Paraguay international Lucas Barrios has opened the door for a January move to the Premier League by indicating that his future with Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande is in doubt.
The striker, who has previously been linked with of Manchester City and Arsenal, has failed to settle in Asia and is looking to depart, despite only moving signing with his current club last summer.
The 28-year-old has stated that his agent is looking into the possibility of a transfer:
“My agent is going to China to discuss my future with the Guangzhou Evergrande board,” he is quoted by SkySports.
“I am happy that clubs in Italy, England and Germany are tracking me and I want to play there.”
The South American hit-man shot to fame at Borussia Dortmund, where he had a strike rate of nearly one-in-two during the 2009-2012 seasons.
Despite this, he slipped down the pecking order with Bundesliga champions and departed for China in a big money deal.
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Barrios has made just a handful of appearances for his new team, but has been very vocal in his desire to move on, due to failing to acclimatise to his new surroundings.
Guangzhou Evergrande are one of the richest teams in the Chinese Super League and pay star midfielder Dario Conca a rumoured £200,000-per-week.
As we fast approach the January window the one club you can expect to be active is Liverpool FC given that Brendan Rodgers has been running the show on the barebones of a squad, given the fact he was let down by FSG in the summer.
One particular area that the Liverpool manager will be looking to strengthen is the strike force, as Rodgers has repeatedly had to call on Luis Suarez to the lead the front line. The Reds are continually being linked with a move for Daniel Sturridge and why the Chelsea man will be a decent acquisition; you do feel that Rodgers will look to bring in extra reinforcements in attack.
This list looks at potential targets that Liverpool should be looking at and who should feature on Brendan Rodgers’ wishlist.
If Tottenham Hotspur fans had any underlying worries about the fate of the club in the transfer window this month, then from what we’ve seen so far this January, you’d imagine that supporters would be breathing a small but steady sigh of relief.
After seeing the club weakened in the last two transfer windows under different managers, it’s hardly as if fans in the white half of North London haven’t been unfounded in their mounting concerns.
While fans were keen to avoid the last January window, in which Spurs replaced Steven Pienaar and Roman Pavlyuchenko with Ryan Nelsen and Louis Saha to supposedly aid their Champions League aspirations, they were also keen to avoid the costly game of brinkmanship that left a painful scar over their summer dealings.
Yet with the signing, albeit controversially of Standard Liege’s Ezekiel Fryers last week being complemented by a stunning swoop for Schalke’s prodigious Lewis Holtby, chairman Daniel Levy can hardly be accused of resting on his laurels in the New Year. But while the club can be delighted with the business they’ve done so far, the chequebook can’t be popped away just yet.
Because while swooping for Fryers and Holtby may serve to benefit the club greatly in the long run, in terms of achieving this season’s sizeable goals, they’re not likely to be of any particular aid to Andre Villas-Boas. And for all Spurs’ recent good form in the Premier League, the Portuguese needs to fill the cracks that most certainly still exist in his squad as opposed to simply papering over them.
While the method Spurs adopted in the signing of Ezekiel Fryers might have left some in Manchester questioning the club’s methods, you won’t find many questioning the logic behind it. The 20-year-old left back, who made six appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side last term, is a great talent in a position that the club are hardly spoilt for choice for.
After joining up with the squad on trial during the summer, the club have clearly liked what they’ve seen. But with Fryers expected to link up with the development squad, you’d imagine that barring another defensive injury crisis, he might not play much of a prominent role in the first team for the rest of the season.
But considering his age and the recent return of Benoit Assou-Ekotto, that might not necessarily be too much of a problem. In the case of Lewis Holtby’s delayed arrival however, the outlook isn’t quite so similar.
The caliber of player that Spurs are set to acquire isn’t in any doubt. For all the Anglo-centric obsession with Holtby and his English heritage, it’s easy to forget just how talented the 22-year-old is. The three-time capped German international posses a wonderful array of technical gifts, an eye for a great pass and the vision and guile to thread balls through defences. What is in doubt however, is the timing of his arrival.
Because while no one is denying that the club have pulled of a remarkable coup in sealing the services of such a young and talented player on a free transfer, the issue is that Tottenham need him a lot earlier than mid-June.
Although maany supporters have championed the need for a new man up front – and if reports suggesting Emmanuel Adebayor has decided to head to ACON this month, that will become an absolute necessity – the fact remains that the side are still short of an effective No10 like figure within their attacking unit.
