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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has jumped to the defence of Naby Sarr, who has been widely criticised for his performance against Millwall, as reported by London News Online.

What did he say?

Sarr had a bit of a shocker against Millwall, as the Lions’ goals in their 2-1 win came from the 26-year-old being easily beaten in the air from set-piece deliveries.

Fans were far from impressed with him on social media following the game, feeling that he cost them the points on the day.

However, Sarr, who recently got his first call-up to the Senegal national team, has received the public support of Bowyer: “We have to remember how far he has come, when I first took over 18 months ago he was in a bad place.

“Yeah, it was a shame he was at fault [against Millwall] but he has played a lot of games for us.

“So you can’t just get caught up in that game. All players make mistakes at one time or another.

“Once you come away from it and have had a couple of days to calm down you have to look at the bigger picture, that’s all I’d say. And that is how far he has come in the time that I’ve been in charge.”

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Unacceptable form

Regardless of whether or not Sarr has improved, Charlton can’t afford for the centre-back to carry on putting in performances like the one against Millwall.

He did provide the assist for Jonathan Leko’s goal, but his defensive showing was very suspect during the game, as shown below:

It should also be noted that the 26-year-old was hooked off at half time in the previous match against Preston North End, having failed to make a tackle, interception or clearance.

The defender has shown that he can give solid performances in the Championship, as in October he was given a WhoScored rating of 8.4 in Charlton’s 3-0 win over Derby County.

This came from a performance in which he made 6 clearances, 1 tackle, 3 clearances and scored a goal.

He needs to get back to defensively solid performances like this to prevent further questions being asked about his place in the team.

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

According to new reports coming from Corriere della Sera, Roma are working hard to make Chris Smalling’s stay in the capital permanent. Looking at the season the defender is having and their team as a whole, this should be their priority for the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that the Italians have made up their mind: Smalling has to stay put and his agent will be working hard to make it happen as soon as possible.

Still, it seems that the Red Devils will demand around €18m (£15m) for the 30-year-old centre-back, as per Corriere della Sera’s same report, but the upper management of the Roman Gladiators appear calm.

They believe Smalling wants to stay put and that should play right into their hands once the upcoming winter market opens in January.

Keeping the reborn defender at the club definitely looks like a good piece of business for them at the very moment.

A new player

Needless to say, Smalling has completely changed ever since his departure from Manchester United.

During his last season at Old Trafford, the 30-year-old centre-back struggled to show consistency week in, week out and even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted it would be for the best if he sought out the exit door.

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His spell with Manchester United was littered with big blunders and heavy criticism but now he seems to have turned a new leaf altogether.

He’s been Roma’s best performers in 2019/20 with an average rating of 7.53 in Serie A according to Whoscored.

Smalling has averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game and even managed to bag two goals and one assist in the league this season.

By all standards, he went from being a zero over at Old Trafford to being a hero at the Olimpico and that’s no small feat to achieve.

Roma’s reported insistence of keeping the centre-back is very much warranted and despite his reformed status, with the likes of Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and Marcos Rojo all fighting for a central defensive spot in the Red Devils’ team, a return back to England would definitely not suit either party.

Staying in Italy, however, seems like the ideal scenario, both for Roma and Smalling himself.

In other news, Paris Saint-Germain seem to be targeting one of Roma’s young jewels and the Italians might have some trouble keeping them away.

A couple of weeks ago reports emerged about Leeds potentially signing Yan Couto on loan from Manchester City next season.

Given the fact that one reputable journalist had recently stated that right-back was Leeds’ position of the season, it was somewhat surprising to see that they were apparently in the market for a youngster recently compared to Dani Alves.

However, what makes this even more baffling is the fact that Leeds already have a young right-back ready to breakthrough.

Indeed, Bryce Hosannah has been putting in some eye-opening performances for the U23s this season.

After an academy game that saw both Ian Poveda and Jean-Kevin Augustin make their first appearances in a Leeds shirt, the one player Graham Smyth wanted to wax-lyrical about was Hosannah.

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“The player who stood out for me the most is Bryce Hosannah at right-back, he looks a real player,” Smyth said (Inside Elland Road 4/2/20 39:50).

“He’s very good, he’s just been very unfortunate with injuries, he’s had two lengthy long-term layoffs, and that’s meant that his progress towards the first-team has been halted. Obviously he’s been in a few squads, and I think he went to Australia. So he’s one to watch.”

Hosannah seems to be a player of real talent and ability if we’re going off of Smyth’s verdict, and the club seem to have a fair bit of faith in him, awarding him a new contract earlier this season.

Leeds have a clear choice. Sign Couto on loan for a season and see Hosannah drop down the pecking order even further or forget the Brazilian and hand a chance to their own homegrown talent.

