AC Milan will turn to Newcastle defender Davide Santon if Ignazio Abate completes a move to Arsenal in the New Year, according to reports from The Express.
The Italian international is being lined up by the Gunners who are searching for replacements for Bacary Sagna, and could be the subject of a serious offer in January.
Milan are keen to keep their full-back, but are aware that if he does move on that they will need to draft in a new man to replace him.
Santon is believed to be their top target.
The former Inter Milan man was once heralded as one if Italian football’s top emerging talents, and was even compared to Azzurri and Rossoneri icon Paolo Maldini.
But, injuries curtailed his progress, and he eventually left Serie A to rediscover his form and fitness with Newcastle.
Milan have continued to monitor his development, and are now ready to offer him a route back to his homeland.
The 22-year-old is thought to be happy at St James’ Park, but he could be open to a switch to Italy ahead of the World Cup, which may benefit his chances of making his nation’s squad for the showcase tournament.
Should Newcastle do all they can to keep Davide Santon?
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first start since the opening day of the season saw him bag a second-half brace to send Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League.
Tony Pulis set his Palace side out to frustrate Arsenal and saw his plan pay off in the first-half as the visitors defended well to go in at half-time still level.
But Arsenal notched up a gear in the second-half and Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his return to first-team action two goals and brilliant performance.
Here’s how the game was covered on Twitter…
HALF-TIME: A fairly eventless opening 45 minutes, with Palace doing well to frustrate the hosts…
47 minutes: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain latches on to a Santi Cazorla through ball to give Arsenal the perfect start to the second-half…
51 minutes: Wojciech Szczesny pulls off a superb point blank save to deny Cameron Jerome’s back post header…
73 minutes: Oxlade-Chamberlain gets his second of the game after a brilliant solo run ended with him cooly smashing low past Speroni…
David Moyes is ready to bring back forgotten man Rio Ferdinand, with Manchester United facing a defensive crisis following injuries to Jonny Evans and Phil Jones last week, reports the Daily Star.
England defender Jones suffered concussion during the defeat at Stoke, and is set to be sidelined for two weeks.
Meanwhile Evans has damaged his calf and is also expected to be out for a fortnight.
The injuries means Moyes finds his defensive options stretched ahead of this weekend’s clash with bottom club Fulham.
Nemanja Vidic is set to return to the first team following suspension, but Ferdinand will have to be called in from the cold.
The former England captain has been frozen out by Moyes in recent weeks, despite having returned to full training last month following a knee injury.
Ferdinand is out of contract at the end of the season, and is yet to be offered a new deal.
He is widely expected to leave Old Trafford in the summer, especially considering he has played just once since December.
“Rio is back and we will continue to use him at the right times and the right moments,” Moyes said.
“Rio has made a great contribution especially in the first half of the season. I played him in nearly all the opening eight to ten games.”
Reports had suggested the pair had fallen out after Ferdinand criticized Moyes’s decision to name his team as late as possible before games.
But Moyes has rubbished those reports, claiming Ferdinand remains a valuable member of his squad.
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“He was a big part in helping me to settle in. He helped me get my feet under the table a little bit,” he added.
“He has competition for centre half, but he is very much valued and looked at as one of the senior players here.”
Former Everton forward Graeme Sharp believes that his old side will be unable to keep Romelu Lukaku at the club if they miss out on Champions League qualification.
The powerful Belgian striker has enjoyed an excellent season on loan at Goodison Park from Chelsea, banging in 13 goals to keep the Merseysiders in contention for a top four finish.
But following their shock midweek loss against Crystal Palace, Everton are now a point off of Arsenal in the pursuit of the last spot in Europe’s top competition, and face a more difficult run-in than their London rivals.
Lukaku has hinted in the past that he is ready to play Champions League football, and Sharp believes that Roberto Martinez will need to guarantee him just that to make his stay a permanent one when the transfer window opens:
“The Lukaku situation will take care of itself. He’s said he wants to play in the Champions League. Now if Everton don’t get in that fourth spot, that answers its own question there.” He is quoted by talkSPORT.
