Crystal Palace have “made contact” to sign Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer, according to reliable journalist Graeme Bailey.

Is Folarin Balogun leaving Arsenal?

Balogun is an academy graduate at the Emirates Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to be handed a chance to enter the first-team fold, but having only made ten senior appearances for his boyhood club, his future is extremely uncertain.

The United States international has been sent out on two loans throughout his career in the hope of receiving more regular game time, the first being at Middlesbrough and the most recent at Stade Reims last season, where he excelled, being their top-performing offensive player in Ligue 1.

The Gunners’ 21-year-old product still has another two years remaining on his contract in N7, but having reportedly rejected the chance to discuss a new deal, there’s a strong likelihood that he will be on the move during this window, potentially to link up with Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

Are Crystal Palace signing Balogun?

Taking to Twitter, Bailey revealed that Crystal Palace have submitted an enquiry for Balogun but should they want to get a deal over the line this summer, are set to face stiff competition for his services from other rivals in the Premier League. He wrote:

“Arsenal tell Folarin Balogun to step up search for new club. Crystal Palace, West Ham, Brentford, Fulham and Everton are among the clubs to have made contact, whilst Lille and RB Leipzig are also keen.”

Expanding in his column for 90min, Arsenal reportedly value their attacker at "over" £30m.

Should Parish & Freedman submit a bid for Balogun?

Crystal Palace will have no doubt been watching Balogun at Stade Reims to have felt the need to enquire about his services, and considering the prolific threat he would bring to that centre-forward role, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman should absolutely table an offer.

Sponsored by Adidas, the attacker clocked up an impressive 24 goal contributions (21 goals and three assists) in 37 Ligue 1 outings last season alongside recording 121 shots, which was higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef.

Arsenal’s “golden” striker, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also shares the same agent, Elite Project Group, as Malcolm Ebiowei, so this existing connection that Balogun’s representative already has to the club could give them a small advantage over their competitors.

Chelsea have "shown interest" in bringing FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the Premier League, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Diogo Costa leaving FC Porto?

Since graduating from FC Porto’s academy back in 2019, Costa has been a regular feature between the sticks having clocked up 109 senior appearances to date, and his impressive form has also increased his profile on the international stage.

The Portugal international represented his nation at the 2022 World Cup, during which his displays caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino who, alongside Todd Boehly, is reportedly in the market for a new number one shot-stopper this window.

Back in February, 90min reported that the Blues had sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old live in action as they weigh up whether to make an official approach, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like they have made their feelings known.

Are Chelsea signing Costa?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Chelsea are keen on signing Costa but are set to face competiton from two other suitors who are also looking to secure his services. He wrote:

"Diogo #Costa, #Chelsea recently shown interest in the #Porto goalkeeper. #ManUTD already approached him: at the moment his release clause (€75m) [£64m] is considered too high, but #MUFC remain on his tracks. Also #Bayern in the race for the GK: evolving situation."

Where would Costa fit in under Pochettino?

Chelsea will know that they are likely to lose Edouard Mendy this summer after reports emerged that he has agreed personal terms over a move to Saudi Arabia outfit Al Ahli so a replacement will be needed should he depart, and having been dubbed a “superman” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Costa could be the perfect successor.

The Gestifute client, who’s sponsored by Adidas, kept 16 clean sheets from 33 Liga Portugal outings last season and his outstanding displays saw him receive individual recognition by being awarded the 2022/23 Goalkeeper of the Season accolade.

The Rothrist native also made a total of 60 saves from 79 shots on target against giving him a success rate of 77.2%, which would make him a huge upgrade because that is higher than both of the current shot-stoppers who are at Stamford Bridge.

Finally, Costa will know what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured ten trophies across club and country since the start of his career so could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the SW6 outfit, who will be hoping to kick off a new era under Pochettino.

Mustafizur Rahman is among five entrants to Bangladesh’s 15-member ODI squad for the first game against New Zealand in Christchurch on December 26. Fast bowler Rubel Hossain has also returned, while Mehedi Hasan, Tanbir Hayder and Subashis Roy have earned maiden call-ups. Nasir Hossain, Shafiul Islam (hamstring injury), Al-Amin Hossain and Taijul Islam have been left out.

