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Crystal Palace officially unveiled their brand-new Academy project on Thursday.

And, as to be expected, a number of supporters were quick to react to footage shared by the Eagles on social media.

Palace spent £20m on redeveloping the club’s Academy base, with former youth player and England boss Gareth Southgate officially declaring the site open.

Along with Southgate, manager Patrick Vieira and former bosses Roy Hodgson, Alan Pardew and Ian Holloway were also in attendance.

More than 220 players will benefit from the facilities, which includes six full-size pitches, an outdoor 3G pitch, a show pitch with a 500-seater stand and a full-size covered indoor 3G training pitch.

Palace fans react

Palace posted a video on their official Twitter page, with a drone flying through the building to give supporters a detailed look at the facilities.

This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with many impressed and one labelling it as ‘incredible’.

“Wow. This is MY Palace, this is OUR Palace. What a place to go and live, work and play”

Credit: @JustMattWatts

“Yh this is nuts”

Credit: @palacealfie

“Looks incredible”

Credit: @palacedann

“My god, as if we have this. Amazing!!”

Credit: @CpfcWill

“This is absolutely unreal, can’t believe this is palace now. On a different note but will this mean no more Soho offices?”

Credit: @TalkCPFC

“Wow just wow”

Credit: @L4MZ1

“We are massive”

Credit: @machutuck

In other news: ‘What’s that?’ – Many CPFC fans go wild as injury update emerges. 

Newcastle United are among the clubs who are ‘crazy’ about Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic, according to Inter Live.

The lowdown

The midfielder is approaching the end of his Inter contract, which runs until June 2022. As it stands, there’s a possibility that he leaves on a free transfer.

He featured in all four of Croatia’s matches at Euro 2020 and has started every Serie A game for Inter so far this season (via WhoScored). The 28-year-old is averaging 5.3 accurate long balls (the highest among Inter’s squad), 1.7 tackles and one dribble per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight.

Former Nerazzurri manager Luciano Spaletti has marvelled at Brozovic in the past, telling reporters that the midfielder ‘has a compass in his feet’.

The latest

As per Inter Live, the Serie A champions are trying to tie down Brozovic to a new contract and ward off any interest in him. They are willing to offer him a salary of €5m per year (roughly £82,000 per week) to persuade him.

In the meantime, the sharks are circling. Newcastle are in the frame along with two Champions League clubs in Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, along with Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.

The verdict

First and foremost, it must be exciting for Newcastle fans to be in the same conversation as those established European outfits, as it indicates the ambition of the new owners.

However, it’s also some pretty mighty competition. Manchester United may have identified Brozovic as a potential solution to their midfield problems, while Conte has the potentially crucial advantage of having worked him previously.

If Newcastle could pull it off, it would be some coup for the Saudi-led consortium to beat such prominent clubs to an established international (who helped his nation to a World Cup final) and a Champions League-calibre midfielder.

In other news, PIF are ‘optimistic’ about this potential Newcastle signing 

Wolves are believed to be in the race to sign Reading midfielder John Swift in January but face strong competition from other Premier League clubs.

The Lowdown: Swift in scintillating form

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season on an individual level, chipping in with 15 goal contributions in just 17 Championship appearances.

The midfielder has scored eight goals and registered seven assists, also averaging 2.8 key passes per game, which is comfortably more than Wolves’ leading player in that metric, Raul Jimenez with 1.8.

Swift could now potentially be on the move in January as a number of clubs line up possible bids for him.

The Latest: Wolves eye up move

That’s according to The Sheffield Star, who claimed that Sheffield United are no longer interested in a move because Premier League clubs have emerged in the race.

Wolves are one of those while Burnley and Leeds United are also considered potential suitors, with Swift’s current deal expiring at the end of the season.

The Verdict: A different type of option

Swift may not be the big name that some Wolves fans might like to see come in but he has enjoyed a huge influence at Reading and could be a shrewd signing.

The fact that he could possibly be snapped up on a free transfer due to his contract expiry date is an added bonus and he could offer something different to the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, whose greatest strengths perhaps lie in breaking up the play with tackles.

Swift’s ability to find the net regularly from midfield could be a great asset – he has been hailed as ‘super talented’ by Reading boss Veljko Paunovic – not to mention giving Wolves more depth in the middle of the park.

