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Crystal Palace could soon have another top young talent on their hands at Selhurst Park, with Josh Kymani-Gordon continuing to star in the academy.

The 19-year-old is quickly catching fire in the Eagles’ academy and has started the season in superb fashion, notching six goals in six games in the Premier League 2.

The striker also impressed during the international break, with Crystal Palace’s youngsters taking on PSG’s academy earlier this week, in which Paddy McCarthy’s side produced an incredible display, winning 7-3.

Kymani-Gordon was unsurprisingly amongst the goals, hitting a hattrick, so he will surely be a player that Patrick Vieira is keeping an eye on at Selhurst Park.

The teenage forward also won Crystal Palace’s U’18 player of the season award in the 2019/20 campaign, with McCarthy full of praise for him after his achievements were recognised.

He said: “He has a fantastic attitude. [He’s] strong, powerful, excellent technique. A player who came to us at the start of the year. He’s done a lot of work on the training ground and shown a real open mind to learn and a real desire to get better every day on the training pitch.”

Vieira could have a big problem on his hands next summer, with Wilfried Zaha reportedly likely to depart Selhurst Park on the expiry of his contract, having contributed 87 goals and 73 assists in a glittering Palace career.

This will leave the French manager needing a new talisman and goalscorer in his side, with Zaha having picked up where he left off last season, hitting four goals in five Premier League games so far this season.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is one man from the academy who has been likened to Zaha by Charlton boss Ben Garner, where the youngster is currently on loan, but Kymani-Gordon’s sensational goalscoring form suggests that he could be a more natural replacement for the Ivorian at Selhurst Park.

If he continues this phenomenal start to the new season, there seems no reason why Kymani-Gordon won’t be featuring in the first team in the near future.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be heading for a transfer blunder over one of their players with the transfer window closing in only a few days’ time.

What’s the news?

The Sun journalist Tom Barclay was speaking to GIVEMESPORT about interest from Tottenham in Wolves winger Adama Traore, saying:

“Traore is a player they’ve [Spurs] liked for a long time, although his stock feels like it has fallen a little bit. It didn’t work out at Barcelona, and he can’t get in the Wolves team.

“Whether Conte would look at him and think ‘I could make him into a wing-back’. He would offer something different with that raw pace, so I could see why that might be attractive.”

With fellow winger Pedro Neto being linked with a move away from the club, with Arsenal reportedly interested, Bruno Lage won’t want to lose two forward options without time to bring a replacement in.

Lage shouldn’t sell

Wolves’ lack of a goalscoring threat has been evident, not only this season having netted just four goals in four matches, but also the whole of last year’s Premier League campaign where they only scored 38 times.

Traore spent the second half of last season on loan at Barcelona, registering four assists in his first three matches, displaying his talent on the biggest stage.

The £43k-per-week speedster soon lost his form, failing to score while in Spain, and the La Liga giants ended up deciding not to purchase the player as he came back to England ahead of the new season.

Despite only producing four assists and scoring once during the whole of last season, he did display some evidence that he was working hard to make things happen for his respective teams.

Compared to positional peers in the big five leagues over the previous year, Traore ranks in the 96th percentile for progressive carries (10.12 per match) and in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed (5.28 per match). That is hardly a surprise but it shows just what he can offer to Wolves when he’s in form.

With Tottenham clearly interested in the player, Lage will need to make sure he remains at Molineux as he can still provide a positive threat for this stagnant Wolves attack.

The 26-year-old uses his brute strength and raw pace to power past defenders and this is what sometimes makes him “unplayable” according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

There should still be a place for Traore in the Wolves’ side, and with two points from four league matches, they need him to give them a jolt into life, otherwise, it could be a season of sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League for Lage and his team.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has urged Arsenal to make ‘one or two more signings’ this summer in order to compete at the top of the Premier League. 

