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Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has admitted that he is “quite happy” not to have been called up by Scotland this month (via Sheffield Star).

Steve Clarke’s side face UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Kazakhstan this week.

Bannan has won 27 caps for his country, but hasn’t represented them for a while now. Indeed, his most recent appearance was way back in October 2017 when he played 90 minutes in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia (Transfermarkt).

He isn’t completely out of the frame, and was placed on standby by Clarke prior to their game against Russia in October although in the end he wasn’t required (Sheffield Star).

However, having not received a call-up again for their internationals in November Bannan has admitted that he is actually relieved as he “needs a rest,” (Sheffield Star).

“I shouldn’t be saying this, but I am probably quite happy not to be in, as I have a lot of niggles at the moment,” Bannan continued.

“I have never ruled it out and if I get picked I get picked. If I don’t, I am happy playing for my club every week. As long as I am fit and playing for my club every week, that’s all that bothers me.”

Bannan not being involved with the Scottish national team is good news for Sheffield Wednesday, particularly in the short term as it means that he has time to get himself fully fit for their upcoming Christmas fixture list without the distraction of international football.

The midfielder is a key player at Hillsborough, indeed he has featured in 14 league games this season (Transfermarkt), so hearing that his full focus on club football will be music to Garry Monk’s ears.

However, Bannan also said that he still hopes to get back into the Scotland squad at some point in the future and when his niggling injuries are behind him (Sheffield Star). So it may be that his international career still has one last chapter in it.

Sheffield Wednesday fans, do you think Barry Bannan should still be in the Scotland squad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Mauricio Pochettino has finally parted ways with Tottenham Hotspur, the club has now officially confirmed.

And interestingly enough, the Argentine’s replacement has already arrived in the form of none other than Jose Mourinho.

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The Portuguese will now have a big task ahead of him to steady a sinking ship and bring Spurs back to the level they were on last season when they reached the Champions League final.

But it seems that Pochettino’s departure has affected some of their biggest stars and Harry Kane was quick to post a heartbreaking message to his former manager on Twitter, thanking him for everything and wishing him good luck.

Of course, upon seeing that emotional tweet, loads of Spurs fans were simply devastated and sad, stating how it made them cry and how life is simply unfair at times.

You can see some of their replies and comments down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to a recent report from the Express, Borussia Dortmund are eyeing a transfer for Tottenham Hotspur’s Troy Parrott.

What’s the word, then?

The 17-year-old has definitely managed to attract the interest of some big European clubs as of late.

The Express claim that Borussia Dortmund plan to rival none other than Bayern Munich for the signature of Parrott, who is also wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.

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The youngster has previously been likened to Harry Kane, his senior teammate, but could potentially represent another big project for Borussia Dortmund to get their hands on.

After all, if their previous experience with Jadon Sancho and Ousmane Dembele are anything to go by, Parrott certainly looks like a prototype youngster for Dortmund.

Another wonderkid project

If we take a quick look at Borussia Dortmund’s past sales, we can see that there is a pattern of selling emerging talent.

Of course, Dembele is by far their most lucrative exit as after successfully grooming the Frenchman into a superstar attracting the Catalans, they shipped him off for a huge fee.

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A similar situation is now brewing with Sancho, who’s been linked with an exit and is currently rated at £120m, with mostly the same formula behind it: scoop them while they’re young and still developing, turn them into stars and sell them big.

Parrott, if successfully snatched away from Spurs, would be an ideal new project for the Bundesliga giants.

From Tottenham Hotspur’s point of view, however, it could represent a major loss for their squad.

After all, the 17-year-old is very much an up and coming star and recently played his first senior game in the Carabao Cup.

Across all competitions in 2019/20, however, he has already netted seven times and assisted once in a total of five games so the talent is clearly there for everyone to see.

Express also state that he was on the verge of a Premier League call up under Mauricio Pochettino and with Jose Mourinho’s recent verdict on utilising the youth, Parrott could still have a future at Spurs:

“There is not one manager in the world who does not like to play young players and help young players to evolve, there is not one.”

For that reason, Borussia Dortmund’s huge gain would very much represent a big loss for Spurs.

In other news, Spurs are targeting a Serie A prodigy, and his potential arrival could be a huge boost for a key figure at the club.

Leeds United fans have been left astonished by the latest transfer news surrounding loan star Ben White as one top-flight team is starting to dampen their interest in him.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are blown away by the 22-year-old but have one major doubt over his aerial ability with him standing at just 6 foot tall.

