Just when the footballing world was beginning to doubt Sam Allardyce after his infamous exit from the England job, the 62-year-old hit back by leading relegation-threatened Crystal Palace to huge wins over top-six trio Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Talismanic attacker Wilfried Zaha has played a crucial part in that impressive run. He’s bagged one goal and five assists against top six opposition this season and perhaps consequentially, rumours regarding the winger-forward’s future at Selhurst Park have once again re-emerged.

Palace are preparing an improved contract offer for the 24-year-old according to The Times, but there are no guarantees he’ll sign amid ongoing interest from Tottenham Hotspur – who failed in a bid for Zaha last summer.

Palace are hoping to fend off the Lilywhites in the next transfer window by slapping him with a £40million price-tag. But considering how much transfer fees in the Premier League have risen in recent years, Zaha’s relative youth and impressive form this season, is that actually an unjustifiable sum?

In a nutshell, should Spurs fork out a club-record £40million to sign the Ivory Coast international this summer? Let us know by voting below!

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Liverpool have had a difficult few days in the transfer market, just when everything seemed to be falling into place following the surprise acquisition of Fabinho from Monaco.

Widespread reports indicated that Nabil Fekir was on his way from Lyon, but last weekend, the French club released a statement confirming that the attacking midfielder will be staying put.

Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans were left stunned by the news, and now they have been hit with another wave of bad news – this time relating to Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar.

The Reds were heavily linked with a move for the Frenchman last summer, as well as in the January window, but a deal never came to fruition.

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On Tuesday, Atletico Madrid confirmed on their official website that they have agreed to sign Lemar this summer, and the news has sparked a reaction from Liverpool fans.

Some are not too concerned to have missed out, while others have expressed sadness that he has slipped through their fingers.

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Ivan Rakitic was the star of the show during Croatia’s Group D clash against Argentina at the World Cup in Russia on Thursday night.

The midfielder’s display has caught the attention of plenty of fans, including Liverpool supporters who now want their club to make a move for Rakitic in the transfer window.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi carried the hopes of Argentina on his shoulders, but for some reason he struggled to recreate the dazzling form that has been on show at Barcelona all these years.

Rakitic overshadowed his club teammate to help Croatia claim a 3-0 victory and push Argentina closer to elimination.

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As well as play an integral role in the middle of the park, the 30-year-old, who is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, also got on the scoresheet.

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Liverpool have been linked to numerous midfielders this summer, and the speculation may ramp up now that Emre Can has left to join Juventus.

After watching Croatia in action on Thursday night, Reds fans called on the club to swoop for Rakitic, who scored four goals and created five assists in 55 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona last season.

Newcastle fans have been discussing the probable sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic, and they can’t agree on a price tag for the Serbian.

Mitrovic showed exactly why so many fans rate him so highly on Friday, bullying the Switzerland defence all night in his side’s 2-1 loss.

The beastly striker grabbed the opening goal with a towering header, although Serbia eventually fell to goals from Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri.

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It seems like a matter of “when” rather than “if” Mitrovic leaves this summer, as the striker is not in Rafael Benitez’s plans for next season.

A report from the Chronicle said even the 23 year-old’s impressive showings thus far in Russia won’t be enough to change Rafa’s mind, and fans are now discussing how much they’d expect to receive in a potential sale.

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Fulham are the front-runners to land the striker, after he played a huge part in helping the Cottagers secure promotion, and forged a great connection with the Fulham boss, compatriot Slavisa Jokanovic.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Wolves are looking forward to returning to Premier League action next season after romping to Championship glory this term, and manager Nuno Santo will be looking forward to spending some big money on new players this summer.

The Midlanders, backed by their super rich owners and influenced by agent Jorge Mendes, will no doubt be linked with a whole host of fresh talent, but here in the Tavern, our landlord thinks the club could well look closer to home to find its next star.

Wolves are bound to be linked with a whole host of names in the coming weeks, and with good reason. However, there are plenty of players already in the English game who could well do a superb job at Molineux if given the chance.

One player our landlord dropped into the conversation this week was Man City star and Celtic loanee Patrick Roberts, who has been excellent for the Bhoys over the course of the last two seasons, but looks to have a job on his hands breaking into the City team this term.

The impressive young attacking midfielder was a key member of the Celtic squad once again last term, and despite only getting on the scoresheet just the once, his performances in general were of excellent quality.

However, with City having such a depth of talent, Wolves could well look to make a move for the 21-year-old, where he will no doubt be given more first team chances and the opportunity to impress crowds in the Premier League.

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Wolves fans, what do you think? Would you take Roberts? Good signing? Let us know!

Kenedy was one of Newcastle United’s standout players in the second half of last season.

The Brazilian moved to St James’ Park from Chelsea in the January transfer window on a temporary spell.