The lowdown: Busy summer

The Gunners have already enjoyed a fruitful summer in the transfer market as Edu bolstered the options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal with a number of exciting new additions.

Gabriel Jesus, Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Matt Turner all arrived at the Emirates Stadium, whilst the north Londoners continue to be linked with further attacking stars like Lucas Paqueta and Cody Gakpo.

As the window enters its final fortnight, one well-informed onlooker has suggested more incomings at Arsenal could see Arteta’s charges mount a serious challenge this season…

The latest: ‘Two more signings’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that ‘one or two more signings’ from Edu would be welcome.

He said: “It just shows the benefits of getting your business done early and having a full pre-season with your first-choice XI.

“One or two more signings gives Arsenal real depth that they still need. I mean, their starting XI is pretty much as good as almost anyone in this league at the moment. But those extra signings would seriously put them in the conversation for the top four. I think it’s too soon to consider them going any higher than that.”

The verdict: Spot on

If there are to be further arrivals into N7 it appears certain that they will be in the wide areas given the previous interest in Raphinha and the suggestion of a ‘mystery winger’ being on the radar.

With out-of-favour Frenchman Nicolas Pepe unlikely to be involved in Arteta’s plans and Marquinhos still an unproven entity at the Premier League level, adding an alternative option into the ranks would be a welcome move.

Despite netting six goals in the opening two fixtures, sterner challenges lie ahead and this campaign could be decided by those who are able to last the pace, therefore another marquee arrival such as Pedro Neto could well be on the cards before the September 1 deadline passes.

Tottenham Hotspur could soon offer Harry Kane a new contract amid reports linking him with an exit…

What’s the word?

The England international has been subject to interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in recent weeks, with manager Julian Nagelsmann publicly revealing his desire to sign him.

“He could score a lot in the Bundesliga. I don’t know the price, but it’s really tough for Bayern Munich. We’ll see what happens in the future,” he claimed (via the Daily Mail).

Now, it appears as if Spurs will hand him a fresh extension to his current £200k-per-week deal, according to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, who tweeted:

“Understand Spurs are yet to offer Harry Kane a new contract but the offer is expected to come and he is open to talks.

“A piece on that and Kane and Son’s huge part in [Antonio] Conte’s plans & why their happiness behind the scenes is crucial to a huge season ahead.”

Lilywhites legend

After last summer’s nightmare surrounding Kane and Manchester City, you could forgive some members of the Tottenham faithful for thinking that another difficult saga is about to happen, with Bayern in desperate need to replace Robert Lewandowski.

However, this update from the ever-reliable Gold should alleviate fears as it seems as if chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici will look to tie down the 28-year-old talisman for the foreseeable future.

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Kane could well end his playing career, at least in England, at Spurs, having risen through the academy ranks to being a key figure for club and country. Indeed, he has topped the goalscoring charts in north London in each of the last eight seasons.

The journalist also claims that Kane features as a “huge part” of Conte’s plans at the club and it’s easy to see why, given the Italian’s previous praise of the striker.

“Harry, in the past, in the games that he didn’t score, I liked his performance,” Conte said (via the Independent). “Harry is a player who’s scored a lot in the past as a number nine.

“But what we can appreciate – me and the whole team – is his attitude and commitment for the whole team. I think this is the most important thing for us.”

Whilst back in 2017, during his time at Chelsea, the 52-year-old claimed that Kane was “one of the best strikers in the world” and that he is the “complete player.”

Therefore, those around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium must be absolutely delighted with this development, as they should expect Kane to remain in north London for the next few years at least.

AND in other news, “Maybe Spurs will…”: Reliable journo drops big transfer claim…

Leeds United are thought to be ahead of AC Milan in the race to sign Club Brugge attacker Charles De Ketelaere, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Milan rivalling Leeds

Victor Orta has already brought in a number of players this summer, and De Ketelaere could well be the final marquee addition ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

Leeds view the 21-year-old as an inside forward or a secondary forward to support Patrick Bamford but are rivalling AC Milan for his services.

