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Aston Villa have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, with the south coast club having no desperate need to sell one of their star players in order to generate funds.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports, the 25-year-old is in no rush to leave the Amex Stadium this month, despite interest from the Seagulls’ Premier League rivals Villa. Moreover, Brighton manager Graham Potter has stated that he is “confident” Bissouma will stay at the club beyond this month.

The Malian’s focus will currently be on his country’s fortunes at the Africa Cup on Nations, with Sky stating that his future will become clearer once he has returned to the UK from international duty. However, the midfielder did admit back in September that it would be his “dream” to play for a Champions League club after Manchester United and Liverpool were linked with swoops.

Last week, The Athletic reported that a fee of around £50m will be demanded by Brighton if they are to let their midfield maestro depart after three-and-a-half years on the south coast. In that time, the 25-year-old has impressed massively, with Gary Linker labelling him “exceptional” last April.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

Although a deal for Bissouma may be completed in the summer, Gerrard will be desperate to add a quality midfielder to his ranks, especially with Marvelous Nakamba expected to be out until April with a knee injury.

At 6 foot in height, the Malian would offer more of a physical presence in the Villa midfield, with regulars John McGinn (5 foot 10) and Douglas Luiz (5 foot 9) shorter than the Brighton beast.

Moreover, according to SofaScore, the 25-year-old has averaged a rating of 7.21/10 in the Premier League this season. That’s significantly superior to Luiz’s 6.95 and Nakamba’s 6.65, although McGinn is averaging a slightly better 7.35.

Last season, Bissouma made an impressive 104 tackles and 64 interceptions in 36 Premier League appearances, an average of 2.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game. This term, the Malian has improved, averaging 3.6 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per match, whilst also posting a 71% dribble success rate and 89% passing accuracy.

As for McGinn and Luiz, the former is averaging 2.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per match, whilst the latter is lagging behind with 1.7 tackles and 1.1 interceptions.

It is clear as to why numerous clubs, including Villa, are circling around the Brighton midfielder and why his price tag is substantial. There is little doubt that Bissouma would improve Gerrard’s midfield, but the 41-year-old may have to be patient if he wants to bring the Malian to Villa Park, or else look elsewhere if an immediate solution is required.

As it stands, the manager may well be gutted that his team’s chances of landing the 25-year-old this month appear slim at best.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update which will have fans buzzing

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is interested in a deal to appoint Jose Mourinho as the Toffees’ next manager.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Kaveh Solhekol, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing on The Transfer Show that the AS Roma boss is one of the names under consideration for the vacant managerial position at Goodison Park following the sacking of Rafael Benitez last weekend.

Speaking about Everton’s shortlist of candidates, the transfer insider said: “This is a story that has just come in from our North West office. They are saying that Jose Mourinho is now under consideration to become the next Everton manager.

“An official approach has yet to be made to Mourinho’s current club Roma by the Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, but he is contemplating the prospect of bringing the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs manager to Goodison Park.”

Fans will be livid

Considering the fact that Everton have just parted with a manager whose best days are quite clearly behind him, the prospect of appointing a new head coach in exactly the same mould is undoubtedly something that will leave the Goodison Park faithful livid.

Indeed, while Mourinho has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success in the game, winning a plethora of trophies throughout his career – including two Champions Leagues, one UEFA Cup, one Europa League, three Premier League titles, three LaLiga titles and two Serie A titles – it is an unavoidable fact that the last trophy the 58-year-old lifted was back in 2017, five years ago.

Furthermore, while the Portuguese manager has always had something of a reputation for rubbing people up the wrong way, this trait appears to have been exacerbated in recent years – with Tottenham Hotspur sacking Mourinho just 17 months into the job after reports of a players’ revolt against the management style of the former FC Porto boss.

This also appears to have been reflected on the pitch, with Jose only being able to guide Spurs to sixth in his first season in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as leaving the club languishing down in seventh place after 32 fixtures in 2020/21 – prior to his sacking.

Yet still, another reason against the appointment of Mourinho is the fact he would more than likely demand an extremely hefty wage to take the job at Goodison Park, with the 58-year-old earning around £10m-per-year during his time in North London – a figure which is just shy of £200k-per-week.

As such, while the legendary Portuguese coach may well be a “heavyweight” name, as Hayley McQueen suggests, should Everton wish to build towards a brighter future at Goodison Park, they should not be considering the appointment of a manager whose best days are in the past.

In other news: Everton urged to appoint “unbelievable” Big Dunc alternative, fans would surely fume

Tim Spiers has now revealed some key transfer news involving Wolves and Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Who’s in the running?

