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Rumoured Leeds United transfer target Joe Rothwell looks likely to join Rangers from Blackburn Rovers, acting as a blow for Victor Orta and co.

The Lowdown: Rothwell impresses for Blackburn

The 26-year-old is a key man for Blackburn, already chipping in with four assists in 12 Championship starts this season, as well as scoring once.

Manager Tony Mowbray has hailed Rothwell as a ‘super talent’ in the past and he has made a total of 131 appearances for the club to date.

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The Latest: Rangers to beat Leeds to signature

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are considered a potential suitor for the midfielder but the outlet claim that Rangers are in pole position to sign him.

Rothwell’s current deal expires at the end of this season, at which point midfield legend Steven Gerrard could snap him up on a free transfer.

As well as Leeds, fellow Premier League sides Newcastle United, Burnley, Southampton, Brighton and Crystal Palace have all shown an interest, too.

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The Verdict: Not a disaster

While Rothwell is clearly an influential player at Championship level, losing out to Rangers shouldn’t be considered a disaster for Leeds, even though it could be considered a disappointment.

Much like Lewis O’Brien, he could be an effective squad player for the Whites, improving the depth at Marcelo Bielsa’s disposal, but he is unlikely to be a game-changer.

Leeds needs to be looking at superior midfield options, especially with question marks still surrounding Kalvin Phillips’ future.

In other news, Gary Neville has mocked Leeds United – find out why here.

Celtic regained their six-point advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 2-0 win over Ross County on Sunday afternoon. 

Ange Postecoglou made three changes from the side that started against Rangers at Hampden Park last weekend, with Anthony Ralston, Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi coming in for Josip Juranovic, Tom Rogic and Liel Abada respectively.

It was Furuhashi who opened the scoring in the early stages with a fine header, his first goal since returning from injury, and Jota sealed the victory late on.

The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst outfield performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the visitors on the day, with these three combined losing possession 42 times and coming second best in 71% of their duels.

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Reo Hatate – 6.3/10

Hatate was the worst-rated performer on Sunday, ending with a rating of 6.3/10. The January signing was taken off with just over 15 minutes remaining for David Turnbull after losing all five of his duels and giving the ball away 14 times.

The midfielder failed to complete a dribble, make a tackle, interception or have a shot on target, making it an afternoon to forget on a personal note.

Daizen Maeda – 6.5/10

Maeda turned out on the wing but didn’t catch the eye in his 65-minute display. The versatile forward was eventually replaced by Tom Rogic and gave possession away on 10 occasions.

He also lost five of his eight duels, missed a big chance and was unsuccessful in 66% of his dribbles, ending with a rating of 6.5/10.

Callum McGregor – 6.8/10

McGregor is the third and final inclusion, ending with a rating of 6.8/10. The Scot gave the ball away 18 times and lost two of his four duels.

He also failed to make a clearance all afternoon and managed just one tackle, while four of his five attempted long balls were misplaced.

In other news, an expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.

We’re less than one month away from the opening of the January signing window. After 2021 saw enormous names, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi move to Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, all eyes will be on the big names. There are a lot of exciting movements taking place at the moment, with Newcastle’s new manager Eddie Howe gearing up for his first opportunity to improve. Further, all eyes will be on Rangnick and how much he is allotted by the Manchester United higher-ups. With all this excitement and much more in mind, let’s break down the large names most likely to be moving in January 2022.

Donny van de Beek

Since moving to Manchester United from Ajax, Donny van de Beek has had a turbulent time. Unfortunately, he has only hit the field four times during the Premier League and is yet to feature in their starting 11. Van de Beek is doing everything he can to get out of his contract with United, with reports suggesting that he has even changed his agent. Currently, talks have happened with Wolves and Everton, with a hopeful January transfer.

Although the Dutchman is looking to move after a negative experience, he may patch things up with United under their new manager Rangnick. Whether he will leave Manchester United is yet to be seen, but it’s definitely worth watching his position. When the time comes, you can claim Sky Bet free bets from Squawka.com and wager your Christmas money in the hopes of increasing your stake. Who knows, you may come out with some serious cash to spend in the January sales.

Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard currently plays for Manchester United but has rejected attempts to resign under contract. Lingard has previously seen success while on loan at West Ham and has said that he wants to go out on loan before his contract is up. At the moment, it seems likely that West Ham will try and reclaim Lingard on another loan basis. Unfortunately, due to his existing contract at Manchester United, it seems highly likely that he won’t be put out on loan to West Ham. After all, why would Rangnick give up one of their players to a rival?

Antonio Rudiger

Antonio Rudiger is enjoying great success with Chelsea, who are currently sitting third in the Premier League. You may ask why he would want to leave, considering how well they are doing. However, his contract is due to expire, and he’s only being offered £7 million to stay. This would put him behind the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Thiago Silva, and Timo Werner. According to reports, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid are eyeing up Rudiger – and their offer is closer to £10 million. When it comes down to it, money will speak volumes regarding Rudiger’s allegiance in January despite whether he wishes to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Kane

It’s no secret that England captain and football superstar Harry Kane wishes to leave Tottenham. Initially, he wanted to transfer to Man City in the summer of 2021, but no deal came to fruition. After coming so close to taking England to the top of the Euro 2020, Harry Kane has suffered severe blows with Tottenham after he only scored once throughout the entire 2021 season. If Kane has his way, he will transfer to Man City in January and rekindle his spark for top-tier football.

Dele Alli

Another Tottenham player looking to make a move is Dele Ali, after being tethered to the bench following a poor display. Alli needs to up his game at Tottenham if he wishes to fit into Conte’s 3-4-3 format. With the January window almost upon us, we may see Alli departing Spurs and having another chance to show what he can do.

The 2021 transfer window saw records being broken and huge players being transferred in the final hours. Therefore, all eyes are on the January 2022 window, with the high expectation of some big moves. Will Harry Kane finally break free of the shackling Spurs, will Van de Beek find appreciation elsewhere, and will Rudiger find a happy deal at Chelsea? Although no one truly knows the answers yet, it will make for an entertaining January.

Image from: unsplash.com

Newcastle United could rival Manchester United in the race to sign Amadou Haidara from RB Leipzig, according to The Mirror.

The lowdown

Newcastle have splashed out £39m so far on two January additions in right-back Kieran Trippier and striker Chris Wood. The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently claimed that they could have as much as £100m to spend this month.

Haidara is predominantly a central midfielder who is occasionally been deployed as a number 6 or out wide. He is currently representing Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations alongside another reported Newcastle target in Yves Bissouma.

The latest

According to The Mirror, Haidara is apparently high on Ralf Rangnick’s wish list at Old Trafford, adding that the German has already ‘put in calls to his old club’.

Leipzig were willing to listen and ‘verbally agreed’ a fee of £33m, but the Red Devils appear to be reluctant to back Rangnick in the transfer market given that he has only been appointed until the end of the season.

The situation has duly ‘caught the eye’ of Newcastle’s PIF ownership, who are now ‘eager to muscle in on a deal’ during the January transfer window.

The verdict

Haidara appears to be a very well-rounded midfielder. When compared to positional peers in the top five European leagues, he ranks in the 85th percentile for both shots and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBRef).

Beyond that, his numbers for progressive passing (93rd percentile), progressive carries (85th) and blocks (93rd) also stand out, while his playing profile is similar to Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans.

What’s more, Leipzig’s technical director Christopher Vivell has marvelled at Haidara’s ‘irrepressible will to win’, in addition to his ‘technique and understanding of the game’.

The Mali midfielder could be a difference-maker on Tyneside if Newcastle take full advantage of Man United’s dithering.

In other news, Keith Downie has an exciting transfer update for Newcastle fans 

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is risking his first howler in charge of the club amid Arsenal’s reported interest in Douglas Luiz.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Gunners are interested in signing the Brazil international in this January transfer window as they look to bolster their midfield options, and Gerrard has now admitted that no talks over a new contract have begun.

