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Brendan Rodgers can welcome defender Caglar Soyuncu back to the Leicester City fray ahead of the Foxes’ FA Cup semi-final showdown with Southampton.

The Turkish defender has missed the last two Premier League matches having tested positive whilst on international duty, both games the Foxes lost to Manchester City and West Ham United.

However, with the former SC Freiburg centre-back looking “terrific” in training according to Foxes boss Rodgers, he should be restored immediately to the Leicester backline against the Saints at Wembley.

Put simply, Soyuncu is one of Leicester’s best defenders and should not be elbowed out of the starting line-up in place of Daniel Amartey, who has been deputising in the Turk’s absence.

According to WhoScored, the two defenders are actually level on both tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League at 0.9 and one respectively.

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Nevertheless, Soyuncu, who earns £45k per week at the King Power Stadium, excels in anticipating danger by racking up 3.7 clearances per game compared to Amartey’s two.

Meanwhile, the Turk continues to better his Ghanaian teammate on the ball, where he possesses far more confidence. The 24-year-old has a better pass success rate, whilst completing more passes per game than Amartey and also contributing a surprise 0.2 key passes.

Whilst it is clear to see that Soyuncu is a far more accomplished defender, his inclusion also produces tangible results.

In matches where the centre-back has played this season, Leicester have conceded just 0.96 goals per game in all competitions but with him excluded, that number shoots up sharply to 1.14.

As Leicester aim to restrict Southampton at Wembley and reach the FA Cup final, that added defensive solidarity is surely going to come in mightily handy.

Therefore, it seems an obvious choice for Rodgers to recall Soyuncu into the Leicester starting line-up for Sunday’s clash.

AND in more news, take a look at the huge error that Leicester made in the transfer market last summer…

Jurgen Klinsmann has refused to rule out replacing Jose Mourinho as Tottenham manager.

Klinsmann discusses Spurs job

Klinsmann spent two seasons at Tottenham during the 1990s and, although he was only there for a short time, he become something of a club legend as he netted 29 goals in 56 Premier League matches (premierleague.com) – he was named the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award during the 1994-95 campaign.

He was asked on ESPN FC whether he could take the vacant manager’s position at Tottenham, and he said:

“I tell you, anything is possible in life. I never thought I would coach Germany at a World Cup. I never thought I would coach the USA for six years or Bayern Munich. 

“So we’ll see in a couple of months who will be the Spurs manager!”

Wrong option

Klinsmann may have been a wonderful player, but that has not translated into management. The two-year spell with Germany remains the highlight of his career as he took them to the 2006 World Cup semi-final – he failed to last a season at either Bayern or Hertha Berlin, however.

For all of Mourinho’s faults, there is no doubting he was a manager of pedigree. While previous successes don’t determine how well someone well do in any job, it certainly helps to have experience of winning. Given Tottenham’s standing, they can surely do better than Klinsmann, who is neither a fresh-faced revolutionary like Mauricio Pochettino or an proven winner like Mourinho.

In other news, this man is set to leave Tottenham this summer.

Noel Whelan did not hold back when giving his view on Rangers being knocked out of the Scottish Cup.

Steven Gerrard’s team lost to St Johnstone on penalties in a competition that they were big favourites to win with Celtic already out.

The Ibrox faithful have now missed the opportunity to win a Domestic Double having already secured the Scottish Premiership title, and former SPFL player Whelan launched a scathing attack on the Gers when talking to Football Insider:

“Rangers were huge favourites to win the Scottish Cup and do the double after knocking out Celtic.

“It is a really wasted opportunity by Steven Gerrard.

“They have really let themselves down here because they should be lifting the Scottish Cup and the Premiership trophy. They did not get it over the line though and they only have themselves to blame.

“There will have been a lot of questions in the dressing room after that performance because they had lots of opportunities to kill the game off.

“This massively tarnishes their season. It is a wasted opportunity and a big blip in their season.