“Where does he get Champions League football from though? I don’t think Chelsea will take him back to be honest.”
Sharp also doesn’t know if Everton can afford to fund a move for Lukaku, who is valued at over £20m:
“I honestly don’t believe Jose Mourinho fancies Lukaku, I think if he can sell him and bring somebody else in, he will do.
“But he wants the best price for Lukaku and in the last couple years he’s got a great goalscoring record with West Brom and Everton as well, so the price goes up.
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“I don’t know what the transfer budget at Everton is and what Roberto Martinez has got to spend in the summer but if he loses [Gareth] Barry and [Gerard] Deulofeu, I don’t know whether he can afford to spend it all on a centre-forward.”
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Don Hutchinson has called on his old side Sunderland to pull out of their potential £14m move for Liverpool’s Fabio Borini.
The Italy international has been linked with a big money switch to the Stadium of Light in recent weeks after impressing while on loan there last season.
Borini was expected to have a future at Anfield with Champions League now a factor for the Reds, but Brendan Rodgers’ side have shown a willingness to offload him by accepting an offer from the North East outfit.
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However the player himself is reluctant to leave Merseyside, and Gus Poyet wants a final decision made by quickly as he plans other transfer dealings.
Although he enjoyed Borini’s performances in the red and white shirt, Hutchinson believes that it may be a blessing in disguise for Sunderland if the deal falls through:
“He’s a good player and he made a big difference for Sunderland in some really big matches last season, but I look at the valuation that Liverpool have attached to him and I’m really not sure about it,” he wrote in his column for The Journal.
“Fourteen million pounds is a lot of money to spend, and I think if the move doesn’t go through Sunderland will have dodged a bit of a bullet.
“Borini can play to the left of a striker or to the right, and he will probably go on to get you double figures next season – just. I don’t think he’s a really prolific striker who Gus Poyet can hang his hat on, and for £14M Sunderland might be asking themselves whether they can get a bit better.
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“Is Borini half of a Lukaku? I don’t know about that, but they’re both players coming through. It’s a gamble for Sunderland to go and spend that kind of money on someone like Borini.”
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Jamie Redknapp has called on Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson to step up and cement their roles as England’s top two central midfield players.
The Arsenal and Liverpool pair are expected to start tonight’s game against Norway in Roy Hodgson’s engine room, with the Three Lions coach short on options in the position.
With captain Steven Gerrard and experienced Manchester City ace Frank Lampard having retired and Michael Carrick and Ross Barkley missing through injury, England’s choices in the area are limited, with newbies such as Fabian Delph in the squad highlighting a lack of depth.
Redknapp believes that it’s time for Henderson and Wilshere to seize the chance and really put themselves forward at the future of the country’s midfield:
“At the moment we haven’t got a great deal of options,” he told Sky Sports.
“Jack Wilshere has taken a lot of criticism from certain quarters because we expect so much of him. When he broke into the team as a young man he looked like he was going to set the world alight.
“Things haven’t gone perhaps to plan. He has had a lot of injuries, but started the season ok and had his best game in an Arsenal shirt in a long while against Beskitas. He ran that game, dominated midfield, ran, broke, passed, played one-twos around the box and that’s exactly what we expect from him.
“Jordan Henderson, on the other hand, has been in really good form for a long while. International football is a different set-up altogether for him and I think he’s got to grow into that.
“He has tremendous energy and in the Premier League he is one of the best midfielders; I think it’s important he takes that to the international stage. I genuinely believe he can.
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“We haven’t got a lot of options apart from that. Fabian Delph is in there and is a young man and a good footballer, but we do need to be producing more central midfield players.”
England’s clash with Norway is seen as a warm-up to their EURO 2016 qualifier against Switzerland in a few days’ time.
Roy Keane has defended former Manchester United manager David Moyes, claiming the Scot was ‘snookered from the first few weeks’ at Old Trafford, reports the Daily Mirror.