Does Couto have a higher ceiling than Hosannah? Probably, he’s already moved for €15m (£13.7m) and has been compared to a former Barcelona star, but Leeds won’t get to reap the rewards of his development if he comes in on loan for a year.

Hosannah may not be as good as Couto, but at least Leeds will get something out of giving him a chance rather than doing Man City a favour that won’t aid the club in the long-run.

In other news, this has to be considered Leeds’ biggest blunder.

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on Twitter after Football London’s Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold criticised the club’s decision to let Fernando Llorente leave last summer.

The website’s Tottenham news Twitter account relayed the comment from a Q&A Gold conducted, where he was discussing the need for the north London outfit and manager Jose Mourinho to find a replacement for the giant Spaniard.

Of course, Spurs have been left without a senior recognised striker in recent months after Harry Kane suffered a serious hamstring injury on New Year’s Day against Southampton, which has left Mourinho in a though situation with the likes of Dele Alli and Lucas Moura filling in up top.

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Meanwhile, Llorente joined Napoli and has scored four goals in 24 outings for the Serie A outfit, with the majority of his outings coming from the substitutes’ bench with just four starts to his name, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, he would have given Tottenham a focal point and some much-needed respite in the absence of Kane, with Gold labelling the call not to hand him a new contract last summer as a “poor decision”.

Many Spurs supporters agree with the journalist as you can see below, with one saying “I’d pin that on Poch”, obviously believing that the Argentine was to blame for the 35-year-old’s departure.

Here is a selection of the reaction…

In other Tottenham news, Lucas Moura has posted a brilliant video on Twitter of him re-watching the Champions League semi-final at home…

Having taken over from Manuel Pellegrini mid-way through the Premier League season, David Moyes will enter his first summer transfer window as West Ham boss.

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Moyes is intent on bringing in some more British talent to the club, and now The Daily Star (back page, 12/04 edition) suggest the Hammers are eyeing a potential swoop for Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier.

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The England international has been in and out of the Spurs side this season, making just 25 appearances across all competitions, with only 14 of them coming in the Premier League.

After hearing about their links to the £18m-rated ace, West Ham fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their latest transfer target.

A couple of Hammers fans even went to the lengths of saying they would rather have Carlos Sanchez in their team than Dier.

With Declan Rice’s future still in question, it’s no surprise the Hammers are targeting Dier as a potential option for this summer.

But judging by the reaction of many West Ham fans, it appears the Englishman isn’t the kind of signing they are looking for.

But with his ability to play as a holding midfielder and as a centre-back, if Moyes can get him on the cheap, then he could certainly prove himself to be a useful addition to the squad.

Newcastle United’s takeover could be confirmed by next week, according to sources in Saudi Arabia.

The House of Saud claim that there have been delays to the original plans of announcing the completion on Monday of this week and also state that “terms including figures are agreed and the deposit has been completed.”

In an article posted today, they further added:

“Speculation regarding a potential one-off embargo against the PIF and Saudi Arabia being imposed by the Premier League is untrue, and we can report that the Saudi Finance Minister has received no indication of any such issues or obstacles with regard to the takeover of Newcastle United.

“The new owners have a “dream list” of players, including some of Europe’s biggest names, which they see as crucial to bringing the club’s results and achievements to the highest level. The Newcastle United board are confident they will be able to announce the deal formally within, at most, the next week.”

If true, Mike Ashley’s 13-year tenure at the Magpies is soon about to come to an end with Amanda Staveley’s consortium taking the reins.

Many fans at St James’ Park have been waiting eagerly all week to hear some sort of confirmation that the takeover has been completed and this latest update emerging from Saudi Arabia, who are heavily backing the deal through their Public Investment Fund, provides major encouragement.

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The House of Saud believe the delay has been down to “due diligence” from the Premier League, which has been exacerbated by the current lockdown measures in both countries.

AND in other news, Fans react as Faustino Asprilla comments on Newcastle takeover…

Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover by Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabia-backed consortium has been delayed, according to The Sun’s Neil Custis.Speaking on Twitter on Thursday morning, he claims that the Premier League are concentrating on ‘Project Restart’ with plenty of their clubs resuming training this week and that the issue of the Magpies’ changing ownership could be resolved next week instead.He said:

It comes less than a day after the Express reported that the Premier League had given the green light on the deal.

Supporters at St James’ Park have been growing tired over just how long this process has taken as it’s been well over a month since news first broke suggesting that Mike Ashley was going to sell up at last.

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If Custis’ statement rings true, then it’s going to be another week before fans hear the official word on their new era.

