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According to The Telegraph, Southampton target Kyle Walker-Peters is ‘hoping’ to join Crystal Palace this month.

“There could also be outgoings at Spurs this month, with Kyle Walker-Peters hoping to join Crystal Palace on loan while the club are trying to offload Christian Eriksen this month in order to get a fee for him.”

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Tottenham right-back was believed to be pencilled in for a meeting with Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl this week, while Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson allegedly met with the defender too.

The England U21 international has struggled for game time this season under two managers in Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho, making just three Premier League starts this term as well as one each in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup.

Walker-Peters – a former nominee for the coveted Golden Boy award back in 2017, previously won by the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero – seems to be swaying towards a move to south London rather than the south coast, which will come as a blow to Southampton.

Triple transfer setback for Hasenhuttl

The disappointing Walker-Peters news isn’t the only negative update in Southampton’s transfer plans right now.

Earlier this week, VfL Wolfsburg confirmed the signing of Marin Pongračić from RB Salzburg on a four-and-a-half year contract, putting an end to the chances of the Croatian centre-back arriving at St Mary’s – Sky Sports had reported that he was a long-term target for the Saints.

Elsewhere, another defensive target for Southampton in Barcelona’s Jean-Clair Todibo – who was also of interest to Watford, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan according to ESPN – was sent on loan to Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04, again putting an end to his chances of ending up on the south coast of England.

It’s the dawn of a new decade in the Premier League, but how much do you know about the last 10 years?

There are still 14 days left of the window, although these three pieces of negative news presumably won’t be what Southampton wanted to hear.

In other news, these Southampton fans move “on to the next one” as transfer target ends up elsewhere…

Juan Mata isn’t an all-action type of player, but he made his contributions count in Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Norwich City.

On the chalkboard

It was a swashbuckling performance from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, as goals from Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood added to Marcus Rashford’s brace ensured it was a comfortable game for them.

There will be many who walked away from Old Trafford satisfied with their level of performance and Mata can be one of them.

The 31-year-old does not necessarily ensure that he is involved in every aspect of the game, but he did make his contributions count on Saturday.

Showing precision

His most notable actions were his two assists. The first of those showed impeccable technique, vision and judgement, as the Spaniard clipped the ball between Norwich’s defence and Tim Krul, perfectly into the path of Rashford to finish first-time.

The second also highlighted the quality of Mata’s delivery, as his pinpoint cross was headed in by Martial.

How much do you remember about football in 2019? Our quiz will test your knowledge…

It should be noted that his two assists came despite the Spaniard making two key passes throughout the game. He did have a lot of the ball, as only Fred and Nemanja Matic had more than his 6.6% share of possession, but he felt no need to always do something noteworthy with it.

As well as the fact that he only attempted one dribble, he also took just one shot – which went on target.

There weren’t many other contributions outside of that, as he lost the one aerial duel that he competed in, while his only defensive action was one tackle which he won.

This shows how the Spaniard can allow himself to fade into the background of games slightly, before pouncing with precision to make his mark.

Meanwhile, Man United fans have commented on Solskjaer’s January transfer window update. 

According to an exclusive report from the Express, Paris Saint-Germain still have Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola on top of their wanted list and are ready yo make a huge offer to lure him away from the Etihad Stadium.

What’s the word, then?

It seems that the French giants aren’t giving up hope of landing Guardiola in the near future as the Express state the club are still pushing for his signature.

Of course, this would only be possible in the event of Thomas Tuchel’s departure from the club but Paris Saint-Germain do believe that the Catalan coach is the one to take them to the next level.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Man City signings…

In fact, they would even be willing to table a huge offer to land their man despite Guardiola himself stating that he would be ‘100 per cent in charge at Manchester City next season’.

Verdict

With Paris Saint-Germain’s success in Ligue 1 in modern times, a move for Guardiola feels like the next big step in their development.

Of course, just by looking at their personnel – with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar still in tow – they have a squad capable of achieving huge things and snatching the Champions League crown.

But this heavy interest in Guardiola could also suggest that Al-Khelaifi doesn’t fully trust Tuchel to get the job done.

Still, it has to be said that Man City’s gaffer has failed to replicate his Barcelona success since leaving Catalonia, failing in Europe both with Bayern Munich and the current English champions.

