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The Bayern Munich man fended off competition from the usual suspects, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

The race for the 2020-21 Golden Shoe is over after the best strikers from across Europe bolstered their goal tallies in the bid to be crowned the contintent's No 1 sharp-shooter.

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski came out on top with a record 41 Bundesliga goals, seeing off perennial challengers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Young upstarts like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland scored in the high twenties, but they couldn't keep up with the Polish phenomenon.

With the race now complete,  Goal  tallies up all the top goalscorers from across Europe's top leagues in 2020-21…

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  1Gaetan Laborde | Montpellier | 16 goals (32)

  A key player for Montpellier over the course of the past three seasons, Gaetan Laborde continued to find the back of the net in Ligue 1.

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  2Burak Yilmaz | Lille | 16 goals (32)

  Lille's Ligue 1 title challenge was fuelled in part by the goals of veteran striker Burak Yilmaz, with the Turkey international defying the march of time.

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  3Joao Pedro | Cagliari | 16 goals (32)

  Brazil-born playmaker Joao Pedro scored 18 goals in Serie A last season and went close to matching that tally by maintaining his early-season form all year.

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  4Ludovic Ajorque | Strasbourg | 16 goals (32)

  Strasbourg forward Ludovic Ajorque enjoyed his best ever season in Ligue 1, cracking double figures in the goal charts and he will be eager to continue that form into 2021-22.

Liverpool face a tough trip to St Mary’s on Monday evening to face Southampton and whilst a lot of eyes will be on Danny Ings and the threat he poses against his old team, Jurgen Klopp’s side must be wary of James Ward-Prowse.

The Southampton captain has been in superb form so far this season for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, contributing four goals and three assists in 16 top-flight appearances, which has earned him an excellent 7.3 average rating.

This is enough to rank the Englishman as the Saints’ best performer in the top-flight so far this season, which emphasises how important he is for the South Coast club.

Perhaps most impressively, three of Ward-Prowse’s goals have come from direct free-kicks, including two superb efforts in the same game in their 4-3 win against Aston Villa earlier in the season.

Therefore, Klopp’s side must be extremely wary of giving away free-kicks in dangerous positions at St Mary’s on Monday, as the 26-year-old certainly has the quality to punish the Reds.

After Manchester City’s 1-0 win against the Saints last month, Pep Guardiola lauded the Southampton ace, who earns £45k per week at the South Coast club, saying:

“They have the best free-kick taker I have seen in my life in Ward-Prowse.”

It is not just the Southampton man’s free-kicks that are dangerous, however, as his corners have also proved to an extremely dangerous weapon for Hasenhuttl’s side this season, with the South Coast club having scored eight times from set-pieces this season, the joint-most in the league.

Without the aerial threat of Virgil van Dijk, Klopp’s side could certainly be vulnerable from set-pieces, as we saw with Semi Ajayi’s equalising goal for West Brom in the 1-1 draw recently, so this could be another area which Southampton look to exploit against the Reds on Monday evening.

Therefore, although the likes of Ings and Che Adams are likely to cause problems for Liverpool’s defence at St Mary’s, Klopp should be wary of the influence Ward-Prowse has in this Southampton side.

And, in other news… Shades of Lovren: Edwards must steer LFC clear of error-prone £22.5m-rated disaster

Goal looks at the players whose deals are due to end, which of them could leave and who might still be at Old Trafford come 2018-19

It's a little over 22 years since the Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman won a landmark case in the European Court of Justice which allowed footballers to break free of clubs at the end of their contracts, and the pre-contract agreement which has since been brought into the game means that from January 1 players with expiring deals can sign with potential new employers six months ahead of a move.

This January, Manchester United find themselves in the kind of position many clubs have been left in since the Bosman Ruling came into effect, with as many as nine of their players holding contracts which are due to expire at the end of the current season.

The one thing they do have going for them is that six of the nine involved have club-option extension clauses written into their deals, which allows the Old Trafford hierarchy the freedom to add 12 months to their contracts if they are unwilling to let them go.

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  Daley Blind

  The Dutch utility player has lived a somewhat nomadic existence since signing for United in the summer of 2014 under Louis van Gaal, being variously used as a midfield anchor, a centre-back and latterly a stand-in full-back.

