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An update has emerged on Charlton goalkeeper Ben Amos, regarding Ipswich’s interest in his services this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to South London Press journalist Richard Cawley, Ipswich are looking at Charlton goalkeeper Ben Amos ahead of his potential free agent status next month. Amos is out of contract at the start of July and Cawley has claimed that Ipswich are taking him under consideration this summer, with Charlton still in talks with the former Manchester United shot-stopper over a new deal.

After a 0-0 draw with Sunderland last season, former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer lavished praise on the “excellent”  shot-stopper for his vital saves in the game. He told Charlton’s official website:

“I thanked Ben Amos for that point today because he was the reason we got the point, he made some great saves and Ben Watson threw himself in front of a few. We’re low on bodies at the minute.

“There were some good things and some bad things today. Amos was excellent, we got 90 in Watson – how he’s played that game is beyond me.”

Bart 2.0

Ipswich could find their next Bartosz Bialkowski with Amos. Bialkowski was excellent between the sticks for Ipswich for a number of years, keeping 41 clean sheets in 178 appearances for the club before joining Championship side Millwall in 2019 following the club’s relegation to League One.

The Blues have been unable to adequately replace the Poland international, with Paul Cook reportedly wanting to move Tomas Holy on this summer after the Czech keeper failed to impress him in League One.

This is where Amos could come into the picture. He is a proven League One performer and could be the man to finally fill Bialkowski’s gloves at Portman Road and be Ipswich’s next hero between the posts.

Amos played in all 46 games for Charlton in League One as they finished above Ipswich in the table, with the 31-year-old keeping 17 clean sheets and conceding 56 goals throughout the campaign to prove his quality at this level. The fact Charlton are keen to keep him also suggests that he impressed behind the scenes as well as on the pitch, which is a good sign for Ipswich.

Therefore, Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton must sanction seal a swoop for the £4.5k-per-week ace if possible.

Amos could be a quality option to replace Holy and Ashton could hand Cook a reliable number one option, who could be the club’s first choice for a number of years. 31 is not old in goalkeeping terms and that means that Amos could be Ipswich’s key man in goal for the next four or five years, just as Bialkowski was during his time in Suffolk.

AND in other news, Ipswich handed major transfer boost with “exciting” starlet, Cook will be delighted…

Leeds United are interested in signing midfielder Okay Yokuslu, who spent the latter half of the 2020/21 season on loan at relegated West Bromwich Albion.

That’s according to the print edition of Spanish newspaper Faro de Vigo (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Yokuslu made the temporary move to the Baggies from La Liga outfit Celta Vigo in the winter transfer window and shone even as his team’s bid for survival failed.

The Turkey international made 2.2 interceptions per game, the fifth-highest in the Premier League (via WhoScored) and bettered only by Liam Cooper among Leeds’ squad – Kalvin Phillips, who plays in a similar role, averaged 1.6 interceptions per game. The £31,000-a-week Yokuslu also won 2.6 aerial duels and 2.4 tackles per match, underlining the strength of his defensive game.

West Brom journalist and podcaster Adrian Goldberg hailed the 27-year-old as an ‘excellent footballer’ and marvelled at his ‘forceful’ approach during his spell with the Baggies.

The latest

Faro de Vigo stated (via Sport Witness) that there is a healthy market for Yokuslu in the Premier League on the back of his impressive loan spell at The Hawthorns.

Leeds are named as one of the candidates for the 27-year-old’s signature and, perhaps crucially, Celta Vigo will allow the £6.75m-rated midfielder to leave the La Liga club permanently.

The verdict

Leeds could do with a reliable backup option for Phillips in defensive midfield, as seven of their 15 Premier League losses came in the Englishman’s absence.

Does Yokuslu fit the bill? He can certainly shield a back four, but Phillips also boasts an exceptional passing range, as evidenced by his 4.7 accurate long balls per game last season.

