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Luke Murphy has explained why he left Leeds United for Bolton Wanderers.

Murphy departed Elland Road last summer, moving to the Macron Stadium after terminating his contract with the Whites.

What’s the word?

Murphy joined Leeds in 2013, playing 111 times for the club.

However, he twice went on loan to Burton Albion, making a total of 61 appearances.

And he has explained that Leeds were ready to sign another player to replace him and that he was subsequently keen to leave for Bolton.

He told The Bolton News: “The season prior to leaving, I went out on loan twice and with one year left on my contract, they were looking in other directions and looking to bring in people from abroad.

“We ended on good terms and it was fine as I had the chance to come to another big club in Bolton.”

Landed on his feet

Murphy has landed on his feet with his move to Bolton.

The 29-year-old stayed in the Championship and, while has yet to truly make his mark at the club, he has been playing recently.

Murphy featured for 45 minutes against Birmingham City and also played the entire 90 minutes against Norwich City last time out, in a 4-0 loss.

He has handled his departure with genuine grace and good humour, and his exit is totally understandable.

Murphy remains an experienced Championship campaigner and has made a total of 168 appearances in the second-tier – he will remain an asset to Bolton in future weeks and months.

Everton are in the midst of a gruelling relegation battle with the Toffees fighting for their lives to remain in the Premier League.

While the club will be more focused on what’s happening on the pitch at this moment in time, it seems as though there could be some challenges ahead at Finch Farm once the season comes to an end and the summer transfer window opens for business.

What’s the news?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Paul Brown had this to say about the potential transfer interest that could be around Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the summer.

He said: “I know for a fact that Arsenal like and have liked Calvert-Lewin for quite a few years, even before he was scoring regularly in the Premier League.

“So, if I was to guess, I’m pretty sure they’ll make a bigger push for Calvert-Lewin than they will Richarlison in the summer.”

Fans would be seething

Everton signed the striker back in 2016 from Sheffield United in a deal worth a reported fee of £1.5m.

Since then, the Englishman has made 187 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring 56 goals and providing 17 assists along the way.

To highlight what a capable striker he is, the 25-year-old went through the 2020/21 Premier League season with more shots on target (46) than any other Everton player as he bagged 21 times in all competitions.

Even though the centre-forward hasn’t managed to score a league goal since recovering from his toe injury back in January, it would still infuriate a lot of Everton fans to see their club potentially sell Calvert-Lewin in the summer, especially to another Premier League side.

Having scored 32 league goals since the start of the 2019/20 season, losing the England international would surely be a massive blow for the Toffees and their hopes of progressing from the sticky situation they’ve found themselves in during the majority of this campaign.

Moving forward, the main focus for everyone at the Merseyside club right now should be to avoid getting relegated down to the Championship by picking up as many points as they can under Frank Lampard’s management.

Then, if the Toffees do secure their safety, this could put them in a better place to keep hold of their star striker should Arsenal, or any other club, come in to try and sign him. For now, however, it’s not exactly promising news.

In other news: Lampard must finally axe “poor” 28 y/o Everton flop who’s massively “costing the team”

Arsenal are interested in signing Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa, with Steven Gerrard happy for the club to listen to offers for the defender, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: El Ghazi and Sanson updates

Gerrard appears to be making a head start on his summer plans ahead of a first full season in charge at Villa Park. Reports over the last seven days have suggested that both Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi look set to move on from Bodymoor Heath in the summer.

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Sanson made a rare start in the 2-1 defeat to Wolves but appears to be surplus to requirements, while El Ghazi looks set to move on after returning to the Midlands in the summer following his loan spell at Everton.

Konsa may now follow the pair out of the door at Bodymoor Heath, despite being a regular under both Dean Smith and Gerrard.

The Latest: Konsa reveal

Football Insider shared a story on Wednesday morning regarding Konsa after being informed by a recruitment source.

They revealed that Arsenal are in the hunt to sign the 24-year-old, with Gerrard informing Konsa’s agent that he is willing to listen to offers for the centre-back.

The Verdict: Shock

Konsa appeared to be a key member of Gerrard’s squad, starting the first 11 Premier League games after he took over and even scoring twice against Leicester back in December, so it would certainly be a shock to see him now sanction an exit for a promising young defender.

