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Southampton have made a name for themselves as the feeder club of Liverpool. Whilst the Saints put rising stars into the spotlight, the Merseysiders snap them up and complete the final steps towards greatness. Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane are now two of the most highly praised footballers on the planet, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also eventually ended up at Anfield following a detour to the Emirates.

One man who has failed to follow this narrative is forgotten Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne. The cast-off England international walked from the club this summer as a free agent, empty-handed despite his teammates’ historic success.

He is now all the way back where it started, at Crystal Palace – yet to play a single minute of football under Roy Hodgson.

A Rapid Declyne

After snapping up the exciting young right-back from the Eagles back in 2012, Southampton will have thought they’d bagged a real bargain. The south coast side paid just £2.8million for the then 22-year-old, who would go on to become a Saints centurion and contribute five goals and eight assists across his three years with the club.

When Brendan Rodgers came knocking in 2015, Southampton cashed in on a handsome £13million profit, after selling him to Liverpool for a reported £15.9million. Unfortunately for Clyne, the move wouldn’t be a dream one.

Jurgen Klopp took over at the hilt of Anfield just four months after the Englishman arrived and he had already started planning his changes. The 29-year-old went on to make a total of 103 appearances for Liverpool, but was gradually phased out of the team after the emergence of starlet Trent Alexander-Arnold. Once the youngster dipped his feet in the senior team, there was no going back for Klopp.

Clyne made just ten appearances across both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons before being shipped out on loan to Bournemouth. There, he also struggled for game time, earning only 15 chances to play across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

After being snubbed of his place by the now £99milli0n-valued Alexander-Arnold, the ageing full-back was not only left to leave as a free agent, but he was not given a Premier League winners’ medal for his troubles either. His long-term future at new club Crystal Palace is uncertain too, given he only signed a short-term contract with his former employers at the start of the month.

Southampton certainly cashed in at the right time and avoided dealing with the long-term effects of Clyne’s dip in form and his ongoing injury woes.

In other news, Danny Ings could cause big upset for Everton with impressive record…

Key information about Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park was built in 1924 and now houses the Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. The stadium is located in the London suburb of Selhurst in the Borough of Croydon and interestingly, one part of the ground incorporates a branch of Sainsbury’s as well.

The stadium’s current capacity stands at 26,047 and it has a pitch that measures 101m by 68m. The surface is covered with Desso GrassMaster’s hybrid turf and has no undersoil heating nor a running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at Selhurst Park was set all the way back in 1979 when 51,801 supporters saw Crystal Palace clinch the Football League Second Division crown by defeating Burnley F.C. 2–0.

A history of Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace have been pursuing a deal for the site that would house their stadium since 1919 and three years later, they finally secured it from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company for a reported fee of £2,750. As was the case with many stadiums back in the day, Selhurst Park was designed by Archibald Leitch and officially opened for business on 30 August 1924.

The ground only consisted of the present Main Stand, albeit unfinished at the time, and would host 25,000 fans as they watched Palace lose 0-1 to the visiting Sheffield Wednesday in the first game ever played at Selhurst Park.

Over the next year, the ground would be used for various other events apart from football and Palace’s home games, including two games for the 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1953, first floodlights were installed but were then replaced nine years later. It would then take them until 1969 to start improving the stadium once again.

That year, Palace were promoted to Division One – the highest tier at the time – which kick-started some of the developments. The Arthur Wait Stand was built and the Whitehorse Lane end was refurbished with a second tier of terracing. The fan favourite Holmesdale Road terrace was also split into three different sections due to health & safety reasons.

In 1981, the Main Stand was also improved and redesigned to include seating and that same year, Crystal Palace would also sell the back of the Whitehorse Lane terrace and adjacent land to Sainsbury’s, helping the club out financially in a difficult situation. This would, of course, reduce the size of the terrace significantly.

Some years later, in 1985, Palace got new ‘roommates’ as Charlton Athletic moved in and would remain there until 1991, when they were replaced by Wimbledon FC, who would in turn stay until 2003. In 1986 the chairman Ron Noades purchased the stadium from the club to raise revenue and following the Taylor Report and some redesigns, Selhurst Park became an all-seater in 1993.

