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Crystal Palace are interested in Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, as cited by Sport Witness.

The Lowdown: Lukic profiled

Lukic can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and has 18 caps to his name for Serbia.

The 24-year-old has made 113 appearances for Torino after joining from Partizan Belgrade in 2016 for £1.53m. He spent time out on loan at Levante during the 2017/18 season and is currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the highest valuation of his career.

Lukic was a regular in Serie A last season, making 32 appearances mainly as a central and attacking midfielder, and it seems as if his displays have caught the eye at Selhurst Park.

The Latest: Palace ‘moved with major insistence’

According to the report, Lukic has ‘many suitors abroad’, one of which appears to be Palace. The Eagles and Spartak Moscow have ‘moved with major insistence’ for the midfielder, and both destinations reportedly appeal to the player.

Lukic, who is on £13,000 per week, is under contract with his current employers until 2024.

The Verdict: A smart target?

Palace, who are still without a manager, appear to be in line for major changes on the pitch as well as off it. The Eagles have 11 senior players on their initial release list, published by the Premier League in recent days.

One man included was James McCarthy, and should he depart, Palace would be left with just four senior central midfield options on the books. Attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze is one of those, but he’s out until next year with a long-term Achilles injury.

It appears as if central midfield reinforcements could be needed for the Eagles, and bringing in Lukic – who can play in all kinds of midfield roles – may be a smart move by the south London club.

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at Conor Gallagher update, find out more here. 

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Gareth Bale needs to prove himself for the remainder of the season if he is to earn a stay at the club.

Bale struggled for minutes under manager Jose Mourinho, making just six starts in the Premier League. He is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt.

He was restored to the team by interim head coach Ryan Mason against Southampton and scored in the 2-1 win, before netting a hat-trick in Spurs’ 4-0 home thrashing of Sheffield United.

But he was on the bench against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final as Spurs lost 1-0, and Roberts thinks that he now has a bigger opportunity to seal another move this summer.

It has been widely reported that Spurs have an option to extend his loan stay at the club, and Roberts thinks that the Wales international now has a handful of games to prove himself.

Spurs face Leeds United, Wolves, Aston Villa and Leicester City before the end of the season as they bid to force their way back into contention to qualify for Europe.

Speaking to FFC, Roberts was asked if Bale will stay and said: “I would think there’s now half a chance. But I think Gareth now has to prove himself in the next few games.

“If not, the club are not going to pay £300,000, £250,000 a week to him, when you’re sitting on the bench. You’ve got to be out on that pitch and hopefully he’s over all of his injuries now.”

After seeing his Aston Villa side fall to a 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend, Dean Smith will no doubt be keen to ensure his team get back to winning ways when they take on Spurs tonight.

The Midlands club took the lead on two separate occasions against the Eagles in the first-half, before a late salvo saw Roy Hodgson’s men come away with all three points at Selhurst Park.

Villa were rocked before the game by the news that Tyrone Mings would be unavailable, and in his place, Kortney Hause came in from the wilderness to partner Ezri Konsa at the back.

And while the centre-back had a promising start and could have, and probably should have, scored in the first-half, his rustiness and lack of touch really told after the break when Palace turned the pressure on.

As per Sofascore, the £55k-a-week earning ace finished on a 6.4 match rating, the second-lowest of any Villa player, making no tackles or interceptions and losing possession 12 times.

And most importantly, he was beaten by Christian Benteke in the air for one of Palace’s goals, and that lack of sharpness really told in his decision-making.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a five, saying: “In for his first start since December 28 and he started well and perhaps could have scored two as his headers from Traore’s corner sailed just wide of Butland’s post. Hause was good on the deck and fizzed in passes to the likes of Targett and El Ghazi.

“The centre-back was undone for Palace’s equaliser, though, as Benteke timed his jump to perfection to get above Hause before his effort nestled home. Hause was pick-pocketed by Schlupp in the second half as Palace almost took advantage. A bit rusty which was to be expected.”