He was sent off against Leeds back in February, though, and has featured in just three of the last eight games, perhaps costing himself Gerrard’s trust with that mistake.

Villa only have four senior centre-backs to choose from too, so should Konsa depart, you’d expect that the club will have to be in the market for a new marquee defensive signing, making this news quite surprising.

In other news: ‘I understand…’ – Insider now drops Villa update as Lange makes enquiry to Europa League club. 

Journalist Tom Barclay has been left shocked by some exit news out of Southampton involving one player who has been a ‘key figure’ at points under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Lowdown: The Athletic claim emerges…

There are many current Saints players who could leave the south coast club by the end of 2021/2022, especially in the goalkeeping department, with as many as four shot stoppers out of contract in June.

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Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster, Willy Caballero and Harry Lewis are all in danger of leaving on Bosmans as things stand – while the likes of Jack Stephens and Shane Long also see their deals expire before July 1 (Transfermarkt).

The Athletic, making a recent claim, say that yet more players could depart Hasenhuttl’s squad this summer – including Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Nathan Redmond as the Saints become open to offers for all three.

The trio are out of contract in 2023, prompting Saints chief Martin Semmens to try and make money off their sales whilst it is still possible, but Barclay insists Redmond’s inclusion is a ‘surprising’ one.

The Latest: Barclay shocked by Redmond exit news…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, The Sun reporter claims the 28-year-old’s potential exit is a shock due to him being ‘quite a key figure’ at points over 2021/2022.

He explained: “Redmond, he’s probably the most surprising one in a way because he was actually quite a key figure early in the season.

“He’s got a nice versatility to him, the fact that he can play in that wide left role, on the right as well, and can play off a front-man.

“And he was having quite a nice combination with Broja, particularly when Broja was really playing well. If anything, perhaps that combination was working best for Broja.”

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

The winger, valued at around £16.2 million by Transfermarkt, is also in the prime of his career and homegrown – putting Semmens and Southampton in a position to command reasonable price tags this summer.

Supporters will also remember Redmond being complimented personally by Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who advised the forward to attack his Sky Blues side more whilst raving over his qualities as a young English player at the time (BBC).

His versatility, having played in almost every attacking midfield position and further forward (Transfermarkt), will also be a major attraction to interested clubs.

Unless Southampton can agree an extension, with time running out before he’s a free agent at the end of next season, we believe now is the right time to cash in.

In other news: Journalist: Southampton enter mix to sign ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ player from huge club! Find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now eyeing up a move for Scottish centre-forward Jacob Brown in the summer.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

Brown’s contract at Stoke City expires in 2023, so he and the Potters have a decision to make over the summer as to whether he should be sold now for a fee, signed to fresh terms or allowed to leave for free next year.

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They are reportedly planning to open up talks over a new deal, but it is not guaranteed that he will sign.

The Latest: Rangers interest

As per Football League World, the Ibrox faithful are now interested in signing Brown this summer, as well as West Ham United, Brentford and Burnley.

While Stoke are keen to give him an extension, a tempting offer may be too hard for him to turn down.

The Verdict: Sign

Given that his contract is running down, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team may be able to get Brown on the cheap, and so snapping him up in the summer seems like a no-brainer.

Described as a player with an ‘incredible’ work rate and having ‘fantastic energy’ by his manager Michael O’Neill, he is one that should quickly become a favourite with the supporters, added to the 13 goals and five assists that he has managed in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Brown even recently went viral after being involved in a rather bizarre scuffle with Bristol City player David Bentley, showing the type of passion the Ibrox faithful would love to get behind.

In other news, find out what big transfer twist this Gers insider has now dropped here!

Newcastle United were active throughout the January transfer window as they made a number of additions to their squad.

Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood all came in to bolster Eddie Howe’s options across the park.

These signings tipped the club over the squad limit in the Premier League and they made the decision to leave Ciaran Clark, Isaac Hayden and Jamal Lewis out of their 25-man list.

Big error

PIF must now avoid making a big error as Hayden is being linked with an exit from St. James’ Park.

Sparta Prague, Basel, Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and Sochi are among the European teams reportedly interested in snapping him up as their respective transfer windows remain open for the time being.