“It is a massive blow to Steven Gerrard and his players. They had such a big opportunity.”

Rangers waste great opportunity

Rangers missed a huge chance to claim a Domestic Double at the expense of their bitter rivals Celtic and only have themselves to blame.

Having won the SPFL title very early on, and getting knocked out of the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Slavia Prague, the pathway was clear for them to go all the way in the Scottish Cup, but they have failed to take their opportunity.

Gerrard’s men could well have put the icing on top of a delicious cake if they were to win the cup, but we feel Whelan may still be being a bit harsh, given how fans have suffered watching their arch-rivals lift trophy after trophy in the last decade.

At the end of the day, the pendulum has swung back, and only one team in Glasgow will be celebrating this term.

In other news, find out what Charlie Nicholas comments have left Gers livid here!

A big claim has been dropped on the potential takeover of Newcastle United involving Jamie Reuben.

Reuben is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group looking to take over at St. James’ Park from Mike Ashley, and a spokesperson for him has spoken to The Guardian in light of the news that he has donated £700,000 to the Conservative Party in the past.

The spokesperson has told the news outlet that Reuben has not contacted Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the proposed deal between the consortium and Ashley after the Daily Mail had reported that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who is also part of the group, had contacted Mr Johnson with the hope of trying to push the bid through.

Nonetheless, the spokesperson has insisted no such contact took place, at least not involving Reuben: “We’re not denying that Jamie has a relationship with Boris Johnson and they talk, but Jamie is quite specific that he hasn’t contacted or talked to him or Lord Lister about the Newcastle deal.”

What next for the potential Newcastle takeover?

Reuben will seemingly still want the potential takeover of the Tyneside club pushed through if possible, but there are many steps in the way in order for this to happen.

The Magpies need to find out the results of their pending arbitration case against the Premier League over the failed deal, and the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) need to come back to the table to have any hope of reviving the original bid.

Nonetheless, it is interesting to hear that Reuben has not contacted the PM over the proposed takeover, and fans will have to hope his spokesperson is telling the truth – if it is revealed that the financier is pressuring a politician who he has personally donated towards, it would be extremely easy for the Premier League to paint a picture of corruption in the pending arbitration case.

In other news, find out what big Toon transfer update has been dropped here!

Newcastle are interested in signing Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina this summer amid speculation that he could leave St Mary’s on a permanent basis.

What’s the story?

Magpies boss Steve Bruce has already confirmed that the club will be looking to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal in the summer, but it now appears that they have their sights set on another central midfielder in Lemina.

The Guardian claimed that the Gabon international, currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Fulham, is understood to be available for around £7m and that he is not a part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans.

Worse than Shelvey

Ever since Garth Crooks raved about the £65,000-a-week earning Lemina in his early spell in English football, things have gone downhill for the midfielder.

The BBC Sport pundit said: “My goodness, this lad looks a powerhouse. I suppose when you’ve played for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Juventus, you should have all the tools to survive in any league.

“The former Juve man was composed on the ball and timely in the tackle – and for a holding midfielder, he was very capable of hurting the opposition. Lemina is a top-four player in my opinion.”

Lemina is now a player for a team looking set to go back down to the Championship at the first time of asking, and his performances for the Cottagers this season have been nothing short of disappointing.

As per WhoScored, the box-to-box midfielder has averaged just 0.6 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the Premier League, scoring just once and providing no assists whatsoever.

In fact, if you compare that to Jonjo Shelvey – who has come under fire from some Newcastle supporters before – it’s actually far worse. The Magpies ace has three goal contributions to his name while averaging 1.4 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, and his dribbling average of 0.7 per match is only slightly inferior to the 27-year-old.

What Newcastle desperately need this summer is proven quality or someone with real potential like Willock, for example. What they don’t need at all is a player like Lemina who appears to have just coasted through the season and is yet to show anything like the kind of ability which prompted Crooks to call him a “top-four player”.