  While United do have the option of adding a further year to his deal, even Blind’s father Danny has admitted that they may do so simply to command a transfer fee in the summer. “That is not an illogical idea, because his contract expires,” Blind Sr told Ziggo Sports. “Manchester United still has the opportunity to trigger an option for an extra season. They might do that, because then they can receive a higher transfer fee.”

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  Michael Carrick

  The 36-year-old club captain has had an almost non-existent 2017-18 season thus far after undergoing a procedure to correct an irregular heart rhythm.

  Having been restricted to a single Carabao Cup appearance to this point, Carrick has had no opportunity to persuade Jose Mourinho and his staff to consider keeping him on for a further year and he is highly likely to finally wave a last goodbye to Manchester United two years on from what appeared to be his farewell under Louis van Gaal. Mourinho has even admitted in recent days that he is likely to seek a replacement for Carrick in the transfer market during the summer 2018 window.

• Marouane Fellaini

  United have been rocked over the past couple of months by the realisation that their exhaustive attempts to persuade Fellaini to sign a new deal had come to a dead end and the Belgian now looks set to leave Old Trafford in the coming months.

  Having missed the last 10 matches due to injury, Fellaini’s importance to the make-up of Mourinho’s squad has rarely been more evident. That would make his exit difficult to stomach, hence the manager’s insistence that he is not about to give up hope of the midfielder staying on but at this point it would appear Mourinho’s belief is misplaced.

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  Ander Herrera

  While the club are yet to officially confirm it, Ander Herrera has already been told his expiring contract will be topped up with a club-option 12 months for season 2018-19. He may not have featured quite as much this term, but his form last season was enough to win him the club’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award and also underline his importance to the United squad.

  Mourinho has hinted that a midfield addition will be one of his priorities next summer but Herrera’s willingness to fight for the cause will not be given up easily despite his lessened status in the manager’s second season.

Manchester United need a new right-winger with the club failing to properly replace Alexis Sanchez in the summer, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward can make amends in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

United signed Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri on deadline day, but the teenage duo have yet to feature for the first team, with Pellistri starting to find his feet at Carrington and Diallo remaining with Atalanta.

Reports in recent times revealed the Red Devils remain interested in Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, who was linked with Old Trafford in the summer.

Premier League rivals Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham are also keen on landing the diminutive 5 ft 8 speed demon.

The 23-year-old has been in prolific form since the start of the season, having supplied seven goals and six assists in 15 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Get it done, Woodward

Sanchez left the club on a free transfer to join Inter Milan on a three-year deal, but United have struggled heavily on the right flank for a number of years now, as they have been left to pay the price for failing to properly replace Angel di Maria, who was widely considered to be one of the best right-wingers in the world prior to his arrival at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it clear that Jadon Sancho was his top priority in the summer, but Borussia Dortmund remained steadfast in their £100m valuation of the England international.

Woodward may be best served to sanction a move for Bailey as not only would he be a cheaper alternative to the 20-year-old, as he is currently valued at €40m (£36m) via the CIES Football Observatory, but the versatile wide option would also be able to provide competition and cover for Marcus Rashford on the left wing as well.

In nine games in the Bundesliga this season, Bailey has scored two goals and supplied three assists, whilst he is averaging 2.3 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, even Sancho has failed to score a single goal in the top flight this term, as he averages fewer shots per game, as per WhoScored.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz praised the Jamaican beast for his performances last month, saying: “I see that he gets better with every game – physically, but also in terms of his football.”

Whilst Ronald de Boer once labelled him a “very rare” find due to his lighting quick speed and dynamic attributes.

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This kind of physicality could give United the cutting edge on the right wing, as Daniel James has been criticised in recent weeks, whilst Mason Greenwood has only recently recovered from injury and Juan Mata isn’t getting any younger.

AND in other news, Man Utd striker Marcus Rashford was woeful against Man City…

Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands is on course to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor Steve Walsh with a January swoop for Manchester United winger Dan James.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Goodison Park natives are keen to explore a potential deal for James to move to Merseyside in the winter market, having missed out to the Red Devils when the Wales international quit Swansea City in 2019.

Everton are actively monitoring James’ situation at Old Trafford with the 23-year-old finding himself out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, as the Manchester United boss has only offered three Premier League starts in eight games thus far.