He said: “No, we haven’t opened contract talks yet with Douglas. I think in this period and in this window, it has been the case of trying to strengthen the current squad, make additions and, also, find destinations for some of our younger players in terms of loans.

“We still think that there’s room for him to get better and improve. We rate the player extremely high and we’re hoping from now until the end of the season, he can really perform at his best and help the team moving forward.”

Villa fans will be fuming

Reports over the course of the summer suggested that Serie A giants AS Roma were also interested in signing the Brazil international, but a move failed to materialise.

Having stayed put, Luiz has since gone on to enjoy a fine campaign in the Premier League thus far, with his average match rating of 6.91 as per Whoscored being the second-best of any Villa player to have started more than two games.

The Brazilian continues to be a cornerstone of the midfield under Gerrard just like he was when Dean Smith was in charge, with last term seeing him play 33 out of the possible 38 Premier League games as the Midlands club finished just outside the top ten.

Speaking back in 2020, The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans, said of him: “He’s an absolute joy to watch now and I never thought I would be saying that. Villa have got a fantastic player in Douglas Luiz now, he looks like an absolute star, he could have played in that Man United team.”

In fact, in a poll done on Football FanCast back in June, 73% of Villa fans who answered said that they would not sell Luiz this summer (182 votes to 66).

Letting Luiz go, especially on a potential cut-price deal given his contract situation, and that too to a fellow Premier League side like Arsenal, would be a major howler on the part of Gerrard and surely leave Villa fans fuming.

Meanwhile, Gerrard could end the transfer window on a high with this man…

Chelsea are a club in a bit of turmoil at the moment, although a midweek win over Malmo in the Europa League will ease the tensions somewhat.

The Blues have been inconsistent to say the very least and are in big danger of not even making the top four come the end of the season, as manager Mauro Sarri already appears to be facing a fight to keep his job.

Chelsea have always had a massive squad, and keeping that squad happy has to be one of the hardest challenges in the top flight, but there are some players there who are simply doing nothing and taking up a wage and space in the squad.

One such player is Danny Drinkwater, who to say has become surplus to requirements would be an understatement.

It was alwasy going to be a big ask for the former Leicester man when he joined Chelsea. He seemd to fit the Foxes well, and a move to a club like Chelsea always posed the risk of swallowing him right up. That has proved to be the case exactly.

There is still a quality player in there though, and Drinkwater can and should get himself out of the club and find a new home to showcase his talents.

A player who was once a regular in England squads and talked about as a starter at his best, his stock has fallen massively, and he needs to shift himself out of The Bridge and onto pastures new ASAP.

Blues fans, would you agree? Let us know in the comments!

Leeds United extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to three games as they held Leicester to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have not lost a match in the league since the 16th of October when they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton away from home.

Raphinha handed the Whites the lead in the 26th minute, only for Harvey Barnes to equalise for the Foxes two minutes later. They were the only goals of the game as the two sides were forced to settle for a point each, despite chances for both teams to win the match.

Forget Raphinha

The Brazilian forward may have scored the goal to put Leeds in front, but the show’s real star was Stuart Dallas as he ran the game for Bielsa. Whilst Raphinha found the back of the net, his overall performance was surprisingly lacking in quality as he struggled at times.

Per SofaScore, the ex-Rennes forward lost a whopping 12 of his 16 individual duels on the pitch. He also failed with six of his eight crossing attempts and was tackled seven times from his nine dribble attempts, failing to complete a single tackle himself. This suggests that he was not at his best against Leicester as his all-around game lacked cohesion.

Dallas, meanwhile, was able to piece together an excellent showing and caught the eye with his display. He made an impact at both ends of the pitch as his energetic performance helped Leeds control the game, with the Northern Ireland international helping Bielsa’s men in and out of possession.

Per SofaScore, he won five of his nine individual duels and made three tackles and two interceptions, whilst also making three clearances. He was also not dribbled past a single time, as he showed off his defensive solidity for the team.