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Although this hasn’t been a problem for Marcelo Bielsa this campaign, seeing as he’s started the Brighton ace in every single game, it could be an issue for Jurgen Klopp as he doesn’t possess a central defender under 6 foot 2.

White has become a fan-favourite at Elland Road but is due back on the south coast at the end of the season where he’ll be under the Seagulls’ control – whether that means he remains at Brighton or leaves on a transfer still remains to be seen.

The Englishman has won 2.8 aerial duels a game on average and is also recording three clearances, 2.3 interceptions and 1.7 tackles per match, via WhoScored.

Which is why some supporters in west Yorkshire are sarcastically agreeing with Liverpool’s claim in the hope that Bielsa and co can swoop in and land him permanently in the summer.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Phil Hay reveals how close Leeds were to 18-goal sensation…

As the likelihood of Liverpool lifting their first ever Premier League trophy draws nearer, we can look back at their incredible last two seasons. They’ve won the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and their sixth European title – their first top-flight win in 30 years would ice the cake perfectly.

But it hasn’t been easy sailing for the Reds leading up to these moments – they were, of course, pipped to the league title last season by one agonising point. Not to mention the heartbreak in Kyiv in 2018. Liverpool have learned from the mistakes that cost them these defining moments, but they must continue to adapt to the ever-growing world of football if they are to keep challenging for silverware.

For a side boasting some of the best players in the world and an overall first-team value of £706million, there aren’t many places Liverpool can improve on. Their record signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson were arguably some of the club’s smartest business of recent years, as well as nurturing and channeling talent in Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino.

However, one area Liverpool are struggling in this season is their lack of depth. The Merseyside outfit have experienced the sting of not having the right rotational players, particularly in this campaign’s FA Cup and Champions League runs, which were cut short through defensive errors.

Adrian was never brought to Anfield to fight for the No.1 shirt, so any expectations of him being on the same level as Brazil’s first-choice goalkeeper were extremely optimistic.

Although, this is one of England’s and indeed, the world’s most successful clubs – having capable players of high-standard on the bench is almost as important as having a strong first-team. All it takes is one minor injury during a heated competition, and Liverpool’s hopes could trickle through their fingers.

Back-up midfield options like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and cult heroes like Divock Origi have proved crucial over the last couple of seasons. But the Reds must use the next window to bring in cover for their world-class defence and front three if they are to avoid any nasty injury surprises in the future.

Louis van Gaal brought some incredible talent to Old Trafford during his era in charge, however the addition of Morgan Schneiderlin proved to be pretty pointless.

The Dutchman had a mixed career as head coach for Manchester United, helping the Red Devils restore form and go on to win the FA Cup in his final season. However, van Gaal didn’t have much success in the Premier League despite the pedigree of his Manchester side. The 68-year-old spent two years with the club before he was sacked, and recruited household names including Memphis Depay and Angel di Maria during that time.

One signing in particular who didn’t cut the mustard was now-Everton midfielder Schneiderlin. United signed the Frenchman in 2015 from Southampton for a fee of £31.5million, despite only scoring five goals in 30 appearances. van Gaal must have seen something promising in the midfielder in order to add him to the ranks of one of the most successful clubs in the world.

But whatever the Dutchman saw in him, he absolutely didn’t deliver on it. Schneiderlin tallied a measly one goal and one assist in 47 appearances in red. He has also repeated an almost identical display whilst at Everton, accumulating one goal and two assists.

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Schneiderlin’s disappointing Man United era saw him move on less than two years later, sold to the Toffees for £20.7m. In his final full season at Old Trafford, the Frenchman’s stats left little to the imagination. He averaged just 0.2 shots and 0.3 key passes per game – pathetic stats for a player occupying a team’s engine room (via Sofascore).

It’s likely that the club just wanted to cash in and get whatever they could for their midfield flop, but wasting more than £10m on a signing who made almost zero impact will definitely be a piece of business the United hierarchy wants to forget.

Having missed out on signing a back-up striker to step up in Harry Kane’s absence, Tottenham’s number one priority in this summer transfer window will surely be bringing in a new centre-forward.

Reports in recent days and weeks had suggested the north London side had earmarked Fenerbache marksman Vedat Muriqi as a potential transfer target, and now, according to Turkish publication, Fanatik (via Sport Witness), the Kosovo international dreams of playing under Jose Mourinho.

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Muriqi has enjoyed a stellar season for Fenerbahce this season, netting 15 goals in just 28 games across all competitions, as well as providing six assists too.

And after hearing about the latest update on their potential swoop for the 26-year-old, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One Spurs fan in particular suggested that Muriqi could finally be the man to replace Fernando Llorente.

