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Manchester City fans are gutted after it was confirmed by the club that Brian Kidd has left his role after 12 years as part of the coaching staff.

The Citizens’ plans for the new campaign are now in full flow after a previous campaign that saw them win the Premier League and the League Cup, but also lose the Champions League final to Chelsea in Porto. They have already seen two departures from the playing squad in Sergio Aguero (fcbarcelona.com) and Eric Garcia, and now one member of staff is joining them through the exit door.

After 12 years at the club, Kidd is leaving the Etihad Stadium (mancity.com). Aged 72, he is surprisingly not looking to retire from the sport – instead he is looking to continue to work in football.

The news was relayed on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kidd news below

“Terrible”

Credit: @AdamKDB123

“Nooooo!!!”

Credit: @MattMCFC3

“Proper end of an era stuff”

Credit: @Kushagra9320

“Nooooo, wish him good luck for whatever he does in the future, but sad to see him go, legend”

Credit: @GoldenBaldieSzn

“Our fans talk about Sheikh Mansour, khaladon, txiki, Soriano and pep but no one talk about Brian Kidd who’s also one of the reason our club is successful now and running on right track,I just want to say his influence to our club is immense and will be missed for sure.”

Credit: @amirtamboli8

“Noooooo why what a legend he’s been”

Credit: @Harry_MCFC891

In other news, Man City fans are unhappy with this Gabriel Jesus news.

An update has emerged on West Ham target Adam Armstrong, regarding Southampton’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Lancashire Post, Southampton have had an offer rejected for West Ham transfer target Adam Armstrong. The Saints are the first Premier League side to firm up their interest with a bid, but Blackburn have deemed it unacceptable as they hold out for £20m.

The Daily Mail reported earlier this summer that Norwich, Southampton and the Hammers are all keen on signing the attacker, who has 12 months left to run on his current deal at Ewood Park.

Fans would love him

David Moyes must act swiftly to secure a deal for Armstrong this summer. Southampton are showing that they are serious about a move for the forward by submitting an official offer for his services.

This means that they look to be ahead of the Hammers in the race as they have already been able to make a concrete bid and make their interest known to Blackburn, whereas West Ham appear to be just eyeing him, as it stands.

However, this update should spark Moyes into action. The Scot should realise that Southampton will be able to snap him up unopposed unless West Ham react quickly and make an offer of their own.

They should be looking to do this as he could be a superb addition to the squad as he could compete with the likes of Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio for a spot in the side.

During the 2020/21 campaign, Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray lavished praise on the “explosive” forward, pointing out his maturity in spite of his age and his pace at the top end of the pitch.

He told FourFourTwo:

“Adam does (make a difference) as he has done all season. I think Adam has matured and he’s only 23.

“He’s a boy really, but his explosive pace at the top end of the pitch allows you to play both ways, to not be overly concerned if you’re pinned back around the edge of your box because one pass releases pressure to someone like (Harvey) Elliott to play the pass that he can hit just leaving it in the space for the speed and dynamic movement of Armstrong – it’s a devastating effect for the team.”

Armstrong has the mentality and pace to be effective at Premier League level. His record in the second tier for Blackburn is phenomenal, with 28 goals last season and 16 the year before. This suggests that he could also have the finishing ability to make the step up.

West Ham should look to sign Armstrong, as fans would love watching him play at the London Stadium.

As Mowbray explained, he is explosive and able to utilise his speed to create chances for himself by running in behind. This could get supporters excited as he could be able to provide entertainment with his direct style of play and his phenomenal goalscoring ability.

AND in other news, West Ham make contact over £25m machine who lit up Euro 2020, Moyes would love him…

Former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has claimed that Leeds United’s Stuart Dallas could spend the rest of his career at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Dallas stands out for Leeds

The Whites enjoyed a superb first season back in the Premier League in 2020/21, finishing ninth and impressing neutrals with their entertaining style of play.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford were all key performers, but it was Dallas who won the club’s Player of the Year award. The Northern Irishman was exceptional throughout the campaign, scoring eight goals, registering two assists and thriving across various positions.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Pundit makes big claim

Dallas signed a new three-year deal at Leeds last week, and speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that he could see the 30-year-old midfielder finishing his career at the club, saying:

“It’s been a long time coming. He just gets it. He is Leeds. But he’s more than that.

