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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Sheffield United striker Brian Deane is worried those in charge at his old club could target a big name in their manager search just to divert pressure.

The Blades are currently being linked with John Terry following Chris Wilder’s departure last month despite the Chelsea legend having no managerial experience.

Terry’s only experience in a dugout has come in his current role as Aston Villa assistant head coach, meaning Sheffield United have no track record to go off.

Considering that, Deane is unconvinced about appointing Terry, suggesting that Prince Abdullah and the rest of the decision makers at Bramall Lane may just want to bring in a big name so that all of the pressure is on them, rather than the board and owners.

On the links to the former England captain, Deane told FFC:

“I think you need to be very careful when you start handing out these jobs, and it’s a big job, by the way. Sometimes I’ve seen it where, you know, owners give these big names the jobs to take the heat off themselves. ‘Ok, I’ve given somebody the job. He can take that on board; he is somebody who is used to performing at the top level.’ “

With Sheffield United’s relegation officially confirmed following their recent 1-0 defeat to Wolves, the Yorkshire club can now put all of their efforts into finding a new manager, although they received a rare 2020/21 boost following their victory against Brighton and Hove Albion across the weekend.

Here's where you can watch Minnesota vs FC Dallas in the MLS on TV or live stream.

Minnesota United will play Dallas on matchday 10 at Allianz Field on Sunday, hoping to prevent their longest losing streak in a Major League Soccer regular season since 2021.

The Loons have now lost three straight domestic games, most recently a 1-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders, while Dallas' three-match unbeaten streak was ended by a 3-1 loss to New York City FC.

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Minnesota stepped into the month as one of the league's unbeaten teams but they are now in a slump, losing three consecutive games by a single goal.

The Loons are one of three MLS teams without a home victory this season, and they are now on their longest winless streak at Allianz Field (three) in the regular season since failing to win four consecutive home games in 2017.

A traditionally solid backline was unlocked for three strikes in quick succession last weekend, the most that Dallas has given up in a single game all season.

Like Minnesota, Nico Estevez has seen his Toros squad drop points, squandering four from winning positions in 2023, all of which came away from home, while they gave up a late one at Los Angeles FC when they had one point in their pocket.

They have 14 points after nine matches, putting them fourth in the Western Conference, but have given up 11 goals thus far, a mark they did not get to last season until matchday 13.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and how to stream it live online.

• Minnesota United vs FC Dallas date & kick-off time

  Game:	Minnesota United vs FC Dallas
  Date:	April 30, 2023
  Kick-off time:	9:00 pm ET / 2:00 am BST (May 1)
  Venue:	Allianz Field

  Minnesota United and FC Dallas face off at the Allianz Field on April 30. The kickoff for the game is set for 9:00 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 2:00 am BST (May 1).

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• Where to watch Minnesota vs FC Dallas on TV & how to stream it

  Fans in the United States and across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	FS1 / TSN	Apple TV
  Global	N/A	Apple TV

  • Check out GOAL's football on UK TV guide
  • Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guide

• Team news & squads

  Minnesota United team news and squad

  Minnesota United have Bakaye Dibassy and Mikael Marques unavailable for selection. Ryen Jiba could be an option to start the game for United, however, his minutes are to be managed due to his injury concerns.

  Minnesota United possible XI: St. Clair; Valentin, Boxall, Tapias, Taylor; Trapp, Dotson; Lod, Fragapane, Hlongwane; Garcia

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Irwin, Dick
  Defenders	Henry, Taylor, Tapias, Kallman, Valentin
  Midfielders	Reynoso, Lod, Hlongwane, Arriaga, Rosalaes, Fragapane, Trapp
  Forwards	Amarilla, Garcia, Oluwayesi, Weah, Dunbar, Jiba

  FC Dallas team news and squad

  FC Dallas has Tarik Scott unavailable after he underwent ACL surgery. Ema Twumasi is suspended for the game.