For that reason, it still remains to be seen whether he truly is the right man to help PSG win the ultimate prize in Europe.

According to Mundo Deportivo, even though Barcelona know it will be a rather difficult deal to execute, the Catalans would like to swoop for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.

But how exactly would that impact the current Arsenal squad and who would be the winners and the losers of this potential deal?

Quickfire Quiz: How much do you know about Arsenal’s history in the January transfer window?

Winner: Gabriel Martinelli

At the moment Aubameyang is still very much the key piece of Arsenal’s puzzle. Just his incredible goalscoring record can attest to that as the forward has already netted 16 goals in his first 26 games played in the ongoing campaign. But if he were to leave now, it would definitely clear the road for some other youngsters to thrive and take the spotlight for themselves.

Needless to say, Martinelli is among the possible candidates as the 18-year-old prodigy has already managed to register ten goals across all competitions in 2019/20, even scoring against Chelsea in their latest 2-2 draw. With Aubameyang out of his way, he could potentially get a boost in his search for a regular spot in the starting XI under Mikel Arteta, having filled in for the Gabon international during his recent suspension.

He is perhaps too young to be Arsenal’s household name but Aubameyang’s departure will leave room for a new superstar to emerge in North London.

Loser: The Arsenal captaincy

It very much feels like Arsenal would be negatively impacted as a club if Aubameyang were scooped up by Barcelona. And not just because they would lose a great player who’s been extremely important to them, but they would lose their captain as well. Needless to say, the Gunners don’t have a good history with the captaincy at the Emirates.

We don’t have to look that far back with Granit Xhaka and his outburst at the fans, or the likes of Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen not even starting regularly during their stints with the armband.

Then we also have captains who ended up leaving the club – Cesc Fabregas, Laurent Koscielny and Robin van Persie ditched the Gunners in controversial circumstances. Claims were made about Fabregas wanting to pay to leave while Van Persie made a statement as he joined a direct rival and Koscielny refused to go on the club’s pre-season tour in 2019.

Aubameyang could possibly be the next captain in line to disappoint both the club and the fans by leaving them in their hour of need.

Leeds United have less than 48 hours to finalise the squad that will hopefully earn them promotion to the Premier League come May.

The Whites need to decide whether they’re happy with what they’ve currently got or if they want to add a bit more to the squad to make their chances of going up that much greater.

The Yorkshire club should be tempted to be active in the final hours of the window after one late transfer twist.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s the story then?

Football Insider are reporting that Luke Freeman may now be free to leave Sheffield United on loan as the Blades look set to sign Sander Berge.

Leeds’ interest in the former QPR midfielder was heavily reported earlier this month, but Marcelo Bielsa has said that United’s business in terms of incomings is done and dusted.

However, there is an argument to be made that the Whites should be reigniting their interest in the 27-year-old.

Two birds with one stone

Leeds would be killing two birds with one stone by going back in for the attacking midfielder.

Not only would they be landing a fantastic Championship performer, but they’d also be stealing a brilliant player from under the noses of one of their promotion rivals as third-placed Nottingham Forest are also in for him.

Freeman was electric last time he played in this division, winning QPR’s Supporters Player of the Year award last term while contributing to 13 goals from the middle of the park.

The midfielder would help Forest’s creativity, as the Reds’ xG suggests that they’re not that great when it comes to carving out chances, but adding a man who played two key passes per game last term would solve those problems.

Leeds would not only be adding quality to their own squad, but they’d be stopping one of their biggest promotion rivals strengthening.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided insight into whether or not Leeds’ new signings will start this weekend.

Everton will look to head into their winter break with another three points on the board when they host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime.

The Toffees come into the clash against Roy Hodgson’s men on the back of a four-match unbeaten run in the Premier League – two wins and two draws.

One of those victories came against Watford last week as they produced a memorable comeback to win 3-2 having been 2-0 down at one stage in the first half.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Merseyside outfit have risen up the table in recent weeks under Carlo Ancelotti, and could finish the weekend in seventh should they win and other results go their way – not bad for a team who were lying in the relegation zone when Marco Silva was sacked at the start of December.