In other news, Wolves reportedly missed out on the signing of one player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham have arguably some of the best players in the league right now, considering their top-six finish last season and current run of form seeing them just four points off topping the table.

Declan Rice has been one of the Hammers’ outstanding achievers in the side, and has become a household name after his impressive performances saw the star midfielder play in the Three Lions’ first international tournament final since 1966, with Teddy Sheringham comparing Rice’s movement to a “Rolls Royce”.

Playing in central midfield, Rice commands the ball with ease and leads his midfield with dominance, qualities that have helped West Ham achieve fantastic form and the opportunity to play European football this season.

West Ham teammates are in awe of the £63m-rated central midfielder’s quality and talent, with West Ham midfielder, Jarrod Bowen, singing the player’s praises recently in an interview;

“Dec’s gone on to another level,” Bowen told The Times, via the Standard. “The sky’s the limit for him. You saw it in the Euros, and you’ve seen it again this season, he’s starting to score more.”

David Moyes has also spoken highly of the 22-year-old, after West Ham valuated Rice at £100m, the Scottish manager claimed that the price tag was a ‘bargain’, after Manchester United took interest in the Summer.

Moyes told Sky Sports: “There was a bargain to be got with Declan at £100million. That bargain has now gone.”

With the young midfielder only developing further, showing attacking qualities and adding versatility to his game this season for West Ham with three goals and three assists in fifteen games so far from his central position, West Ham will have to pull something big out of the bag to keep hold of the rising star.

He has been linked with a whole host of clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea so it won’t be easy to make him stay in east London.

There is one way that Moyes and West Ham could keep hold of their talented midfielder, however, and that is by qualifying for Champions League football.

Every player aspires to play at the highest level and if the east London club can guarantee a Champions League spot for the first time in their history, there is more reason for the defensive midfielder to stay and compete on the biggest continental stage with the club he has made a name for himself at.

West Ham will be hoping to continue their amazing push for European football as the Premier League returns this weekend.

In other news: Antonio & Lingard link up could spark top four for West Ham

Manchester United advanced into the last 16 of the Champions League in Michael Carrick’s first game at the helm thanks to two late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.

Following a cautious first half from the visiting side, things improved in the second 45 minutes, and Fred’s tackle on Etienne Capoue in the 78th minute sparked them into life.

The former Watford midfielder received a risky pass from goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, and the tenacious United player pounced, allowing Ronaldo to expertly lift the ball over the onrushing shot-stopper.

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United looked well-organised and compact throughout the 90 minutes but rarely threatened the opposition goal until the final stages.

However, Jadon Sancho made up for a tame effort when one-on-one with Rulli in the final stages of the closely-fought encounter, smashing in the ball off the underside of the crossbar to slam home his first goal for the Red Devils.

Despite their success on the counter-attack late on, though, the most impressive element of United’s play was undoubtedly their resolute defending.

David de Gea was forced into two tremendous saves from Manu Trigueros, yet overall, the Old Trafford outfit’s back four stood firm against their Spanish opponents, and the standout performer was undoubtedly Victor Lindelof.

With summer signing Raphael Varane currently injured, the 27-year-old took his chance to shine, playing a pivotal part in United securing just their third clean sheet of the season.

As per SofaScore, Lindelof was awarded a match rating of 7.7 out of 10, the joint-highest total received by any player on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

The Sweden international won all five of his duels, made a whopping eight clearances and achieved a passing accuracy of 92%, highlighting his impressive performance and reborn status under interim manager Carrick.

Manchester Evening News journalist Tyrone Marshall was also impressed with Lindelof, writing: “Stood up well to the task and tried to play out from the back,” after awarding him a seven out of 10.

With Varane set for an extended spell on the sidelines, Lindelof will be hoping he can maintain this level of performance in the weeks to come, cementing his place in the starting XI as a result.

And, in other news…Duncan Castles drops huge Man United manager update that’ll delight fans

Southampton are currently in the middle of being both close to the top half of the table but also close enough to get entangled in a relegation battle, as they sit in 13th place in the Premier League right now.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be wanting to get much more comfortable in the Saints’ league campaign before Christmas as every point matters right now and every point earned takes them a step closer to a comfortable position with less pressure as the season goes on.