Recent reports have claimed that the player favours a move to Milan over Leeds, however, it looks as if a positive twist has emerged in favour of the Whites.

The Latest: Leeds in pole position

FI shared a story early on Wednesday morning regarding De Ketelaere after being informed by an Elland Road source.

They claimed that Leeds are now in pole position to sign the Belgian, with the Whites confident they have leapfrogged AC Milan to a transfer after submitting a bid worth more than £25m. The report adds that Leeds are readying a ‘lucrative five-year contract’ for De Ketelaere with discussions ongoing.

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The Verdict: Would be brilliant

De Ketelaere is a player who already has Champions League experience and has been billed as the next Kevin de Bruyne. He enjoyed the best season in front of his career to date in 2021/22, contributing to 28 goals in 49 games and can play anywhere in attack.

The Belgian’s Transfermarkt valuation has soared to a career-high £27m as a result of his impressive displays over the last 12 months, so Leeds could be saving the best until last when it comes to marquee arrivals.

Leeds United are ‘still in for’ Manchester City teenager James McAtee this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: McAtee linked with Leeds

The 19-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder who has also played on the wing and as a centre-forward.

He was linked with a move to Elland Road last month, with Leeds ‘very keen’ to bring the teenager to Yorkshire following their move for Kalvin Phillips.

Described as ‘stunning’ by BBC journalist Jordan Elgott, McAtee has contributed to 46 goals in 52 games for City’s under-23s and has made six senior appearances.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Talking to The Transfer Tavern, Jones had this to say on Leeds and McAtee, claiming that the Whites are ‘are still in for’ the teenager and that he could see a move materialising:

“McAtee at Man City is somebody that they are still in for as well. That might be one that still ends up happening.”

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The Verdict: Final signing of the summer?

Leeds have been extremely busy so far this summer, with four signings finalised. Two more appear to be on the way in RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams and Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra, with a new centre-forward and experienced goalkeeper also reportedly on the club’s wish list.

Therefore, Leeds may decide to finish bolstering Jesse Marsch’s first-team ranks before moving for McAtee, who could provide the Whites manager with another exciting young attacking option, making this prospective move one to watch before the September 1 deadline.

Celtic are reportedly interested in signing Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Alfa Semedo, according to a report from Portuguese outlet A Bola. 

The lowdown: Semedo’s career so far

After graduating from Benfica’s academy in 2016, the Guinea-Bissau international struggled to make the grade in the Portuguese top flight and left the Lisbon club with only 16 first-team outings to his name.

Since then, the 24-year-old has spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest, Reading and Espanyol before returning to Portugal.

Despite being under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), Semedo could now be on the move once again less than a year on from joining Guimaraes.

The latest: Celtic interested in Semedo

As per A Bola, Celtic are believed to be leading the chase to sign the eight-cap Guinea-Bissau international this summer.

It’s claimed that there are ‘are several clubs interested’ in Semedo, but it’s the Hoops who are ‘at the forefront’ as things stand.

The report added that the man who was hailed by reporter Andy Preston for his ‘brilliant’ role in a goal for Reading against Bournemouth in November 2020 ‘will be able to leave’ the Portuguese outfit during the summer transfer window.

The verdict: Much-needed signing

After the departures of Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton, signing a midfielder – particularly a defensive-minded operator – must be a priority for Ange Postecoglou and the Parkhead hierarchy ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

During the 2021/22 season, Semedo made 31 appearances across all competitions for Guimaraes, earning an impressive 6.61 Sofascore rating whilst making one interception and 1.1 clearances and winning 4.6 duels per league game – more than Rogic’s 3.4 and Bitton’s 3.1 in the Premiership.

