Sheffield Wednesday face the unenviable task of hosting Manchester City in the FA Cup this evening, and Barry Bannan is all too aware of the dangers posed by Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Citizens lifted the Carabao Cup trophy on Sunday and will likely be eager for more domestic success this season as they look set to miss out on the Premier League title.

City even had the luxury of resting key players at the weekend, including Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne, suggesting they could line up at Hillsborough, and Bannan is determined to stop the latter.

His aim to stop the Belgian is a target not many teams have managed to achieve this season, as the 28-year-old’s return of nine goals and 18 assists this year would suggest.

That has led many fans to reject Bannan’s idea that he and his teammates can reduce De Bruyne’s influence, with some choosing to mock the Scot’s comments.

A run of just two wins in 13 league games since Christmas indicates why there is such pessimism amongst the fanbase currently. The Owls have conceded 10 goals in five games, too, which suggests a team like the current Premier League champions could run riot against them.

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Derby managed that on Saturday and led 3-0 at half-time with Wayne Rooney pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch, and some supporters think that a failure to deal with the 34-year-old shows that Wednesday will really struggle with De Bruyne, and one fan fears the worst because of that.

Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?

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In other news, Owls’ fans have also been directing criticism at another player, but for a much bigger reason…

Last season, West Brom’s success could largely be attributed to one man – Dwight Gayle.

Indeed, the Baggies were hugely reliant on the goals the Newcastle loanee scored for them last term, as he netted 24 goals for the Midlands club on their way to a fourth-place finish.

Gayle went back to St James’ Park in the summer, but despite losing their top scorer, the Baggies came back a stronger side, currently sitting top of the Championship, six points clear of the playoff spots.

However, Slaven Bilic has recently revealed that he did indeed try to bring the striker back to the club after his initial loan spell.

What’s the story then?

Gayle is set to return to The Hawthorns on Tuesday evening as the Magpies gear up for an FA Cup clash with the Championship club.

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Understandably, Bilic was asked about Gayle, and he gave an honest answer when speaking about whether or not they tried to sign him in the summer.

“In the summer we tried. We lost 12 players and it’s not good to have such a huge turnaround in a squad,” Bilic said.

“Because he was so good and so instrumental last season, we wanted to get him back.

“We did everything to get him but it wasn’t to be. It was impossible.”

Blessing in disguise

Gayle playing in this Albion team does sound like a mouth-watering prospect, and we can’t even imagine how dominant they may have been if they had him leading the line this term.

However, they should be glad that they didn’t splash the cash on him.

It was widely reported in the summer that the Tyneside club wanted £20m for the striker, and that’s a lot of money for an attacker whose record in the Premier League is more than questionable.

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Indeed, the striker has scored just 21 goals in 110 Premier League games, and if he’d have come up with West Brom, there’s every chance that he would have needed replacing anyway.

Instead, the Baggies are on track to earn promotion without Gayle, meaning that the £20m they would have spent on the 29-year-old can now be used at the end of the season on a striker with a little bit more Premier League pedigree.

Gayle would have undoubtedly been a great addition to this Albion team after topping their scoring charts last term, but if they go up without him they’ll be glad that they missed out on his signature – achieving the ultimate objective for this season regardless.

In other news, West Brom’s summer priority should already be clear.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season isn’t getting any better as they made it four successive matches without a victory on Saturday afternoon.

The north London side were held by Burnley to slip to seven points adrift of the top four in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s side has suffered in the absence of goalscoring duo Harry Kane and Heung-min Son as their only goal at Turfmoor came courtesy of a spot-kick from Dele Alli.

And this situation hasn’t helped the fans’ reaction as the club have been linked to an old-time target and rival winger Willian this week.

According to Universo Online, Spurs are keen on signing the Brazilian on a free transfer this summer – some seven years after he underwent a medical at the club before joining Chelsea instead.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

The overriding consensus amongst sections of the Spurs faithful was that many were firmly against the idea of signing the 31-year-old at the end of the season.

One supporter told the winger to “do one” while another was still hurt by his ‘nearly’ transfer in the past, claiming he “screwed” the club over.

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Willian was also blasted for being “another reject” as well as a “has-been.”

The Blues wide man has actually been in decent nick for Frank Lampard this season, finding the net seven times whilst providing six assists in 37 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Which is probably why others are behind Jose Mourinho making a swoop for his former player…

One fan would “100%” sign the Brazilian with another brandishing him a “top player” who could be available for a decent financial deal.

Although, a further member of the Tottenham support would only have him as an option from the bench.

There were even comparisons made to players in the current Spurs setup.

A couple of supporters believe Willian would be an upgrade and a replacement for Erik Lamela, who is injured far too often in their mind while one man suggested the 31-year-old is a better footballer than Lucas Moura.

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Only time will tell if this transfer report has any truth to it.

Premier League experts will get full marks: The ultimate quiz on top flight transfer flops…

And in other news, Spurs will count the cost of Jose Mourinho’s CHILDISH demand…

The football season has been plunged into chaos this week and it seems that fans, journalists and even the governing bodies are unsure of how to continue after Premier League matches were postponed on Friday.

