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Manchester City fans want to sign Manuel Locatelli after they were linked with a move for the Italian midfielder.

The dust has now settled on the 2020/21 campaign, and City will look back on the season with both pride and disappointment. On the one hand, they won both the Premier League and the League Cup, but they were also defeated by Chelsea in the Champions League final, the match they would likely have wanted to win more than any other.

As such, there are likely to be plenty of transfer plans ahead of the new campaign. One of the players the Citizens are said to be interested in is Locatelli, who currently plays for Sassuolo in Serie A. According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), City have tested the waters, with his current club looking for €40m (£34.3m) for his services.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Dream signing”

Credit: @BaggedMendy

“Get him”

Credit: @DiasCEO

“Hes class, would love him at city”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“Locatelli is far more skilled & fit our profile.”

Credit: @riszuan17

“Get him, great tackler and defensive mid. Send Rodri the other way and then extend Ferna for a year. Problems solved in deep midfield”

Credit: @skyzenz

“Come to Manchester Manuel”

Credit: @FelixFigo8

In other news, Man City fans are livid at this transfer report.

Crystal Palace are interested in appointing Rafael Benitez as Roy Hodgson’s successor at Selhurst Park, and the south London outfit should do all they can to persuade the Spaniard to take charge.

Hodgson announced his imminent exit from the Eagles dugout earlier in the week after four successful seasons with the capital club, and who Steve Parish picks to replace the former England boss is guaranteed to have a huge impact over their immediate prospects.

The former England boss guided Palace to Premier League safety with ease throughout his tenure, finishing as high as 11th in 2017/18, but there was a growing feeling that the 73-year-old had taken them as far as he could.

Now that Hodgson’s departure has been confirmed, talk has turned to who could possibly take over the reins, with several big names such as Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker linked with the soon-to-be-vacant role.

However, according to the Daily Record, the Palace hierarchy are also keen to explore the possibility of appointing Benitez as the ex-Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea boss looks for his next management position.

The 61-year-old Spanish manager made history by ending Valencia’s 31-year wait for a La Liga crown back in 2002 and arguably went one better three years later, guiding Liverpool to the most dramatic Champions League victory in the competition’s history in Istanbul.

With all due respect to Palace, it’s not often that a club of their stature has the opportunity to appoint a head coach of Benitez’s calibre and quality, and it would be a masterstroke if Parish could pull this off.

It’s set to be a turbulent summer at Selhurst Park, with over a dozen players approaching the end of their current contracts, meaning an experienced head is more suited to the job a hand. And Parish admitted the task of finding the right man to replace Hodgson is a daunting one.

“I don’t think we should underestimate the size of the challenge. We can see with teams that have been promoted already, we have a quality league next year, but equally, it is a fantastic opportunity for somebody.

“This is a London club, and it is an exciting time to be around it, the academy is developing, and the catchment area for talent we know is outstanding. The staff are amazing, and we have now pursued plans for a new main stand with vigour through this difficult time,” he added in an interview with Sky Sports.

“It’s daunting, but we have been through this before. We are in better shape than ever before as a club to make this transition, that isn’t to say it doesn’t come with pitfalls and dangers.”

Hiring a young, forward-thinking boss who plays attractive football may please many Palace fans and football romantics, but in reality, now may not bethe time for that in south London. The Eagles are approaching a crossroads, and with so much upheaval in the playing squad set to occur over the summer, they need an experienced leader to guide them through.

Benitez has won 12 major honors throughout his managerial career, and steering Palace successfully through this transitional period would be another significant success story.

And, in other news…Parish masterclass: Palace must swoop for 19-goal gem dubbed the new Thierry Henry – opinion

Former Lancashire captain John Crawley is to join Hampshire after beingreleased from his contract at Old Trafford