Valued at £1.35m by Transfermarkt, signing the former Benfica starlet should be a relatively inexpensive venture for Celtic and a wholly worthwhile one, especially given his previous experience in the English Championship, which could help to ease any transition back to the UK.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

Celtic have seen some prominent midfielders wave goodbye to Parkhead in recent memory, such as Scott Brown and Tom Rogic.

The club also announced that they have released young midfield talent Luca Connell after his recent loan spell with Queen’s Park.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open, this will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to potentially replace some of these recent departures and strengthen his squad in other areas as well.

One fresh-faced midfielder with whom the Hoops have been linked recently is Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron.

A product of the Pittodrie youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, 13 of which came during the second half of this latest Premiership season.

This highlights just how much faith Jim Goodwin has in the youngster and how highly he is rated at the club.

In fact, Goodwin said about the teenager in March: “He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.”

In terms of what sort of player he is, Jacek Kulig described the £68k-rated starlet as being similar to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The Twitter football scout also listed Barron’s pace, passing, tackling, positioning, work rate, energy, pressing and tenacity as the youngster’s main strengths.

Taking into account how successful Kante has been for club and country in terms of the trophies he’s lifted and individual awards he’s won, the prospect of having their own version of the Frenchman in the shape of the Aberdeen starlet is one that Celtic should not let slip.

While the Dons would presumably be keen to retain their teenage talent and give him the chance to develop his game at Pittodrie, the chance to join the reigning Scottish champions and potentially lift silverware and play in Europe with the Hoops would surely be tempting for Barron.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

Newcastle United could make a summer swoop for Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Coutinho back in England

On loan at Aston Villa until the end of the season, the playmaker is attempting to rebuild a stuttering career, having been much-maligned following an eye-watering £142m switch to Spain in 2018 (BBC).

Things didn’t go to plan for the Brazilian maestro after leaving Liverpool and the 29-year-old has managed just 106 appearances for the Catalan giants four years on from the move, struggling with injuries and spending time on loan at Bayern Munich since leaving the Premier League.

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A stay in England could now be on the cards, although not necessarily at Villa Park…

The latest: Newcastle eyeing Coutinho

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Newcastle are ready to make a move for Coutinho, with Magpies reportedly prepared to offer a seven-figure bonus in an attempt to lure him to St James’ Park.

The journalist explained that the Tyneside club are monitoring the situation in the Midlands, saying: “Steven Gerrard still wants Villa to sign Coutinho, but Newcastle are watching this with interest.

“At the end of the month, Villa have to tell Barcelona whether they intend to take up the option to buy him – and if they hesitate I’m told Newcastle will look to make a proposal to the player.”

The verdict: Would be a statement signing

As the new-look Newcastle begins to take shape over the forthcoming transfer windows, Eddie Howe will almost certainly have an abundance of big-name players linked with a move to St James’ Park.

Identifying the players who best fit into the system and the project will be imperative, decisions that the Englishman got right in January with the captures of Matt Targett, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier.

Upon his return to the Premier League, Coutinho – who was once described as possessing ‘magical powers’ by compatriot and former Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino – has scored four times and provided three assists in 15 outings, proof of a continued ability to thrive at the elite level.

Combined with a mooted £33m purchase option for Villa, that form makes the skilful Brazilian an exciting proposition to strengthen the attacking ranks, and Newcastle would be wise to pay close attention to his situation in the coming weeks and months.

In other news, this journalist reacts to one NUFC starlet’s weekend heroics

The former West Indies batsman has an opportunity to return to international cricket in his adopted home, and also a chance to show that he should never have felt like he had to leave his true home