Bangladesh squad for warm-up match and first ODI

Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Subashis Roy, Tanbir Hayder.
In: Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, Tanbir Haider, Subashis Roy
Out: Nasir Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Taijul Islam

Mustafizur’s last international appearance was at the World T20 in March 2016, before a shoulder injury in July sidelined him from all competitive cricket since. He underwent surgery in August, and was part of Bangladesh’s training squad in Australia earlier this month. Rubel had been dropped during the ODI series against Afghanistan in September due to a lack of fitness. He was included in the training squad as Mohammad Shahid’s replacement.Tanbir – who is predominantly a batsman but has been picked as a legspinning allrounder – impressed coaches in the training camp in Sydney, while Subashis will be expected to extract pace and bounce from pitches in New Zealand. This is also the first ODI call-up for Mehedi, who made a dream debut during the Test series against England in October, taking 19 wickets in two Tests. Chief selector Minhazul Abedin said that the focus was on keeping the base group intact while pushing players with potential up to the international level.Mustafizur Rahman has returned to the Bangladesh squad after a shoulder injury had sidelined him since July•AFP

“We have kept the backbone of a settled squad that has been very successful over the last two years,” Minhajul said. “But at the same time, it is also important to get players in who we believe have plenty of potential to perform at the highest level. Tanbir has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and gives a different dimension to our attack as he is a genuine legspinner. He has also impressed the coaching team during the camp in Australia.”Subashis hits the deck and can extract bounce and movement off the wicket. He can be quite a handful in the conditions in New Zealand. Mehedi hasn’t played ODIs yet but has all the makings of a very useful limited-overs allrounder. We have reason to believe that he has the ability to serve Bangladesh in all formats and is one for the future.”The other members of Bangladesh’s preliminary squad that had trained in Sydney – Mominul Haque, Nurul Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Ebadot Hossain and Mehedi Maruf – will travel with the team in New Zealand, giving the side the option to pick squads for individual ODIs and T20s.

Liverpool's interest in signing a new right-back this summer doesn't make sense, according to RedMenTV's Ste Hoare.

After a disappointing season, the Premier League side has a number of different positions to address in the transfer window, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold at the club, recruiting another right-back is quite a confusing move for six-time Champions League winners.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Reds have been busy in the transfer market already, recently completing the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion's Alexis Mac Allister, and they've been linked to several other midfielders, including Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, but recent reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp's side are also looking for a new right-back.

Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are several senior members of the club's first team that are departing in the off-season, while the Reds are prepared to send Fabio Carvalho out on loan, so the club have several major holes to fill within the side, so adding a right-back, a position that's seemingly secured by Alexander-Arnold doesn't make sense to Hoare.

What has Ste Hoare said about Liverpool and Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Unless the plans are for Klopp to push the defender into midfield, Hoare isn't entirely convinced by the news that the club are looking for a new right-back.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the RedMenTV host said: "For me, signing a right-back just doesn't make any sense at the moment.

"So, for me, the links to a right-back don't really make sense."

Do Liverpool need to upgrade at right-back?

While a lot of questions have been asked about the 24-year-old's defensive capabilities, and largely for good reason, only Ibrahima Konate has averaged more tackles and interceptions than Alexander-Arnold out of the Reds' current defenders (minimum 15 league games played) and only Mohamed Salah had a better average rating that his 7.11 on WhoScored.

Couple that with the 10 assists and four goals the full-back added to the side in all competitions as well and his contribution to the team can't be understated.

With a midfield that needs a revamp, and an effective forward in Firmino needing to be replaced, signing a right-back isn't a matter of emergency and shouldn't take priority over the rest of Liverpool's transfer business and unless they move Alexander-Arnold into midfield, they'll be hard-pressed to find a defender who offers more on both sides of the pitch anyway.

West Ham United bringing in Paul Mitchell behind the scenes would be a 'coup' at the London Stadium by Irons' owners, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest news involving Paul Mitchell?

Journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing in his biweekly column for Football Insider, has revealed that Mitchell is one of several names in the frame to replace Mark Noble as sporting director of West Ham.

Mitchell, who will leave his role as sporting director of AS Monaco this summer, is being considered for the West Ham post alongside Brentford technical director Lee Dykes and former Liverpool man Michael Edwards.

The Independent reported earlier this year that both Manchester United and Liverpool have held some interest towards hiring Mitchell in a capacity at either Old Trafford or Anfield; however, no such developments have come to fruition for the 41-year-old as of yet.

As per The Daily Mail, Chelsea had looked into the possibility of hiring the recruitment expert, who has experience with the likes of RB Leipzig, Tottenham and Southampton as well as current employers Monaco.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that West Ham's owners would be making an ambitious step by hiring someone of Mitchell's ilk to replace the outgoing Noble.

Brown told GMS: "I think if West Ham were to get him that would be a bit of a coup. There were top clubs around Europe not so long ago trying to get Paul Mitchell in. It's certainly an interesting and exciting opportunity potentially for someone going there. I think to bring someone of his stature would be a bit of a statement from the owners."

Who have West Ham United identified as transfer targets for this summer?

The single most important facet of working in recruitment is brokering transfer deals and West Ham have already been linked with plenty of targets ahead of what is set to be a busy summer in east London.

As per The Evening Standard, Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is reportedly a target for the Hammers in the off-season and could be a direct replacement for Declan Rice, who is being courted by Arsenal.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is likely to be 'sounded out' over a potential switch to the London Stadium.

The Sun also claim that Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes and Leeds United attacker Jack Harrison are also on the radar for West Ham, signalling that an exciting transfer window could be on the horizon for David Moyes looking ahead.

أكد حسام حمدي، وكيل اللاعبين، أن مفاوضات الزمالك لضم أحمد حمدي لم تستغرق وقت طويل، مُشيرًا إلى سعادة اللاعب بالانضمام للقلعة البيضاء، وكشف عن وجود عروض من الدوري القطري لضم لاعب الأهلي.

وكان أحمد حمدي لاعبًا في صفوف الأهلي، قبل الانتقال إلى مونتريال الكندي، وأصبح الآن حرًا بعد رحيله عن ناديه الأخير في ديسمبر الماضي، وتعاقد معه الزمالك خلال الفترة الحالية، في إطار خطة تدعيم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم.

وقال حسام حمدي في تصريحات عبر برنامج “جمور التالتة”، على قناة “أون تايم سبورت 2”: “المفاوضات مع الزمالك لضم أحمد حمدي لم تستغرق وقتًا طويلًا، بمجرد حل أزمة القيد تم الاتفاق على الانضمام”.

وتابع: “الناس استقبلت أحمد في الزمالك بشكل جيد، وهو سعيد جدًا بالأجواء في القلعة البيضاء، أحمد عنده طموح للمنافسة على كل البطولات مع الفريق، وإن شاء الله يُحققوها”.

طالع أيضًا | عدلي القيعي عن صفقات الزمالك وعبد الله السعيد: لا أعرف كيف فعلوها.. وأتعجب من تفكير لاعب الأهلي

وأضاف: “وصل للنادي الأهلي منذ 10 أيام عرضًا رسميًا من القطر القطري لضم محمد عبد المنعم مدافع الفريق، لكن لم يحدث رد حتى الآن، وأرى أن الأمر به صعوبة خاصة وأن القيد في قطر سيغلق يوم 5 فبراير”.

وأوضح: “لم تصل عروض رسمية من أوروبا لـ عبد المنعم، لكن هناك اهتمام قوي جدًا من بعض الأندية، وكان هناك اهتمام أيضًا من الدوري السعودي، وكان قريبًا من الانتقال إليه، لكن لم يحدث نصيب”.