The final developments were made the following year when the Holmesdale terrace got replaced by a two-tiered all-seater stand and the Main Stand got a new roof. There were some issues with the ownership of the stadium ever since and in April 2008, a 25-year lease was granted to Crystal Palace at an annual rent of £1.2m.

There were some further plans to renovate the Main Stand, which should be ready for the 2021–22 season.

Tickets to watch Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

All tickets to watch Crystal Palace play at Selhurst Park can be found on the club’s official website. The prices vary depending on the location in the stands and the age group of the buyer with the most expensive adult ticket costing £58.

Crystal Palace also offer a season ticket scheme, memberships and loyalty points to their supporters.

Related links

https://www.cpfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Crystal Palace

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Glasgow Rangers have had an offer rejected for Andreas Skov Olsen.

The Gers are said to have made a loan offer for the winger, who only signed for Bologna last year.

However, the report says that was turned down by his current club, with them saying that they will not allow him to leave on a temporary basis, and that it will need a considerable offer to convince them to part ways permanently.

Olsen made the move to Italy for £5.4m last July, but he made just 26 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A outfit last term – he has struggled to adapt to a step up in quality from the Danish top flight.

However, he is just 20 years old, and his displays at Nordsjaelland were very impressive – as a teenager, he scored 26 goals and provided six assists during the 2018/19 campaign, whilst he has also shown his ability on the international stage with eight goals in 16 matches for Denmark’s U21s.

Currently valued at £6.03m by Transfermarkt, it would likely require a big offer from the Gers to convince Bologna to part ways, but if they could strike some kind of deal, he has all the ability to become a real star for Steven Gerrard north of the border.

Let us know what you think below!

A number of Manchester City fans mocked Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde after he insisted that the La Liga side are out for “revenge” in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

The Premier League champions hold a strong advantage in the tie, coming from behind to win the first leg 2-1 in the Spanish capital three months ago with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne before the competition was halted amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Whether the tournament will resume this season is as yet unconfirmed but Valverde has nonetheless stoked the flames with his remarks, telling Real Madrid TV [via Evening Standard]: “We have the will, the desire and the joy of getting back for that match and fighting for revenge to be able to qualify [for the quarter-finals].” Those comments were subsequently shared on Twitter by @City_Chief.

Manchester City certainly hold the upper hand in the tie after winning at the Bernabeu but Pep Guardiola will surely be aware that, at the same stage of the competition last season, their opponents won the away leg 2-1 against Ajax before suffering a 4-1 thrashing on their own turf (as per BBC).

These City fans on Twitter took aim at Valverde over his bullish remarks:

Man City fans, do you think your team will overcome Real Madrid in the second leg if the Champions League resumes? Have your say by commenting below!

Leicester are preparing for their return to Premier League action as they look towards their match against Watford.

The Foxes are currently breathing down Manchester City’s necks as they push for a second place finish this season. As it stands, they are on 53 points after winning 16 games, drawing five and losing eight.

It seems the club are eager to get fans excited for their side’s return, and have posted photos to Instagram of their players in action. In a snap of Wilfred Ndidi and Caglar Soyuncu celebrating a goal, loads of Leicester fans have flocked to the comments and they can’t wait for their upcoming match.

/CBistTLKD5T/

The Foxes will travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford, who are fighting against the pull of the relegation zone. The Hornets are currently just one place above the bottom three, safe only by the benefits of goal difference.

Watford will see this as a must-win, but Leicester will be eager to get back to their scoring ways. Jamie Vardy currently leads the race for this season’s Golden Boot, on a total of 19 goals for the term, two ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (via BBC Sport).

Will Leicester mark their return to Premier League action with a win over Watford? Let us know your score predictions in the comments below!

Wolverhampton Wanderers failed to secure themselves a replacement for Patrick Cutrone during the January transfer window, and manager Nuno Santo has pretty much been walking on ice with his unrelenting faith in Raul Jimenez keeping fit.