Peter Della Penna06-Feb-2018A new year in USA cricket has brought a new look squad with it. Four players have made their debut on tour in Antigua at the Cricket West Indies Super50 competition. Among them, none carries higher acclaim than former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall. With an opportunity to return to international cricket in his adopted home, it is also a chance for him to show that he should never have felt like he had to leave his true home.”I’ve been playing professionally for a while now,” Marshall says. “I have it in the back of my head every time I get a chance that I have to deliver. I’ve got a point to prove and show a couple of people that I’m supposed to be there playing. They didn’t respect that [despite] from Under-15, Under-19, getting most valuable player and getting all those things up to the senior team [in Jamaica]… So I have a point to prove to a lot of people.”After excelling at junior level, Marshall’s West Indies career began as an 18-year-old in 2005 when he was picked to go to Australia in the ODI squad to play in the VB Series. Though it should have been an exciting time for him, Marshall says making his debut at such a young age set the wheels in motion for a future rift within the Jamaican cricket set-up.”I got a lot of fight back home from players who became selectors… I won’t name names but I used to play with them. When I first played for West Indies, they dropped them to pick me. When they retired, they became Jamaican selectors and gave me a hard time, so that’s why I decided to move on from there.”I never had a problem with West Indies selectors. It was Jamaica.”Aside from any grievance he may have with Jamaica, Marshall says the biggest turning point in his career also came against Australia, at home during the Test series of 2008. Opening the batting in the fourth innings of the Barbados Test, when the hosts were set 475 to win, he appeared on his way to a century when he attempted to flick a short-of-a-length ball on leg stump from left-arm wristspinner Beau Casson behind square. But the extra bounce resulted in an edge off the thigh guard and a sensational diving catch at forward short leg by Phil Jaques accounted for Casson’s maiden Test wicket.”I made two half-centuries in two Tests,” Marshall says. “I think if I go on to score 100 when I made the 85, I think that would have made a big difference because hundreds count.”Instead, he lasted just one more year in the side, playing his final match the following June in the World T20 in England. Things continued to go south from there.Nicholas Reid/West Indies Cricket Board”My last tour was in Guyana. The same tournament, 50 overs [in 2013]. I heard if I failed, I’m going to get dropped. They said, ‘Yo X, if you don’t make a hundred or big fifty they gonna drop you.’ So that was it.” Back-to-back ducks against Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago sealed his fate.A year later, he moved initially to Atlanta and was playing league cricket there before heading north to New York in 2015. It’s where he met his wife, a fellow Jamaican immigrant, and decided to stay. He continued playing on Saturdays for Somerset Cavaliers in New Jersey’s Millenium Cricket League and on Sundays in New York for Villagers CC, the same club that is home to his cousin, former USA batsman Rashard Marshall. Their fathers are brothers and the two cousins grew up together in the Jamaican parish of St Ann’s, eventually both playing cricket at York Castle high school before Rashard migrated to New York in the mid 2000s while Xavier was with West Indies.After settling in New York, Xavier Marshall says he initially just wanted to keep playing cricket to prove to himself that he could continue performing. After strong seasons in New York, playing for USA down the road entered in the back of his mind. It became a stronger target for him after USA selection chairman Ricardo Powell, another Jamaican who played for West Indies before heading stateside, reached out in 2016 to gauge his interest and eligibility. Once Marshall got the green light over the winter, having met the ICC residency requirement, he was fast-tracked in.That his debut tour is back where his career began in the West Indies is fitting. He’s relished the opportunity so far, top-scoring in each of USA’s first two matches with 40 against Leeward Islands and 51 against Guyana. Up next in USA’s third match is Jamaica. While Marshall is eager to give a reminder of those in the Jamaican administration what they’re missing, he also has other objectives, including catching the eye of CPL scouts. He’s also mindful though that he wouldn’t have such opportunities if it wasn’t for the faith the USA administration has placed in him.”I represent the USA with pride. It means a lot to me. It’s the US, man. It might not be big in cricket but it’s a great country,” Marshall says. “The main goal to is to get a couple hundreds and get into the CPL. That’s the main goal, to get into the CPL and take it from there, step by step. This is a great opportunity for the world to see me again. I might be playing for the US but it’s the same Caribbean league. It’s a great opportunity for me playing back in the West Indies again in a first-class competition.”