Stephen Lamb22-Mar-2002
JohnCrawley – joining Hants
Photo CricInfo
John Crawley today confirmed that he has signed a five-year contract with Hampshire, and that he is looking forward to joining his new colleagues on Monday.It ends a difficult winter for the 30-year-old, who requested an early release from his Lansashire contract when he was replaced as captain by Warren Hegg after a disappointing 2001 season. The county narrowly avoided relegation in the CricInfo Championship and failed to win promotion in the National League.”It’s been a very long winter, and it’s fantastic that it’s finally sorted out,” Crawley told reporters at Hampshire’s headquarters, the Rose Bowl. “It’s all in the past now. I’m looking forward to the season, probably more than any other in my career.”Hampshire have agreed to contribute towards the buy-out costs of Crawley’s contract. He would not comment on the Lancashire situation, stating that under his new contract he wasn’t allowed to. However he does believe that there should be a system of arbitration for complex situations of this kind.As to his reasons for joining Hampshire: “I was impressed with the facilities when I came down last year, and the people, and the whole development at Hampshire.”This whole saga has been going on since before Christmas – it’s been a strain on me and my family. Hampshire showing great ambition was one of the main reasons for coming here, because I’m more used to a conservative club with old-fashioned methods.”I still have a burning desire to play for England, and I’m still learning at 30.”Expressing his delight at the signing, Hampshire coach Jimmy Cook said: “It’s not my policy to go out and recruit players, but when players of Crawley’s calibre become available you’d be foolish not to look at them.”He brings a lot of experience and stability to our squad, and he will also help the young players with their development. With his signing and that of Nic Pothas, there’ll be huge competition for batting places this season.”A statement released by Lancashire earlier today read: “Following a period of protracted negotiation, the club has agreed to release John from his contract upon the payment to the club by him and Hampshire County Cricket Club Limited of a suitable five-figure compensation payment.”The exact terms agreed between the parties are subject to a formal writtenagreement which is the subject of a confidentiality obligation.”The club wish to place on record their thanks to John for his 12 years ofservice to the county.”Crawley scored more than 15,000 runs in his 11 seasons at Old Trafford, winning 29 Test caps. He succeeded Wasim Akram as captain in 1999, leading Lancashire to a National League title. They were also twice runners-up in the Championship.

Former England great, Graham Gooch, has echoed the words of David Graveney and suggested that the key to the series between England and Pakistan could be the inexperience of the tourists’ batsmen on seaming pitches

CricInfo12-May-2001Former England great, Graham Gooch, has echoed the words of David Graveney and suggested that the key to the series between England and Pakistan could be the inexperience of the tourists’ batsmen on seaming pitches.
Graham Gooch
Photo © CricInfo
Gooch believes that England’s seam attack, led by Caddick and Gough, should prove too hot to handle for a Pakistan batting line-up unaccustomed to the extra movement often available to the bowlers on the green English pitches. He pointed to the example of last summer’s visitors, the West Indies, to illustrate his point that the English attack is adept at exploiting any help in the conditions, or inadequacies of technique.”Not many of their batsmen, if any, have played here regularly and that should be an advantage to us, just as it was last year against the West Indies,” reasoned Gooch. “Unlike previous years with the West Indies, only a couple had any real experience of playing in English conditions and that showed during the series.”If our bowlers bowl well in English conditions we could cause some of the Pakistan batsmen problems because the ball is likely to swing and seam around.”However, Gooch conceded that the Pakistan bowling attack contained a great deal of experience and that the English batsmen may have to be in their best form to withstand it.”There is quite a contrast in Pakistan’s line-up with a superbly experienced bowling attack in this country, but their batsman are quite the opposite,” he admitted.”If their bowlers click and are talking to each other, they could do a lot of damage and they also have two superb all-rounders in Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood.”Gooch also expressed doubts that rumours of disharmony within the Pakistan squad would have any impression on the series: “They are noted for being unpredictable and they could still easily upset things. There are rumours of their demise but they are usually at their most dangerous when they are fighting among themselves.”So far Pakistan seem to be the team with all the problems. Shoaib Akhtar is far from fully fit, Yousuf Youhana is out of form and the relationship between senior players Wasim Akram and captain Waqar Younis appears strained.In contrast, Andy Caddick has just completed a ten-wicket game for Somerset and there have been runs aplenty for Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe, but Gooch warned against any feelings of complacency within the English squad.”Pakistan have some extremely talented cricketers,” he said. “They’ve not always played as a unit but when they do, they are more than capable of going out and beating any side in the world.”

Wayne Rooney could be planning a move to bring Lee Gregory back to Derby County this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Derbyshire Live, who claim that the 35-year-old Rams boss may be targeting a move to bring the Stoke City centre-forward, who spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Pride Park, back to the club for next season.

Speaking last month about the possibility of the £450,000-rated 32-year-old returning to Derby, Rooney, as cited by Derbyshire Live, stated: “Losing Lee was a blow because he was in good form. He’ll do his rehab and we will help him get back fit, and [will] obviously make a decision on Lee at the end of the season.

“I think he has been fantastic – attitude, energy, hunger. He’s very good inside the six-yard box, his anticipation to get himself in the right position to score goals is very good.”

Rooney must avoid move

While Gregory did manage to score three goals and provide one assist over his 11 appearances while on loan at Derby County, prior to picking up a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the club’s last seven Championship fixtures, there are a number of reasons why Rooney must avoid a move for the former Millwall man this summer.