  FC Dallas possible XI: Paes; Junqua, Tafari, Martinez, Farfan; Lletget, Quignon, Pomykal; Arriola, Ferreira, Obrian

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Paes, Maurer
  Defenders	Farfan, Geovane, Martinez, Ibegaha, Korca
  Midfielders	Pomykal, Lleget, Cerrillo, Quignon, Ntsabeleng
  Forwards	Ferreira, Velasco, Arriola, Jimenez, Obria

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• Useful links

  Live football on UK TV

  Live soccer on U.S. TV

  Stream MLS matches on Apple TV

  Buy MLS tickets with Ticketmaster

A source has reportedly shared some insight on the potential takeover of Newcastle United involving an expert in the Middle East.

As per the Daily Mail, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked Middle East expert and Downing Street strategist Lord Eddie Lister back in September if there was any news on the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group, to which he replied that a call was being set up and that the deal would hopefully be signed that week.

Mr Johnson then responded ‘brilliant’ when receiving the news in what is some very interesting insight into what may have been for the St. James’ Park faithful.

What might have been for Newcastle

The exchanges between Lord Lister and the PM suggests that the takeover deal was close, although the Premier League eventually decided to fail the bid.

Nonetheless, the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and their bottomless pits of money would seemingly bring more wealth to the North East if the takeover were eventually to go through, perhaps why Johnson was seemingly so gleeful at the prospect of a deal.

The pending arbitration case between the North East club and the top flight should give a much clearer indication over the direction in which the potential takeover is heading, and a positive result there could lead to its possible resurrection.

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

The Blues were toothless once again as they were bested by the struggling hosts in their first match under their new interim boss

Chelsea proved that they have plenty more problems to overcome since sacking coach Graham Potter as they went down 1-0 to Wolves on Saturday.

There was no new manager bounce in interim coach Frank Lampard's first game as the Blues were woeful and unable to threaten their hosts.

Kai Havertz disappointed up front once again alongside Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix, while the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana put in decent performances to prevent things from getting worse.

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GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Molineux…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):

  Beaten by an excellent shot in the first half but made some saves as the busier of the two goalkeepers.

  Reece James (6/10):

  Worked hard to get forward to whip the ball into the box but his crosses were poor. Still, it was one of his better performances since returning from injury.

  Wesley Fofana (7/10):

  Made an important tackle in the first half and looked good alongside Koulibaly.

  Kalidou Koulibaly (7/10):

  His header bounced perfectly for Matheus Nunes to fire in the opening goal but he did well defensively and was fine on the ball.

  Marc Cucurella (5/10):

  Put in a few good tackles but was at risk of being sent off with a yellow card early in the second half. Was sloppy in possession, too.

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• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Conor Gallagher (6/10):

  Made nice runs into space around the Wolves defence as a threatening passing option but could not convert that into real danger.

  Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

  Saw a lot of the ball and made some good passes but unable to create any chances.

  Mateo Kovacic (4/10):

  Behind the pace of the game for large spells although he did play two dangerous balls. Very little fight for the ball in midfield.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Kai Havertz (4/10):

  Not the right candidate to lead the Chelsea attack as he was barely involved in good positions and no threat at all.

  Joao Felix (6/10):

  Looked capable of creating something at times but nothing went in his favour.

  Raheem Sterling (5/10):

  Had a hard time getting involved as Chelsea struggled to build attacks in the first half. Only slightly better in the second and set up Gallagher with a cut back.

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  Subs & Manager

  Christian Pulisic (6/10):

  Came on for Havertz after the hour mark and held up the ball but was unable to offer much of a threat.

  Mykhailo Mudryk (5/10):

  Was easily snuffed out by the Wolves defence in his 22 minutes on the field.

  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (6/10):

  Missed the target with a shot immediately after coming on and saw an effort blocked by Dawson late on.

  Ben Chilwell (6/10):

  Replaced Cucurella and was an improvement as Chelsea looked stronger down the left.

  Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

  On for the last 10 minutes and played at the back. Was fine on the ball as Chelsea pushed forward.

  Frank Lampard (4/10):

  His team were second best for the entire first half and failed to create enough clear chances throughout. Some of his changes helped make them more threatening, but there were few positives to take from this game.

How to watch Wolves vs Chelsea in the Premier League on TV and online in the United States.

Wolves take on Chelsea in a Premier Leaguegame at Molineux Stadium on Saturday.