“Some players are valuable because they are talented. Some are valuable because of what they bring to a dressing room.

“From what I’ve seen, Dallas is both. He was brilliant all season and some of the goals he scored, wow. He’s one of those where you don’t ever see him leaving. He could be there for the rest of his career.

“I don’t think anyone at Leeds would mind that.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-8/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Priceless performer

From the outside looking in, Dallas may not always stand out too much, but any Leeds fan can see what an invaluable performer he is for the Whites, as reflected by his Player of the Year prize.

At 30, he still has a few years left in him at the top, and it would be wonderful to see him end his career at Elland Road, potentially even extending his stay there after his current deal expires in 2024.

Dallas will likely be a huge player for Leeds again next season as they look to produce an even better campaign than 2020/21. Hopefully McAvennie’s premonition comes to light.

In other news, Leeds reportedly ‘retain an interest’ in one player this summer – find out who it is here.

Stoke City have recently announced that Sam Clucas has signed a new contract with the Potters until the summer of 2023 despite transfer interest from West Brom.

What’s the story?

His contract with Stoke was due to expire this summer, which saw the 30-year-old linked with a move away from the bet365 Stadium.

Football Insider had previously claimed that Clucas had emerged as a transfer target for fellow Championship club West Brom during this summer, but his recent decision to sign a new deal with Michael O’Neill’s side has poured cold water on any potential move to The Hawthorns.

The midfielder first signed for Stoke back in 2018 and has made 100 appearances for the Potters in that time.

It’s a real boost for the Potters

Stoke supporters will likely be delighted to see that Clucas has signed a contract extension, as he has been a key member of their side over the last three years.

O’Neill is also bound to be a happy man after the news was confirmed, with the manager previously singing the midfielder’s praises by chiming: “Clucas has been brilliant, no doubt about that.

“Not only the types of goals that he does score but his all-round play, his quality on the ball, his ability to win the second ball, competition to win the ball in the air. Everything.” [via Stoke Sentinel]

He has a considerable amount of experience of playing in the Championship, having lined out for the Potters and Hull City at this level, whilst also appearing in the Premier League with Swansea and Hull (Transfermarkt).

He will be targeting a return to the top flight with the Potters over the coming months, and Potters fans will surely be eager to see him play his part this season.

Clucas had an average WhoScored rating of 6.81 in 2020/21, the ninth-highest rating among O’Neill’s squad.

He has been an important member of the team in recent seasons, not least for his passing ability. No other player in the top ten of WhoScored’s rating list for the Stoke squad had a higher pass success rate than Clucas’ 80.3%, which makes for good reading for the 30-year-old.

Stoke finished 14th in the Championship last season, which would have been frustrating for their fans after they had previously been in with a strong chance of finishing in the play-offs until a springtime slump.

With Clucas’ future being resolved, it could be a huge relief for O’Neill and Stoke supporters heading into the new campaign, where a top-six finish must be the Potters’ aim.

Steve Howey feels Steve Bruce will have to be frugal in the transfer market due to Newcastle United potentially having a budget of just £15million.

The Magpies’s arbitration case is set to go ahead later this month, although the Premier League have failed to give the club a date.

Should the proposed takeover by the Public Investment Fund be pushed through, having initially been rejected by the Premier League last year, Newcastle would become the country’s richest club with assets worth a reported £320billion.

However, with the case yet to be heard, the Magpies remain under Mike Ashley’s ownership and Bruce does not have quite such extensive sums to play with ahead of the transfer window slamming shut at the end of next month.