James was a regular for Solskjaer during his maiden campaign, making 46 outings in all competitions, but could now be made available for a temporary transfer having been omitted from three top-flight squads and playing just 71-minutes outside of the league.

Brands and Carlo Ancelotti are considering reviving Everton’s interest in James as the Blues duo strive to add pace and penetration to the attack after being nullified without Richarlison, with Everton scoring twice in three games whilst the Brazilian was suspended.

Manchester United are yet to decide what the future holds for James in the winter market and could look negatively on a deal with Everton in fear of improving a direct rival for the European qualifying places.

James also appears keen to stay and fight for his chance at Old Trafford, having told BBC Sport about international duty with Wales this month: “I wouldn’t say it’s a release.

“Man United is my club and I love it there. Whether I am playing or not, I’m proud, as proud as I am to play for Wales. I may not have played as much this season, but I am sticking in there and always in and around it.”

Walcott 2.0

While Brands and Ancelotti would no doubt solve their desire for pace in a winter swoop for James, the Everton chiefs would not be adding the penetration they hope to sign by landing the Manchester United winger who offered each of his three goals and six assists in the Premier League last season before the New Year.

Each of his top-flight strikes even came during the first four games of the campaign as he enjoyed instant success upon joining from Championship side Swansea, but would only fire home once in 2020 during a Europa League Last 16 clash with LASK and is yet to get off the mark in any competition this term.

James is barely creating opportunities to break his league drought, either, as the 23-year-old is yet to register a big chance created or missed and is averaging just 1.0 key balls and 0.7 shots per game, with 0.0 accurate crosses, 0.3 successful dribbles and 1.7 duels won, per SofaScore.

All Everton would be signing in James would be a player lauded for his pace, which Solskjaer used to defend the Wales international from criticism earlier this season.

“Dan’s strength, you know, is his incredible speed,” Solskjaer said, via quotes by the Mirror. “Today, I thought he showed productivity and trusted himself. We work with all the players and tell them to express themselves and show what they’ve got.

“Juan [Mata] and Bruno [Fernandes] were in the pockets and Dan and Marcus [Rashford] were working hard to run in behind them and be positive. All of them did fantastic but I’m very pleased for Dan. He’s been away with Wales and missed a few games for us with a bad cold. Today, it was a very good performance by Dan.”

Brands signing James would only see the Dutchman repeating the errors of his predecessor Walsh, who signed Theo Walcott from Arsenal in 2018 for more than £20million as his last piece of business as Everton’s Director of Football.

Walcott went on to make 85 appearances for the Toffees before joining Southampton on loan this summer, but struck just 11 goals and penned nine assists across all competitions while earning £100,000-per-week.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can end Tom Davies’ Everton career with a swoop for a lethal £19m-rated target.

Serge Aurier was Jose Mourinho’s hero on the Tottenham Hotspur manager’s latest return to Stamford Bridge after vastly impressing in Sunday’s goalless draw with Chelsea.

Mourinho has rarely enjoyed success on his encounters with the south west London outfit since being fired by Roman Abramovich in 2015, with Manchester United winning just twice in seven clashes under the Portuguese who had only won once in three with Spurs ahead of this weekend.

But while Mourinho continues in his search for a first win at Stamford Bridge as the head coach of an opposing side since a 1-0 victory with Inter Milan in March 2010, the 57-year-old will count Sunday’s affair as a positive result having shut out Frank Lampard’s Blues with an impressive defensive showing.

Aurier was key to Tottenham keeping Chelsea at bay throughout the 90-minutes at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with the Ivory Coast full-back producing a vastly impressive display, capitalised by his late intervention to deny Christian Pulisic a winning goal.

Tottenham have not always seen the best from Aurier since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain for £23million in 2017, as the 27-year-old has formerly been blasted for being arrogant by Alan Pardew and slammed by Spurs icon Teddy Sheringham.

“Maybe he’s been told a little too much,” Sheringham claimed on Sky Sports, via quotes by the Daily Mail, after being sent off during a 3-2 win over West Ham in 2017. “He was erratic today. But it’s not about being erratic, it’s about being strong and controlled and getting against people.”

Aurier was far from erratic during the battle at the Bridge on Sunday as he earned his fourth start of the Premier League season, with the £14.4m-rated man standing up to the task of keeping Chelsea’s €50m (£45m) striker Timo Werner quiet.