Traore’s contract at Molineux expires in the summer of 2023, and with no sign of him penning a new deal any time soon, the January transfer window provides the optimum opportunity for the Midlands club to get the maximum value out of selling him.

Tottenham have been strongly linked with signing him after reportedly already having personal terms agreed, while Italian football journalist Rudy Galetti has recently claimed that the 25-year-old is on his way to Barcelona on a loan move with an option to buy.

The Latest: Traore’s price tag revealed

Replying to a Wolves fan on Twitter, The Athletic journalist Spiers has revealed that Traore’s asking price is €25m (£20.9m), contrary to some reports of a higher figure. The journalist tweeted:

“I think there’s some confusion because some reports are £ and some €.

“From what I’m told it’s €25m, so £20.9m.”

The Verdict: Too cheap

While Traore has not been at his best so far this season, with just one goal scored and no assists in 23 games across all competitions (Transfermarkt still value him at £25.2m, and there is no doubting his ability on his day.

The Spain international currently averages a whopping 4.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League, second only to Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin (4.3), and at 26 years of age, he still has room for improvement.

Wolves should not be bullied into selling him cheaply with just a few days left in the transfer window.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Wolves fans gushing

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have urged the club to sign Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, after news emerged linking him with a move to the Irons.

David Moyes’ options at centre-back were depleted by the season-ending injury sustained by Angelo Ogbonna, as the defender suffered a cruciate ligament rupture at the start of November.

When Kurt Zouma suffered a hamstring injury in early December, the Hammers were left with just two senior centre-backs available for selection – Craig Dawson and Issa Diop.

Although Zouma has now returned, it is clear the Irons need to seek reinforcements in that position.

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West Ham fans react to the Caleta-Car news

Sky Sports have claimed that West Ham want to sign Caleta-Car on a loan deal with an option to buy, although Marseille only want to let the defender leave on a permanent deal worth £17million.

Independent Hammers site West Ham News & Views shared the news on Twitter. This sparked a number of Irons fans to reply in the comments, with many urging the club to go through with the deal.

It is perhaps no surprise fans are excited, as the Croatia international is noted for his ability to break lines with his passing and his excellent recovery pace.

Here’s what they had to say, as one supporter called a potential £17m deal a ‘bargain’…

“MAKE IT HAPPEN, I’LL BE KNEE-SLIDING ACROSS MY CARPET”

Credit: @whudex6

“£17m is a bargain for him”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“We are on the brink of a masterstroke. If you want fans on side then just get the deal done. Pass it on Dave x”

Credit: @_WestHamReport

“Should get the deal done tbh if true”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“I’d rather spend £2 Mil more & get Caleta-Car than £15 Mil Nat Phillips”

Credit: @RugbyLad86

“That’s nothing in today’s market. Get it done.”

Credit: @WestHam_SW

In other news: Fans gutted by ExWHUemployee’s Brereton Diaz update

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action following a busy end to the January transfer window.

Antonio Conte’s side host Brighton and Hove Albion in north London for a fourth-round clash in the FA Cup, where Spurs will be looking to advance in the only piece of silverware on offer this season.

After such a long break without any action, the Italian head coach has been left with plenty of interesting dilemmas over team selection, not at least because he is able to welcome back key players from injury and now has two new signings at his disposal, too.

It’s in defence where there is a decision to be made after Argentina beast Cristian Romero returned to training during the winter break. He should come straight back into the side, taking the place of Japhet Tanganga, who has been a liability in recent games, in the back three.

Indeed, the young academy product has been at fault for a number of goals during their three matches against Chelsea last month and at one stage, looked set to depart for AC Milan.

During their Carabao Cup semi-final exit against the Champions of Europe, the versatile defender was dubbed the “weak link” of the side by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick as he walked a tightrope following an early booking. He struggled to deal with the threat of Callum Hudson- Odoi all game.

As per SofaScore, he was rated ever so poorly (5.8) as the only player to manage below a 6.3 rating. It was that bad that analyst Statman Dave described the outing as a “horror show” on social media.

Earlier in the season, he received his marching orders for getting into a tussle with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and that moment of madness was slammed by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“It’s a lack of experience and rush of blood. He’ll get over it but it cost them today,” he said during the game (via the Daily Mail).

Not to mention his role in League One outfit Morecambe taking the lead in the round prior to this one. He lost his man from a corner. It’s the basics and it happens far to frequently.

As such, Conte must be ruthless in his team selection and axe the £18m-rated calamity against the Seagulls this evening.