Keane was speaking about his new autobiography, in which he has made controversial claims about former boss Sir Alex Ferguson. But the Irishman also spoke of David Moyes in his book, and insists he felt sorry for the former Everton boss who he claimed was let down by a ‘weak dressing room.’
“There were certainly circumstances going back to when he took over, you’re still taking over a good team and at the time probably at the time a decent dressing room. But what you don’t need, and Man United were always pretty good at it, you didn’t need that uncertainty and there was obviously that with Vidic, Rio, Evra and Giggsy coming to the end , so all that stuff didn’t help,” Keane said.
“What you need in football, more than anything else, is a couple of victories, some momentum and they never seemed to get that. There was always going to be a downturn with Ferguson leaving.
“I wouldn’t be critical of Ferguson but sometimes when you’re leaving, it gives the manager a chance to make their own mark and he brought in one or two players, didn’t get the players clearly that he was after in the summer but I don’t think that’s the manager, it’s the chief executive who can probably look at himself. I’m sure if you ask the chief exec he will say ‘yeah, we missed out on a few deals’.
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“There were two or three lined up that fell through and they ended up getting one or two on transfer deadline day, Mata in January but maybe the damage was done then. I was going to Old Trafford and there was a lot of negativity around. They got no momentum and it was as if David Moyes was snookered from the first few weeks. “That negativity can get into the dressing room and that’s why I felt it was a weak dressing room. They should have dealt with that and the player should have done better. I saw and number of games and whatever has gone on, politics, managers leaving, lack of players coming in, they should have done better and they did let him down, without a shadow of a doubt.”
Aston Villa seems to be heading for the Premier League trap door quicker than Usain Bolt can run the 100 metre race. Had it not been for their three wins and a draw in their opening four games, they would be rooted to the bottom of the table right now with nowhere to hide.
They have lost their last six games on the bounce, ironically just after their boss signed a new five year extension on the back of his side’s great start to the campaign. The ten points they accumulated in four games was an impressive start without a shadow of a doubt. Since then, they have been in rapid decline, losing five out of their last six games without even a goal to show for their troubles. It took them until their latest defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur to score a goal, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
They now face an in form West Ham in their next match, an away game which will be made even more of a daunting prospect for the Villa considering the suspension of key player Christian Benteke after his sending off against Spurs for “punching” (more like stroking) Ryan Mason.
After West Ham, they then face a home tie against an even more in form side in Southampton who have been nothing short of perfect so far this season, and find themselves sitting in second place behind league leaders Chelsea. On paper, it is hard to see past another two defeats in their next two games, which would see them having lost a massive eight games on the trot.
Their only reprieve comes after the game against Saints, a relegation crunch match and six pointer against fellow strugglers Burnley who are about the only team worse than Villa at the moment.
Villa are leaking goals for fun this season and not scoring many at all, so they are facing issues at both ends of the pitch, a worrying sign that you are in big trouble. They have the joint second worst goal difference in the whole league and they don’t look like they can find a solution.
Normally if a team is defending well, they might be struggling to score and are perhaps drawing too many games. Or a team is scoring well but are also conceding and at least then a team in that position can look to outscore the opposition and would have a few more points on the board.
It has to be said that on paper, Villa haven’t got the type of team that you would consider a relegation scrap candidate. They should be finding themselves in the top half of the table, and quite a tough team to play. However at the moment they are everyone else’s team of choice to play after Burnley, the Premier League’s newest whipping boys.
It is hard to see where manager Paul Lambert is going to find the motivation and inspiration from to lead his team to victory in their next couple of games. It is vital that they pick up something from these next two games, or they will be dragged a lot further into trouble and potentially end up in the bottom three come the end of the season.
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One team they can draw inspiration from will be Newcastle, who after finding themselves in similar peril went on a winning spree and find themselves out of trouble (for now) and even managed to defeat Spurs away and Liverpool at home.
