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TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy believes that Declan Rice could leave West Ham United this summer.

The former Chelsea defender insists that the new England international, who made his debut for the Three Lions last week in the 5-0 Euro 2020 qualifying victory over the Czech Republic, is destined for a move to an elite club.

What’s the word?

Rice has enjoyed a fine season this term, becoming a key player under manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The 20-year-old has played 32 times in all competitions, scoring twice and laying on one assist. His first goal came after a heroic display in a 1-0 win over Arsenal – that strike was also his maiden goal for the club.

He has been ever-present in the Premier League since September, when he was benched for a 1-0 loss to Wolves.

His first international appearance against the Czech Republic was followed by his first start on Monday, in a thumping 5-1 defeat of Montenegro.

And Cundy insists that he will eventually leave east London for pastures new.

He said: “There are bigger and better things on the horizon for him.

“Whether it happens this year, or whether it happens next year, it’s going to happen. That’s one thing the West Ham fans know and will have to accept.

“He will not end his playing days at West Ham. It’s inevitable that Declan Rice will go on and play for one of the biggest clubs in the country.”

Ambition?

Why exactly would Rice need to move on?

For now, he is playing consistently for West Ham, has worked his way into the England starting XI and is surely a shoo-in to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020, should the Three Lions qualify.

A move to the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United or even Tottenham Hotspur may not pan out.

Jack Rodwell is a prime example; having broken through at Everton, he moved to City and struggled to make the grade before a move to Sunderland. That went so poorly his contract was eventually cancelled.

Rice had better be wary of history repeating itself. He is well on his way to becoming a hero at West Ham.

He should think twice before throwing that away at this early stage of his career.

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Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder’s rotation has been in full effect recently and saw Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan secure his second successive start against Brentford on Tuesday night, but his substitution at half-time surely ensures once and for all that he has no future at Villa Park.

On the chalkboard

Well, the 26-year-old may well have been buoyed by the fact that Dean Smith arrived as Steve Bruce’s successor in 2018, given he enjoyed the best form of his career under the former Bees boss at Griffin Park previously, but it didn’t work out positively.

He had only played 90 minutes for the Blades prior to last weekend following his January loan move, but he doubled that total against Rotherham United before starting again for the visit of Brentford to Bramall Lane on Tuesday.

Being named on the team-sheet ahead of players like Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick was probably a tactic by Wilder to ensure that none of his strikers suffer burnout during the run-in, but it went badly for Hogan.

The 26-year-old was largely anonymous in the first half and despite the hosts going down to 10 men when his strike partner Gary Madine was sent off in the 35th minute, he was still pulled at half-time in place of David McGoldrick, who went on to find the net.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

What next for the striker?

He faces a battle to break back into the starting XI at Sheffield United, let alone at Villa.

The Republic of Ireland international was nowhere near to dislodging Jonathan Kodjia and Tammy Abraham if truth be told, and while the latter could return to Chelsea following the expiry of his own loan spell, it might not make too much difference to Hogan.

It is difficult to see him turning his career with the Midlands outfit given how badly his move has worked out so far, no matter what division they find themselves in next term.

Manchester City had an extremely quiet transfer window, with Pep Guardiola only moving to add youth to his squad in the form of Ante Palaversa.

Guardiola’s men are in a massive battle to win the Premier League title once again, and if they can reel in Liverpool at the top of the table, then it will be quite a remarkable comeback from the blue half of Manchester.

However, there is an underlying problem in the their business in the window once again, in that they chose to move on one of their youngest and brightest talents in Rabbi Matondo, who signed for Schalke for a fee just shy of £10m on deadline day.

The teenage star, who has yet to make a big indent into the first team at the Etihad, has a big job on his hands in moving over to Germany, but he will no doubt look to emulate the form of ex City man Jadon Sancho, who has lit up the Bundesliga.

The problem lies though with City and the English game once more, in that a young talent, who is clearly highly rated, has been denied the chance to earn his place in the starting line up under one of the finest managers in the country.

Matondo might well go on to fail, and it might look like good business one day for City, but you can’t help thinking that there is an element of disappointment sweeping the whole legion of British talent in this country at the moment, and it could be that many more follow suit.

City have a brilliant squad, but the lack of young players like this being integrated highlights an issue, and it’s something the English game needs to keep it’s eye on in the coming years.

City fans, what do you make of the deal? Would you rather see the young talent promoted? Let us know in the comments!

According to the Evening Standard, Sheffield Wednesday are one of several Championship teams trying to secure Tottenham Hotspur prospect Troy Parrott on loan.

What’s the word?

It is believed that the Owls hold interest in the 17-year-old striker as they are set to battle Charlton Athletic and Queens Park Rangers to clinch him for the rest of the season.