With Smith confirming in his pre-match press conference that a late fitness check will be made on Tyrone Mings, the Villa boss will be desperately hoping one of his main centre-backs can pass the test and make his comeback against Spurs.

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Having a rusty Hause trying to deal with an in-form Harry Kane who’s eyeing up yet another Premier League Golden Boot is a recipe for disaster, and one that could prove very costly for Villa.

Meanwhile, Villa must land this “great leader” despite Lee Hendrie’s transfer verdict…

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Red Star Belgrade winger Andrija Radulovic recently and the 18-year-old could prove to be an excellent addition to Pep Guardiola’s side in the future.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Citizens are interested in signing Radulovic and have opened talks with the Serbian side about signing him, having already tracked the youngster for over a year.

It is suggested that City have been keeping an eye on him since he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-0 win in the UEFA Youth League, which has also seen Spurs track the teenager, although City are the favourites to sign him.

They also report that Radunovic is unlikely to challenge in Guardiola’s side at first, so would likely be sent back to Red Star on loan, or to one of City’s affiliate clubs from around the globe.

Would he be a good signing?

In 13 appearances for Red Star’s senior side, Radulovic has managed an impressive two goals and two assists, so he is clearly a promising youngster and he looks to have a big future in the game.

Barcelona, Benfica, Inter and AC Milan have all also been linked with him in the past, so it seems clear that he is a man in demand and that plenty of the top scouts around the world feel that he has what it takes to make it at the top.

The Serbian U19 international has been also been compared to current Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri, who has won two Champions League titles with Bayern Munich and Liverpool in his career, so if Radulovic could have a career similar to his, then he would surely prove to be a solid addition at the Etihad.

Given that he is valued at just £1.17m by Transfermarkt, it seems as if the 18-year-old could be a bargain signing for City this summer, especially if he goes on to realise his obvious potential with Guardiola’s side in the future.

Therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to bring Radulovic to the Etihad ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Txiki must avoid transfer disaster over 25-goal “winner”, Pep would be fuming

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has rejected a move to Liverpool, who would have paid him more than three times the amount of his Hoops deal.

That’s according to a report from Anfield Central, who suggested that the French forward turned down a Merseyside move following a phone call with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Edouard, who earns £19,000 per week at Celtic Park, would have been on a contract worth £60,000-a-week at Anfield.

The 23-year-old’s Parkhead deal expires in just over 12 months’ time and he wants to leave the Hoops this summer regardless of who comes in as Neil Lennon’s successor.

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Transfer Tavern take

To us, this latest update may spell trouble for new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay. If Edouard were keen on a move to Liverpool, they may have been willing to fork out a substantial fee for the striker, whose contract is running down.

However, with a move to Anfield no longer on the cards, that is one less club now in the running for the Frenchman. That may prove to be bad news for the Hoops, as it could tempt other interested suitors into offering a lower fee, or worse still, happy to wait until January 2022 when they could discuss a possible free transfer.

Celtic also owe Paris Saint-Germain 40% of any deal involving Edouard, so to us, it’s crucial that the Hoops receive as much as possible in seeling him, or they could make a loss on the striker for whom they paid a club-record £9.27m fee back in 2018.

In other news: Hoops keen on £50,000-a-week midfielder, find out more here.

Aston Villa signing David Brooks this summer could spell the end of Ross Barkley’s time at the club.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Villa are interested in signing Bournemouth ace Brooks, and Lee Hendrie recently threw his backing behind a move for the 23-year-old.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I’m a big fan of David Brooks. I’ve seen a fair bit of him this season and he’s an absolute talent, he really is. He’s a young man with bags of ability and I think if he comes into Villa, I think he’d be a great addition.

“He reminds me of Jack (Grealish). He’s very slight, he’s very mobile and, again, he’s another player that could set the Prem on fire if he’s given a chance.”

Bye-bye Barkley

After enjoying a fine start to his Villa career following his season-long loan move from fellow Premier League side Chelsea – he scored in his first two top-flight games for the club – it’s all been downhill for Barkley.

