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Liverpool’s next Premier League test sees them take on Southampton at home in their latest attempt at closing the gap between them and Chelsea at the top of the table.

On the chalkboard

In terms of who could be selected to be in the starting XI to take on the Saints, one player who did not feature in the 2-0 win over FC Porto in midweek but should be in the team to start tomorrow is Diogo Jota, who is currently earning a weekly wage of just over £90k-per-week according to Spotrac.

His previous appearance for the Reds came during the 4-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League last week, where he found the net and earned an overall match rating of 7/10 from the Liverpool Echo, who said that he “took his goal superbly” and that his “clever flick helped set up the third” goal on the day.

In addition to his performance against Arsenal, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, has proven throughout the season just what a dangerous attacking threat he can be for Liverpool.

The Portugal international, who has been described as a “pressing monster” by Pep Lijnders, has racked up an average of 2.2 shots and 1.5 key passes per game in the league, showing why he would be a frightening prospect and a real danger to Southampton’s defence.

In terms of who Jota could replace in the team to take on Southampton after sitting out the Porto game, it seems likely that Klopp could take Takumi Minamino out rather than Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah, especially since the Japan forward failed to impress in midweek by having no shots at goal or making any key passes.

Also, with Southampton only conceding three more goals than Liverpool in the league so far this season and Klopp saying in his latest press conference that his side will “have to be creative to break them down,” it would make sense for Jota to start, as his attacking and creative talents could be the key to securing another win for the Reds.

In other news: FSG could solve big Liverpool issue by signing “unplayable” £27m-rated “world-beater”

Despite Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side extending their impressive recent run to just one defeat over their last nine Premier League fixtures against Burnley, the 0-0 draw on Wednesday evening will undoubtedly feel like two points dropped rather than one gained for the 45-year-old Wolves boss.

Indeed, his team enjoyed 65% of possession, had 16 shots at goal compared to Burnley’s six, hit the woodwork once and completed 268 more passes than Sean Dyche’s side in a dominant performance at Molineux.

However, as is perhaps to be expected after a goalless draw, Wolves’ centre-forward, Raul Jimenez, was one of the Old Gold’s quieter players over the course of the 90 minutes, with the 30-year-old enduring something of an evening to forget against the Clarets.

Lost 84% duels

Despite appearing to have found a bit of form in the run-up to Wednesday’s fixture, scoring two goals over his last four Premier League appearances, Jimenez had no such luck against a resolute Burnley defence, with the Mexico international well and truly being left to feed off scraps.

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £17m-rated striker managed no shots on target, completed just 17 of his 28 attempted passes and failed with four of his six attempted dribbles.

The player who Nuno Santo dubbed a “special” talent also gave away possession of the ball a whopping 22 times, won just three of his 19 duels – a failure rate of 84% – and conceded two fouls.

Jimenez was also unfortunate to be ignored by Adama Traore during a first-half counter-attack, with the Spaniard opting to go it alone and smashing the underside of the crossbar rather than squaring to the unmarked Mexican, with Tim Spiers commenting on this particular incident:

“Do not believe this. Traore on the break, meep meeping away, two on one but he ignores Jimenez to his left, goes alone, kerplunks a [thunderous drive] and it smashes off the underside of the crossbar and bounces clear. How’s yer luck.”

However, while the £100k-per-week striker may well not have had the best of service against Burnley, the fact remains that his personal metrics were also very disappointing, with the 30-year-old’s SofaScore match rating of 6.4 – no player from either side received a lower rating – proving that the forward let Lage down on Wednesday evening.

In other news: Hatfield drops Wolves transfer claim on “unplayable” £17m-rated dynamo, Shi must act

On the pitch, Newcastle haven’t had the best start to the season after just winning one of their 15 games of the campaign so far.

Off the pitch, however, it seems as though Newcastle’s new owners are working behind the scenes to appoint a director of football ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

That said, it seems as though the club could be heading in a direction on the matter that would not have a lot of Newcastle fans happy.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail by journalist Craig Hope, Nick Hammond, the former head of football operations at Celtic, has been spoken to by the Newcastle hierarchy about potentially becoming their new director.

Forget about him

With a report from The Scottish Sun evaluating the 20 players that Hammond helped Celtic sign during his time at the Parkhead club for a total fee of £35m and coming away with an overall negative summary, perhaps it wouldn’t be in Newcastle’s best interest if they hire him as their new director given his track record of poor recruitment at Celtic.

He signed former West Ham striker Albian Ajeti for £4.5m but he has only found the net on nine occasions in 47 outings for the Hoops while adding Polish forward Patrky Klimala to their ranks for £3.5m. The end result of his move was even worse with just three strikes in 28 appearances.