Aston Villa will be hoping for similar joy in their next few games, or it will be hard for them to dig themselves out of trouble. It could well be that this is the season that sees them finally fall through the trap door into the Championship!
As the festive period fast approaches there is only one thing on the minds of football fans across Europe. Presents and turkey will of course have their role to play this December, but after Christmas ends and households throughout the nation are littered with wrapping paper and empty boxes, we at least have the January transfer window to look forward to.
Yes the winter window never really lives up to the transfer dealings that happen in the summer, and yes, players who sign in January usually under-perform, leaving managers and clubs wary of doing any business whatsoever during mid-season. But as is always the case in the modern world of football, Premier League clubs very rarely learn from their mistakes.
Take a look at the potential transfer bargains available this January, with a thought to which clubs need to do the most business throughout the window.
10. Ravel Morrison
Football – Stevenage v West Ham United – Pre Season Friendly – Lamex Stadium, Broadhall Way – 14/15 – 12/7/14West Ham United’s Ravel MorrisonMandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’BrienEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Once described by ex-Birmingham manager, Lee Clark, as the best English talent since Paul Gascoigne, Ravel Morrison’s brief career has so far been nothing short of controversial.
The ex-Manchester United starlet has so far been accused of two counts of witness intimidation as a juvenile, as well as a more recent accusation of assault on an ex-girlfriend. The latter case has subsequently been dropped, but along with several bust-ups with team mates (both on and off the pitch), Ravel Morrison has done little to help himself so far.
The 21-year-old is blessed with incredible talent however. He has a calmness on the ball that is more commonly found within players from the continent, and his ability to pick out a fine pass is second to none among the England U21 international set up.
Morrison’s contract is up in the summer, and with his time at West Ham seemingly coming to an end, former clubs that he spent time at on loan, QPR and Birmingham, may just decide that this once priceless asset may be worth it if he can finally get his head straight.
9. Fabian Delph
Aston Villa’s latest talent has certainly been turning heads recently in the Premier League. He has gained many admirers this season for his direct style of play, intense energy output, and impressive ability to score class goals.
Delph definitely needs to develop some consistency within his game, as he is still far from the finished article, but this 25-year-old nevertheless is a fairly exciting prospect.
After several impressive displays and the reward of a recent England call-up from Roy Hodgson, you would think that Villa would be doing everything they can to keep hold of the centre-midfielder. Things will not be so easy for Paul Lambert however, as with his side seemingly going nowhere in the league at the moment, Delph’s reluctance to sign a new contract doesn’t bode well for the Villains.
Everton and Liverpool have both expressed interest in Fabian Delph in recent weeks, so a move could well be on the cards for the midfielder if he continues to find his feet in the Premier League.
8. Adrien Rabiot
This young French midfielder may have the look of a new David Luiz, but since the arrival of Yohan Cabaye and the continued form of Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti, Adrien Rabiot has seen little time to express himself in PSG’s first team.
Rabiot has drawn praise from both Carlo Ancelotti and current boss Laurent Blanc for his composure on the ball and ability to break up play. He can offer a great deal to any team that is willing to give him the chance, but at the young age of 19-years-old, Rabiot is hardly a big name at PSG at the moment. He was once considered to be one of Ligue 1’s rising stars during 2013/14, but that line of thinking has since evaporated for the young talent.
Arsenal, as well as a whole host of names from the rest of Europe, have expressed an interest in Adrien Rabiot, but they may be put off by the midfielder’s reportedly high wage demands. If this is the case, a loan move may be the more sensible option for those looking to take on the young Frenchman.
7. Andre Ayew
As the sons of former Ghana legend Abedi Pele, Andre and his brother Jordan never fail to attract interest from the Premier League and beyond. Although he is still only 24, the older of the two brothers, Andre, is continuing to impress critics within both France and Europe.
The exciting winger/forward has become a firm fan-favourite during his time at Marseille, but after impressing for his nation at the World Cup this summer, Andre Ayew’s spell in France may be coming to an end. He has several qualities to his game, including fast pace and strong finishing, that would certainly put him in good stead to ply his trade in the Premier League.