Wolves, who are just one point above the relegation zone, have failed to win a match in their last three appearances in the league. They will hope to get back to winning ways at home and climb up on the league table.

Chelsea have managed to collect only two points in their last three league games. A series of poor results prompted the management to part ways with Graham Potter and replaced him with club legend Frank Lampard as their interim manager.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Premier League fixture between Wolves vs Chelsea, plus team news, recent form and more.

• Getty Images
  

  Kick-off time

  Date:	April 8, 2023
  Kick-off time:	10am ET
  Venue:	Molineux Stadium

  The game is scheduled for April 8, 2023, at Vitality Stadium. It will kick off at 10am ET in the US.

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• Getty
  

  How to watch Wolves vs Chelsea online – TV channels & live streams

  TV channels & streaming options

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  U.S	USA Network	NBCSports.com

  In the U.S., the match can be watched on USA Network and can be streamed on NBC Sports.com.

• Getty
  

  Team news & squads

  Wolves team news

  Ruben Neves and Jonny Castro are suspended for the match while Sasa Kalajdzic, Chiquinho and Hwang Hee-chan are sidelined due to injuries.

  Hugo Bueno, on the other hand, has recovered from his hamstring injury and is likely to be back in the starting lineup against Chelsea.

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Sa, Bentley, Moulden
  Defenders:	Collins, Kilman, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Jonny, Semedo, Bueno
  Midfielders:	Lemina, B. Traore, Hodge, Nunes, Gomes, Moutinho, Podence, Sarabia
  Forwards:	Neto, Cunha, Jimenez, Hwang, A. Traore, Costa

  Chelsea team news

  Chelsea will miss the services of Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to injuries.

  Interim manager Frank Lampard could include Mason Mount in the Chelsea midfield alongside N'Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez.

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Mendy, Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Slonina
  Defenders:	Chalobah, Koulibaly, Cucurella, Badiashile, Chilwell, James
  Midfielders:	Gallagher, Chukuwuemeka, Mudryk, Fernandez, Loftus-Cheek, Madueke, Ziyech, Zakaria, Kante, Kovacic, Mount
  Forwards:	Havertz, Felix, Pulisic

  Head-to-head record

  Date	Result	Competition
  8 October, 2022	Chelsea 3-0 Wolves	Premier League
  7 May, 2022	Chelsea 2-2 Wolves	Premier League
  19 December, 2021	Wolves 0-0 Chelsea	Premier League
  27 January, 2021	Chelsea 0-0 Wolves	Premier League
  15 December, 2020	Wolves 2-1 Chelsea	Premier League

  Chelsea and Wolves have won one match each in their last five meetings while three matches ended in draws.

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  Useful links

  • Wolves team page

  • Chelsea team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi’s time at Elland Road will come to an end this summer, according to The Athletic‘s Phil Hay.

The once-capped Switzerland international joined the Whites back in 2014, arriving from Sampdoria for an undisclosed fee.

Berardi has gone on to make a total of 155 appearances for Leeds, performing solidly in that time and being more of a regular during his early years at the club.

Under Marcelo Bielsa, however, the 32-year-old has featured far less and he is now coming to the end of the one-year contract extension he signed last October.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Hay tips Berardi to leave Leeds

The reliable Hay confirmed that he doesn’t expect Leeds to retain Berardi’s services beyond this summer, such is the depth now at Bielsa’s disposal:

“And I won’t be surprised if Gaetano Berardi leaves at the end of his latest contract too.”

Transfer Tavern take

Hay continued to explain that the Whites are very well covered at centre-back, and thus it makes perfect sense for the club to move Berardi on, getting him off the club’s wage bill and freeing up funds for potential reinforcements to come in.

He is currently on approximately £32,ooo per week (the fifth highest paid player in the squad), and considering he suffered an ACL injury last summer, he is unlikely to fully return the same player again.

Leeds have moved on without Berardi and should now be looking at younger players who can help take the team forward in the long-term – perhaps another striker given the rumours surrounding Rodrigo’s future.

In other news, a former Leeds star has given his take on the Whites’ summer transfer budget. Read more here.