AND in other news, Conte concerns emerge at Spurs amid huge transfer claim…

As per Goal, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may have been dealt a blow as news emerges involving one of his superstar forwards, Sadio Mane.

The Lowdown: Key player…

The Senegalese attacker, who has only just returned to Merseyside following his nation’s first ever triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations, is of course also a key player at club level for Liverpool.

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According to WhoScored, Mane ranks third for the Reds in terms of Premier League goals and assists combined, all whilst averaging the second-most shots and completed dribbles per 90 behind star man Mohamed Salah.

18 months remain on his current deal with no extension agreed as it stands, and it now appears the £100,000-per-week star has one eye on a possible Anfield exit.

The Latest: Mane ‘willing’ to leave…

According to Goal, Mane is ‘willing to leave Liverpool’ next summer if Real Madrid or Barcelona come knocking – dealing a possible blow in the Reds’ hopes of keeping the 29-year-old.

He has even let his representatives know this, with Goal going on to claim that Mane does not want to retire without first playing for one of La Liga’s great clubs.

The Verdict: Blow for Klopp…

His numbers since joining Liverpool and accolades in the past indicate this could come as a blow for FSG and Klopp – especially if he goes for free without signing an extension.

Mane has racked up a phenomenal 107 goals and 44 assists in all competitions under the German since joining from Southampton.

He’s also been described as a ‘beast’ by fellow African big name Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and it’s safe to say Liverpool should surely look to tie Mane down or they risk losing him to Spain.

In other news: Liverpool make contact for £38m man who ‘has everything’ as FSG eye ‘great signing’, find out more here.

Even though Aston Villa had a rather productive January transfer window in terms of strengthening their squad with new faces making the move to Villa Park such as Philippe Coutinho, Calum Chambers, Robin Olsen and Lucas Digne, they didn’t manage to secure a new central-midfielder, which Steve Gerrard reportedly wanted for his side.

Having had a bid for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma rejected, Villa were also linked with a move for Rodrigo Bentancur in the latter stages of the window before he eventually made the move from Juventus to fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal.

Focusing on the Uruguay international, according to Villa journalist Gregg Evans, the Midlands club were “keen” on bringing the midfielder, who was picking up a weekly wage of £74k-per-week at Juventus according to Salary Sport, to Villa Park but “couldn’t agree terms” on a potential deal.

Now that the window has closed and Bentancur has got his Spurs career going, the 24-year-old has already shown what Villa have missed out on and why the club and Gerrard will now be regretting not managing to strike a deal for him when they had the chance.

With just three league appearances under his belt, the £22.5m-rated midfielder has managed to earn himself an overall performance rating of 6.68/10 from WhoScored, making him Tottenham’s eighth-highest rated outfield player at this stage of the season, showing that it didn’t take him long to get suited to the Premier League and his new club.

His previous performance for the north London club in their recent 3-2 win over Manchester City also shows just how much of a useful midfield option he could have been for Villa by racking up three tackles and two clearances with one shot blocked and five duels won against one of the most attack-minded teams in the league.

Taking into account how Villa have conceded 12 goals in their seven previous league games, it’s safe to say that they will be having big worries about their form and could do with someone in their squad with Bentancur’s defensive talents to help make them a tougher side to play and score against.

Labelled as an “aggressive defender who’s an excellent tackler and can also link up the play” by Smarter Scout, the Uruguayan managed to rack up the same number of tackles against City as John McGinn and Douglas Luiz combined in their 1-0 defeat against Watford, highlighting just what he’d have been able to offer Gerrard’s side.

In other news: “Ready to come in”: Journo drops exciting AVFC transfer claim, Gerrard surely thrilled – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur could welcome back Oliver Skipp from injury this weekend as a promising update has emerged…

What’s the latest?

The 21-year-old midfielder has missed their last four outings in the Premier League after sustaining a groin problem after their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.

Skipp was not risked on Wednesday evening with the north Londoners said to be taking a cautious approach over his availability, as per the Evening Standard, who recently claimed that the England U21 international developed an infection during the recovery process.

In that time, Spurs have lost three of those four matches but manager Antonio Conte could be handed a major boost ahead of Saturday’s early encounter with Leeds United.

According to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, who delivered an encouraging claim to GIVEMESPORT this week.

“I think his injury is taking longer than people thought, definitely,” he said. “But we’re told there’s a chance he could be back this weekend [against Leeds].”

Could be huge

This would be a major boost for the Italian head coach.