Premier League clubs will meet on Thursday to discuss plans beyond the 4th of April – when football is due to return – with a number of outcomes still possible at this time.

Liverpool have the most to lose as their first title for 30 years, which they appeared destined to win, is now very uncertain due to the entire season possibly being called off and made void.

However, Michael Edwards and Tom Werner will represent the club in those aforementioned talks, and that fills supporters with hope as Edwards has often proved effective in other aspects of his job, such as selling players for high prices like £142m Philippe Coutinho.

Whether or not he can have the influence fans hope for is yet to be seen, as West Ham’s Karen Brady has already advocated for the season to be cancelled.

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That would mean all of the parties may reach an impasse, and naturally Reds’ supporters are fearing the worst.

Many suggest it would be unfathomable to call off the competition but with no solution in sight and Euro 2020 currently getting the go-ahead, it is a matter of finding the time to play the remaining matches.

No clues: Can you name the season these iconic Liverpool images belong to?

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Here is some of the supporters’ view of the current situation.

Read here to find out about the verdict Jurgen Klopp has given regarding Liverpool’s current predicament…

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are targeting Matty Longstaff in what would be the next step of Mikel Arteta’s plan.

The reports claim that the north London club lead the way to sign the central midfield player but face competition from the likes of Everton, West Ham United, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Club Brugge, Inter Milan and Atalanta.

Longstaff is out of contract in June and would rather leave the Magpies than sign a new one, according to the article. As a result, the Gunners are the reported front-runners and signing the 20-year old could be a positive step in Arteta’s plan of building a more youthful team to hopefully dominate in the future.

The Spanish coach has turned to youth in his short spell not just as Arsenal manager but in his managerial career overall. The likes of Bukayo Saka, Matteo Guendouzi, Joe Willock, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah have all enjoyed a fair number of appearances under the Spaniard, with the latter having his loan spell at Leeds United cut short to help the senior team out and the 20-year old has kept £54-million rated Alexandre Lacazette out of the starting eleven in recent games (via Transfermarkt).

The youngsters mentioned above have made 57 appearances between them in all competitions for the north London club under Arteta, scoring seven goals and providing a further six assists according to Transfermarkt.

Longstaff may be a decent addition to the Gunners midfield having been capped twice at England U-20 level and playing seven times in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals (via Transfermarkt).

Indeed, the central midfield department has arguably been a problem area for the Gunners given that Granit Xhaka was stripped of the captaincy in November (via BBC) and Lucas Torreira has not always started in this campaign, coming off the bench twelve times in all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

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With that in mind, Longstaff could prove to be another handy youngster to have in Arteta’s armoury as he looks to build for the future, with the likes of Graeme Souness praising his ability to strike the ball, as well as Jamie Redknapp purring over how ‘tenacious’ he can be.

Arsenal fans, would Longstaff get into your starting eleven? Comment below!

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is rapidly becoming one of the most revered figures in English football.Having lifted the Champions League last season and then led the club to the summit of the Premier League this season, the 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best players in the country.But it is not only on the pitch where he has impressed.

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Indeed, in the midst of the global pandemic everyone has their part to play, and The Times journalist Paul Joyce has revealed that Henderson is organising a fund for the NHS that will run into the millions.

The report also states the initiative pre-dates criticism from Health Secretary Matt Hancock towards Premier League footballers, and Henderson has spent the last few days contacting captains of other top flight clubs regarding the idea.

It’s the type of gesture that will be warmly received by people far and wide during this incredibly challenging time for society, and it’s one that has absolutely thrilled his adoring supporters.

The news from Joyce prompted hoards of praise for Henderson on social media, with fans suggesting he is a natural leader both on and off the pitch.

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Here’s how the Liverpool fans reacted to Joyce’s revelation…

Celtic have one important task ahead of them this summer, to keep ahold of Odsonne Edouard, but former Scotland international Alan Hutton thinks that is a difficult task.

What did he say?

A lot has been made about the Frenchman’s performances this season. Celtic fans have been numerous in their praise of the striker, which is perfectly understandable.

He has scored 27 goals and even assisted 19 in 45 games this term, taking his total amount of career assists to 31, despite being a 22-year-old striker who is arguably most adept at finishing.

His presence in the side has been key to a return of 89 goals in 30 league games, and he has been vital to the Bhoys’ success in every domestic competition, just as he was in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Form like that doesn’t go unnoticed, however, and just last week rumours sprouted up once more that hinted at a move elsewhere, with Arsenal the interested party.

Touching on the subject of his future, Alan Hutton admitted that there would likely be multiple clubs interested in his signature, and gave a little prediction of what could happen.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said:

“Edouard is technically gifted and I think Celtic will have to do as much as they can to hold onto him because I’m sure there’ll be teams looking at him, whether it be the Premier League or foreign clubs.

“It’s going to be a tough ask to keep hold of him.”

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Could be worth selling?

The prospect of allowing Edouard to leave would likely fill a lot of fans with dread, but there could be positives to come out of such a situation.

Should the Bhoys remain stubborn this summer and rule out a move to a bigger club, it is very possible that the France youth international could grow fed up and disillusioned in Glasgow.