Andre Villas-Boas may be happy to play a poker face regarding anything resembling a marquee arrival this month, but given the side’s continued inability to consistently break opponents down, it’s hard to imagine him feeling quite as content as what he’s publically claimed. The Portuguese possesses a wonderfully gifted squad at his disposal, but a failure to turn a high tide of possession and shots into goals has become something of an overriding hallmark for the Lilywhites’ season.
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Despite the deployment of both Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor in recent weeks, the long term Villas-Boas blueprint only has room for one out-and-out striker in the starting line up. But until the club invest in another attacking midfielder to play centrally in the attacking three within a 4-2-3-1 or a deeper-lying midfielder to push Mousa Dembele forward, it’s difficult to see how AVB can push through with his plans.
Considering Spurs sit third in the Premier League with less than half of the season left to play, it’s easy to become overzealous in the critique of the likes of Clint Dempsey and the lesser-played Gylfi Sigurdsson. But while Dempsey in particular, with his four league goals and three assists still has a role to play in this Tottenham squad, the side have yet to feel as if they’ve really clicked with the American playing behind a lone frontman.
Quotes attributed to Schalke’s managing director Horst Heldt seem to suggest that the club would be open to letting Holtby move to N17 this month, should Spurs be willing to pay a nominal fee. While that might not make perfect business sense, it seems crystal clear from a footballing standpoint. And that’s what matters most.
If Holtby is set to arrive in the summer, it must be in addition to, not instead of, the acquisition of another attacking midfielder this month. Be that a Willian, a Moutinho or an early arrival for the German, the club must address this in January and back Villas-Boas to the hilt as he looks to fight on for the season ahead.
Arsene Wenger won’t have many selection headaches going into the next few games, with Per Mertesacker the only senior centre-back likely to be available and the bat signal letting Sebastian Squillaci know his time is near.
It was typical, then, that this injury hammer blow to Arsenal’s central defence occurred as soon as the January window slammed shut. And in true Arsenal fashion, one of the centre-backs, Laurent Koscielny, was injured while on international duty.
The problem isn’t that Wenger has to decide upon a suitable pairing between his three options in defence, but rather the reality that three was never enough for a team like Arsenal, one who are competing on numerous fronts and who have a disastrous injury record.
It’s been said that Mertesacker is one of the worst defenders in the league and a shambles of an individual to man the Arsenal back line. I’m not buying that. For starters, Mertesacker seemed one of the few options available to Wenger in the market at the back end of summer 2011 – albeit a player who was on the radar for many months – but little thought went into how the German would fit into Wenger’s attacking philosophy.
We all know Mertesacker’s weaknesses, in that he lacks any noticeable physical pace yet more than makes up for it in quickness of thought. He’s not a bad defender or a stupid defender; the argument of support will always rumble back to the fact he has almost a century worth of international caps for Germany. But it’s not the player’s fault that he’s been thrown into a defensive line that pushes high up. He doesn’t have the pace to operate in that manner and in turn looks much worse than he actually is.
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The issue isn’t that Wenger may have a tough time figuring out who to select of his three established centre-backs, but it does appear he makes his choices on form rather than what each player can provide against specific styles of opposition.
As suggested, there is no use in playing Mertesacker in games where the play will be open and at a high tempo. Yes, he has shown great defensive abilities against players like Luis Suarez and the Manchester City attack this season, showcasing his ability to read the game extremely well. This has supported the claim that Mertesacker is a natural first-choice due to his contrasting style to either of the other two options. Yet a player of his offering should be in against those who use aerial attacks as their prime weapon. Moreover, there is no way that Mertesacker, Koscielny or Thomas Vermaelen can last 50 games a season if any of them are selected as the first-choice pairing.
You look at clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and even Tottenham and acknowledge that they are well-stocked in numbers at centre-back, despite numerous injury problems they themselves face throughout a season.
Wenger should never have allowed Kyle Bartley to leave, even though it’s understandable that the player wanted to play regularly in the Premier League. It just goes back to the argument as to why invest so much time in developing youngsters only to sell them when they reach an age where contributions to the first team can be made. It’s a frustration that is compounded due to the fact Arsenal won’t go into the market if they see problems in the squad.
Three senior centre-backs fully fit at Arsenal is the least of Wenger’s problems. When games start stacking up and should Arsenal progress in the Champions League, those three options will become vital – and even then it might not be enough.
I don’t see anything wrong with any of the options currently available at Arsenal; the questions should be aimed at the tactics used and what is done to prepare the players during training.
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The team currently have a good blend of options, however more needs to be added in the summer. For a club who are competing on four fronts each season, three centre-backs is simply not enough.