The England international has since bagged just one other time in the league, while he still only has one solitary assist to his name. It’s no surprise then that reports in recent weeks have claimed that Villa are not convinced over making Barkley’s move permanent, and it’s exactly why Dean Smith’s side must surely go for Brooks this summer instead.

He has managed eight goal contributions in 24 Championship games this campaign, and quite appealingly for Smith, he is able to play anywhere behind the striker.

That versatility should be music to the ears of the Villa boss, who has seen his side hit with injuries to numerous attacking players this season including the likes of Barkley, Jack Grealish, Trezeguet and Bertrand Traore among others.

Having the £16.2m-rated Brooks in his ranks would go a long way to addressing a lack of strength in depth, and it might just be the final nail in the coffin for any chance of Villa signing Barkley permanently.

Meanwhile, Villa should move for this Premier League star Dean Smith loves…

Southampton are reportedly one of the Premier League clubs most interested in signing Brentford left-back Rico Henry, and if he were to make the move to St Mary’s, he could be a great addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

According to the Evening Standard, Henry is likely to be a Premier League player next season regardless of whether or not the Bees earn promotion, and Southampton are leading the interest in the 23-year-old.

The Saints are clearly in the market for a left-back, as they have just Ryan Bertrand available as a natural option in the current squad, and his contract is currently set to expire at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Jake Vokins’ lack of appearances on loan with Sunderland in League One suggests that he is some way off becoming a regular with the Saints, so signing someone such as Henry would make a lot of sense for Hasenhuttl.

The Englishman has been a key player for Brentford since signing from Walsall in 2016, making 121 appearances for the London club, in which he has contributed two goals and eight assists.

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Henry was a mainstay in Thomas Frank’s side last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to Fulham in the play-off final, as he appeared in all 49 of their fixtures, averaging a solid 6.83 WhoScored rating.

During his time at Walsall, current Aston Villa manager Dean Smith suggested that Henry was destined for a career at the top, saying: “If I were to liken him to anyone it would be a young Ashley Cole. And it’s up to him how far he can now go in the game.”

He later described the young defender as “something special” as a result of his impressive performances for Walsall as a teenager, and having now established himself as a top left-back in the Championship, it seems clear that the 23-year-old is ready for a move to the top flight.

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If Martin Semmens can convince Henry to make the switch to the south coast, it could prove to be an excellent signing. Even if Bertrand ends up prolonging his stay at St Mary’s, Henry could then go on to be his ideal long-term successor.

In other news… Signed for £9m, sold for £20m: Southampton enjoyed rare transfer success with 31 y/o liability

It has been revealed recently that Ronaldo, who is revered as one of the greatest strikers of all time, was subject to a bid from Rangers in 1997, as they attempted to bring the Brazilian to Ibrox following his fall-out at Barcelona.

In a documentary released by Sky Italia last week, Ronaldo’s former agent Giovanni Branchini spilt the beans on Ronaldo’s career and his dramatic exit from Barcelona in 1997, which saw him leave the Catalan club after just one season following a contract dispute, despite him only recently being named the World Player of the Year.

As per the Daily Record, Branchini revealed in the documentary that whilst contract talks with Barcelona were stalled, he and Ronaldo considered the interest being shown by “Lazio, Inter and Glasgow Rangers”.

He also suggests that Rangers made an “incredible” offer for the superstar striker, one that meant that he would only feature in European matches, but in the end, they took the decision to sign for Inter.

He would go on to score 59 goals in 99 appearances for the Serie A side before making the switch to Real Madrid in 2002, where he enjoyed arguably the best spell of his career, hitting 104 goals for Los Blancos.

Although the Ibrox outfit managed to win the Premiership and two domestic trophies the following season under Dick Advocaat, they failed to progress in the Champions League group stages the following season, so it would have been interesting to see how they would have done with a player of Ronaldo’s immense quality up front.

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Despite suffering a number of injuries, the Brazilian still enjoyed a decorated career which saw him win the World Cup and Ballon d’Or twice.

He is highly regarded amongst former and current footballers, with Gus Poyet describing him as a “phenomenon”, whilst Lionel Messi described the Brazilian as his “hero”.