واختتم: “عبد المنعم لاعب كبير، وبالتأكيد الأهلي يريد الحفاظ عليه من خلال التجديد له، حتى يستفاد النادي منه ماديًا في حالة بيعه بعد ذلك، لكن لا يوجد لاعب في مصر لا يريد خوض تجربة الاحتراف في أوروبا، مع إحترامي للأهلي والزمالك وكل الأندية المصرية”.

Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs to have sent scouts to watch OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo in action, Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

How big a prospect is Todibo?

The Frenchman is a bit of a rising star at Nice currently, proving to be one of their most important players and performing consistently well at centre-back. He made 35 appearances in all competitions this season, 34 of which have been starts, and he has averaged 2.3 tackles per game in Ligue 1.

Todibo was once at Barcelona, but struggled to make the grade there, and he has also enjoyed loan spells at the likes of Schalke, Benfica and Nice, prior to joining the latter on a permanent basis in 2021. At 23, he has increasingly matured in recent years and his reputation appears to be growing all the time.

While Newcastle have been superb defensively all season long, only conceding 29 times in 34 Premier League outings, they could still be looking for centre-back reinforcements in the summer transfer window. That's where Todibo comes into play, with the Magpies seemingly eyeing a move for him.

Are Newcastle interested in Todibo?

Taking to Twitter, Romano reported that Newcastle have sent representatives to watch the Nice defender in action, although they aren't alone in showing an interest in him:

"Understand Newcastle, Manchester Utd and Liverpool scouts were in attendance at Nice-Rennes game to monitor Jean Clair Todibo. French centre back could get top club move in the summer — with price tag understood to be around €45m."

Todibo certainly looks like a massive prospect – football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled him as the "complete package" and lauded his "superb build-up and defensive attributes" – and he could be a brilliant signing by Newcastle at the end of the season.

Sven Botman is clearly a huge player for the Magpies, but it could be argued that an upgrade on Fabian Schar as the Dutchman's regular centre-back partner could take them to another level. The Swiss is now 31 years of age, and if Eddie Howe's side are reach that next step in 2023/24 and beyond, he possibly needs to become a squad player moving forward.

In Todibo, Newcastle would be getting a top-quality young prospect with a high ceiling, and while he hasn't yet been capped for France, he has every chance of it on his current trajectory, having made one appearance for his country's Under-21 side, and five for the Under-20s.

Leeds United have come forward as one of the clubs interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Charles de Ketelaere, if he is made available for loan this summer, according to reports from Belgium.

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

Leeds are already looking at potential new options for next season, after a disappointing 2022-23 Premier League campaign, and it has recently been reported they are interested in signing Toulouse midfielder Branco van den Boomen.

The Whites seem to be keen on bringing in new signings in the engine room, as they are also targeting OH Leuven midfielder Mandela Keita, having "already signed up" to try and secure his services for next season.

Sam Allardyce has not ruled out staying at Elland Road beyond the end of the season, and the Yorkshire club have now come forward to potentially make their first signing under the new manager.

According to a report from Le Soir (via Sport Witness), Leeds have made it clear they would be keen on signing De Ketelaere this summer, if he is made available for loan by current club AC Milan, and they have "come forward" for his signing.

After joining the Serie A club last summer, the Belgian has been unable to live up to expectations at the San Siro, and a temporary move elsewhere could give him the opportunity to "rebound" after a poor first season in Italy.

The Whites are not the only club battling for the midfielder's signature, however, as Burnley and Atalanta have also made their interest clear, so there may be stiff competition this summer.

Should Leeds sign Charles de Ketelaere?

Although he has failed to hold down a regular place in the Milan starting XI this season, often being utilised as a substitute, the 22-year-old has still been lauded as a "top player" by teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Divock Origi has compared the attacking midfielder's play-style to that of a Brazil legend, describing him as "half Havertz and half Kaka", while he also ranks in the 89th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Although the move to AC Milan has not worked out thus far, the £49k-per-week maestro is still very young, and a move elsewhere could be what he needs to reinvigorate his career.

If De Ketelaere can reignite his form from his time with Club Brugge, scoring 14 and assisting seven in 33 league appearances during the 2021-22 campaign, he could be an excellent signing for Leeds.