Southampton have the opportunity to pick up points on several occasions against teams in a similar position to themselves but also face Liverpool at Anfield this week and Arsenal at the Emirates in just over a fortnight. Both games will be testing for the side and they will be looking to break down their opponents early in the game.

One player who will be hoping to get his chance to make an impact in not only these more challenging fixtures, but the rest of the season in general, is Nathan Tella.

The 22-year-old was tipped to be a Saints regular, but for some reason has been out of favour in Hasenhuttl’s set up for the starting line up this season.

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The manager opened about the youngster’s lack of opportunity to play in the team regularly this season but praised the “energetic” player;

“I am actually a little bit disappointed that I cannot give him more chances to play,”

“The games that we are playing at the moment are not so perfect for him, I think.

“I must say that, in the number ten position, he has a lot of good qualities. He is very energetic and he has a really good ability against the ball, running back and sprinting back.”

Southampton lost to bottom of the league, Norwich, last weekend which should have been, on paper, an easy win for the Saints, especially with the Canaries’ current record and lack of team consistency.

Alas, they beat the south coast side 2-1, and Hasenhuttl’s men went away with zero points to add to their attempt to push away from relegation conversations.

Tella’s energy and hunger for minutes, however, could be a boost to the Austrian’s current starting XI, especially ahead of Ibrahima Diallo who was used out of position on the right last time out.

Not only is that a reason to unleash him, but it will also enable the youngster to gain experience and confidence in the Premier League that could come extremely handy to the side in the latter stages of the season if they find themselves in trouble at that point.

In other news: Jack Stephens injury boost ahead of Anfield clash

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have erupted over transfer claims involving marquee Champions League striker Darwin Nunez.

The Hammers are having to cope with mounting injury problems as January looms, with David Moyes tipped to reinforce a number of needed positions in the squad.

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The Evening Standard back the news line that West Ham’s manager will be granted the funds to swoop for a striker as an alternative to mainstay Michail Antonio, along with a centre-back to cope with their lack of depth in that area.

It is news on the former position which has many Irons fans talking, however, as the east London club join the race to sign Benfica frontman Nunez.

The marquee forward, who said to have a release clause of around €150m (£128.3m), is attracting West Ham’s interest as they join Brighton in the race for his signature.

West Ham fans erupt…

Reacting to this claim by The Argus, as they cite reports in Portugal, many Irons supporters have erupted over the news, with some believing he could be an excellent addition.

Tipped to become ‘the best in the world’ by his manager Jorge Jesus, the 22-year-old is certainly rated highly and already has two goals in just six caps for Uruguay. Scoring three times in five Champions League outings this season, he also put on a stunning performance against Barcelona over the autumn.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder so many West Ham fans are talking, with their club reportedly interested in the flying Benfica striker. Check out some of their best reactions below:

“Interesting”

Credit: @ghzst

“Him Lingard and Ake in January & we’re winning the quadruple”

Credit: @VintageLanzini

“Huge potential”

Credit: @louieewade

“Would actually be someone the fans would love & versatile too. Is like a hybrid of Suarez & Cavani, like most  players he is an absolute workhorse. His G/A contribution is getting better too. Luis Suarez loves him too which should be another indication of the talent Nuñez has”

Credit: @mhare641

“Yes please”

Credit: @NathWHU_

“Please god be true”

Credit: @BoormanB

“Could be a great buy! Finishing & 1st touch can be erratic & could improve but he’s young, big, quick, 6ft 1, strong, works hard (when he wants) who links up well & can play ST, wide & CAM! Could be Cavani MK2… Plus at Almeria he was no stranger to getting on the weights”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

In other news: West Ham could now back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign 6 foot 3 powerhouse in January, find out more here

Tottenham Hotspur have poached a promising youngster from the fifth tier of English football this week…

What’s the word?

The north Londoners announced on Tuesday afternoon that they had signed young left-back Charlie Sayers to their academy’s U18 squad from non-league outfit Southend United.

Shrimpers boss Kevin Maher waxed lyrical about the 17-year-old sensation upon his departure from Roots Hall, telling the club’s official website:

“For a young lad to get the opportunity to go to Tottenham, you can’t stand in his way.

“He broke into the team this season and to play at 17 in a really tough league shows a lot of character. He’s got a mature head on him for his young age and hopefully, he can take that forward.

“Tottenham is a brilliant football club and they’ve got some really good people there that I know well. He’ll be looked after and coached very well and it’s up to him now to take the opportunity.”