While Newcastle were initially looking to secure Joe Willock’s services on a permanent basis following a fruitful temporary spell at the end of last season, the club have now entered talks with Arsenal over another potential loan deal.

Ex-Magpies defender Howey believes Bruce will have to be shrewd.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Apparently the budget is something like £12-15million. That doesn’t buy you one decent player. Whether it’s in instalments or other ways they can structure deals, I don’t know.

“Without a doubt, there has to be some dealings going on. Ultimately, whoever they get in, they need to do their due diligence on the player because Newcastle just can’t afford to take a punt.”

Shields Gazette reporter Liam Kennedy is not surprised to have seen Newcastle United’s arbitration case against the Premier League delayed.

The hearing over the stalled takeover of the club by Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners, which is backed financially by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Reuben Brothers, has been put back until next year.

Newcastle and the Premier League confirmed the delay has come due to issues with the disclosure of evidence.

A takeover, which would see the Magpies become the richest club in the top flight, was agreed with current owner Mike Ashley in April 2020.

However, the potential buyers pulled out of the deal last July after growing frustrated with the Premier League being unable to reach a decision when scrutinising their owners’ and directors’ test.

Ashley was unhappy with the governing body’s failure to reach a decision and, earlier this month, the club asked for the arbitration claim to be heard in public as they had ‘nothing to hide’.

Kennedy, who is been following the latest developments closely, is not surprised by the news that the issue will not be revisited until next year.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “There has been this narrative of the Premier League being some kind of friendly force in this process and trying to get a decision. But they didn’t and have been the delay.

“There has been constant silence and that’s not just in public, that’s behind the scenes as well.

“They’ve been the delaying factor in the whole thing, not the club and not the buyers.”

West Ham are reportedly set to have Andriy Yarmolenko challenging Michail Antonio for his starting spot ahead of their season opener against Newcastle United, according to Claret & Hugh (via West Ham Central).

Antonio was in impressive form for David Moyes’ side during the 2020/21 season, as the Hammers finished sixth in the Premier League table.

The former Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday man netted ten goals and was on hand to provide five assists for West Ham in all competitions last term, and will be keen to hit the ground running in the new league campaign.

But he didn’t have a considerable amount of competition for his starting spot last season, with injuries to the Englishman often leaving Moyes struggling for options up front.

The Ukraine international meanwhile made just one league start for the Hammers in the 2020/21 season, but caught the eye with some strong showings during the European Championships for his country, as they reached the Quarter-Final stage of the competition.

He earns a reported wage of £100,000 per-week with the Hammers.

West Ham seemingly haven’t been in a hurry to add to their attacking options ahead of the new Premier League campaign, which might come as a surprise to a few of the club’s supporters given their side will be competing in European competitions this season.

And plenty of West Ham United supporters took to social media to react to the news that Yarmolenko could be the player to be the club’s second-choice option in attack for their game against Steve Bruce’s side.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

West Ham fans fume

“Zero shock, we are clearly utterly skint. If they thought Burnley was bad if they don’t get there cash out it is gonna be a lot lot worse.”

Credit: @Dazzairons

“Moyes should walk if this is true.”

Credit: @Mr_BA6

“If this is the case, the club should just make a statement that we have 0 money so we can move on. Painful.”

Credit: @IanCulleyMorga2

“If we do no business need to riot our best chance to concrete top 10 and we do nothing.”

Credit: @TheWestHamVault

“Getting boring and repetitive.”

Credit: @panicospangrat2

“There’s absolutely no excuse not to sign a striker with all the time we’ve had to sort this out. Absolutely none.”

Credit: @PugBubble

“Oh my god if this happens I can’t watch us this season.”

Credit: @billywhufc_

“This could single handedly ruin our season.”

Credit: @WestHamCulture

The majority of Crystal Palace’s transfer business is set to be concluded after they signed Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

That’s according to reliable Palace reporter Matt Woosnam, and a number of Eagles fans have been sharing their thoughts on the transfer claim on social media.