Referee Simon Hooper and his VAR team may have made a big mistake as they missed a perhaps clear handball from Harry Maguire in the most recent Manchester United game.

What's the latest on VAR and Man Utd?

On the face of it, it seems as though the Red Devils cruised to a pretty standard 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on the weekend.

Indeed, the Sunday afternoon fixture was ultimately decided thanks to goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot, handing Man United a key three points inside the Premier League as they look to finish inside the top four.

However, Erik ten Hag's men did have to ride their luck early on. Indeed, when the score was still 0-0, Forest had a huge penalty shout questionably turned down.

As this image shows, when jumping to win the ball inside his own box, Maguire gets himself in a complete mess and the ball bounces off his arm.

Was it a handball from Harry Maguire?

It's easy to see why referee Hooper might not have spotted the possible offence live. After all, there are plenty of bodies in the box, making it hard to see quite just what is going on.

However, this is why we have VAR. With that in mind, it's quite baffling that the technology was not able to spot the incident and then at least ask the referee to review it on the pitch-side monitor.

Judging from the picture above, had Hooper been given another opportunity to review the incident, it's hard to see him not awarding Forest a penalty.

To make things worse, Maguire was already on a yellow card and so this could have changed the trajectory of the game even more, had he then been sent off for a second bookable offence.

When talking to BBC Sport after the game, Forest manager Cooper certainly seemed to think this should have been the case.

Indeed, he fumed, saying: "I definitely think it was a penalty, and then a second yellow.

"I do not know how VAR did not spot it, at this level they should be doing better."

With Nottingham Forest battling down at the very bottom of the Premier League, this could be a pivotal moment in their season.

Indeed, they now sit 18th on the table, only 27 points with just seven games left to save themselves from relegation back down into the Championship.

Liverpool will host Mikel Arteta's incredibly on-form Arsenal side at Anfield for their Premier League showdown this afternoon and Jurgen Klopp will surely be desperate to give the home support something to believe in following a disappointing campaign so far.

The Reds are 13 points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four ahead of their clash with the Gunners, whilst their opponents will be heading to Merseyside with one thing on their mind – improving their lead in the top spot to avoid Manchester City closing in on them over the remaining fixtures of the season.

Indeed, Klopp knows exactly what it feels like to be looking over his shoulder for Pep Guardiola's formidable side, so attempting to put a dent in the North London club's challenge for the title will likely present a tough game for the Merseysiders.

In terms of injuries, Calvin Ramsay, Stefan Bajcetic and Naby Keita remain unavailable for selection, whereas Luis Diaz is continuing to build his fitness to get back to action but is confirmed to be unlikely to appear until the Leeds United game.

However, Klopp did hint in his pre-match press conference that two key players could make an appearance today, with the long-awaited return of Thiago Alcantara imminent and Virgil van Dijk ready to play following a bout of illness:

"Virgil, completely normal, he was back in training,"

“Luis and Thiago training completely normal too. The plan with Luis is that he will be available 100 per cent for Leeds (on April 17)."

"Thiago looks slightly different. He was not out that long, trained now three or four times with the team and he might be available. But we have to check how he feels."

How could Liverpool line up vs Arsenal?

Kloop could make as many as six changes to the team that drew with Chelsea earlier this week, maintaining his classic 4-3-3 formation.

The first of which may see a complete overhaul of the defensive set-up, with only Ibrahima Konate retaining his spot in the back four alongside Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, who will reprise their roles at Anfield.

Unlike his fellow returnees, the £100k-per-week Scotland captain – once hailed "clever" by Gary Neville – did make a 24-minute cameo against Chelsea after Kostas Tsimikas was hooked for a disappointing display.

The fourth and fifth changes may come in midfield after the side found themselves overrun in the middle third on many occasions in west London, with Thiago and Harvey Elliott joining Jordan Henderson to complete the midfield.

The sixth and final change is an inevitable one with Egyptian goal machine Mohammed Salah returning to the starting eleven alongside an otherwise unchanged attacking force completed by Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez.

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Thiago, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Firmino