Parrott will sign a contract extension at Spurs on his 18th birthday next week and is keen on gaining valuable match experience.

The same source claims that Jose Mourinho’s stance on a potential temporary exit has softened throughout January, but any deal may depend on their ability to sign a striker in the absence of injured top goalscorer Harry Kane.

Fletcher’s replacement, at last?

Wednesday have a dire need to bolster their frontline following a cataclysm of recent events – 12-goal talisman Steven Fletcher is out with a knee injury until at least March while the side have lost five of their last six matches in the Championship.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Garry Monk has tried all of his available options since the 32-year-old was forced onto the treatment table with none of them being able to prove their worth.

Jordan Rhodes has done little since scoring a hat-trick and could leave on loan after interest from Wigan, Sam Winnall has been preferred but he’s far from the target man type Monk’s system needs, and then there’s Atdhe Nuhiu who is merely used as a battering ram these days.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all of these obscure Sheffield Wednesday players…

Parrott, who has been likened to Robbie Keane in the past, is described as being “big, strong, skilful and very brave.” That’s got a young Steven Fletcher written all over it.

He may only be 17 years old, but with less than 72 hours left in the transfer window, things are getting pretty desperate, and there can’t be many better options out there than the understudy to England’s leading striker.

And in other news, Sheffield Wednesday could consider bids for Fernando Forestieri says one journalist…

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Leeds United confirmed via their official website on Monday that Stuart Dallas will be out of action for six weeks after suffering an ankle injury in training, and Whites fans were quick to react to the news on Twitter.

According to leedsunited.com, the 27-year-old will now be out for a month-and-a-half following the setback he suffered on the training pitch, having only just recovered from a foot injury that had kept him out of action since the beginning of December.

The Northern Ireland international hasn’t been a regular in the starting XI under Marcelo Bielsa this term, but he has shown his versatility by featuring in a number of different positions when required across his 15 league appearances, as per Transfermarkt, including right-back and left-back as well as on the wing.

The problem is yet another blow for the Yorkshire outfit and Bielsa who have suffered a spate of injuries to key players throughout the campaign, but despite their troubles they still lie three points clear at the summit of the Championship table following their 2-1 win against Rotherham United at the New York Stadium on Saturday.

Leeds supporters were quick to have their say on the major update via social media, and while one questioned if it could be the ‘end of his Leeds career’, another said “this is getting boring now”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

According to The Birmingham Mail, West Brom defender Conor Townsend has assured fans that the club’s minor slump is not as bad as people think. 

Since the international break, Darren Moore’s men have lost two games and drawn one, only collecting a solitary point our of nine. This has seen The Baggies slip from first place in the Championship to fifth.

However, Townsend, speaking to The Birmingham Mail said:

“Two or three games it’s not great, but if we win the next two you are back on it and it’s forgotten about.”

That is a very realistic assessment of where his side are and, although the losses will be disappointing, it can be easily rectified and forgotten with a win this weekend. The Baggies travel to second from bottom Hull this Saturday in a match that they simply must win to restore confidence back in the fans. Townsend is likely to start in defence for that match, with Kieran Gibbs out.

Townsend spoke of his experience with Scunthorpe in League One, who came close to promotion twice but suffered slumps in form similar to West Brom’s. He clearly speaks with experience when he says that it will be forgotten if the club bounce back as soon as possible.

Furthermore, West Brom will want to return to winning ways this weekend before they host high-flying Leeds the following weekend. That could be a game that defines both clubs’ seasons, and Moore will want his men to be firing on a cylinders for that encounter.

Sunderland fans are delighted with what could be their final piece of summer business, as they signed Max Power on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Sunderland have been extremely busy this summer, and they rounded their business off with a bang on deadline day by signing Power.

The former Wigan ace will only join on loan until January, but is expected to make the move permanent after that.

Jack Ross and Stewart Donald have done a fair bit of shopping already, but fans are particularly excited by this deal.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”278155″ player=”12034″ title=”Every Transfer Window EVER”]

The 25 year-old, who scored 11 goals in 126 league appearances for Wigan, could be the final piece of Ross’ puzzle, especially as he has already earned two promotions as a player.

He will bring a fantastic balance and energy to the midfield, an area that was sorely lacking going into the summer.

EFL teams can still make loan moves, but this may be the last of the Black Cats’ summer business, and fans are loving it.

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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest Premier League side to show an interest in Werder Bremen midfielder Thomas Delaney, Weser Kurier reports.

What’s the story?

The summer transfer window may have only just closed but numerous Premier League clubs are already plotting up early plans for January and the end of the current season, with a number of top-flight sides eyeing the same signatures.