The Turkish midfielder might have to develop that part of his game (he averaged just 1.9 accurate long balls per match), but there’s definite potential for a bargain for Leeds or indeed a Premier League rival.

Whether Yokuslu would accept a backup role to Phillips at Elland Road is another matter, though, as the Englishman has proven too important for Marcelo Bielsa to omit.

In other news, this youngster could be leaving Elland Road on loan.  

Derby County are interested in a move to bring Kyle Lafferty to Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Wayne Rooney’s side, along with a host of fellow Football League clubs, are considering a move for the out-of-contract centre-forward in the upcoming transfer window.

It is reported that West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic are the clubs who have joined the Rams in keeping a close eye on the 33-year-old ahead of a potential summer move.

Big mistake

Considering that Derby scored a Championship low of just 36 goals last season, the addition of a prolific striker would very much appear to be a priority for Rooney this summer. However, when looking at Lafferty’s record over the course of his career, it is clear to see that the Northern Ireland international is not the man the Rams boss should be bringing into the club.

Despite scoring eight goals over nine appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Kilmarnock last season, this rate of scoring would very much appear to be the exception rather than the rule. Lafferty has reached double figures for league goals just twice in his professional career – scoring 11 goals over 34 Serie B appearances for Palermo in 2013/14 and 12 goals in 35 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Heart of Midlothian four years later.

Furthermore, with it being reported that the £360,000-rated striker – who has previously been dubbed a “danger” to opponents by former Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson – was demanding four times the £3,000-per-week he was earning at Kilmarnock last term in order to stay on at the club this summer, his wage demands would also appear to be a problem for cash-strapped Derby.

As such, there would very much appear to be better options available for Rooney – both financially and in terms of his goal return – than Lafferty this summer, leading us to believe that a move for the veteran centre-forward would be a big mistake on the part of the Rams manager.

In other news: Rooney must sanction Derby swoop for £24k-p/w beast with who’s “like a Paul Scholes”

Leeds United centre-back Robin Koch has admitted that he is happy at Elland Road at the moment, but has hinted at the possibility of moving on eventually.

The Lowdown: Key signing for Whites

The Whites signed the German from Freiburg last August as Marcelo Bielsa prepared his squad for their first season back in the Premier League.

Koch has been an impressive performer for Leeds, making 17 appearances in the top flight and being hailed as a ‘leader’ by Noel Whelan.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040”]

The Latest: Koch happy at Leeds

Discussing his future in an interview with Kicker [via Sport Witness], Koch expressed his happiness at Leeds, although he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of moving on one day, saying:

“I’ve only been here a year now, and I’m very satisfied. The club’s journey is far from over. Of course, you always have big goals, but at the moment my focus is entirely on Leeds United and the Euros”.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Important figure moving forward

Koch may not have been a regular starter for the Whites this season, but his potential has shone through, with the 24-year-old doing well at both centre-back and in central midfield, averaging an 86.2% passing completion rate and winning 2.2 aerial duels per game in the league (WhoScored).

He should only mature further with age, potentially becoming a key figure over time and acting as a possible long-term replacement for Liam Cooper at the heart of the Whites’ defence.

Koch’s comments regarding his “big goals” for the future further down the line could worry some Leeds fans, with the defender making it sound like he may consider a move elsewhere one day, but for now we can rest assured that he is wholly committed to the Elland Road cause.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to sign a new deal – find out who it is here.

Many Everton fans have been left to buzz as an update emerged on their new away kit for next season.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, supporters can now order the new away strip, which features a burnt orange belt cutting through the black jersey, with the Cazoo sponsor in the middle and the Toffees badge placed within the belt.

The kit has been made and designed by Hummel and has certainly got a lot of tails of Blues fans wagging to buy it.

It goes away from the traditional blue and white colours of the home shirt, but several EFC supporters seem to love the colour combinations and overall design, as they look forward to going into the next campaign with just one game left to go, away at Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, in the 2020/21 term.