Next Danny Rose?

As a versatile left-footed defensive option and one nabbed from another club, the Lilywhites could well stumble upon their next Danny Rose, who swapped Leeds United’s youth setup for N17 back in 2007 before going on to enjoy a little over 12 years at the north London club.

It says an awful lot about a player when he has played six times at a senior level aged just 17, even more so in the tough and very physical National League, where youth isn’t usually relied upon.

Across those appearances, the youngster has played at left-back, further up the wing and as a centre-back, displaying many different attributes. One of his two central defensive displays earned his team their first clean sheet in six outings back in October.

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Interestingly, Sayers must’ve excelled during his time on trial at Hotspur Way as his one U18 appearance saw him earn the captain’s armband, whilst also playing in the middle, rather than out wide.

It was former Hull City boss Phil Brown who handed the teenage talent his senior debut and he believes the towering defender is destined for a bright future in the game.

“I think Charlie Sayers has been outstanding and you have to say he has a career ahead of him, there’s no doubt about it,” said Brown (via Echo News).  “He’s got two games under his belt now but is he going to make mistakes as a 17-year-old boy? Absolutely.”

Sayers will have a long way to go to break into Antonio Conte’s first-team, but the blueprint is in place for him to follow in the footsteps of Rose in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs source drops major January transfer update that’ll surely leave fans buzzing…

A number of Manchester United supporters are fuming after a report claimed Barcelona want to sign Edinson Cavani on a free transfer.

The Uruguayan has become a hugely popular player at Old Trafford since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, scoring 18 goals in 47 appearances.

Despite this, Cavani has seen a lack of playing time come his way this season, with only two Premier League starts being handed to him between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

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That has led to speculation surrounding the 34-year-old’s United future, especially as his current deal expires at the end of the season.

According to Spanish outlet Sport [via Sport Witness on Twitter], Barca are keen on signing Cavani in January but want United to sell him for free, which seems bizarre seeing as they could pen him to a pre-contract for the following summer.

Man United fans unhappy at Cavani rumour

It is an update that hasn’t gone down too well with these United fans on Twitter, who provided their thoughts on the matter.

“Just the usual Catalan entitlement…”

Credit: @vxyq339

“They’re gonna need to run us Frenkie De Jong”

Credit: @MrMattyLee

“Pardon?”

Credit: @whatgumpdid

“Do they, aye?”

Credit: @hamezhill

“Give us Frenkie and then we can talk”

Credit: @M9068142625

“And I want a PS5 for free if I like how it performs @Sony”

Credit: @TarekTamo91

In other news, some United fans have reacted to another transfer rumour. Read more here.

Armando Broja is going to ‘break Southampton hearts’ when he returns Chelsea at the end of the season, Football London’s Tom Leach says. 

He noted that Broja has a better goal conversion rate than Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min and Romelu Lukaku this season, a stunning statistic given Salah’s record this term in particular.

The Albanian joined Southampton on a season-long loan back in August, and there was no indication that the deal included an option to buy.

Chelsea allowed him to temporarily depart following the arrival of Lukaku, accepting that playing regular football would be better for his development.

But he’s viewed as a ‘great prospect’ at Stamford Bridge and only just signed a new five-year contract in the summer.

How has Broja performed at St Mary’s?

Broja has bagged six goals for the Saints so far, including four in six Premier League starts and two in the EFL Cup (via WhoScored).

That makes him the top scorer in Ralph Hassenhuttl’s ranks, two clear of Mohamed Elyounoussi.

It remains to be seen whether Southampton look to test Chelsea’s resolve with a permanent offer for the £2.7million-rated forward.

Here’s how a selection of fans responded to Leach’s tweet.

Saints fans flock to Tom Leach’s Broja admission

“Once a Saint always a Saint.”

Credit: @hackneyboy60

“Maybe Tino and Dynel can convince him to stay another year. At least. Please.”

Credit: @Notsowittyun

“Need to try and do whatever it takes to make this loan longer!”

Credit: @1885Crypto

“Need to get in there early before he bags 12-15 goals and his value goes up to 25mil+”

Credit: @tbotgates

“Throw the kitchen sink at this”

Credit: @RunItBackSaints

“He’s too good for the Championship”

Credit: @sijlaw

In other news, fans ripped into this midfielder.