Mourinho could have opted to bench Aurier following Matt Doherty’s return from coronavirus, having confirmed the Republic of Ireland right-back was in contention after featuring in the midweek Europa League clash with Ludogorets after sitting out Spurs’ 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Mourinho’s summer signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has received rave reviews for his performance at Chelsea on Sunday, with the Evening Standard lauding the Denmark international for serving as the Portuguese tactician’s on-field general.

Aurier, however, was Mourinho’s hero at Stamford Bridge, with the 5 ft 9 full-back enjoying the second-most touches (66) by a Spurs player and registering the joint-most tackles attempted (3) and successful efforts (2), per WhoScored.

He further stood out with two clearances and a joint-team high two interceptions and three aerial duels won, while being dribbled past just once and never being dispossessed.

Of the £120,000-per-week defender’s 37 passes, 30 were accurate. Aurier also accounted for two of Tottenham’s total five shots and sole on-target attempt, while winning seven of 10 duels, via SofaScore.

While Doherty is back in training and featured against Ludogorets, Mourinho will find it hard to bench Aurier following his performance at Stamford Bridge.

AND in other news, Gary Mabbutt has exclusively told Football FanCast what Jose Mourinho did “a lot of” at Tottenham.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward must be regretting his failure to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

What’s the word?

According to The Manchester Evening News, the England international is expected to reunite with Gareth Southgate’s squad this week as they get ready to face the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland during the international break.

Sancho was heavily tipped to move to Old Trafford after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had identified the 20-year-old as his top priority in the transfer market. However, Bundesliga giants Dortmund refused to budge on their £108m valuation for the right winger, so Woodward signed Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo instead.

United embarked on a summer spending spree as they also brought in Donny van de Beek from Ajax and Edinson Cavani on a free transfer.

Despite this setback, it’s claimed that Solskjaer has not given up hope of signing the former Manchester City academy product.

However, United fear they will face stiff competition from the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid if they return for their long-term target next summer.

Missed the boat

Whilst Sancho hasn’t hit the same heights he enjoyed last term as of yet, he has still scored five goals and supplied two assists in twenty games in all competitions, whilst he is averaging 1.3 shots, 1.6 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, Juan Mata has mustered fewer than one shot and one dribble per game so far, as per WhoScored.

Last month the Englishman scored in the 2-0 win over Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League – he took one shot on target, 91 touches of the ball, made four key passes and created one big chance, via SofaScore, whilst he also made one tackle and one clearance, suggesting that he contributed defensively as well.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising he played 84 minutes, as his heatmap shows a hub of activity in the opposition half, which implies that he posed a real attacking threat all over the pitch, particularly on the right wing.

Once lauded as an “incredible” beast by Dortmund boss Lucien Favre, Sancho bagged 17 times and 16 assists in the Bundesliga last season, which is more than Mata and Daniel James managed if you combine their goal tallies together.

United missed a real opportunity to sign the a truly world-class star who is widely considered to be one of the best players in Europe, as their indecision in the transfer market could allow their fellow European heavyweights to offer some serious competition after a period of such economic uncertainty.

Standing at 5 ft 11 inches, Sancho isn’t exactly the tallest player on the pitch, but he more than makes up for his lack of height with his scintillating pace, as he is a strong dribbler who likes cutting in from the flanks.  It’s safe to say that he would have been a significant upgrade on Solskjaer’s options out wide. Now United fans face an anxious wait.

AND in other news, Forget Telles: Manchester United must keep faith in Luke Shaw after dominant display vs Everton…

Tottenham ace Dele Alli has been banned for the Premier League game against Manchester United for a post on social media about coronavirus, the BBC understands. 

Ex-Spurs star Paul Robinson believes the Englishman will be a “big miss” for Jose Mourinho as he prepares to face his old club.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former White Hart Lane goalkeeper insists Alli will have wanted to build upon his fine run of form before the nationwide lockdown was imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The forward has been also fined £50,000 and ordered to take an education course, and he will miss the clash with the Red Devils as a result.

Spurs are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and head into the game knowing they must win if they are to meet Mourinho’s top four ambitions.

When asked if he thinks Alli would have started against United, Robinson said: “I would have thought so because he was just coming into form before the break. He will be a big miss. He just started playing well under Jose. If Spurs are without him and Lo Celso it will be a big blow.