Summary: Everton reinforced their push for European football and nudged QPR another step closer to the Premier League trapdoor after securing an easy win at Goodison Park.
The R’s now look destined to spend next season in the Championship after succumbing to an 11th defeat on the road as the Toffees solidified their position in the Premier League’s top-six. It wasn’t until five minutes before half time that David Moyes’ men struck first blood and came after Tim Howard had produced a miraculous save to deny Park Ji-Sung from putting the visitors in front.
Leighton Baines worked space to cross down the left with the ball finding its way to Darron Gibson outside the penalty area with his drilled strike looked a routine save for Julio Cesar until Clint Hill flicked out a leg and deflected it past the despairing Brazilian keeper. Victor Anichebe wrapped up the points after the break when he flicked the ball home from Baines corner that was headed on by Sylvain Distin.
David Moyes post-match…”It’s a really important three points, because I was worried about today’s game. QPR have a lot to play for and they are almost getting to a situation where they don’t have much to play for.”
Harry Redknapp post-match…”I can’t stand there and go no [we can’t do it], if it’s a no I may as well go on holiday now. We have to believe. We have to beat Stoke, we have to beat Reading, then Newcastle and Arsenal. I know it’s tough but while you’ve got a chance you have to keep going.”
Good day for?…Darron Gibson: Held a strong measure of control in midfield and was by far and large Everton’s best player on the day. Capped off his performance off with a goal just before the break that put his side on the path to victory.
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Bad day for?…Jose Boswinga: An afternoon to forget for the veteran Portuguese full back and will have been relieved to depart Goodison Park after being tortured by Everton duo Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar for 90 minutes.
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has started for more Premier League games for the club this season than any every player bar Robin van Persie, further cementing his status as an absolutely essential part of manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s plan and his team’s style of play and while the question of legacy rests heavily on how they seek to replace ageing stalwarts Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, finding a replacement for the England international has become a pressing concern such is their reliance on him now.
To provide a brief snapshot of how integral Carrick is to the side, he was one of only three outfield players to start both the Sunderland game in the league on the Saturday and the FA Cup replay at Stamford Bridge 48 hours later against Chelsea, alongside Chris Smalling and Antonio Valencia, while David De Gea kept goal for both fixtures. Ferguson made seven changes, not too dissimilar to the eight made by Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez between the Southampton and United game in the same space of time, though interestingly the criticism for the Scot was in short supply when compared to the Spaniard. Nevertheless, squad rotation is an essential part of the modern game, which is what makes the fact that he has started 27 of United’s 30 league encounters all the more remarkable.
It’s not like the club are short of options either, with regular midfield partner Tom Cleverley, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Phil Jones, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher all available for selection at various points in time during this season injury and illness permitting. This quote from Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso sums up why Carrick is regarded right at the top of the pecking order, though: “In English football sometimes it seems hard for people to rate those who instead of shining themselves make the team work as a collective. For example Michael Carrick . . . who makes those around him play.”
The 31-year-old is still prone to fluctuations in form at times, but they’ve simply not been evident at all this season where he has been consistently excellent and the best forward passer in the entire league, with 782, 110 more than the next midfielder prior to the game against Sunderland and the international break. He may struggle to impress his own game on the opposition in big games, while simply guilty of letting others pass him by, but he’s a pivotal part of this United side and in his seventh season at Old Trafford he is on the cusp of winning his fifth league title, and that can be no coincidence. They can look rudderless when he doesn’t start now and they’ve come to really rely on him this season in particular.
Age has crept up on him, though, or at least on our perception of him and he could be said to be entering the final stages of what has been an illustrious career in terms of silverware. Like all players at this stage in their career, though, a re-writing of history takes place and people start to appreciate what he is rather than focus on what he’s not a lot more than they ever did before. He’s almost universally appreciated now compared to just two years or so age when he was England’s most divisive midfielder.
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That’s a direct consequence of observers understanding that he doesn’t have long left at the top and when you cast your eye around at the talent coming through, it simply makes you long for a younger version of Carrick, just like it did when Scholes initially announced his retirement last season. You begin to wonder why you had doubted such a clearly talented player for so many years. There was definitely a hint of Ferguson standing by his man on a number of occasions (although he looked to have lost faith in him for a spell after the 2009 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona), and Carrick could be said to be repaying him now.