Here, FFC takes a look at the bold starting XI the Italian manager should pick against the Eagles…

The Everton back five is pretty settled now and while their defensive record this season isn’t great – they have conceded 37 times in their 25 top flight matches – there is no point moving away from Jordan Pickford, Lucas Digne, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Djibril Sidibe here.

Indeed, Mina scored twice in the win against the Hornets, while Sidibe probably produced one of his best performances in a blue shirt at Vicarage Road.

Ancelotti’s main decision comes in midfield, with Fabian Delph suspended following his red card against Watford last time out.

The 60-year-old doesn’t exactly have a plethora of options to choose from in the centre, and that is why he should make the bold choice to play Alex Iwobi in the centre with the more defensively-minded Morgan Schneiderlin.

Iwobi played on the left against Nigel Pearson’s side but has previously said that he prefers to play through the middle – this would be brave and attacking, but worth trying at home against a team who may well sit deep and then counter.

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

Theo Walcott starts on the right following his winner against Watford, while Ancelotti should opt to hand 18-year-old Anthony Gordon a first start in an Everton shirt in Iwobi’s place on the left.

Up top, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison should continue their fruitful partnership that has produced 22 goals between them.

In other Everton news, Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has ripped into one Toffees player ahead of the Crystal Palace clash…

Adrian ended up being a surprising and yet incredibly crucial signing for Liverpool this season.

Even though the 33-year-old goalkeeper was hardly going to displace the omnipresent Alisson Becker, he did an excellent job of deputising following the Brazilian’s injury at the very beginning of the campaign.

Adrian has played ten Premier League games so far, conceding nine goals and keeping two clean sheets in the process as well. Not to mention his display against Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup back in August when the Reds ended up winning on penalties with Adrian between the sticks.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

But his current contract is due to expire in 2021 and Liverpool fans were asked on Twitter which player they would like to tie down if they had the choice.

And so many of them want Adrian to pen a new deal and stay with them for longer.

After all, his displays proved that he is an excellent second-choice goalie.

Some fans didn’t really have much of an explanation to go with their choice apart from just stating the Spaniard has been a superb signing who has always delivered when called upon.

With Alisson back fit once more he’s unlikely to get regular opportunities, but he would almost certainly have been aware of that when he agreed to move to Anfield.

Other fans also suggested that Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi should be handed new deals.

One fan even went as far as saying that Adrian is the second-best goalie in the whole Premier League, which is a stretch but it illustrates how highly rated he is among the fans.

And according to that supporter, having the two best keepers in the league is conducive to clinching more silverware.

Finally, one other fan stated that Adrian truly has a special relationship with his fanbase and is generally loved among the Kopites.

For that reason, he deserves to stay for a bit longer.

Elsewhere, one Liverpool man is reportedly of interest to four different Premier League clubs…

Wolverhampton Wanderers fell short in their pursuit to add a new striker during the January transfer window, and with their next opportunity to strengthen not until the end of the season, they’ll have to make do for now.

If they do indeed revisit that idea in the summer, it could quickly prove difficult to find someone who is willing to play second fiddle to Raul Jimenez, as we’ve seen with Patrick Cutrone already departing the west Midlands.

But it leaves Wolves in a catch 22 as the Mexican is the only senior striker at the club – to put it mildly, if he gets injured, then they are screwed.

However, a solution could be right under manager Nuno Santo’s nose.

Niall Ennis is currently out on the second loan spell of his professional career, but it is his first that has granted a regular chance to lead the line for a senior outfit.

At Doncaster Rovers this campaign, the 20-year-old has made 28 appearances in all competitions, and his recent rich vein of form has caught the eye.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Over his last five matches, four of which being starts, he has found the net three times, including the winner against Bolton Wanderers earlier this week. Ennis has also won five aerial duels, recorded four key passes and provided one assist in that time too, per WhoScored.

In his first-ever stint away from the club with Shrewsbury Town, he was only able to make two appearances, so his time at the Keepmoat Stadium this term is providing valuable, and much-needed, experience that can only aid his chances when returning this summer.

It may be a tall ask to rely on a player who is yet to be exposed to the top-flight, but players of similar age such as Pedro Neto and Morgan Gibbs-White have always stepped to the plate when called upon by Nuno, so if he does indeed possess the quality his recent form hints at, then he should have no struggles either.