GOAL rounds up all of the completed La Liga transfers this season so far

Transfer activity rarely gets more frenetic than when it involves Real Madrid or Barcelona, two of the world's biggest forces in football, but across La Liga there is fierce competition each summer for new players.

Teams battle for their prized possessions in a bid to make their side stronger on paper ahead of a typically grueling battle for Spanish supremacy.

GOAL rounds up all of the completed La Liga transfers this season so far.

• Transfer INs and OUTs for all La Liga clubs

  Club	2021-22 position
  Real Madrid	1st
  Barcelona	2nd
  Atletico Madrid	3rd
  Sevilla	4th
  Real Betis	5th
  Real Sociedad	6th
  Villarreal	7th
  Athletic Club	8th
  Valencia	9th
  Osasuna	10th
  Celta Vigo	11th
  Rayo Vallecano	12th
  Elche	13th
  Espanyol	14th
  Getafe	15th
  Mallorca	16th
  Cadiz	17th
  Almeria	1st La Liga 2
  Valladolid	2nd La Liga 2
  Girona	Champ. play-off

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• Pedro Vale/CBF
  

  Almeria transfers

  New signings summer window

  Player	Nationality	Previous club	Fee
  Kaiky	Brazil	Santos	€7m
  Marko Milovanovic	Serbia	Partizan	€3.5m
  Gui Guedes	Portugal	Vit. Guimaraes	€3m
  Alejandro Pozo	Spain	Sevilla	€3m
  Leo Baptistao	Brazil	Santos	€1.50m
  Srdjan Babic	Serbia	Esrella Roja	€1.10m
  Houboulang Mendes	France	Lorient	Free
  Fernando Pacheco	Spain	Alaves	Free
  Martin Svidersky	Slovakia	Man Utd U21	Free
  Arnau Sola	Spain	Barcelona Juvenil A	Free
  Adrian Embarba	Spain	Espanyol	Undisclosed

  New signings January window

  Player	Nationality	Previous club	Fee
  Arvin Appiah	England	CD Tenerife	End of loan
  Luis Suarez	Colombia	Marseille	Loan
  Diego Marino	Spain	Sporting Gijon	€80k

  Departures summer window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Juan Villar	Spain	Huesca	Free
  Giogi Makaridze	Georgia	Ponferradina	Free
  Nikola Maras	Serbia	Alaves	Loan
  Cristian Olivera	Uruguay	Boston River	Loan
  Javi Robles	Spain	CF Fuenlabrada	Loan
  Daniel Carrico	Portugal	Released	Free
  Aitor Bunuel	Spain	Released	Free
  Jonathan Silva	Brazil	Released	Free
  Jose Carlos Lazo	Spain	Espanyol	Undisclosed
  Arnau Sola	Spain	Real Murcia	Loan

  Departures January window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Juanjo Nieto	Spain	SD Huesca	Free
  Arvin Appiah	England	Malaga	Loan
  Iván Martos	Spain	FC Cartagena	Undisclosed
  Javi Robles	Spain	Pontevedra	Free
  Fernando Pachecho	Spain	Espanyol	€2.2m

• Getty Images
  

  Athletic Club transfers

  New signings summer window

  Player	Nationality	Previous club	Fee
  Gorka Guruzeta	Spain	Amorebieta	Free
  Ander Herrera	Spain	PSG	Loan

  Departures summer window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Unai Lopez	Spain	Rayo Vallecano	Free
  Jokin Ezketia	Spain	Racing Santander	Free
  Juan Artola	Spain	Burgos	Loan
  Inigo Cordoba	Spain	Fortuna Sittard	Free
  Youssouf Diarra	Spain	Cordoba	Free
  Inigo Vicente	Spain	Racing Santander	Free
  Nico Serrano	Spain	Mirandes	Loan
  Alex Petxa	Spain	Andorra	Loan
  Imanol Garcia de Albeniz	Spain	Eibar	Loan
  Unai Nunez	Spain	Celta Vigo	Loan
  Benat Prados	Spain	Mirandes	Loan
  Peru Nolaskoain	Spain	SD Eibar	Loan

  Departures January window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Asier Villalibre	Spain	Alaves	Loan