However, he will be 32 in July and plans need to be prepared for replacing him long-term, just as there needs to be right down the spine of the side – Carrick, Vidic (31), Ferdinand (34), Giggs (39) and Scholes (38) – will all need successors brought into the club in the near future, but Carrick is arguably the most important of all of them at the moment given how key he is to the current system and style.
This is what makes the respective departures of Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison all the more frustrating from a United perspective. Of course, with the side cruising towards the league title and holding a 15-point lead over their main rivals, this is hardly a club in crisis or some sort of nightmare scenario by any stretch, but in three maybe four years time they may be cursing their luck just as the did when they let go of Gerard Pique and he turned out to be one of the best defenders of his generation with both Barcelona and Spain.
There’s a sense of missed opportunity regarding Pogba especially and it calls into question Ferguson’s ability to handle younger players in today’s game. The no-nonsense approach doesn’t quite work with gifted young millionaires the same way it did even ten years ago, as Wayne Rooney’s brief flirtation with a departure before the club buckled and offered him a bigger new contract highlighted in 2010.
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The mantra of ‘no player is bigger than the club’ may sound good when it’s trotted out, but it’s simply not true anymore. By refusing to bow down to the demands of a precocious brat such as the newly-capped France international in his demand for more first-team football, while it proved a tough approach that hasn’t hurt the club yet, the more he continues to perform to such a high level for Juventus, the more it seems a needless piece of strong-arming to prove a point has taken place.
The best quality that Ferguson brings as a manager is his ability to reinvent his teams and rejuvenate them with fresh, young and hungry faces and it would be foolish to bet on him doing the same again to great success in the future. He’s the Madonna of football management. Losing out on Pogba is not a disaster, but it robs the club of their safety net and ensures finding a replacement for Carrick, just as much as anyone else, is one of their top priorities over the coming years.
Making transfers within the boundaries of the Premier League is always a difficult process. Due to the assurance that any player in question is already tried and tested at the top level and acclimatised to the very physical and unique style of the English top flight, any fee is bumped up and over-priced, often by dizzying proportions.
It creates a problem for English clubs, whom often source talent from on the continent, with the most recent trend being to bring in cheaper stars from La Liga and Ligue 1, in an eternal struggle to keep cumulative transfer fees and the wage budget as low as possible.
Well, this summer, the Premier League’s big clubs, namely, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton, don’t have to, as we’ve complied a list of the Ten stars already plying their trade in the top tier of English football, but would not command a huge fee come the imminent transfer window.
Click Here or on Julio Cesar to reveal the Ten Premier League bargains top clubs should plunder
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Christian Benteke was one of the surprise packages of the 2012/2013 Premier League season. Purchased by Aston Villa from Belgian side Genk, for just a £7million fee, the striker prized a starting spot at Villa Park away from the experienced Darren Bent, and went on to become the top flight’s fourth leading goal-scorer, only trumped by three players who were eventually nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award.
It’s all very impressive for the 22 year old, who could now be on his way to the Premier League’s summit after handing in a formal transfer request at Villa.
Make of Benteke’s careerist mentality what you will. Earlier in the season, the striker was alleged to have told reporters on two separate occasions that he planned to move to a bigger club whilst on international duty, preferably Arsenal due to his boyhood allegiance, and although the stories leaked into the British press, Paul Lambert and Randy Lerner insisted that the Belgium international’s words were lost in translation.
But now we are at a point where Benteke has made his intentions to leave Birmingham clear, which no doubt will hinder the Villa management’s leverage around the negotiating table. Perhaps it is rather cold and calculated, in taking advantage of a club that gave him a platform to impress in the best top flight in world football, but there is little doubt the 22 year old is destined for a higher calling.
We are yet to find out if Benteke’s wish to jump ship to one of the Premier League’s top clubs is reciprocated, but according to the bookies at least, Tottenham remain the standout favourites to meet Aston Villa’s £20million valuation of the forward for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the Lilywhites are keen to spend this summer, as a signal of intent and improvement more than anything else, and whilst £17million has been spent on capturing of Paulinho, the rest of the summer kitty will be dedicated to improving the strike force, with Emmanuel Adebayor effectively thrown on the scrapheap with a big ‘for sale’ sign around his neck as Daniel Levy tries to get the £100k-per-week waster off the wage bill, and question marks circling over the head of Jermain Defoe, mostly due to his age.
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Secondly, Benteke fits the price-bracket perfectly. The likes of Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuain may lay out of Tottenham’s reach due to their failure in attaining Champions League status at the end of last season, but the Villa forward, full of youth, ambition and potential, would have no quarms about a move to White Hart Lane, despite his adoration for the Gunners, whilst his reportedly desired £70k-per-week salary should be of little issue for Spurs.