Everton fans on new away kit

These Everton fans buzzed as the new away kit was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘magnificent’:

“Wow, this is beautiful”

Credit: @N00rKi

“Absolutely love it #Everton #Hummel”

Credit: @NewMozDivision

“At last!”

Credit: @LeeCJ1982

“Beautiful”

Credit: @hughes_jagger

“This kit is magnificent and I won’t have anyone tell me otherwise.”Credit: @jamesiwanj”Oh my”Credit: @WilliamsLewyIn other news, find out what transfer update has left Toffees fuming here!

Lee Ryder has claimed that Jonjo Shelvey ‘did not rise to the occasion’ for Newcastle United in their 3-2 win over West Ham United at Saturday lunchtime.

Writing in his latest player ratings piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist slammed the former Liverpool and Swansea City man for picking up a ‘needless’ yellow card very early on in the first half, and gave him a measly 6/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest with Sean Longstaff in terms of Magpies players to have started the game at St. James’ Park.

Shelvey did not have his best game for Newcastle

Shelvey would have been thanking his midfield teammate Joe Willock for bailing Steve Bruce’s team out in the end late on in the second half to give the Tyneside club all three points in the North East.

The 29-year-old lost out on 100% of his duels (six) in the match, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble, tackle, key pass, cross or accurate long ball, as he also lost possession on eight separate occasions (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, Shelvey will have to perform a lot better than what he showed if he is to keep his starting place in the side from now until the end of the 2020/21 term, as the magpies look to cement their spot in the Premier League for another season.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on the potential takeover involving the EPL here!

Some Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Leah Smith reported that Manchester United made an offer for him.

As per a tweet from the Stretty News and Caught Offside journalist, that offer was recent, but the Goodison Park faithful are demanding a fee of £80m to lure him away from the Merseyside club.

While Calvert-Lewin is certainly a very important player for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, £80m is a lot of money to turn down, and that can be reinvested into a new striker or other parts of squad that the Toffees need to strengthen in the summer.

Selling him to a direct rival in the Premier League is not ideal in the slightest, but Calvert-Lewin’s value may not get any higher than the Blues rate him at right now, and so it may not be a bad time to cash in.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin transfer update

These EFC supporters lauded the transfer update on Calvert-Lewin on Twitter:

“I heard about this a few weeks ago honestly hope it’s true”

Credit: @FrankieFitzmau3

“I’d snap your hand off for £50 mill – – great effort and work rate but surely there is better around for that type of money -“

Credit: @AuthurAskey

“I would snatch their hands off”

Credit: @paulmar27865614

“£80m is quite a lot. I’m sure we could buy a striker or 2 and a solid defender with that money”

Credit: @BlueNose9011

“3 goals in his last 16 games. I would snap £80million out of your hands.”

Credit: @BW27_

“In a bit DCL”

Credit: @OleOleAncelotti

In other news, find out what other recent transfer update has been lauded by Toffees here!

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to the news that Raphael Varane is out of the Reds’ Champions League clash with Real Madrid, which is potentially a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Reds face a massive test on Tuesday night, as they lock horns with Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final clash.

Klopp’s men are looking to get revenge on the La Liga giants, following the heartbreak they suffered in the 2018 final, losing 3-1 to Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Liverpool are without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the game, and for the remainder of the season, with Nathaniel Phillips and Ozan Kabak again expected to start.

Madrid have centre-back problems of their own, however, with Sergio Ramos ruled out and now Raphael Varane also unavailable for the match in Spain.

On Tuesday, it was confirmed that the Frenchman has tested positive for the coronavirus, meaning he has to self-isolate.

Liverpool fans react to Varane news

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the update, understandably seeing the positive side of it for their team while wishing the France star all the best.

“Varane tests positive for COVID, obviously first thoughts are wishing him a speedy recovery but it’s a very nice break for us tonight”

Credit: @Tice_Mahoney

“Huge if Varane is out for tonight’s encounter”

Credit: @GrizzKhan

“Real still have Nacho and Eder Militao who are quality. it’s massive that an experienced duo in Varane and Ramos miss out. Interesting to see if both legs.”