Obscure Footballers – Old School edition: Nobody can score more than 70% on this quiz…

He can sit behind Jimenez next season and gain further experience by learning off a striker that has found the net 37 times in just 18 months at the club.

As aforementioned, not many will be willing to sit as second-choice, so Ennis can step up to the plate, just as long as he continues to impress at Doncaster.

And in other news, Wolves handed EXIT warning over Adama Traore by Lionel Messi’s former coach…

Leeds United are having their best spell since the early 2000s.

The Whites are second in the Championship, but Leeds fans know that things aren’t always plain sailing.

One issue that is constantly circling Elland Road is the prospect of losing one of their key players.

Indeed, despite Kalvin Phillips signing a new contract a few months ago, rumours have still circulated that he could be on his way out of the Yorkshire club.

Another rumour emerged this week about Tottenham’s interest in the 24-year-old, but the report did have an encouraging update for United supporters.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s the story then?

Football Insider have reported that Spurs are keen on signing the midfielder, but the article isn’t as doom and gloom as you may think.

The outlet state that the Premier League giants know that they have no chance of signing Phillips if United go up.

The fact that Leeds’ stance on the midfielder is enough to deter one of the biggest and richest clubs in the Premier League is hugely encouraging and it seems as though it will take a lot to get the 24-year-old out of Elland Road if the Whites are promoted.

Promotion is vital

This just goes to show how important promotion is to the Whites this season.

They have a player in their ranks that is attracting interest from sides in the Champions League, and if they are promoted they will be in a position to keep hold of him.

Not only is keeping Phillips important for United’s aspirations on the pitch but going up and knocking Spurs back sends a huge message in terms of where the club are headed.

However, if they stay in the second tier it will be more of the same. A mass exodus has been predicted by Phil Hay, and you’d have to think Tottenham would have a real shot at signing the midfielder.

This update is encouraging, but it also shows how important it is for United to get promoted.

In other news, one tweet from Leeds has enraged a number of fans.

As Liverpool’s Premier League title charge continues, thoughts are naturally focused on what they could achieve this season.

The league already appears to be sewn up, with the Reds 19 points clear of second-placed Manchester City heading into Monday night’s clash against West Ham.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are also well in the mix for a potential historic treble, facing Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round, and trailing Atletico Madrid by one goal after the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

Watch Liverpool Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite approaching the business end of the season with everything to play for, the Liverpool boss was candid about his club’s potential summer plans. The German appeared to suggest that the Reds would enjoy another relatively low-key transfer window, akin to the one last year.

“Last summer, we did Sepp, Harvey and Adrian and people were not happy that we didn’t do any more than that because they think we need this and that here and there. We will see if we can make the right decisions again. It’s not that we are going mad about what is out there – we want the right player, we don’t just sign any.”

Klopp certainly has a sense of logic to his point. After all, despite not making a major marquee signing last year, the Reds are set to win the Premier League title at a canter, and could do so by going the entire campaign unbeaten. That in itself is a vindication of the Reds’ more reserved approach to the market, and so why on earth would the club think about fixing something that isn’t broke?

But ultimately, if (although more likely when), Liverpool do get their hands on the league trophy, the next campaign is always far more difficult. Retaining the title has been a difficult obstacle for many teams over the past couple of decades to overcome, with it only being done on eight occasions in the modern-day Premier League era.

Teams at the top simply cannot afford to stand still anymore, with rival clubs all putting a target on their back and aiming to cut them back down to size. Getting to the summit of the mountain is one thing, but staying there is another. And that is exactly why this summer is potentially a crucial one for Liverpool.

Premier League Inflation: You won’t believe how much these famous transfers would cost today…

The Reds simply have to strengthen their squad, and get some major business done to help add to the quality, and also refresh things. Klopp’s suggestion that they perhaps won’t be looking to do that, raises a worrying concern about whether Liverpool would be able to retain their crown.

The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, amongst others, will all be desperate to stop the Merseyside outfit from clinching back-to-back titles. If Klopp ignores, or dismisses the need to keep moving forward, then he risks his team taking one major step backwards.

Meanwhile, this is how Liverpool could line up against West Ham.