in the UEFA Conference League later this evening.

Nuno Santo will take a much-changed squad to the Netherlands to face Vitesse and they head into kickoff on the back of three straight wins in all competitions, including a 5-1 whitewash against NS Mura in this very competition last time out.

Spurs defeated Newcastle United on Sunday to go fifth in the Premier League standings but none of the starting XI are expected to feature today.

But what sort of lineup could the Portuguese head coach select? Here’s what we are predicting…

As already mentioned, there could be a whole new 11 starting in Holland.

Between the sticks, club captain Hugo Lloris is replaced by Pierluigi Gollini, who has started all four of their matches in this tournament, whilst there could be a new back four of Ben Davies, Davinson Sanchez, Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga.

They come in for first-choice quartet of Sergio Reguilon, Eric Dier, Cristian Romero and Japhet Tanganga. The latter of which gets the nod over Matt Doherty, despite the Northern Irishman featuring regularly in this competition as he misses out through injury, along with Ryan Sessegnon.

Giovani Lo Celso was one player who did not see any minutes on the pitch at St James’ Park, so he is likely to come in to partner Harry Winks, with Dele Alli also coming back into the starting XI, likely as captain, despite being snubbed in their last two league outings.

Nuno has already confirmed that Steven Bergwijn will be back after injury, so he lines up on the right over Lucas Moura, as 20-year-old “big talent” Bryan Gil takes the place of Heung-min Son on the other flank.

Teenage starlet Dane Scarlett is in line for an opportunity as the only other centre-forward available to the manager. His involvement means Harry Kane is rested ahead of the weekend.

The likes of Dilan Markanday, Nile John, Jack Clarke and Harvey White could be involved from the bench.

AND in other news, Paratici could fix Nuno’s biggest problem with Spurs swoop for £31.5m-rated “animal”…

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a significant boost regarding the fitness of Grady Diangana.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, Valerien Ismael revealed that, after being left out of the Baggies squad for the 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Friday evening, the winger had suffered a slight hamstring strain.

However, the Frenchman went on to state that he expects the 23-year-old to be available for Albion’s trip to Swansea City on Wednesday evening.

Speaking about the condition of Diangana, Ismael said: “Grady has a hamstring issue, not too bad. It’s a small issue, we didn’t want to take any risks for this game. My expectation is that he will come back for the next game against Swansea.”

Ismael will be buzzing

While Diangana has not exactly been in the best form of his career this season, being yet to score a goal and providing just one assist over his 11 Championship appearances, the winger nevertheless proved during West Brom’s last promotion-winning campaign that he is a player who possesses the ability to fire the Baggies back to the Premier League.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances in 2019/20, the £9m-rated man scored eight goals, registered six assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Lee Hendrie dubbed a “magnificent” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking the £36k-per-week winger as West Brom’s third-best performer in the league that season.

As such, Diangana is clearly a player with the ability to win any particular match in an instant, and, with the former England U21 international looking to be available for Wednesday’s clash with Swansea, Ismael will certainly be hoping for the winger to do so at the Liberty Stadium – an outcome that would leave both the 46-year-old manager and fans of the club buzzing.

In other news: Signed for £750k, now worth £1.8m: West Brom struck gold on “amazing” £14k-p/w dynamo

While Leeds United will no doubt be hoping Kalvin Phillips will remain playing at Elland Road for the years to come, Marcelo Bielsa may already have the Whites’ new talisman in one of their academy stars: Nohan Kenneh.

The 18-year-old has already admitted to modelling himself on Phillips, while he also added that he’s a fan of Arsenal Invincible Patrick Vieira too. He said: “Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

The Athletic’s Phil Hay dubbed the teenager as “supremely gifted”, and he’s capable of playing in holding midfield as well as further back in central defence.

Also, at a imposing 6 foot 2, he seems to have the physical attributes to hold his own at Premier League level.

Describing himself as someone who is “aggressive and hard-working who likes to break down play”, but also likes “getting forward and scoring long-range goals”, Kenneh seems like he could thrive in the anchor man role if given the chance by Bielsa.

And, speaking on The Roaring Peacock Youth Pod, Matty Ingham, said: “One of the biggest prospects in the academy if we’re being honest. Big, physical presence, can carry the ball and he’s powerful and quick.”

Last season saw him spend all of his time with the club’s academy side, making 11 appearances at Premier League 2 level and helping them clinch the Division 2 title.

While this campaign has seen him play his first couple of games at centre-back, Kenneh could be moulded into Leeds’ next Phillips with a bit more training and coaching from the likes of Bielsa.

With those raw physical attributes, the Leeds boss could give Kenneh the kind of footballing education that he won’t be able to get anywhere else, and build the perfect holding midfielder at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, this Leeds ace has seen his market value decrease dramatically…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been showing their love for Kostas Tsimikas’ brilliant celebration against Wolves, as the Reds picked up a huge 1-0 win.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were boosted by Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat away to West Ham earlier in the day, knowing victory would take them top of the Premier League, for the time being at least.

For much of the afternoon, it looked as though Liverpool would drop two precious points, only for a dramatic ending to take place at Molineux.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

Divock Origi buried a last-gasp finish to seal a memorable win for the Reds, with the celebrations on the pitch and in the stands unforgettable.

Klopp, his coaches and the substitutes also celebrated wildly, and in a video by the club’s official Twitter account, Tsimikas arguably looks happier than anyone, jumping around with his manager.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans love Tsimikas celebration

The Greek’s celebrations stood out and these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their admiration for him.

“Greek scouser representing every Liverpool supporter ever”

Credit: @crashmycar2020

“Kostas went absolutely berserk! Priceless”

Credit: @Marrvine_

“Tsimikas is all of us”

Credit: @baheramsyahh

“Kostas is such a Red”

Credit: @LivHERpool

“How can you not love Tsimikas, most players would have been sulking about been left out”

Credit: @Corballyred

“Kostas is such a gem”

Credit: @Andyjm0509

In other news, one Liverpool player could reportedly leave in January. Find out who it is here.

Loads of Everton fans have been making their feelings known as a transfer update emerged on Denzel Dumfries.

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Inter Milan have reopened talks to try and sign the PSV ace, who remains their first-choice signing for right-back.

There have been a number of reports throughout the window so far of both Everton and Inter fighting over the signature of Dumfries, but it now looks as if the latter may beat the Toffees to him.

It would be a real shame for Rafa Benitez’s team to lose out on signing Dumfries, as he has shown just how much of an attacking threat he can possess from right-back. He scored two goals in the group stage at Euro 2020 for the Netherlands (Sofascore), with a further four goals and nine assists in 41 matches for PSV across the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

Everton fans on Dumfries transfer update

These Toffees fans raged as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian describing the latest turn of events as ‘awful’:

“Needed a RB for 3 seasons now and STILL its not sorted…every club is going to target the right-hand side. Awful”

Credit: @matthew53366583

“Do you not realise Brands is killing us? He’s a massive reason why we can’t spend this summer”

Credit: @Everton1878___

“Been a really great day this for Everton. Another season of Coleman and the Ken Ken it is then”

Credit: @efcsam16

“Here we go again”

Credit: @efcbenji

“Here we go.”

Credit: @Jackdoggydogg

“Please no”

Credit: @ParrettGost

In other news, check out what footage has left these Everton fans fuming