Not only did the Portuguese sanction the exit of the 22-year-old after just six months in the west Midlands, but he also allowed young starlet Benny Ashley-Seal depart on loan, thus quite literally leaving the Mexican as the only senior striker at the club.

The Athletic even claimed that Nuno passed up on the chance to sign RB Salzburg’s Hwang Hee-chan.

Ecuadorian frontman Leonardo Campana did come in from Barcelona SC, but he’s gone into the U23 setup.

Therefore, landing a new forward should be one of a few priorities in the summer, and reports in Portugal have linked them with Benfica talisman Carlos Vinicius, who was on the verge of making a switch to Molineux last summer before he failed to obtain a work permit, per TVI24 via Tugascout.

According to Record, via Sport Witness, these circumstances have changed somewhat, as they claim it will be possible for the 25-year-old to land a work permit in the future with his transfer fee, wages and experience in the Champions League all noted as reasons why.

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They also add Wolves’ interest alongside a story from AS that cite Liverpool’s attraction to the lethal striker.

Nuno must nip in before it’s too late, especially as the Liga NOS side are trying to get a €120m (£106.8m) clause into a new contract.

Vinicius has bagged 20 goals from 36 appearances in all competitions this campaign, which is five more than Diogo Jota in one fewer game, so could he become the perfect foil to Jimenez?

From non-League to the Premier League: Where did these top-flight stars begin their careers?

Wolves have reverted back to a 3-5-2 system in recent months, and the Mexican could do with a strong partner to steer the west Midlands club into top six, maybe even top four contention, which is where chairman Jeff Shi wants them to be competing.

Either way, Nuno needs strength in depth up front and Vinicius would give them an option for all eventualities – as a partner or as a backup to Jimenez.

He’d be an ideal candidate for either.

AND in other news, Wolves target rival star, why he should join summed up in 3 images…

Liverpool were all but Premier League champions before the current pandemic reared its ugly head.

The Reds were a huge 25 points clear at the top of the table, with Manchester City behind in a very distant second. They were actually just two wins and six points from confirming the title, but that has since been at the very least delayed as it remains unclear when football will be able to return in the United Kingdom.

There had been rumours the season could be null and voided, but the Anfield outfit may have just been handed some fantastic news. UEFA have said that next season’s Champions League spots should be awarded on sporting merit, which would effectively mean that league seasons across the continent could not cancelled before they are completed.

This could very well guarantee that the Reds are crowned champions of England, and it has delighted the club’s supporters. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Leeds United fans on Twitter believe that the club are about to make the same costly error that affected the club’s chances of promotion last season.

Indeed, a number of Whites supporters blamed a lack of action in the January transfer window last term for their failure to clinch promotion, and Victor Orta has now stated that Leeds will be having a quiet window once 2020 rolls around.

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This has infuriated a number of fans as the club are seemingly just a few additions away from absolutely dominating this division.

Indeed, the Yorkshire outfit top the xG league table by quite some way, but their troubles in front of goal mean that they currently sit third in the Championship.

Whether or not Leeds actually do anything in the January transfer window remains to be seen, but Orta’s quotes suggest they won’t, and fans are far from happy.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on social media…

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

A new report coming from ESPN stated that Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic. And looking at their squad as a whole, he just might be Diego Simeone’s missing link.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that Simeone is still not done with adding more firepower to his Atletico Madrid squad.

ESPN report that the Rojiblancos have now joined AC Milan in the race to sign Manchester United’s 31-year-old defensive midfielder, Matic, once the transfer market opens.

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They also state his eligibility to play in the Champions League, having only played in the Europa League for the Red Devils, as one of the key factors in this potential deal.

When taking everything into consideration, Matic does look like someone Simeone has been missing in his current lineup.

The missing link

Atletico Madrid have gone through a massive rebuild last summer with many big and experienced names departing the Spanish capital.

The likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, Juanfran and Lucas Hernandez all left as the Rojiblancos made an estimated profit of €311m (£280m) which they promptly invested in some young blood.

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But even though young prodigies like Joao Felix are bound to develop into superstars at some point in the future, they are certainly lacking some experience and leadership at the moment.