There was also the addition of goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas at £5m in the summer of 2020 but just a year and a half on, he looks set to be heading to pastures new after only 23 games for Celtic.

Thus, taking into account how Newcastle are still in the relegation zone of the Premier League table despite winning their previous league game against Burnley, the Tyneside club will have to make sure they sign find right person to help them sign the correct players in January.

On the evidence provided, it doesn’t look like Hammond possesses the tools to be able to turn their season around and avoid the drop down to the Championship by the end of the campaign.

With the same report from Hope claiming that Newcastle have hired an external recruitment firm to help in their search for a director of football, this should give the fans some confidence that the hierarchy are doing their best at making sure they get the right person for the job in and push the club forward.

Looking ahead to the rest of this month and January, it’s safe to say that this will be an important period for Newcastle on and off the pitch for the right people to come in behind the scenes and for Eddie Howe and his players to keep getting points on the board and escape the relegation zone.

Yet, if they opt for Hammond, it would surely leave a number of the Toon Army fuming with the decision. His track record of signing players, especially in recent times, is not desirable whatsoever.

In other news: NUFC could land the next Xavi with £31.5m-rated gem who “always finds the best escape” – opinion

Manchester United have reportedly identified Ajax manager Erik ten Hag as their preferred candidate to replace interim manager Erik ten Hag at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

According to The Mirror, the Red Devils’ hierarchy have set their sights on the highly-rated 51-year-old as they continue to search for Rangnick’s long-term heir.

The report states that: “United have identified Ten Hag as the manager who can bring back the glory days – and the 51-year-old’s midweek admission that he is seeking a new challenge has opened the door for the Reds. Ten Hag ticks all the boxes.”

Ten Hag admitted in a recent interview that he believes he’s ready to take the next step in his career and take charge of a top club overseas after five successful seasons at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

“I think I’m ready for it (to move to a top foreign club),” the Dutchman told de Volkskrant. “I would be happy to take up that challenge. But I’m not chasing it.

“If it turns out that that step will never come, I will not say that my coaching career has failed. But I think I have sufficient competencies to take on that challenge.”

Man Utd fans will be buzzing

With Ten Hag appearing to be open to the challenge of taking charge at United and the club’s chiefs now outlining him as their No.1 target, fans of the 20-time English champions will surely be buzzing.

The Mirror’s report states that Ajax’s perfect record of six victories in their Champions League group that ­contained Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas was a big factor in the thinking of the United chiefs.

It is the first time the Dutch giants have won their opening six games in Europe’s elite cup competition, including when they lifted the trophy in 1995, and their lofty status in the Eredivisie was also a factor.

Throughout his Ajax tenure, Ten Hag has claimed five major trophies while achieving a win ratio of 74%, but it’s perhaps his style of play and ability to develop young stars that has really caught the eye.

Former striker Pierre Van Hooijdonk highlighted exactly that, citing the raft of exciting talent to be produced under his tutelage in Amsterdam.

“What he is managing to do with such young players is remarkable,” former striker Van Hooijdonk told TV station NOS in May 2019 (as relayed by Planet Football).

“The likes of (Matthijs) De Ligt, (Frenkie) De Jong and (Donny) Van de Beek have only just come out of the academy and are already playing like veterans. Ten Hag deserves huge credit.”

Therefore, Ten Hag appears to be an ideal fit for United, and his prospective appointment next summer would surely be warmly welcomed by everyone associated with the club.

And, in other news…“As things stand..”: Romano drops intriguing Man Utd update, fans will be ecstatic

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips’ next move could be one of the biggest transfer stories of next summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up in the air

The 25-year-old has been a colossal performer for the Whites over the years, with his reputation growing all the time for both club and country. Indeed, England manager Gareth Southgate has hailed him as “excellent”.

With Leeds struggling this season, though, Phillips has been linked with a high-profile move away in the summer, with both Liverpool and Manchester United tipped to sign him.

The Englishman’s current deal runs until the summer of 2024 but there has been no progress with regards to a new contract being signed.

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The Latest: Journalist hints at Phillips exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that there will be a battle to sign Phillips at the end of the season, perhaps suggesting that his time at Leeds is reaching its conclusion. He said:

“Kalvin Phillips could be a big story in the summer. Before his injury, he just kept improving. I think he proved what a top performer he is for England.”

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The Verdict: Will he move on?

The idea of Phillips signing a new contract at Leeds can never be ruled out, but he may well feel that he has come as far as he can in a Whites shirt. He is only averaging 0.6 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, compared to 1.2, 2.6 and 1.6 respectively last term (WhoScored).