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• Chelsea FC
  

  Atletico Madrid transfers

  New signings summer window

  Player	Nationality	Previous club	Fee
  Nahuel Molina	Argentina	Udinese	€10m
  Samuel Lino	Brazil	Gil Vicente	€6.5m
  Axel Witsel	Belgium	Borussia Dortmund	Free

  New signings January window

  Player	Nationality	Previous club	Fee
  Memphis Depay	Netherlands	FC Barcelona	Undisclosed
  Matt Doherty	Ireland	Tottenham Hotspur	Free

  Departures summer window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Luis Suarez	Uruguay	Nacional	Free
  Sime Vrsaljko	Croatia	Olympiakos	Free
  Giuliano Simeone	Argentina	Real Zaragoza	Loan
  Hector Herrera	Mexico	Houston Dynamo	Free
  Sergio Camello	Spain	Rayo Vallecano	Loan
  Rodrigo Riquelme	Spain	Girona	Loan
  Nehuen Perez	Argentina	Udinese	Undisclosed
  Samuel Lino	Brazil	Valencia	Loan
  Manu Sanchez	Spain	Osasuna	Loan
  Borja Garces	Spain	Tenerife	Loan
  Vitolo	Spain	Las Palmas	Loan
  Victor Mollejo	Spain	Real Zaragoza	Free
  Daniel Wass	Denmark	Brondby IF	€1.75m
  Renan Lodi	Brazil	Nottingham Forest	Loan Fee: £4.50m

  Departures January window

  Player	Nationality	New club	Fee
  Marcos Paulo	Brazil	Sao Paulo	Loan
  Matheus Cunha	Brazil	Wolves	Loan
  Joao Felix	Portugal	Chelsea	Loan
  Manu Lama	Spain	Fuenlabrada	Loan
  Felipe	Brazil	Nottingham Forest	€2.3m

The sense of anticipation is building ahead of Qatar 2022, but some of the game's best players will be absent…

Thirty-two nations will compete for the World Cup trophy when the tournament kicks off in the winter for the first time ever, with reigning champions France set to face stiff competition from the likes of Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Belgium in their pursuit of back-to-back titles.

England are also among the favourites, while household names such as Portugal and Netherlands have been billed as dark horses, but not all of the traditionally strongest nations will be present in Qatar.

Euro 2020 winners Italy were expected to return to the biggest stage after failing to qualify for Russia 2018. However, Roberto Mancini's men let their tickets slip after suffering a humiliating playoff defeat to North Macedonia.

Sweden, Colombia, Chile, Nigeria and Egypt also fell short, and then there's the fact that some of the qualifiers are starting to lose key players to injuries in the run-up to the big kick-off on November 20.

Indeed, below, GOAL takes a look at the most notable absentees, including a certain in-form Manchester City frontman…

• Getty
  

  David Alaba – Austria

  David Alaba is revered as one of the greatest Austrian players of all time, having won everything there is to win at club level while also amassing 96 caps on the international stage.

  The Real Madrid defender has never appeared in the World Cup finals, though, and Austria's latest qualification bid was scuppered by Wales in the European play-offs.

  Alaba will be 33 when the next tournament rolls around, with a new expanded format of 48 teams set to be debuted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  He will surely be past his peak by then, though, and may not even be a guaranteed starter as the next generation of Austrian talent continues to come through.

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• Getty Images
  

  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon

  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's hopes of appearing in a World Cup at least once in his career now appear to be well and truly over.

  The 32-year-old scored twice during the CAF group stage but Gabon finished a distant second to Egypt, who progressed to the play-offs with the minimum of fuss.

  Aubameyang, then, is going to have to just content himself with trying to finish his club career with a flourish after the former Arsenal forward returned to London from Barcelona during the summer to join Chelsea.

• Getty Images
  

  Giorgio Chiellini – Italy

  Giorgio Chiellini was almost at a loss for words after Italy's shock 1-0 loss to North Macedonia, admitting he was "crushed" by his nation's failure to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.

  It's easy to understand why. The veteran centre-back knew he'd never get another chance to take to the game's greatest stage and he called time on his international career just a couple of months later.