This is exactly where Matic comes into play.

The now 31-year-old midfielder has definitely fallen out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having only played five games across all competitions in the current 2019/20 campaign, amassing just 340 minutes under his belt.

Not to mention that his contract with the Red Devils is due to expire next summer, which would make him an attainable target for Atletico Madrid.

Seeing how he’s not really playing that much, or at all, and Manchester United themselves are not firing on all cylinders with the team currently stuck in seventh place, it’s not a stretch to assume the Serbian might be on his way come January already.

With the likes of Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira and Fred in Solskjaer’s midfield, the Red Devils wouldn’t miss Matic all that much but he could be a big scoop for Atletico, who are looking to add experience into their ranks.

The Serbian midfielder might be that missing link to finally get Simeone’s men back on track.

Only time will tell, though.

Paul Pogba is a curious case. He is perhaps one of the most enigmatic men in world football and it’s highly unlikely that will ever change.

The water at Old Trafford may be clearer after Manchester United drew with league leaders Liverpool, but there are still huge questions marks lingering over the direction they are heading in under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The fact the former Cardiff manager has the job has been an ongoing debate all season and his shoddy record in charge must surely come to a head soon.

United have changed managers on a regular basis since Sir Alex Ferguson walked out the door but have they ever had someone so out of their depth since he departed? Probably not.

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The Norwegian is cult-hero in Manchester. Famed for scoring a Champions League-winning goal, United have arguably never been so far from winning English football’s most prestigious title in a long time.

Is that down to the manager? Yes. Is it down to the players? Yes. Ed Woodward must also take a large portion of responsibility.

It’s no secret the club have gone considerably downhill; the very fact Ashley Young is club captain attests to that.

But what if there was a brighter horizon? It seems difficult to picture but there could be a starkly contrasting future for both Pogba and the Red Devils.

It hinges on a new manager and one that the Frenchman was one of the best in the world under – Max Allegri.

Check out 5 ways to fix Manchester United in the video below…

The manager who only recently relinquished the reigns in Turin has been linked with the United job and you’d have to dig deep to find a free agent with better credentials.

In Italy, Allegri won multiple titles and also took his side to a European final, all with Pogba in the team.

His record under the Italian in Serie A and beyond makes for rather pleasant reading.

Whether it was an outrageous goal shared across Twitter or a slick moment of ingenuity going viral on Vine, Pogba was your typical social media footballer at Juventus.

The things he could do with a football was sublime and that remarkable dipping and swerving effort he netted against Udinese was simply stupendous.

Rarely have we been treated to those moments in England, even if he did score 13 times in the Premier League last term.

That goes under the radar but the way he’s never really been able to settle makes it unsurprising he’s been the subject of interest from Real Madrid. Pictures have recently surfaced of him and Zinedine Zidane together so a departure may finally be on the cards. Only time will tell whether that is the case.

However, United would be foolish to let him slip through the net for a second time if Allegri is potentially on his way because he could transform Pogba’s time on British shores.

Playing in a more advanced role in a 3-5-2 formation with Mario Lemina and Sami Khedira beside him, one of his best games for the Old Lady came in a Turin derby in which he showcased his elite mentality, scoring a goal and assisting two in a 4-1 demolition.

Pogba was a regular big-game player in Italy. He claimed assists against Dortmund, Madrid and Man City in the Champions League while scoring versus Bayern Munich too.

As for league action, the dynamic France international laid on strikes against Roma, Milan and Fiorentina during his two years under Allegri.

He was sublime when it came to tackling and creativity, making 168 of the former across league and European fixtures.

With that in mind, is it really any surprise his technique and physicality have been described as “extraordinary” by Allegri.

The Italian has given him glowing plaudits, even praising his maturity at the World Cup.

Pogba was still very much a raw talent under the stewardship of his former boss but now he’s grown up the combination of the two could prove even better. That’s a scary prospect.

Man United long for Pogba in full stride and they could finally discover that if Allegri walks through the door.

The Red Devils have his career in the palm of their hands. What happens next could be down to one or two simple decisions.