Both West Ham and Newcastle have been reportedly keen on Ayew in recent years, but a move to one of Europe’s more illustrious clubs may still await the Marseille forward with his contract ending next summer.
6. Fabian Schar
Football – Argentina v Switzerland – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Second Round – Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil – 1/7/14Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action with Switzerland’s Fabian ScharMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason CairnduffLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
With Paulo Sousa’s Basel sealing Champions League qualification at Anfield this week, Fabian Schar proves to be a player whose stock is on the rise.
The Swiss centre back has wowed fans in his native homeland for his ability to clean up in defence and chip in with a few important goals in the process. The 22-year-old defender has since developed his role in the heart of Switzerland’s back line, ousting former Arsenal utility-man Johan Djourou in the process.
Basel will therefore be certainly keen to hold onto Schar, but as the prospect of playing in one of Europe’s top five most popular leagues looms ever closer for the young centre-back, doing so won’t be so easy for Paulo Sousa.
A move this winter does seem unlikely however, as Schar is cup-tied for the Champions League and would obviously leave Basel with unfinished business if he were to depart so soon. Nevertheless, Borussia Dortmund and a whole host of clubs from Serie A, have continued to express their desire to sign the young defender.
5. James Milner
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Manuel Pellegrini’s ex-Newcastle and Villa winger has always been somewhat of an enigma for fans of the Premier League.
During his career, James Milner has displayed spells of brilliance as an attacking force with a good eye for a pass. The English winger has particularly shone alongside the likes of David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure with Manchester City in recent years, yet he has never really established himself as a first team regular under either Pellegrino or Mancini.
Milner has also failed to bring his club form onto the international stage, but as that is the case with nearly every player who represents the Three Lions these days, his poor form comes as no surprise. Despite this, James Milner can also play the utility-man role by popping up at right-back every now and then when required.
With his contract due to expire soon, it seems doubtful that the England international has a role at Man City beyond this season. Several Premier League teams have are reportedly interested in Milner, with Liverpool again being touted as the front runners.
4. Dani Alves
Within Pep Guardiola’s star-studded Barcelona side circa 2009/10, Dani Alves was largely considered to be one of the best full-backs in the world.
A subsequent drop of form and a quite frankly poor World Cup campaign have nevertheless put an end to that status, and seemingly put an end to Alves’ time at Barca as well. It has been confirmed by the Catalonian giants that the flying Brazilian will be leaving the club in the summer.
This news will not put off potential January suitors however, with all of the Premier League’s top sides looking to win the race to sign this once prized asset. PSG are also considered to be highly interested in the defender, but with the chance to sign Dani Alves for free next summer, perhaps a January move will come too soon for the Barca no. 22.
As well as the ability to score flashy free-kicks, Dani Alves has won the world over for his technical skill and the touch of flair that he brings to the defensive side of the game.
3. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
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As most of the Premier League’s big sides are looking for a striker to ease their goal drought in 2014/15, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar may prove to be the perfect signing.
‘The Hunter’, as he has become known for his ruthless nature in front of goal, has developed an ability to score for fun in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04. He also has plenty of Champions League caps as well a long term experience of playing international football that would surely impress any clubs looking to sign the Dutchman.
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Whilst he has never been considered one of the world’s very best strikers, Huntelaar has been a constant force in Europe during spells with Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Yes the Dutch forward hasn’t had his scoring boots laced to maximum efficiency at all times, but Schalke’s current main man has definitely gone a long way in rediscovering his form in the Bundesliga.
Liverpool and Arsenal should certainly be considering a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who only has a year remaining on his contract in Germany.
2. Yevhen Konoplyanka
This 25-year-old talent may provide us with one of the least well known players on this list, but for fans of the equally unknown Ukrainian club, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Yevhen Konoplyanka is a true star in the making.