The bookies and the tabloids believe Benteke ticks all the boxes, but does he still represent too much of a risk for Tottenham, as they hotly pursue their eternal target of breaking into the Premier League’s top four? The striker wants to see wheels in motion by Thursday, before he has to return for training with the Villains.
Just to reiterate, it really has been a stellar year for the 22 year old. He finished last campaign with 19 goals and four assists in 34 Premier League appearances, averaging 3.1 shots per game. It’s the kind of prowess in front of goal Spurs were in desperate need of last season, as Defoe’s form stuttered due to injury, and Emmanuel Adebayor put in a succession of absent performances. Furthermore, Benteke’s form grew as their survival campaign went on, and by the end of the season, his performances edged on talismanic, with a hat trick against Sunderland essentially sealing Villa’s fate of maintaining their top flight status.
But some Spurs fans remain coy over the prospect of signing the Belgian, on the grounds that he is simply the flavour of the month, last season’s vogue player, who still has a lot to prove before he is ready for a move to a European standard club. There is some weight behind the argument; for all his hot form, Benteke only has one year of Premier League football under his belt, and romping the sides at the foot of the English top flight, as the Villains have done this season, is a whole different ball game recording key results against the likes of Manchester United, City, Chelsea or Arsenal.
Similarly, although I do not wish to downplay Benteke’s goalscoring escapades this year, there is no doubt the presence of Andreas Weimann has played a crucial rule, highlighted best by their collective three goal haul against Liverpool in December. The 22 year old’s Austrian strike partner is very much the unsung hero behind Benteke’s rapid success, complimenting the 6 foot 3 forward well in his speed, pace, movement and creativity, with an on-pitch bond based on their contrasting abilities bringing the best out of both of them. It wouldn’t be the first time a Premier League partnership has lifted two players to the top of their game, only for them to falter as individuals upon their break-up.
At White Hart Lane, Benteke would be surrounded by greater quality, but there will be no Weimann-esque whipper-snapper to make space and confusion for the Belgian to exploit. Rather than being the main man, he will be expected to put in a good shift, and do some providing of his own for Gareth Bale. Both the Villa striker and the Lilywhites will have to modify the way they play, with Benteke required to bring others in the game, whilst Spurs would need to adopt a more direct approach to get the best use out of their new striker, by providing more crosses and aerial balls. However, Benteke has already proved his utility on the break this season, which very much fits into Andre Villas-Boas’ current game plan.
That being said, even if Benteke were to struggle with teething pains upon a move to North London, and as a result his impressive goal to game ratio diminished, I disagree that it would be £20million wasted. Whether or not he can get on the scoresheet for Spurs immediately, the Belgium international has already displayed in abundance the raw skills required to be a leading Premier League target man.
His 6 foot 3 frame makes him dominant in the air (averaging 7.9 aerial duels won per game last season) and powerful on the ground, whilst despite such a heavy-built frame, Benteke remains light on his feet, and is all round a fine athlete. It allows the Villa forward to score from a variety of chances, be it a one-on-one, a cross in open play, a dead ball situation or finishing off a move created through an intricate build up.
Furthermore, he possesses enough strength to marshal the front line on his own and hold up the ball, as he’s done for the most part of the season at Villa, amid their rotten form for the first six months of the campaign. It does not guarantee he will finish up next season around the twenty goal mark for Tottenham, but it does suggest its only a matter of time before Benteke is considered as one of the best lone strikers in the English top flight.
But is a long-term solution what the Lilywhites need ahead of next season, as they revamp and re-master the squad in a bid to break the Premier League’s glass ceiling between themselves and fourth spot? You’d suggest Daniel Levy should look to bring in a more tried and tested candidate, and there are some alternatives to the big Belgian out there this summer.
Loic Remy could prove a wise addition, with six goals in his first 14 Premier League appearances, a notable feat considering it was done at QPR amid a high pressure environment, and the Frenchman could be available for just £5million due to a relegation clause in his contract. But there are obvious concerns over recent rape allegations, whilst it is worth pointing out that the former Marseille man failed to score more than 15 goals domestically throughout his seven years in Ligue 1.
Another potential addition is Roberto Soldado, who has been linked with the Lilywhites constantly since his early twenties, and seems to epitomise the class-bracket Spurs find themselves in. The Spain international is a natural goalscorer, with a career record of 193 goals in 397 appearances and plenty of experience at the highest level to boot, but there are doubts as to whether his 5 foot 7 frame, possessing no particular strength, height or pace, can hack it in the robust and physical English top flight.