Alan Shearer once dubbed him “superb” and he still has plenty to offer. The £41k-per-week machine has averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions whilst winning 4.6 duels per game. This shows that he is able to regularly win the ball back for his side, whilst he has been reliable in possession in his own half with a pass completion rate of 89%.

He was ruled out for two months at the end of December and it remains to be seen exactly when he will be cleared for action. This injury seemingly influenced their decision to leave him out of the squad but it should not tempt PIF into cashing in on him.

Hayden is an experienced, hard-working, option in the middle of the park and a player the club should be looking to bring back in next season. This is why it would be a big error for the owners to sanction a permanent exit, instead of a loan until the end of the campaign.

The former Arsenal enforcer has over 100 appearances in the Premier League under his belt and still has plenty of years left ahead of him in the top-flight at the age of 26.

Even if Howe does not see him as a player who will be starting on a regular basis next season, he could be useful as a squad option who can come off the bench late in games to see out results and to start when needed due to injuries or suspensions.

This is why PIF must avoid allowing Hayden to depart St. James’ Park on a permanent basis. It would be a big error and one that could negatively impact the squad next season, due to the loss of his experience and defensive nous.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Howe must brutally axe £42k-p/w NUFC “lightweight”, he’s been “shocking”…

Aston Villa picked up a healthy cash injection during the previous summer transfer window when they sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City in a record deal worth £100m.

Now that the next summer window is on the horizon, it seems as though a clue has emerged over the future of another key figure at the Midlands club in terms of a potential move away from Villa Park.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez and the possibility of him leaving the club in the summer.

He said: “He’s on that long-term contract. He’s on a good deal at Aston Villa as well wages wise, so it would have to take big, big money to try and prise him away from Villa.

“I think Villa have no plans to let him go, either. They want to keep him and sort of build around the likes of Martinez going forward because Steven Gerrard wants to have a really competitive team.”

Fans will be delighted

Villa signed the shot-stopper back in the 2020 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £17m.

Since then, the Argentine has become a significant figure for the club as their number one goalkeeper, making 70 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 29-year-old has managed to keep 25 clean sheets.

Having won the Supporters’ Player of the Season award at the end of his debut campaign at the Midlands club, this shows just what a great signing he has been.

To highlight how crucial he was for the Villans last season, only Nick Pope (77%) ended the campaign with a higher save percentage than the former Arsenal goalkeeper (76.8%).

Taking this into account and the fact that he’s made a total of 76 saves in 31 league games this time around, it will surely be music to the ears of plenty at Villa Park that the club have no intention of letting him leave this summer.

Also, the fact that the Argentina international’s current contract at Villa isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2027 should also put to bed any concerns there may be about his future.

In other news: Gerrard can land his own Pogba as AVFC plot bid for “impressive” £107k-p/w machine

Leeds United remain keen on Marcelo Bielsa continuing as Whites manager beyond the end of this season, according to journalist David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Bielsa’s future unclear

The 66-year-old continues to be a much-loved figure at Elland Road, even if Leeds have been far from convincing in the Premier League this season.

Bielsa only signed a one-year extension last summer, though, so he will be out of contract once the current campaign reaches its conclusion.

There is no confirmation either way regarding his next move, with the Argentine typically keeping things close to his chest.

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The Latest: Journalist makes key claim over Bielsa’s future

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Anderson claimed that Leeds still want Bielsa to stay on as manager despite their difficult season so far.

The journalist outlined: “He’s very much a 24/7 manager. You usually have an idea of what they want to do, and certainly, Leeds’ position as it stands is they want him to carry on. So, as things stand, Leeds will want him to stay.”

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The Verdict: Better if he stays

While some may feel as though Bielsa is slowly running out of steam as Leeds manager, it is easy to forget that he has had to deal with numerous injuries to key players this season.

He has often had to battle on with players out of position and second-string starting line-ups, which is going to pose an enormous challenge to any manager.

Bielsa is still a hugely influential figure who is the right man for the job for another season. With key players slowly returning to the squad from injury, these next few months are a perfect opportunity to prove that he is worth keeping at Elland Road for at least one more year.

In other news, Phil Hay has made a key claim regarding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Depending on which part of the world you are from, following football can be very different. Take the United Kingdom, for example. The island gave the world many of today’s most popular sports, including association football, watching, supporting, and betting on means following the English Premier League, Championship, FA Cup, Scottish Premiership, and other professional competitions. If you were watching the same game on TV, you’d be enjoying soccer.