Woosnam shared the news on Gallagher’s proposed loan move on Thursday afternoon.

He suggested that the 21-year-old, who also had interest from Leeds United is likely to be used as one of two more advanced central midfielders in a 4-3-3 system.

Gallagher has now officially become Patrick Vieira’s fifth summer signing, with Woosnam finishing his story by admitting that there are likely to be more arrivals, but the major business at Selhurst Park looks to have been done.

Palace fans react

Woosnam’s comments regarding Palace’s transfer business was shared by @CPFCtransfersHQ on Twitter.

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with a number of fans not exactly thrilled.

“relegation”

Credit: @BludOnTheLeaves

“Booooooo”

Credit: @bentekefan0

“Yep Parish out”

Credit: @unIocaIpIa9tic

“Still need a winger, striker and a versatile defender”

Credit: @bradhcpfc

“Ah well. Let’s see who the likely new arrivals are.”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

“That’s cap”

Credit: @Sumo08112

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Hahahaha’ – Many CPFC fans buzz at Leeds’ feelings on Gallagher U-turn.

According to The Guardian journalist Will Unwin, Glasgow Rangers’ Jordan Jones is closing in on a loan move to Wigan Athletic.

The Lowdown: Jones has little immediate Gers future

Jones spent the second half of last season on loan at Sunderland after controversially receiving a seven-game ban for breaking lockdown rules while still at Rangers (BBC).

As such, it feels as though he has little immediate future at the club, and it appears he could be soon on his way out of the door – at least on a temporary basis.

The Latest: Wigan close in on Jones

According to Unwin, the Latics are closing in on a move for Jones.

The reporter says the move will be a loan deal, though there are no details on who will pay the majority of his wages.

The Verdict: Makes sense

This is a move that makes sense – the Northern Ireland international just does not seem to have a future at Ibrox after last season’s lockdown blip.

He did relatively well during his time with the Black Cats last time out, scoring three goals and providing four assists in 21 matches (Transfermarkt) – he has created 29 goals throughout his career. Kevin Phillips even called one of his goals for the club “unbelievable” (Football FanCast) – high praise indeed.

With Jones having made just 19 appearances in all competitions at Rangers, it is a little surprising that they have not decided to sell him. However, a good campaign with Wigan in the English third tier may put him in the shop window a little more, perhaps boosting the eventual fee they can receive for his services.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this journalist’s tweet.

Former Nottingham Forest defender Michael Dawson has announced his retirement from professional football. 

The 37-year-old was most recently with Chris Hughton’s side, but departed when his contract reached a conclusion at the end of the 2020/21 season.

But he didn’t make a single appearance for the Reds in the 2020/21 league campaign, as Forest finished 17th in the Championship table, in what was a disappointing season for the City Ground faithful.

In the campaign prior to that, Forest finished seventh in the second-tier standings, with Dawson making 19 appearances in total for the Reds in that campaign.

Dawson signed for Nottingham Forest in his second spell back in 2018, and made 121 appearances in total for the Reds over two separate spells with the club.

Speaking after his departure from the City Ground was confirmed this summer, Nottingham Forest Chairman, Nicholas Randall issued high-praise for Dawson, and labelled him as the ‘model professional’.

Now, plenty of Nottingham Forest supporters have taken to social media to react to the news of Dawson’s retirement, with many wishing him well for the future.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter, via the Nottingham Forest social media account, below….

Forest fans hail Dawson

“Need to find a space for him on the sidelines, the passion he shows is infectious.”

Credit: @PearceWh97

“Glad that he finished his career where it all began. All the best for whatever the future holds.”

Credit: @Willh1985

“Love the man. Get in the coaching staff!”

Credit: @NFFCRY

“Forest legend.”

Credit: @Hughtxn

“Legend. Great career and right time to bow out.”

Credit: @Trickyred1

“Absolute legend.”

Credit: @rbikysx

“Hero x.”

Credit: @mattnffc_

“My Captain.”

Credit: @carpo_yeah