Given his style of play and profile, there’s no doubting signing Muriqi would be a piece of smart business from Spurs this summer.

All the north London side need is a reliable back-up to Kane, who can step-in to his shoes when needed and offer something different to their current attack.

Muriqi fits that bill to an absolute tee.

Whether the Championship resumes again or not, top-flight football beckons for Leeds United next season.

The Whites were at the top of the table when most leagues across Europe were postponed, and Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt already be thinking of ways to ensure they can compete at the highest level for the next campaign.

And according to Football Insider, the club can sign long-term target Harry Wilson for a much cheaper fee this summer as they look to bring in some reinforcements.

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The report claims that Liverpool are expected to listen to offers for the Wales international, with Leeds previously keen on landing Wilson on loan for the past two years – it’s further added that “Bielsa is a big admirer of the versatile attacker, who he regards as extremely talented and with the potential to develop into a real star”.

And whilst Leeds boast the best defensive record in the Championship, their total of 56 goals scored means they have been outscored by even 13th placed Queens Park Rangers (58).

Patrick Bamford’s struggles have been well talked about, with Leeds fans understandably voicing their frustrations with the striker throughout the season. But whilst getting the number nine to start banging in the goals will be absolutely key next season, bringing in a player like Wilson can help ease the burden on him, and offer the Whites a much-needed attacking threat from elsewhere.

The Welshman has been a prolific goal-scoring winger over the past few seasons away from Anfield, with his loan spell at Bournemouth this year seeing him net six times in 23 Premier League games. The campaign before that whilst at Derby saw him rack up 15 goals in the Championship alone, whilst a year prior he had managed seven in 13 for Hull.

Other than Bamford’s 13, Leeds have no-one else who has reached double figures in goals this season, with the man in second, Pablo Hernandez, managing only six. And as for the best-scoring wingers, both Jack Harrison and Helder Costa only have five and four respectively.

Wilson would help add a necessary goal-scoring threat from out wide, and at only 23, can ensure he very much lives up to the “fantastic talent” billing given to him by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers.

Victor Orta could help transform Leeds’ attack with a swoop for the dynamic winger this summer.

According to Italian media outlet Corriere della Sera [via Insidefutbol], Watford could lose young striker Luis Suarez to Serie A side Lazio and, given his form on loan at Real Zaragoza this season, the Hornets should be hopeful that this move doesn’t come to fruition in the summer.

Corriere della Sera added [via Insidefutbol] that Suarez is one of many attacking options that the Italian side are looking to pursue and minor discussions have gone on between Lazio and Watford’s owner Giampaolo Pozzo. However, as it stands, the forward will return to the Premier League side.

Suarez has yet to play for the Hornets but clearly has an eye for the net as he is currently enjoying his spell at Real Zareagoza in the Spanish second tier, for whom he has scored 17 goals whilst also picking up three assists in 30 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

The Colombian is only 22 and is currently getting some great experience abroad, and with Watford’s two main strikers Andre Gray and Troy Deeney 28 and 31 respectively, the club need younger strikers like Suarez to be part of the team in the future.

It would be a big risk to let the player go, with a good finisher being very expensive in today’s transfer market, and so the Premier League side should look to keep him for now, especially if Serie A title contenders Lazio are interested in the player.

Watford fans, would you like to see Suarez given a chance in the Premier League? Comment below with your views!

Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho has been linked with a move to the Premier League and Manchester United are the clear front-runners to sign him this summer.Â

Sancho has been tipped to return to England and the Red Devils are reportedly leading the race to make him a record signing. According to journalists Fabrizio Romano and Sam Pilger, the 20-year-old is moving closer to joining Man United.

Dortmund are willing to cash in on the club’s top scorer and the winger wants the move as well. All that is left is for the two clubs to reach an agreement over a fee with which they are both happy.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that Sancho is the missing piece in the puzzle in order for his team to challenge for silverware once again.

Solskjaer knows he has a problem on the right flank, as Daniel James has struggled for consistency. Sancho could be a total game-changer, as the 20-year-old has scored 20 goals and created 18 assists in 46 games in all competitions this season.

While United haven’t necessarily struggled at the top of the pitch, as Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood have been in prolific form since the Premier League restarted last month, there is no doubt that the Borussia Dortmund winger could make a massive difference.

The Red Devils are ready to hand him the number seven shirt worn by the likes of Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo during their time at Old Trafford.

Although these are big boots to fill, he should be more than up for the challenge, as he has already established himself as a regular England international.

United fans, do you think Jadon Sancho will move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer? Let us know down below!