During that time, the left-sided player, who can feature as a full-back or a winger, made 13 Premier League appearances, scoring two goals and creating two assists.

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

Ever since the transfer window opened, speculation has been rife about a permanent deal for Kenedy.

It seems after some back and forth between both clubs, the two parties have settled on another loan deal.

There have been conflicting reports, but according to the Daily Mail’s head of sport, Lee Clayton, a transfer should be announced this week.

The Magpies managed to keep themselves in the top flight last season, but Rafael Benitez has a big task on his hands in order to build on their 10th-placed finish.

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The club are yet to announce any deal for Kenedy, but this tweet from Lee Clayton has got the fans talking.

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Newcastle United really, really need to sign a new striker in this summer’s transfer window.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is widely expected to move on, and with the greatest of respects, Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Ayoze Perez are not going to score bundles of goals next season.

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The problem, however, is that Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez does not have a big budget this summer.

A bigger problem though is the fact that any striker who can score goals is worth more than the reported £20m that the club do have to spend on a new forward this summer.

The Newcastle fans have been discussing potential transfer targets on social media, and it seems that the most realistic one is Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham.

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Michy Batshuayi has been mentioned, but he will surely command a higher transfer fee than £20m, while former Manchester City striker Eden Dzeko – who has scored goals for fun at Roma – is surely also out of their price range.

There were certainly a lot of interesting opinions on social media, and a selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle fans can be seen below:

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been busy in the transfer window, but there is one area of the pitch that could do with some tweaking.

A new winger would complement the club’s activity so far, which has included the signings of Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno, Sokratis, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

Bordeaux star Malcom has been linked to the North London outfit in the past, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have also been registered with an interest.

However, according to Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Everton are in advanced talks with the Brazilian over a £30m move.

The Merseyside outfit have come out of nowhere to seemingly blow their competitors out of the water.

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Whether a deal is close to completion remains to be seen, but it would be a huge coup if the Toffees sealed the 21-year-old’s signature.

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Since making the move to Bordeaux from Corinthians, Malcom has scored 20 goals and recorded 13 assists in Ligue 1.

After the news broke, some Arsenal fans expressed their surprise in Everton’s approach, while others urged the Gunners to scupper the deal.

Everton fans are still awaiting their first signing of the summer.

Marco Silva is yet to make a signing since taking the reins from Sam Allardyce. The Toffees are paying the price for a poor summer transfer window last summer with many expensive signings failing to impress. Therefore, Everton must sell to buy this summer.

Silva is in the market for a new left-back once he trims the squad. Leighton Baines is approaching the end of his career, and the Blues need to upgrade Cuco Martina. Landing a long-term replacement for Baines should be made a priority.

One man they have been heavily linked with is Genoa wing back – Diego Laxalt. The 25-year-old starred for Uruguay at the 2018 World Cup and has attracted interest from the Premier League with Bournemouth interested. With Everton set to miss out on Kieran Tierney, they should make a move for Laxalt instead.

The Uruguayan was a key player for his side last season, starting 34 games in all competitions – the majority coming at left wing-back. He scored three and assisted three in the Serie A last season, highlighting the danger he poses from the back. Silva will be attracted to his versatility as he can provide cover for a number of positions.

With plenty of energy and a high work-rate, Laxalt will have no troubles adapting to life in the Premier League. Reportedly available for just £18m, the Toffees could grab one of the bargains of the summer.

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Everton fans, thoughts?

According to The Mirror, West Ham United have joined the race for Bristol City defender Joe Bryan ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

What’s the story?

Bristol City will do extremely well to keep hold of Bryan this summer when considering his performances over the last few seasons, and indeed the interest surrounding him.

The 24-year-old scored seven times in 48 appearances for Bristol City in all competitions last term – including a goal against Manchester United in the EFL Cup.

Leeds United and Middlesbrough have both been linked, whilst it is understood that Newcastle United are also considering a move.

According to The Mirror, West Ham are now very much in the hunt, with Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini still in the market for new signings ahead of the 2018-19 season.

Bryan looked at home against Man United in the EFL Cup last season, and managed five Championship goals during a very impressive 2017-18 campaign.

Should West Ham sign Bryan?

Aaron Cresswell’s future at West Ham was believed to be in doubt following the arrival of Pellegrini, but it is understood that the club’s new head coach sees the Englishman as a key part of his XI next term.

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On the face of it, a move for Bryan makes little sense when considering Arthur Masuaku’s presence in that area of the field, with both players miles better than the Championship player.

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The arrival of the 5ft 7in ace would give Pellegrini plenty of options down the left, but having three players for one position, given they have Andriy Yarmolenko to play wide on the left, seems a little excessive.

West Ham have already been very busy this summer with some smart additions, but Bryan would not be one of them.