The Ukrainian winger has drawn plaudits for his performances in the Europa League, and with a move to Liverpool reportedly falling through at the last minute last season, Konoplyanka could soon be on his way to somewhere new.
He has the ability to provide an attacking force for his side throughout the entire 90 minutes, as well as being a good passer, a good crosser and a player who rarely seems to tire. For these reasons he would seem a great addition to the Premier League.
As very few Ukrainians actually make it in English football however, perhaps a degree of caution should be applied for any club looking to sign Yevhen Konoplyanka.
1. Sami Khedira
Whilst Sami Khedira doesn’t look like he’d be one of the most technically gifted midfielders that Europe has to offer, the half-German half-Tunisian enforcer is no mere water-carrier.
As his sublime individual display in the 7-1 semi-final destruction of Brazil this summer displayed, Khedira has all the characteristics of a calm ball winner and strong box-to-box midfielder. Under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid however, the German World Cup star has often been considered second best and deemed worthy of only a place on the bench.
At a side like Arsenal though, Khedira would find himself with a lot more game time on his hands and the opportunity to potentially develop into one of the league’s best centre-mids.
Everyone knows that the Gunners could do with someone of Khedira’s calibre in their side, and with the advent of his contract running up at Madrid, a move to the Premier League could soon become a reality for the German star. A worrying injury record however, remains the only issue holding back Sami’s career at this current moment.
As Will Hughes can find his teammates with pin-point accuracy, chase down the opposition with the utmost determination, and hold onto the ball as if it were seemingly stuck to his feet – sometimes it’s hard to remember that Derby’s young creative midfielder is actually English.
Very few of his Championship counter-parts are as technically gifted as the Surrey born 19-year-old, and even though Hughes remains very much a raw talent in need of further development, he is soon becoming known as one of England’s most exciting prospects in many a year.
Despite being strong favourites to land the fiery blonde haired midfielder last season, Liverpool have now seemingly cooled their interest in Hughes after the young talent signed a new four-year-deal with Derby over the summer. But will such developments ultimately end Brendan Rodgers’ desire to sign the Pride Park favourite, or does a lucrative move to Anfield still await Will Hughes this January?
With all the possession play, tight passing and free-flowing football that was produced by Rodgers’ side last season, it comes as no surprise that the Reds wanted to add Will Hughes to their already bulky roster. The 19-year-old would have certainly fitted in with the footballing philosophy that was aimed for by Suarez and co, even if the immediate step-up to the Premier League initially proved difficult for the Derby star.
Whilst such a move would have been ideal for Rodgers last season, this year’s campaign has seen Liverpool completely fail to reach the high standards that they set in 2013/14, and without the dpearted Luis Suarez and injured Daniel Sturridge, the Reds hardly look worthy of a place in the top half of the Premier League, let a lone a top four spot.
Such a poor turn in form has therefore likely not gone unnoticed by Will Hughes in his attempts to work out where best to play out his career. Liverpool have become slightly more direct with their new strikers on board, and as the Merseyside club are no strangers to signing promising young English talent for way over the odds, only to see them later fail as a result of their over ambitious spending, Will Hughes could have become one in a long line of young prospects who simply failed to make the grade at Anfield.
That is not to say that the Hughes would definitely struggle at Liverpool now however, among the likes the recently impressive Lazar Markovic and Philippe Coutinho, Hughes could in-fact still be the perfect fit for Rodgers’ should his time come in the Premier League.
Although the discussion remains no more than mere transfer talk at this current stage, Derby County’s desire to keep a hold of their latest sensation arrives in much more definitive terms. Upon Hughes signing his new deal in the summer, Rams boss Steve McClaren reflected: “He is a promising young talent and we are looking forward to working with him over the next few years.”
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Whilst such statements should never be taken for gospel and could literally change overnight, it seems that for the moment at least, Will Hughes remains very much a Derby County player, and should his side achieve promotion to the Premier League this season, this young star will likely be playing for the Rams, not the Reds.