He hasn’t necessarily been in top form in the current campaign, with injuries holding him back, and it could be that his mind is focused on a fresh challenge.

In truth, having excelled on the big stage at Euro 2020, Phillips deserves to be playing Champions League football given the quality of his performance in recent years. Sadly, that is not something Leeds can currently offer, nor are they likely to in the foreseeable future.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing a striker. Find out who it is here.

According to reports by Football Insider, West Ham have made an approach for Rubin Kazan attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Rising star in the Russian league

Kvaratskhelia signed for the Russian outfit in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer. Since his arrival, the 20-year-old has made 68 appearances for the club, producing eight goals and 16 assists during this time. Furthermore, the Georgia international has already made 12 appearances for his country, scoring on five occasions.

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Kvaratskhelia has illustrated his creative flair in the final third, demonstrated by how he leads his club in terms of taking on opponents, completing a fantastic 2.7 dribbles per game on average, more than double that of the next-best Rubin player for this metric.

The Latest: West Ham have made an approach for Kvaratskhelia

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham have made an approach for the Georgian attacker, having enquired ahead of the January window.

Fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Southampton are also targeting him, but it has been reported that the Hammers have made the first approach by asking what it would take to secure Kvaratskhelia’s signature.

It is believed that the Russian side would accept a bid of around £13m for the 20-year-old.

The Verdict: A versatile youngster set to impress

Whilst calls have been made to bring in a striker to rival the club’s top scorer Michail Antonio, it is reported that David Moyes could look for a more versatile option who can play anywhere across the front line.

Kvaratskhelia, who can play on both flanks, fits this description perfectly. At 20, the Georgian has already conjured up vast interest from a variety of clubs from the top European leagues, including Italian giants Juventus.

With his dribbling ability having been outlined as very strong, and boasting a solid goal return at international level, the youngster could prove to be a fantastic addition to the Hammers’ front line. However, it will be interesting to see whether Moyes simply decides to bring in an orthodox centre-forward instead.

In other news: ‘Never say never’ – Journalist refuses to rule out West Ham signing 116-cap forward next month

Wolves and Bruno Lage have made no secret of their intentions to make the most of the upcoming transfer window, with a number of key positions being monitored. With the window opening in less than 24 hours, it has been revealed what the manager’s priority will be.

What’s the word?

According to Give Me Sport, Luke Hatfield has claimed that targeting a defender will be the main priority for the Portuguese manager in January, stating: “I think it’s the position that Wolves are most keen on addressing.”

Wolves were dealt a blow to their defensive line when Yerson Mosquera sustained a hamstring injury in September, with the 20-year-old likely to be out for up to five months as a result, and there has not been further confirmation of a proposed return date.

Another defender who will be out of action at the Molineux in the coming weeks ahead is Romain Saiss, who has been selected to represent Morocco in the African Cup of Nations, which starts in just over a week’s time.

Therefore, it is no wonder Hatfield is predicting that Lage views adding a defender a high priority for his squad. Nikola Milenkovic was heavily linked with a move to Wolves back in November, when reports claimed that the defender remained an active target for the club.

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Fans will be buzzing

The Serbia international stands at a colossal 6 ft 5, which has given him the opportunity to become one of the top ten players when it comes to winning aerial duels in the Serie A, with 63 won this season so far, as per One Versus One.

According to WhoScored, the defender also has an impressive 90.5% pass success rate overall for Fiorentina this season and has scored two goals so far across all competitions. That is two more than Wolves winger Adama Traore has managed in 19 appearances playing in attack.

Signing a defender like Milenkovic for the squad is something about which many Wolves fans have been vocal, and they would surely be buzzing if the club could prioritise adding a quality defensive player in order to cover the inconsistencies of availability in that part of the pitch.

In other news: This Wolves star has been hailed as the Premier League’s signing of the season so far

Image from: unsplash.com

Since current Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took over from Tony Xia for ownership of the Midlands club back in 2018, they have seen Villa rise out of the Championship and back into the Premier League with the managerial guidance of Dean Smith and now Steven Gerrard.

In that time, the Villa owners have not been shy in splashing the cash to bring players into the club, for example, in the previous summer transfer window, they spent a total sum of £89.84m on the attacking trio of Danny Ings, Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia after selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City for a fee of £100m.

However, not all of the players that Edens and Sawiris have brought into Villa have been successful, one example of which is their Brazilian striker Wesley, who Villa signed back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Belgian side Club Brugge in a deal worth a reported fee of £22m.