“Clubs will have to utilise their whole squad throughout this period though and if we are playing three games a week, he would not have played all three anyway. Mourinho will have to shuffle his squad.”

It is difficult to disagree with Robinson on this one, as Alli has a strong record against the Red Devils. Indeed, the England international has won five out of the 10 matches that he has played against them and he has bagged three goals against United so far (Transfermarkt).

Furthermore, the 24-year-old is the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season, closely behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as he has scored nine goals in all competitions.

Spurs have lost the last two meetings between the teams, which could be cause for concern for Mourinho as his side must win to keep their realistic chances of Champions League qualification alive.

To compound the difficulty of the task, Alli has been suspended, and the Portuguese could be forced to call upon Erik Lamela instead. The Argentine has arguably struggled for consistency up until now and is surely a downgrade on the Englishman, as he has averaged fewer shots and dribbles per game than his teammate, via WhoScored.

As it stands, Alli’s absence will no doubt be a bitter blow and Tottenham may come to regret his earlier indiscretion if they are beaten on Friday night.

Tottenham fans, do you think Alli’s presence will be missed against Man United? Let us know in the comments below!

Leeds United’s latest reported move could spell an all too familiar disaster and Victor Orta will be to blame.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Yorkshire giants are one of a few teams in pursuit of Liverpool winger Harry Wilson, who is believed to be available for £20m.

It’s claimed that the Premier League champions do not want to loan him out again and would rather sell him on for some tidy profit with both Southampton and Newcastle United also in the hunt.

This year, Wilson has been on his fourth loan at AFC Bournemouth, who were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season.

JKA 2.0

In short, this is absolutely a move that United should steer well clear of as it bears all the hallmarks of being another Jean-Kevin Augustin situation – if not worse.

Yes, it can be said that Leeds need strength in depth, but perhaps out wide should be the least of their concerns after the glimpses Ian Poveda displayed in the final few matches of the campaign.

£20m is a lot of money to spend on a player that’s primarily going to sit on the bench behind Jack Harrison and Helder Costa – in the same way that the obligation to buy for the Leipzig man is causing all sorts of headaches at Elland Road.

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He was never going to replace Marcelo Bielsa’s first-choice man Patrick Bamford and the fact that he was sent back prematurely only goes to show the blunder the club made on signing him in the first place.

Splashing out on Wilson is not something the Argentine needs to do especially given the current situation in central defence where skipper Liam Cooper looks like the only option.

Augustin is going to cost around £19m having played a total of just 48 minutes and you can’t help but feel a similar price for the Liverpool winger would end up in a similar tale – expensive fee; lack of game time.

Don’t forget, despite being “hugely impressive” for the Cherries, he was still part of the side that’s gone down. Not something the Whites need to replicate themselves.

AND in other news, Leeds can find their own Frank Lampard with this move…

Former Charlton player John Salako has commented on the Addicks’ current season and Lee Bowyer’s influence as manager. 

The club have been dropped in a sticky situation after three senior players, including Lyle Taylor, announced they would not be playing for Charlton again this season. Bowyer spoke to talkSPORT about the difficult news and revealed the striker is worried about the ‘risk of injury’.

Championship sides have returned to training ahead of a proposed June 20 resumption. Salako has praised the manager’s performance at the hilt of the club so far this season.

“Lee has done an incredible job, he really has,” the 51-year-old told London News Online. “He is a passionate lad who has done an amazing job with a strict budget.”

The Addicks are currently in the relegation zone after a promising looking season took a steep turn and the club tumbled down the table. When the games resume, Charlton must try to climb their way out of the drop-zone, without influential goalscorer Taylor.

“Lee needs some reinforcements, he needs some quality players coming in, they have got to spend money,” Salako said. “He is in a tough job and it will be disastrous if they go down because League One is a tough place to be.”

As it stands, Bowyer could risk losing ten players in the summer, including Taylor and Chris Solly. It will be a tough ride for the Addicks this season as they try to secure their survival in the Championship.

But there is no doubt that Bowyer has done a fine job to keep the club competitive in trying circumstances. Indeed, they have spent just £203,000 on new players this season (Transfermarkt) which is nothing compared to the majority of other clubs in the second tier, for example Leeds have spent over £27m.

How are you feeling ahead of the return of the league, Charlton fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!