Tottenham Hotspur, along with Everton and Burnley, are reported by German outlet Weser Kurier to be tracking the services of Werder Bremen’s Danish international Thomas Delaney- a compatriot of SPurs star Christian Eriksen.

The 26-year-old is said to be ready to swap the Bundesliga for the Premier League, though The Sun claim he rejected the chance to join Burnley this summer, and that opens the door for Mauricio Pochettino’s side to swoop- although a deal won’t happen until the end of the season.

How will he fit in?

Tottenham have enjoyed a remarkable few years but Pochettino’s side are under pressure to continue their rise. Fortunately, a vastly talented squad means that’s very achievable and their midfield is bursting with talent- which raises questions as to where Thomas Delaney would fit in.

A creative midfielder who boasts a strong record of five goals for club and country in the past three games, Delaney would give Pochettino’s side more depth in the attacking third; where the club are often reliant on Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

Having Delaney would add a new dimension to Spurs’ attack and would bolster the depth within the squad, which will be crucial as the Lilywhites are aiming to become regulars in the latter stages of the competition and that will test the squad.

We all know just how good Antoine Griezmann is. There’s no need to reveal that.One of the best attackers in world football, the French international is constantly linked with a move to a ‘bigger’ club than he’s currently at – Atletico Madrid, who have appeared in two of the last three Champions League finals.But even if Atleti have had success recently enough, this season they’re starting to look like things aren’t as rosy as they have been. They may still excel in the Champions League, but there looks to be no chance of repeating their unlikely 2013/14 La Liga triumph.Yet Griezmann is still firing, and this weekend was no different. Two goals in his side’s 3-0 win over Valencia got the juices flowing ahead of next week’s Champions League last 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen – who conceded six goals this weekend – brought his tally to 55 goals for Atletico Madrid since he joined.

That wasn’t the only impressive part of his performance, though. His two goals came from seven shots, showing his value to his side as an attacking force, but he wasn’t just getting on the end of his side’s moves: his three key passes and 90% pass success rate show that he has an all-round ability to his game, making him perfect for whichever team do decide to come in for him.

Jose Mourinho and Manchester United will have liked what they saw, and an Independent exclusive reported in February that he is a transfer target, though just today the same newspaper have claimed that whilst United are still interested, they are moving on to new targets due to the difficulties in signing Griezmann this summer.

Wherever Griezmann plays his football next season, he’s sure to light up the stage.

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Since Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in the Liverpool managerial hot-seat, talk of a long-term project at Anfield has been doing the rounds.

The passionate German trainer has a burgeoning reputation given his exploits at Borussia Dortmund and showed during his time at the Westfalenstadion just how influential he can be. A large part of Klopp’s success in the Ruhr Valley was concocting a young squad and, on the whole, keeping it together for the time he was there.

The outspoken tactician helped countless players develop from raw talents to international superstars, and the hope remains that he can do the same with some of the promising starlets at Liverpool. The Anfield club have a venerable track record of bringing top stars through their youth academy and continue to unearth young players that are capable of producing in the Premier League.

The most high-profile examples in recent times have been the explosion of Raheem Sterling onto the scene, who has been followed by Jordon Ibe.

Liverpool lost Sterling to Manchester City for a number of reasons – the allure of Champions League football, a bumper pay-day and a perceived lack of ambition on Merseyside.

Ibe remains in the Anfield ranks and could yet replicate the feats of his elder statesman, with the gifted winger one of those that is expected to flourish in the longer term as Klopp’s footballing ideals sink in.

However, Liverpool look set to lose one of their brightest young players this summer for next to nothing. Jerome Sinclair became the historic club’s youngest-ever senior player when he made his debut back in 2012, having just turned 16.

Since then the buzz amongst the Reds fans has been about just when the versatile forward would be given his chance to follow in Sterling’s footsteps and prosper on the biggest stage. However, now 19, Sinclair has continued to excel in the youth ranks, but has not been given an opportunity to show what he is capable of in the Liverpool first-team.

With a contract that expires this summer and a clear indication not to extend terms from the player, the teenager is set to leave Anfield for a nominal fee believed to be no more than £2m – a far cry from the £49m the Reds received for Sterling.

Slightly reminiscent of the Paul Pogba situation at Manchester United, Sinclair has not been given a chance and could well go on to make his former employers rue their lack of faith.

With this season’s Premier League top four hopes all-but dead, Klopp would be advised to make a last-ditch attempt to change the attacker’s mind by blooding him into the team. Even this may well not be enough to keep Sinclair, who has been tipped to move to Watford and feature in the Premier League next season.

Although Klopp will look to abroad to bolster his contingent this summer, losing one of the club’s best home-grown stars will be a blow, who could come to regret their handling of Sinclair over the last 12 months in particular.

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