Spurs are a much more solid outfit with Skipp in the side, it’s that simple.

After Conte’s arrival, the Lilywhites recorded five clean sheets in his six appearances. In his absence, Spurs have leaked ten goals in five games, owing to the fact that he was not on the pitch for either of the Blues’ two goals at Stamford Bridge.

As per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.8 tackles per game, which is amongst the best in the team.

The Premier League and FA Cup winner is renowned for his defensive nous, so he will be fuming to be leaking an average of two goals per game over the past month or so.

“This player is very young, he has a lot of space for improvement. He played with great passion and heart. It was important. We are talking about an important prospect,” Conte said of the £18m-rated academy graduate back in December.

His replacement in recent outings, Rodrigo Bentancur, picked up a problem at Turf Moor, making the need for Skipp’s return all that more pressing.

Therefore, he ought to be hugely buzzing by the prospect of having Skipp involved on Saturday, where they have the perfect opportunity to bounce back against a leaky and out-of-form Leeds side at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Forget Romero: “Disappointing” Spurs star who had 0 shots badly let Conte down at Burnley…

An injury expert has now dropped a fresh Glasgow Rangers claim on Aaron Ramsey ahead of their match in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

The 31-year-old suffered a minor knock last week which consequently ruled him out of recent fixtures against Dundee United and Borussia Dortmund, as well as a bounce match against Brentford in midweek.

The Wales international unfortunately has a history of injury issues dating back from his time at Arsenal and Juventus, so any minor setback could still worry the Ibrox faithful.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis – has claimed that Ramsey’s knock is a ‘worry’ as it stops him getting minutes on the training ground, which in turn delays him from getting back to full fitness and match sharpness.

Dinnery said of the Rangers midfielder: “There’s absolutely no doubting his quality.

“But for context, he has actually played more minutes for Wales than he has at club level this year. That’s a worry.

“This little knock is nothing major when looked at in the grand scheme of things.

“But it has that knock-on effect of him not being able to get minutes on the training pitch and also not being able to get competitive minutes into his legs.

“It’s that drip-drip effect. It’s more frustrating than anything else. You want players of that ilk to be out there playing.

“The supporters will be absolutely gutted. They’re dying to see him out there playing regularly.

“There is nothing overtly to worry about but the knock-on effect could delay his ability to get back to full match fitness.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying that Ramsey has picked up an injury so soon into his Rangers career, given his unenviable record on that front.

Coming on loan from a European giant in Juventus was such an exciting move for the Light Blues fans, and they will no doubt be desperate to see him play as much as possible from now until the end of the campaign.

They are not just fighting for the Premiership title, but also the Europa League after knocking out Dortmund, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely want Ramsey available as much as possible while fighting on both fronts.

In other news, Andrew Dickson lauded this Rangers ace for his performance against Dortmund at Ibrox

After being appointed as Leeds United’s new manager earlier in the week, Jesse Marsch will know he will have to hit the ground running at Elland Road to preserve the club’s Premier League status this season.

The Whites’ second campaign back in the top-flight has gone downhill very dramatically in recent weeks, resulting in Marcelo Bielsa’s sacking at the weekend following a disappointing home defeat to Spurs.

Marsch will keen to make his own mark on this side as soon as possible, and one call he must surely make, is to finally axe one of his predecessor’s biggest mistakes in the transfer market: Robin Koch.

The German had a injury-hit debut campaign at Elland Road last season, playing just 17 times in the Premier League and missing a number of games with a knee problem between December and March.

And, when he has played, he has shown signs of really struggling to get to grips with the pace and intensity of the English game – you only have to look at his performance against Spurs to see that.

Writing in his post-match player ratings against Spurs, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “No protection for the defence or any presence in the middle of the park as Adam Forshaw was left isolated and alone.”

Indeed, reports earlier last year indicated that Bielsa deemed the German “too soft” to really succeed in the Premier League, and that coaching staff considered his lack of desire to compete for aerial challenges a real issue.

Koch has had to fill in a hole in that anchor man role in midfield given the injury struggles of Kalvin Phillips, but even with that, Marsch must make the strong decision to drop the German from his starting line-up.

Whether it’s potentially moving Adam Forshaw into that void, or pushing Pascal Struijk further forward from the centre-back role he’s been playing, or even turning to the club’s burgeoning academy in the likes of Nohan Kenneh, Marsch has the perfect chance to make his first big decision.

The £8m-rated Koch must finally be dropped.

Meanwhile, Marsch could become an instant crowd favourite by unleashing this Leeds academy talent…