Credit: @DaveD0106

“Real Madrid will be without both Ramos and Varane for both of the Champions League quarterfinal matches as it was announced Varane has tested positive for COVID. Wishing Varane a speedy recovery and all that but a big boost for #LFC.”

Credit: @AnfieldAgenda

“Huge blow for Real Madrid as Varane tests positive. Really changes the dynamics of the tie”

Credit: @menacesingh

“No Varane and Ramos, we have to take advantage of this tonight and try score as much as we can. Still got a 10/10 midfield they do so we need to take the game to them tonight, massive game for Jota/Salah tonight”Credit: @ZaanQadri

“Madrid missing Ramos, Varane Liverpool missing Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez score = 10-10”

Credit: @tylersd7

In other news, Klopp has hinted about a key selection decision for the Real Madrid game. Read about it here.

Sunderland fans are delighted after Lee Johnson revealed Bailey Wright is ready to go ahead of the Black Cats’ League One match on Tuesday.

The Stadium of Light outfit suffered a blow to their promotion hopes at the weekend as they lost 2-1 to Charlton Athletic. They are now five points behind Peterborough in second place and, while they do still have a game in hand, they can no longer catch Posh unless results go their way (BBC).

On Tuesday, they face Wigan Athletic, who are currently in the relegation zone. Sunderland will be confident of a win to get back to winning ways, and in a boost to their chances of victory, Johnson has revealed Wright could well be available to face the Latics.

Wright is the club’s highest rated centre-back this term and fourth-highest rated player overall, per Whoscored.

The news was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Wright news below

“Fantastic news”

Credit: @mackem49000

“Great to see Wright is fit. We need him for the run in imo. Also great to see Arby back! Hope he can hit the ground running for us next season!”

Credit: @lewygsafc

“Good news should be in tomorrow”

Credit: @bamgboyeolu

“Get him in”

Credit: @RunGMC16

“Oh yes”

Credit: @SunlunWill

“Straight in the team for me tomorrow then”

Credit: @JStubbs0302

In other news, Sunderland fans want this in-form star to leave the club.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts on social media regarding an injury update on Jack Grealish.

According to the Birmingham Mail, the 25-year-old will miss this evening’s clash with Tottenham due to shin problems which have seen him miss the club’s last five Premier League fixtures.

Grealish touch and go for Fulham?

With Grealish not selected for England duty, the club captain will have time during the upcoming international break to regain fitness.

The Birmingham Mail claimed that the attacking midfielder remains touch and go for the home match against Fulham on Saturday April 3.

Villa have struggled without Grealish during the last five games, picking up just five points from a possible 15, scoring just three goals in that period (Transfermarkt).

Dean Smith’s side host Jose Mourinho’s men this evening knowing that a win would take them just a point behind their visitors.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared the update regarding Grealish on Twitter, which led to these supporters replying:

“Another game wrote off if he doesn’t play, I’ve got no confidence at all when he’s absent, really hope I’m proved wrong but we are so bang average when he’s missing…”

Credit: @Mrb47016877

“Shock”

Credit: @qc1874

“So now he’s not even likely to play against Fulham? yesterday he was pain free and running and could feature against Tottenham”

Credit: @edwards2779

“Dean Smith said in the Presser he would leave it until Sunday morning and would be guided by Jack.. Just another non story from the Birmingham Mail.”

Credit: @clarkemark7

“So Jack might not be fit for Fulham now?”

Credit: @yorkshirevilla1

“If the Club didn’t treat every Jack Grealish injury like a soap opera you wouldn’t get all this speculation. If Mat’s bang on with “touch & go even for Fulham” dear oh, how much more spin can Smith feed us on Jack”

Credit: @Rog_FootyMad

In other news: Plenty of Villa fans have been reacting to a transfer update on Grealish, find out more here.