  That's good news for forwards all over the world, of course, but a blow for neutrals, who felt one of the great defenders of the modern era deserved to bow out in Qatar.

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  Luis Diaz – Colombia

  Luis Diaz has been an instant hit at Anfield since joining Liverpool from Porto in January.

  The all-action winger helped the Reds win the FA Cup and League Cup in his first few months at the club, quickly becoming a fixture in Jurgen Klopp's front three following the departure of Sadio Mane.

  Despite a recent injury, Diaz's club future certainly seems to be bright, but he is part of a squad very much in transition on the international stage.

  Colombia reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014 and the second round four years later, with global stars such as James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao leading their charge.

  However, they could only manage a sixth-place finish in the 10-team CONMEBOL qualification process this time around, with Diaz unable to carry their hopes on his shoulders alone.

According to West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, there is plenty of hope behind the scenes that a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard will be done this summer – with GSB apparently happy to pay his £107,000-per-week wages over a three-year-deal. 

Per the insider report, agents are currently involved at both club and player level as they attempt to complete an agreement as soon as possible following the conclusion of the 2020/2021 season.

West Ham insider drops major Lingard update

Claret & Hugh explain that the West Ham board are eager to back manager David Moyes ‘to the hilt’ in his desire to secure Lingard on a permanent switch to the London Stadium.

Indeed, the Scotsman has apparently made Lingard his ‘priority signing’ by ‘some distance’ – and the Irons remain confident of tying up the 28-year-old despite some interest from Premier League rivals Leicester City.

Tough Manchester United negotiations are expected, but regardless, West Ham hopes are rising behind the scenes that a deal will be reached in the summer.

One thing that will come before his permanent move is a new Moyes contract, as C&H claim it will ‘certainly precede’ a move for the Englishman.

Transfer Tavern take

Dropping this major update on West Ham’s quest to secure Lingard’s status in east London, the insiders may have shared hugely promising news.

Time will tell whether this comes to fruition, but growing optimism behind the scenes signals real positivity a deal can be agreed.

In other news: West Ham want this former Real Madrid forward, find out more here.

GOAL counts down the top talents born on or after January 1, 2003 from all around the world

• GOAL
  

  20Paulina Gramaglia

  One of the most intriguing moves of the NWSL off-season was that which saw the Houston Dash complete the loan signing of Paulina Gramaglia, one of the most promising young stars coming through in Argentina. 

  Previously the captain of her country’s Under-17s, Gramaglia is a hard-working forward with plenty of positivity and confidence in her play.

  The 19-year-old scored nine goals in seven games in the top-flight for UAI Urquiza in 2021, and made her senior international debut in November, too.

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• GOAL
  

  19Juliet Nalukenge

  A star at home in Uganda for her exploits with the youth and senior national teams, Juliet Nalukenge has long had dreams of playing professionally. Last summer, she achieved that big move, joining Apollon in Cyprus on a two-year deal.

   The 18-year-old then joined AMOK Chrysomolia on loan in a move that should help her settle into life in Europe – and she is making an impact there, scoring her first professional hat-trick in December.

   A young player who is already so important for her country, her experience abroad will only make her a more valuable asset for the Crested Cranes.

• GOAL
  

  18Maya Hijikata

  A quick, technically gifted forward with a fantastic first touch, Maya Hijikata is one of Japan’s most exciting young stars. 

  Part of Nippon TV Beleza’s Under-18s side that defeated two WE League sides in the Empress’s Cup, scoring six times in five games, Hijikata has also been a fixture throughout the youth national teams in Japan.

  A creative goal-scoring talent, the 17-year-old has everything it takes to be at the very forefront of Japan’s next generation of stars.

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  17Aemu Oyama

  Another top talent coming through Nippon TV Beleza, Aemu Oyama is the youngest goal-scorer in the short history of the WE League.

  She is still only 17 years old, but is generating a lot of excitement in her home country about what her future could hold. 

  A talented midfielder who has a wonderful balance of power and technique, she was part of the Japan team that won the AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship in 2019, and has been thriving for her club in Tokyo, both with the U18s and in the WE League.