To a sports fan in the United States, there is only one proper form of football: American Football. The biggest competition in that sport is the National Football League – or the NFL, for short – with the standout match being the Super Bowl. It may seem odd to those watching in Europe, but football is a sport played mostly with the hands to an NFL fan.

Celebrate the similarities

What is the true form of football, and should the word soccer be erased from the dictionary? That’s a debate that continues to rage amongst sports fans and will never produce a final answer. Regardless of which side of the argument you support, there’s no getting away from the fact that there are many similarities between football and American Football. The differences ensure both sports continue to thrive, but the similarities should be celebrated too, not least in the betting.

Thanks to the leading bookmakers, you can gamble on just about every professional football match played in Europe and beyond. You may even have experience of landing a nice profit gambling on your favourite competition, such as the Champions League or World Cup. Each fixture has over 100 pre-match and in-play betting markets. The most popular of these is match winner betting, where you select a team to win the game and, if your prediction is correct, you land the profits.

There are several other markets available, with traders constantly working on new additions to ensure there is something to suit every style of bettor and every match. Place a single on your favourite team to win their upcoming match or add a few selections together to create a multiple bet such as an accumulator, shooting for a big win off a small stake.

Betting on the big match

Super Bowl LVI will be played at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday 13th February. It will attract a capacity crowd above 100,000, with millions more watching the play live on television. If you are a lover of sports, there will be no getting away from mentions of Super Bowl LVI as the big kick-off approaches. This will excite people from every corner of the globe while others will be showing an interest, eager to find out what all the fuss is about.

Certain bettors take a ”if you can’t beat them, join them” viewpoint. If the game is going ahead and you can’t escape the subject, why not try to make it work for you by placing a bet on the outcome. You may not know a lot about the NFL, but if you can bet on football, you can bet on the Super Bowl. The wording and betting jargon may be slightly different, but this shouldn’t put you off. The markets, odds, styles of bets and the way wagers are settled are the same.

If you have gambled on the beautiful game, chances are you would have played one of the most popular markets. Match winner to football bettors is known as Moneyline to NFL backers. Different word, same bet. Here you are picking a team to win, and if they do, you land the profits.

Totals is another bet. In football, you will bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams – usually under or over 2.5 goals. In the NFL, you’re betting on the total number of points which is often set around 50.5 but can move depending on a match.

Handicap betting is widely used in both sports. As a football fan, you’ll see the favourite in a match start with a goal or two handicap. In a game between Man Utd and Watford, the handicap may be Man Utd -1 goal vs Watford +1 goal. In the Super Bowl betting, LA Rams -8.5 points vs Cincinnati Bengals +8.5 points. So, you see, you know more about Super Bowl betting than you may think.

A number of Liverpool supporters are overjoyed after Harvey Elliott took part in a behind-closed-doors match, potentially the final step in his recovery from injury.

The Reds haven’t always convinced in midfield this season, with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson arguably looking their age, while other key figures like Thiago have been injured.

One player who made an excellent start to the season was Elliott, with the 18-year-old enjoying a real breakthrough and starting three Premier League games in the early weeks.

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Sadly, the creative midfielder suffered a serious ankle injury in the 3-0 win at Leeds United back in September and he has been out of action ever since.

Elliott’s return to the fold is edging closer all the time, however, with journalist Paul Joyce taking to Twitter to confirm that the Liverpool youngster was playing in an Under-23s game against Wrexham on Saturday – he scored and provided an assist.

This is not the first piece of big news the supporters have been greeted with this week, with reliable reports claiming a deal for Porto star Luis Diaz should be wrapped up soon.

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Liverpool fans love Elliott latest

These Reds fans expressed their happiness at the news on Twitter, as Joyce confirmed Elliott could even be back in first-team action next weekend.

“This boy is special and he’s BACK”

Credit: @EmadZafar

“OMG my starboy is back”

Credit: @sweetsadio

“Love it”

Credit: @JamalJilloo

“My life just keeps getting better and better”

Credit: @SawkurGod

“Yesss”

Credit: @LFC_Lewis66

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @ste_malone

In other news, some Liverpool fans have mocked a Premier League rival after a key update. Read more here.