Others that have been linked include Alvaro Negredo and Leandro Damiao, but the Spaniard is reportedly the first name on Manuel Pellegrini’s summer wishlist at Manchester City, whilst Damiao remains continually reluctant to move to North London, and for all the intense interest on Andre Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy’s part, he is still an unknown quantity in England.
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The fact is, every name linked with Tottenham represents a level of risk. Either their reputation and quality comes with question marks, their age suggests inexperience and inconsistency, or there are doubts as to whether they can transition their skills successfully to the nature of the Premier League, which suggests to me that the Spurs management should take a punt on Benteke.
He already comes with a season’s worth of experience in England, during which time he maintained an impressive goal tally, but more importantly a consistently high level of performance. It may not pay off next season, and may not immediately get the Lilywhites into a Champions League spot, but Benteke’s abundance of potential, in addition to his proven worth, outweighs the benefits of signing him in comparison to his striking counterparts also in Levy’s contention. A few years down the line, Benteke’s potential acquisition could become an incredibly smart piece of business.
The Lilywhites have already missed out on David Villa this summer, and with more European standard forwards jumping ship by the day, it makes sense for Daniel Levy to claim his new centre-forward for next season as early as possible. That being said, knowing the Tottenham chairman, he will let the Villains sweat a little first, and expect a discount on the £20million price-tag.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon claims that midfielder Joe Ledley is set to sign a new deal at Celtic Park, as reported by Sky Sports.
Ledley has been on form for the Scottish champions this season which has sparked interest from the Premier League with Fulham, Cardiff, Sunderland and Hull all said to be watching the Welshman who is currently on international duty.
Cardiff are favourites to bring back Ledley who left the Welsh capital for free back in 2010.
The midfielder has been offered a new deal at Celtic and Lennon expects him to sign, however admiring looks from England could be a distraction.
“We have made him an offer, Joe is aware of that as is his agent and we are waiting on them,” he said.
“He seems happy here, his performance last week will have done his confidence a world of good because he has been a wee bit curtailed this season by injuries.
“We know how good a players he is, that’s why we have offered him a new deal.
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“My gut feeling is, looking at his body language over the last week or so, I’d like to think he would stay on.”
Championship high-flyers Leicester City welcome Premier League Fulham to the King Power Stadium in the hope that they can continue their good form and progress in to Round 5 of the Capital One Cup.
Nigel Pearson has seen his side become promotion contenders this season and will truly believe his side are strong enough to overcome Premier League opposition in the form that they are in, with goals seemingly available from almost all areas of the pitch.
The Foxes boss has insisted this week that Leicester are not necessarily underdogs in this tie and, whatever way you look at it, it’s hard to find a case to argue with him.
Fulham’s season so far has been a frustrating one. Their league form has been hit and miss, while they overcame an unbeaten Everton side the previous round of this competition – a game in which they were the underdogs.
And Pearson could be forgiven in suggesting that Leicester can compete with Fulham on their day. After all, despite their respective divisions, it’s Leicester who go in to this game brimming with confidence and well prepared to continue their run of seven wins in a row in all competitions at the King Power Stadium.
But Leicester’s all-time record against Fulham is less than impressive. They’ve lost four of their last five meetings with them and have managed just 25 victories from their 81 competitive meetings to date. However, the last time Leicester beat Fulham in this competition – after a penalty shoot-out in round five – they went on to win lift the trophy in 2000.
Martin Jol will be asking his side to show their Premier League quality here, though, with several of his players under performing so far this season and only on-loan Aston Villa striker finding the net on more than two occasions (3).
Fulham were ripped apart by Southampton at the weekend and were lucky to come away with just a 2-0 loss having not registered a single shot on target during the game, compared to Saints’ six.
Pearson may have to do without top-scorer David Nugent is doubtful through illness, but he has Chris Wood waiting in line to fill in, who provides ample enough back up.
Martin Jol needs something to kick-start his side’s season and is therefore unlikely to ring too many changes from the side that faced Southampton on Saturday. But captain Brede Hangeland looks unlikely to feature having missed the weekend’s game with a leg problem.
If form is anything to go by then Leicester should be favourites to progress in this tie, but Fulham have enjoyed some good results in the cup to cushion the blow of their poor start in the Premier League. A place in the quarter-finals and a step closer to Wembley in February will be a prospect neither manager will want to pass up here.
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