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If such an eventuality occurs, his performances could decline, and that would not only harm Celtic on the pitch, but possibly off it too as his potential transfer fee could decline, particularly as he will have less time left on his contract.

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Likewise, it is possible that Edouard’s stock will never be as high as it is currently, and if several clubs register an interest the Glasgow outfit could pit them against each other to attract the highest fee.

Life after football: Do you know what all of these former players did next?

That could reach astronomical amounts given what he has produced at a young age, and those funds could then be reinvested in order to maintain Celtic’s dominance.

In other news, Celtic could regret missing out on one 2018 transfer target…

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent has thrown his backing behind Barcelona’s reported offer for Tanguy Ndombele.

Ndombele has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, with a report from Sky Sports suggesting that Barcelona have offered Spurs the chance to sign Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo in exchange for letting the Frenchman go.

After hearing about the news, Bent admitted that the two players they would potentially be getting in return may be good for Spurs in the long-run and help fix some important issues for them.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “To be fair, that swap deal would cover up a lot of cracks and I think it would help. Centre-half, they’ve been a little bit week this season and at full-back as well, they’ve been a little bit suspect. Tanganga’s done very, very well but he’s still quite young.

“Semedo a couple of years ago was absolutely brilliant for Benfica, absolutely brilliant. Went to Barcelona, struggled a little bit but that covers it. Umtiti as well, a World Cup winner of course! If you’re getting Umtiti and Semedo, you ain’t having to buy these players and that’s two positions kind of sewn up.”

In terms of the two players they would be getting in return, both Semedo and Umtiti would help solve Spurs’ current woes at right-back and centre-back respectively.

Serge Aurier has been the picture of unreliability what with his recklessness, whilst Kyle Walker-Peters was sent out on loan to Southampton during the middle of the campaign. And in the heart of defence, Jan Vertonghen’s future is very much up in the air due to his contract with the club expiring in the summer.

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Letting Ndombele go after just one season would be a bold gamble, but it may be worth it overall.

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Sunderland are about to lose yet another promising young talent and it has left many fans at the Stadium of Light absolutely reeling.

According to Echo reporter Phil Smith, Man Utd are closing in on a swoop in for teenage striker Joe Hugill – one of the brightest prospects left in the academy.

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The Black Cats have already seen Logan Pye join the Premier League giants whilst Sam Greenwood, Luca Stephenson and Luke Hewitson have also left the club in recent times.

As Hugill is only 16, he is free to leave the club as he’s unable to sign professional terms until he turns 17 later this year. Smith claims the two parties have agreed on a compensation package.

MEN Sport believe this fee is around £300k with United winning the race to land his signature over Arsenal, Spurs and Leeds.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his coaching staff, including head of youth development Nicky Butt, saw the 6 foot 2 teen in action when Sunderland’s U23 side faced the Red Devils’ last year.

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But fans in the northeast are furious. Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Sunderland fans react to Keith Downie post about Josh Maja…

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

In 2013/14, Charlie Austin’s prolific form in front of goal helped to fire a team playing in blue and white into the Premier League. Five years on from those heroics with QPR, for whom he also scored 18 top-flight goals despite their relegation a year later, West Brom put their faith in a second lightning strike by signing him from Southampton for £4m last August.

Austin came to The Hawthorns with a tremendous scoring record at Championship level but, having turned 30 last summer and endured a lean campaign with the Saints, it would have been understandable if some Baggies fans had reservations about his arrival.

Any such opposition to Albion’s decision to buy him may well have grown after the first three months of the season, with only one goal in his first 11 league appearances for Slaven Bilic’s side. He duly lost his place in the starting XI following the November international break but, far from shattering his confidence, it ended up getting the best out of him.

Austin duly went and scored in five successive league games despite starting only one of them, hitting six goals in the space of just two hours on the pitch (as per WhoScored). Most of those were crucial goals, too, with late winners against Sheffield Wednesday and Preston, along with a two-goal salvo to ensure victory from a losing position away to Birmingham. The 30-year-old was swiftly proving to be the epitome of a supersub.

The £4m man hasn’t been able to maintain such excellent form, with only one goal since Christmas as he continued to settle primarily for substitute appearances rather than a place in Bilic’s first XI (as per TransferMarkt). However, it is evident from his tremendous form in late 2019 that he is quite capable of embarking on rich scoring bursts.

Despite only starting 13 of Albion’s 35 Championship matches so far this season, Austin is their second-highest scorer with nine goals in all competitions, only one behind Hal Robson-Kanu. His goals have been worth eight league points to the Baggies, without which they would not be in an automatic promotion place, and his eight league goals have come in 1,123 minutes of game-time, one per 140.37 minutes. Contrast that with Kenneth Zohore, who cost twice as much last summer but has just three league goals in 602 minutes, one per 200.67 minutes.

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Should the Championship season resume and West Brom maintain their place in the top two, they may well look back on their £4m investment in Austin and regard it as an astute purchase towards a proven scorer with previous in firing teams to promotion.

West Brom fans, how good a decision was it to sign Austin for £4m last August? Comment below with your views!