AND in other news,ÂMark Douglas makes Steve Bruce claim amid Newcastle takeover…

M’baye Niang has reportedly rejected Tottenham Hotspur in favour of a big money move to Qatar. 

Jose Mourinho is desperate to make additions to his attacking options in the summer, as Spurs talisman Harry Kane has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury. In Kane’s absence, the Lilywhites only won three games in the Premier League while he sat on the sidelines.

According to L’Equipe, Niang is highly coveted by an unnamed Qatari club, who are prepared to make a substantial offer to the Rennes striker.

Spurs have been linked with the Senegalese in the past, but finding a forward who is capable of replacing Kane is proving to be more and more difficult.

Despite the interest from Daniel Levy, Niang ended up moving to AC Milan instead, although he struggled for game time at the San Siro, and spent spells on loan at various European clubs, including the likes of Montpellier and Watford, before he was finally sold to Torino.

The Hornets did not make a bid for the Senegal international as they were left unimpressed by his loan spell at Vicarage Road.

Following another loan, he eventually joined Stade Rennais, and his performances have improved over time, as he has scored 10 goals in 26 games in Ligue 1, taking 2.5 shots on average via WhoScored.

Shockingly, Niang has failed to provide a single assist all year, and has averaged a mere 0.4 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the French top flight at the time of writing (WhoScored).

Nevertheless, Mourinho has made it clear he wants to sign the forward in the summer as a backup for Kane.

While Niang clearly knows how to find the back of the next, there are holes in his playing style that he still needs to work on, as he must make improvements to his passing accuracy and link-up play.

The former Watford loanee didn’t live up to his full potential at Vicarage Road, as he only managed 2 goals in 16 appearances. He has also attracted interest from Marseille but it is likely his head will be turned by Qatar.

However, this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the club in the long-term. As previously mentioned, the 25-year-old doesn’t have a great track record in the Premier League, and Mourinho may have dodged an expensive bullet.

He could instead turn his attention to Troy Parrott and other promising academy graduates to give them a chance.

Levy previously splashed the cash for infamous Spurs flop Roberto Soldado and he will surely be looking to avoid making a similar mistake in the future.

Tottenham fans, have you seen enough of M’baye Niang to convince you? Let us know down below!

Plenty of Leicester City fans have spotted some similarities to footballing legend David Beckham in James Maddison.

The Foxes midfielder has posted a photo to his

/CBQ8IW2FCaf/”>Instagram, sporting new colours for a Puma advertisement campaign. The picture has attracted a lot of attention from Leicester fans, with a few likening him to the England legend in the comments on the image.

Maddison joined the Midlands side from Norwich in 2018 for a fee of £20m (via BBC Sport). Since his arrival, he has caught the eye of top Premier League teams including Manchester United, who are reportedly looking to sign him this summer.

The midfielder has tallied six goals and three assists in the league this season and he is on track to beat his debut campaign with the Foxes where he totalled seven goals and seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

Maddison has just the one senior England cap so far but, with the way he is making a name for himself in the Premier League, it will be hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore his ability in the middle of the park.

He may not be the next Becks in terms of his international status and goal count but the 23-year-old is certainly on his way to making a name for himself as a top-quality midfield talent.

What is your favourite James Maddison memory so far, Foxes? Have your say in the comments below!

Mark Douglas has claimed in his latest piece for The Chronicle that the latest sanctions by the UK government on human rights abusers will not affect the proposed takeover of Newcastle United.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab addressed the House of Commons with new post-Brexit sanctions for certain events that fall into the category of human rights abuse, including that of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, where as many as 20 Saudi nationals are thought to be involved in his death.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the late Khashoggi, has also accused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) of being involved in his killing, however, nobody from the Saudi government, including MbS himself, have been found to have been involved as of yet.

The Saudi crown prince and his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to take an 80 per cent stake in the Magpies if the prospective £300 million deal between Mike Ashley and the buying side, which also includes businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers originally from India but based in London, is eventually approved by the Premier League.

The consortium must pass the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) set out by the top flight, and MbS has been questioned as to whether he fits the criteria of being a fit and proper person.

However, Douglas does not see this as a problem even following the news of the sanctions, as MbS or his PIF were not said to be connected in the ruling over Khashoggi’s murder.

“To the straightforward question: will this have any impact on the bid the answer – surely – is no. Those close to the bid have always denied any link between anyone who has involvement or will have day-to-day responsibilities in any wrong-doings. That includes piracy, the biggest issue they have dealt with, but extends to the brutal murder of Khassogi,” Douglas wrote.

This may be a positive sign for some members of the Toon faithful, as they still await a final decision to be made by England’s highest division.

Geordies, do you agree with Douglas? Comment below!