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Therefore, there is no doubt that the Brazilian would have been an incredible signing for Rangers had club chairman at the time, David Murray, been able to convince him to make the switch to Ibrox.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge boost with £900k-rated gem; Gerrard dubbed him “wonderful”

A number of Liverpool supporters have been praising Thiago’s latest performance for Spain, with the midfielder impressing for his country.

The 29-year-old was a hugely exciting arrival from Bayern Munich last September, having won the Champions League in 2019/20 and been one of the best midfielders in Europe.

It hasn’t been a dream start to life at Liverpool for Thiago yet, though, with a long injury layoff curtailing his progress during the autumn and winter.

Not only that, but the Spaniard has also been playing for a Reds side with no confidence and with central midfielders often playing at centre-back.

Despite a slightly underwhelming first year on Merseyside, there is no denying that Thiago is a wonderful footballer, though.

On Sunday night, the midfielder was introduced as a substitute in Spain’s 2-1 win away to Georgia, as the international break continues.

He produced an eye-catching cameo from the bench, helping turn the match around and outlining his quality on the ball (36 passes completed in 35 minutes) and reminding Liverpool fans what they can expect when he is on top form.

His performance suggests that he could be primed to have a big impact once Jurgen Klopp and his players reconvene later this week, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arsenal.

Liverpool fans hail Thiago’s display

Here’s how some Reds fans reacted on Twitter to Thiago’s latest performance, with one Kopite describing it as “brilliant”.

“Thiago has been gorgeous since he came on for Spain. He’s genuinely a joy to watch. Gary Neville has an awful lot to answer for when it comes to people galaxy braining their analysis of him.”

Credit: @ryan3levis

“Thiago on and Spain equalized”

Credit: @scousantara

“Brilliant”

Credit: @smart044

“Wonderful player”

‘Credit: @frankfrance12

“It’s meaningless really, but it’s nice as a Liverpool fan to see Thiago come on and be the player that the Spanish national team – a footballing heavyweight – look to funnel their attack through and let be their general”

Credit: @NotoriousJOS

“He’s unreal! So happy we have him!”

Credit: @ThisMerv

In other news, Liverpool are ‘convinced’ about the future of one key player – read more about it here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass analysed the thinking behind Celtic potentially hiring Frank Lampard or John Terry as their next manager.

The Hoops are currently without a boss after Neil Lennon departed the club, handing in his resignation last Wednesday.

That came following the club’s 1-0 defeat to Ross County. They’re considerably off the pace in the race for the SPFL title and their fierce rivals, Rangers, now need a very minimal number of points to win the league.

It will be the first time in over nine years that the Gers have managed to do so. Thus, whoever walks into the job will have an almighty battle on their hands to reclaim Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football.

Football FanCast quizzed Windass this week over potential candidates for the job and he thought that the likes of Lampard or Terry could mean that the Bhoys are thinking of following Rangers and making a Steven Gerrard-liked appointment.

He began: “You know, it’s like the domino effect. I think that Frank’s on the same par as Stevie and so is John Terry. He’s a big name in the game and just starting out his managerial career, which obviously Stevie was. In his first job in charge, he’s being successful, so Celtic are probably thinking on those lines.”

Windass concluded: “I think the supporters will wish Lenny all the best, they’ve gone through a tough time this season, not just with results but also with Covid, and he’s obviously found he can take the club as far as he can go now and let somebody else have a bash at it. So if it’s John or Frank or anybody, it’s a massive football club, so they won’t be short of applicants, I know that for a fact.”

Lampard has just recently left his post with Chelsea after being sacked following a run of poor results. His former Blues teammate, Terry, is meanwhile assistant manager to Dean Smith at Aston Villa.

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The former has previously been hailed for his amazing connections when Pat Nevin spoke about the possibility of the 42-year-old joining. Whether or not Lampard or Terry would like to cross the border, however, is another matter.

AND in other news, “Very good fit” – Exclusive: Pundit claims Celtic job “would appeal” to 2018 FIFA MOTY nominee