In that window, after winning promotion from the Championship in May, Villa also struck deals for the likes of Tyrone Mings, Douglas Luiz, Trezeguet and Matt Targett among plenty of others.

In his first season at Villa Park, Wesley was labelled as a “horrible” player to come up against in training by Villa defender Kortney Hause, but the striker only managed to score five goals in his first 21 Premier League injury that kept him out of action for a significant period of time.

Fast forward to the previous summer window and Villa gave Wesley the opportunity to get his career back on track by loaning him back to Brugge. However, with just six appearances and no goals or assists under his belt during his time back in Belgium, the 25-year-old returned to Villa early and is reportedly now likely to go back to his home country with Internacional on another loan deal.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Wesley’s time with Villa has not been particularly fruitful, especially with the £22m fee that the club paid for the forward. After all, he is now currently valued at £5.4m according to Transfermarkt.

Undoubtedly, his injury was a big blow for him and his development there, but the way his career has panned out since then has not been ideal for anyone, arguably even more so than Trezeguet who joined in the same window as Wesley and also suffered a serious knee injury.

Though, he has at least managed to get some minutes in the team this season.

In other news: Lange could seal Gerrard’s dream AVFC deal with move for “magical” £16.2m-rated dynamo – opinion

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Ben Brereton Diaz to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way Podcast that David Moyes is interested in a deal to bring the Blackburn Rovers centre-forward in during the current transfer market.

However, the Hammers insider then went on to state that the Championship side are unlikely to want to part with the Chile international this month due to their lofty position in the second-tier standings – as selling the 22-year-old for a figure of around £20m would not be worth missing out on a shot at the Premier League.

On West Ham’s interest in Brereton Diaz, Ex said: “We like Diaz at Blackburn. I broke that [story] a month or so ago. [The fact that no move has materialised yet] doesn’t mean it wasn’t true, it just means that Blackburn – because they are right at the top of the Championship, having not been in the Premier League for years – why would they want to sell him at this point? You’ve got to factor that in.

“Getting up to the Premier League is worth more than £20m. If you get back into the Premier League the finances are huge. So these clubs will wait until the summer to see where they are before they make a decision on these players.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Brereton Diaz has been for Blackburn this season, in addition to the fact that West Ham are currently extremely short in depth at centre-forward, the news that the Hammers may not be able to get a deal over the line for the 22-year-old this month is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful gutted.

Indeed, over his 26 Championship appearances in the current campaign, the £9m-rated striker has been in remarkable form for Rovers, having already scored an astonishing 20 goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week player who Tony Mowbray dubbed an “extraordinary” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Blackburn’s eighth-best performer in the second tier.

As such, with Moyes in desperate need of backup and competition for Michail Antonio in East London – with the injury-prone striker currently being the 58-year-old’s only option as an out and out centre-forward – a player who possesses the clear ability to find the back of the net such as Brereton Diaz would appear to be the perfect signing for the Scottish manager this month.

However, following Ex’s latest update, it would appear that, should Moyes indeed wish to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old, he will have to wait until the summer – something that will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the manager and his side.

In other news: Moyes can repeat Lingard trick with swoop for £6m “fighter”, he’d be “perfect” for WHU

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United are “still pushing” to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have been linked with a number of defenders in recent weeks, including Lille’s Sven Botman, but it appears Eddie Howe’s side have got their sights set on Carlos.

After initial reports from The Telegraph’s Jason Burt that the club had indeed submitted a bid for the Brazilian, Romano has now delivered an update where things currently stand.

He said: “Newcastle are still pushing with Sevilla for Diego Carlos but fee not agreed as things stand.”

Fans will be buzzing

With the second-worst defensive record in the entire division this season, it’s no surprise that Eddie Howe has quickly turned his attentions towards pushing for a new central defender following the signing of Chris Wood earlier this week.

The 28-year-old Carlos would give the Magpies a monstrous defensive presence were he to join, boasting an impressive 4.2 duels won per game at a success rate of 64% – to put that into context, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has won 4.6 duels per match at a success rate of 71% in the Premier League.

And, in a player profile done by La Liga Analysis, they said: “He’s very strong in duels and knows how to use his body to destabilise his opponents. But even if he’s big and heavy, Diego Carlos is still a great athlete. He’s very powerful, his pace in long distances is great, and he’s surprisingly agile and flexible. These characteristics are the base of his game as he knows how to take advantage of his physical superiority.”

Carlos has played all but one of his side’s La Liga games this season, helping the Spanish outfit to the best defensive record in the league – a far cry from what Newcastle have got.

It’s exactly why Magpies fans will be buzzing with this latest development.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing another Brazilian defender too…