Meanwhile, Newcastle can finally wave goodbye to this liability…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has completely ruled out Marko Arnautovic returning to West Ham this summer.

Arnautovic enjoyed two successful seasons at the London Stadium between 2017 and 2019 but left on bad terms just six months after signing a new long-term contract with the Hammers.

He’d scored 22 times in 65 appearances, but prior to the start of last season, the Austrian demanded a transfer away from the club and was allowed to leave to sign for Chinese Super League Shanghai Port.

Arnautovic has continued his impressive goal tally in China, netting 20 goals in 36 appearances, but has been linked with a shock return to the Premier League – with the Hammers reportedly amongst those interested.

Current West Ham manager David Moyes was in charge for the majority of his period at the club, but Windass believes there’s “no chance” that Arnautovic ends up back in east London next season.

Reports believe that Serie A outfit Bologna and Crystal Palace are both keen on the Austrian’s signature, and when asked if he could return, Windass’ view was clear.

“No chance,” he told The Transfer Tavern. “He left under a cloud. When he wanted to leave, he chucked his toys out the pram, so no.”

Consider the performance of Seamus Coleman on Thursday evening and one might argue that Everton need a new right-back.

The Toffees skipper has been a wonderful servant at Goodison Park but his best days are definitely behind him. Coleman is still productive in the opposition’s half but the final ball which made him one of the most dangerous full-backs in the Premier League now eludes him.

In his prime, the Irishman ran forward at great speed and helped himself to a number of goal involvements. During his time in Merseyside, the 32-year-old has bagged 26 goals and provided 31 assists. It’s a decent tally, especially for a defender.

That said, with Coleman’s contract expiring in a year’s time, Carlo Ancelotti and co better get searching for replacements – and one player to whom they could turn their attention is Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence.

It is reported that Everton and Rangers are interested in his services, and if the £3,500-per-week earner arrives in the Premier League, Ancelotti could have his very own Trent Alexander-Arnold right in front of him.

Speaking about Spence earlier this season, Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock commented: “If you look at one or two of the full-backs that are around now – the lad at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the lad at Manchester United from Palace (Aaron Wan-Bissaka) – they are all the same type as Djed.

“He does have enormous ability, and when you’ve got ability like that it’s criminal if you don’t get to the very top.”

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Alexander-Arnold has quickly become one of the promising full-backs in world football, providing Liverpool with an eye-catching amount of creativity from defence. Regularly striding forward, the England international has 31 Premier League assists to his name over the last three seasons.

Spence hasn’t yet found that level of ingenuity on the ball but, with 0.8 dribbles per match, he clearly loves to get forward.

The Middlesbrough full-back is just 20 but has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Championship, starting 16 times for his club. Renowned for his ability to play further forward as a winger, it’s his aptitude for running up and down the right-hand channel which bears so much similarity to Alexander-Arnold.

At Spence’s age, the Liverpool star was already a Premier League regular, so he has a long way to go before he does reach the top.

However, with Coleman heading towards the twilight of his Goodison Park tenure, Spence feels like a natural long-term replacement for the Everton captain.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton ace who made just 10 passes let Ancelotti down…

Watford are considering a move to bring Jens Petter Hauge to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Italian journalist Daniele Longo (via Sempre Milan), who claimed that AC Milan are open to offers for the 21-year-old left-winger this summer – and that the Hornets are strongly considering placing a bid for the Norway international.

The Rossoneri are also said to be open to a loan deal for the £9m-rated youngster, something that could also open the door to a temporary move to Vicarage Road for the former FK Bodo/Glimt star.

Giaretta must move

While Hauge has not enjoyed the best of times since making a £4.5m move to Milan last October – with the 21-year-old scoring two goals over his 18 Serie A appearances for Stefano Pioli’s side so far this season, as well as averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.62 – there is still plenty of promise waiting to be tapped in the winger.