Firstly, while the Derby boss may well be impressed with the striker’s hunger, energy and attitude, the fact remains that, throughout his career, Gregory has only ever scored 10 or more goals in a Championship season on two occasions – in his 2017/18 and 2018/19 Championship campaigns with the Lions, when he scored 10 and 12 goals respectively.

Secondly, with the £17,500-per-week forward still under contract for a further year with Stoke, unless Derby can somehow persuade the Potters to allow them to take Gregory off their hands for nothing, then he will cost a fee – something that, considering the state of Derby’s current finances, would appear to be a waste of money on a 32-year-old with little to no resale value.

Finally, there is an argument to make that there are much better options available for Derby in the transfer window, not only in terms of quality but also in price, with a number of impressive talents becoming available on free transfers this summer – such as Sunderland’s 29-goal hitman Charlie Wyke.

As such, it would be highly advisable for Rooney to resist the temptation to simply return to a player he knows in the upcoming transfer window, as the Rams need to make considerable improvements, rather than just treading water.

In other news: Alan Nixon delivers encouraging Derby County update, fans will surely be buzzing – opinion

Former Newcastle midfielder Steve Howey has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s shocked by Gareth Bale’s comments about returning to Real Madrid, considering the “disgusting” treatment he’s received in the Spanish capital.

Bale made the loan switch back to Tottenham last summer, with an option for a second year, but the Welshman revealed on international duty last month that he’s planning on returning to the Bernabeu once his loan deal expires at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has enjoyed a far more productive second half of the season with Spurs than the first, scoring 11 times and adding three assists in 29 outings in all competitions, although he’s played just ten minutes in four Premier League matches before Jose Mourinho was sacked.

Bale later touched on his comments once again, and admitted that he’ll decide his future after his summer holiday, but Howey is surprised that he would even consider playing for Real Madrid again.

He told Football FanCast:

“He comes with some toppers when he goes away with Wales. There’s this one, and the one with the flag. It felt as if his bridges were kind of burnt at Real, he clearly doesn’t get on with the manager.

“If I’m being honest, I think it’s a disgrace the way he’s been treated considering what he’s done at the club. He should be an absolute icon, is it four European Cups?”

Inzamam-ul-Haq: Profile

Agha Akbar07-May-2001
The highest rated Pakistan batsman in the world
Photo © CricInfo Ltd
Many years ago, that discerning spotter of cricket talent, Imran Khan, predicted that an upcoming Pakistani youngster held out the promise of becoming the best batsman in the world one day. And after a decade of battling it out with the best in the world, burly Inzy (for he was the one singled out for the praise) has fulfilled the master’s prophesy, and lived up to his early promise, by taking slots 1, 4 or 6 in the latest cricket ratings.Since his debut against England at Birmingham in 1992, the big man, as foreign cricket commentators are fond of calling him, has chalked up an impressive record in both versions of the game. Although the cold print does not reveal his complete mastery of the bowling when in full flow, or the brute force and the sheer savagery of his assault, it is a fair reflection of his overall consistency, despite one or two bad patches, layoffs due to injury, and his bane, the running between wickets. In 72 Tests so far, he has scored 4962 runs (13 hundreds, 29 fifties, with a highest of 200 not out) at an enviable average of 46.37. What is even more remarkable that 10 of these 13 Test hundreds have come abroad. His ODI performance in 243 matches has produced an awesome 7926 runs (7 hundreds, 59 fifties, with a top score of 137 not out) at an average of 40.43. No doubt, something for the statisticians to crow over.Inzy’s biggest enemy, on numerous occasions, has been himself. His laid back style and lazy, unruffled air, which is his hallmark even in the tightest situation, has often led to his downfall. It sometimes degenerates into a seemingly bored indifference, a lack of commitment, loose shots, lapses of concentration, and the inevitable, sometimes farcical, run outs in which he has been frequently involved.But, in the end, all that must be accepted as something inexplicably intertwined with his genius and rare gift as a batsman. And though there may be gasps of dismay from the spectators at the ludicrous situation of Inzy and his fellow batsman somehow contriving to be at the same end, the Pakistani crowds love him despite all his foibles and lapses.But, of late, one has to concede that Inzamam had become the most dependable of Pakistani batsmen. Commencing with his appointment as vice-captain in 1999, he has virtually been Mr Consistency, and in the year 2000 he made 1000-plus runs in both Tests and one-dayers – 1090 runs in 12 Tests, 4 hundreds, six 50s, average 60.56; 34 one-dayers, 1074 runs, 1 hundred, nine 50s, average 42.96.He carried that great form into the ongoing year as well, with a Test hundred in New Zealand and subsequently three big 50s which landed him the Man of the Tournament award in the recent ARY Gold Cup at the desert emirate of Sharjah.At the moment, the highest rated Pakistan batsman in the world, his team would be looking up to him to contribute big runs and revolve the middle order around him during the England series.The many magnificent innings he has already played for Pakistan and the sheer delight he has provided to fans, would live in memory for a long while and tilt the scales easily in favour of the `big fella’.

Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome has told The Transfer Tavern that Jack Harrison will almost certainly become a Leeds United player this summer.

The winger is currently in his third season-long loan spell at the club from Manchester City.

He has never played for City, and has gone on to make 123 appearances for the Whites.

This season, he has scored seven goals and registered six assists in 31 Premier League games.

And Newsome says that Leeds did want to sign Harrison permanently last summer, but were forced to settle for a loan after bringing in a number of new arrivals in the transfer window.

He says that various onlookers already think that Harrison is contracted permanently to Leeds, and he believes that the confusion will be rectified this summer.

Speaking exclusively to TT, he said: “Yeah, it’s a strange one, isn’t it? Because I was speaking about him in the week, actually, to a couple of guys, and they could not believe that he was a Man City player. They were like ‘what?’ I said ‘Yeah, he’s in his third season long loan at Leeds United from Manchester City.’ And they were astounded. They just thought he was a Leeds United player.

“So I mean, I don’t know the ins and outs of the clauses in the contracts, that kind of thing. But I was led to believe that they wanted to purchase him in the summer, last summer.

“That because they brought in a number of other players, they agreed to another season-long loan. And I would be immensely surprised if Jack Harrison didn’t become a Leeds United footballer in the near future.”

Harrison is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt and City are unlikely to stand in his way, because he has yet to step foot on a pitch in the club’s colours.

Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer firmly deserves his potential new contract at Manchester United.

A report has claimed that the Norwegian is set to earn a new deal whether he wins a trophy this season or not.

United’s only chance of silverware, realistically, comes in the Europa League, where they will play Roma in the semi-finals after dispatching Granada over two legs.

There is the potential of another semi-final defeat – United lost in the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League semis last season – but Fry insists that Solskjaer’s future should not hinge on whether he wins silverware this term.

Indeed, he believes that Solskjaer has done an excellent job in making United an exciting team once again, after the “very dull” football served up by Jose Mourinho prior to the former striker’s appointment.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I think the rot started with Mourinho really, United for the last two years under Mourinho were very poor, very dull, very boring, it wasn’t a typical United side.

“They brought Ole in, obviously with his connection with Manchester United as a player, I think they felt that it was a real big, big job for Solskjaer to get it sorted out and they’re happy with the way he’s gone about it and the way he’s changed things, with playing some of the younger players, coming on strong, United are traditionally good at that, in the long distant past anyway.

“I think they like that about him. He’s made a couple of great signings and obviously, they’re going to back him now.”

Fry also thinks that Solskjaer has overperformed this season, with a number of supporters believing that the club would only be fighting to finish in the top four, though they are almost certain to finish second.

He added: “The Man United supporters are up in arms really in one way but in another way, they’re saying they didn’t expect this year to be anywhere near the top, they thought they would be out for the top four. And it looks as though United will finish second.

“Second to Man City who are arguably the best side in the world at the minute so they don’t see that as failure. I don’t think the Manchester United hierarchy feel it’s failure, they feel it’s progress. And they obviously felt that what Ole had to do was far, far bigger than everybody outside the club felt it was. I think that’s why United are going to reward him with a new contract.”

Crystal Palace and West Ham United are two clubs that are thought to be interested in Watford centre-back Francisco Sierralta.

According to Enzo Olivera, four Premier League clubs want to land the 23-year-old, with the Eagles and the Hammers two of the interested parties name-checked by Last Word on Sports.

Sierralta’s Watford breakthrough

Sierralta made the move to Vicarage Road back in September from Udinese but had to remain patient for an opportunity in the Championship.

His first second-tier start came on Boxing Day in the 1-0 win over Norwich and the Chile international has been a regular for the Hornets ever since.

Transfer Tavern take

Sierralta is valued at just £450,000 by Transfermarkt, which, to us, seems to be a relatively low figure for a South American international who will turn 24 in May.

He has experience of playing in Serie A and Primera Division and will have just 12 months remaining on his Watford contract in the summer.

Palace have just one centre-back under the age of 30 on their books at this moment in time, so bringing in Sierralta could prove to be a smart decision over time. However, it seems as if the Eagles may face competition for his services, should they firm up their interest.

In other news: Many Palace fans buzz at Connor Wickham footage, find out more here.