This is evident from his performances prior to his switch to Italy, as, over his 18 Eliteserien fixtures for FK Bodo/Glimt in 2020, Hauge had scored a whopping 14 goals, registered nine assists and had created seven big chances, in addition to averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.81.

So, while there are obvious differences in standard between the Norwegian first tier and Serie A – not to mention the Premier League – there is clearly an exceptional talent hidden inside Hauge that Pioli has not managed to uncover during the winger’s time at Milan.

Indeed, with Carlo Pellegatti stating his belief that Hauge is similar in style to none less than Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, as well as claiming that the 21-year-old is a player who possesses “ancient flavour”, it would appear highly advisable for Cristiano Giaretta to make a move for the Milan youngster this summer.

If the gamble does pay off, and Xisco Munoz can help the winger refind his form, the benefits for Watford could well be massive – both in terms of goals, creativity and, one day, financially.

In other news: Giaretta confirms huge Watford transfer news that will surely have Xisco buzzing – opinion

Many West Ham United fans are delighted after it was confirmed they are in talks with Slavia Prague to sign Abdallah Sima this summer.

The 19-year-old has been enjoying his breakout season with the Czech champions in 2020/21. In 31 games in all competitions, he has managed 15 goals despite not being a striker (Transfermarkt). Four of those came in the Europa League, with his effort against Leicester particularly catching the eye of English audiences.

Sima has previously been valued at £50m by Slavia (Calciomercato). However, it seems that such a fee has not put off David Moyes and co – Slavia manager Jindrich Trpisovsky has revealed they have spoken to West Ham about the 19-year-old, who are said to have the Senegal international on their list of targets.

The comments were shared on Slavia’s official Twitter account, and they attracted plenty of attention from West Ham supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Sima news

“Would be a great signing”

Credit: @JBonFootball

“Imagine being mad about this because there exists better strikers… I would be buzzing for this signing personally”

Credit: @WHUgameday

“Would be a great signing, don’t care what anyone says, although Hlozek would be my preferred option”

Credit: @Kieranwhufc

“Could be a quality signing for us still need an out and out striker would love Hlozek and get Sima to replace Yarmo”

Credit: @willearle_

“OHHHHH YES”

Credit: @Barney_WHUFC

“So hope this comes off. Sima is a huge talent and IMO would be a brilliant signing for us.”

Credit: @BlaugranaIron

In other news, many West Ham fans are livid over this David Moyes snub.

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has answered a question on Celtic’s possible announcement of Eddie Howe as their new manager.

The Lowdown: Bournemouth’s exit a boost for the Hoops?

Reports last month suggested that the Hoops’ chances of landing Howe could be dashed should Bournemouth win promotion to the Premier League through the Championship playoffs.

However, the Cherries threw away a two-goal lead in the tie on Saturday, losing to Brentford 3-2 on aggregate. That seems to have put a move to Parkhead for Howe back on track, with the 43-year-old seeking to bring multiple members of staff from the English south coast to Scotland.

The Latest: Nixon’s three-word answer

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked by a Hoops fan hours after Bournemouth’s defeat if there will be an announcement on Howe anytime soon.

He replied by saying: “No excuses now”

The Verdict: He’s bang on

We’re with Nixon in saying that Celtic now have no excuses to get a deal for Howe over the line. He reportedly agreed on a move to become Neil Lennon’s successor last week, with one of the delays on an announcement due to Bournemouth’s involvement in the play-offs.

However, the Cherries’ season is now over, so we feel that Celtic should push through a deal as quickly as possible, especially with the club worried over Crystal Palace potentially scuppering a move for the 43-year-old.

The Hoops will only have themselves to blame should any deal collapse from here, with Howe’s desired staff members not receiving any pay rise following Bournemouth’s play-off elimination on Saturday.

In other news: 44 y/o feels ‘brilliant’ £7.5k-p/w Celtic ace could seal exit before June 11, find out more here.