On the ball, he also made some key contributions. Per SofaScore, he had an eye-catching 79 touches of the ball and created two chances for his teammates. The defender also hit the post and completed four long balls and crosses, showing that he was able to merge defensive nous with ability on the ball going forward.

This shows why the dynamo was Bielsa’s real hero against Leicester as he was able to perform to a high level at both ends of the pitch, whereas Raphinha left a lot to be desired with his all-around game.

AND in other news, Possession lost 16x: Leeds lightweight who lost 80% of his duels let Bielsa down badly…

West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos this summer as David Moyes plans to strengthen his squad during the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Hammers – alongside Premier League rivals Wolves – are keen to bring the 27-year-old to England.

The Argentine has two years left on his contract with the La Liga outfit and played the entire first leg of the two teams’ Europa League round of 16 tie last month, missing the trip to the London Stadium.

Valued by Transfermarkt at £27m, Ocampos has scored nine goals and registered four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions this season and could be an intriguing addition to the Irons’ squad.

Moyes should sign Ocampos

It’s no secret that, despite another successful season, West Ham need a reshape of their playing personnel this summer. The average age of Moyes’ squad is 28.8 and consists of just 24 players, a low tally considering that they’ve played in four different competitions this term.

Reinforcements in every position are likely to be needed, including in the wide attacking positions.

Although at 27 he wouldn’t bring the average squad age down considerably, Ocampos is at a prime age where he can still improve whilst already having huge experience, something which could potentially shift out the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals or Andriy Yarmolenko.

Most importantly, though, he’s certainly an improvement on some of the Hammers’ current options.

Bowen is arguably an exception, with the Englishman currently West Ham’s top scorer this season with 14 goals. However, the 25-year-old is the only Irons winger who has scored more than Ocampos in 2021/22, with Benrahma scoring nine and Pablo Fornals six, and the ex-Hull City star has been linked with a possible move to Newcastle in recent days.

Moreover, Yarmolenko is expected to depart this summer upon the expiration of his contract, further highlighting the necessity of a winger being on West Ham’s wishlist this summer.

Described as “electric” by journalist Fede Praml, the tricky Sevilla winger currently averages 1.9 shots per game whilst enjoying an 83% passing accuracy and 40% dribbling success. The 27-year-old’s defensive contribution is satisfactory too, with 1.4 tackles and 0.6 clearances per match.

It may take time for the Argentine to adapt to the Premier League and West Ham’s style of play if he moves to east London, but it is crucial that the Hammers finish the next transfer window with a bigger squad than what Moyes current has, especially if they succeed in qualifying for Europe and if Bowen is tempted to Tyneside.

In other news – Imagine him & Zouma: Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Rio Ferdinand in “clever” £12k-p/w gem

West Ham could sign Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo on loan in the January transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Diallo struggling at PSG

The 25-year-old hasn’t always managed to be a regular for PSG this season, in a squad littered with world-class talent.

Diallo only has nine Ligue 1 starts to his name and he could leave the French giants this month, with West Ham linked with a move in recent times.

The left-back’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024 but he could be allowed to leave on loan imminently, with Mauricio Pochettino not seeing him as a key figure.

The Latest: West Ham loan move?

Someone who believes the Hammers could potentially sign Diallo in January is O’Rourke, who told Give Me Sport that he could be shrewd addition at the London Stadium:

“Diallo as well at PSG is down the pecking order in the French capital. If he’s available for loan, he could be a good option for West Ham.”

The Verdict: Good for squad depth

Diallo may not be someone whose arrival raises the roof at West Ham but he could be a good signing in terms of squad depth for the rest of the season, as he can play at both left-back and centre-back.

West Ham are battling in both the Premier League and Europa League and the PSG man could rotate nicely with Arthur Masuaku while Aaron Cresswell is out injured, so a temporary deal seems perfect in that sense.

Diallo has made five appearances in a centre-back role this season too – acting as an added bonus in the absence of Angelo Ogbonna, and his average of three tackles per game in the Champions League in 2021/22 is better than any Hammers player in the Premier League.

In other news, West Ham are still believed to be keen on two Premier League centre-backs. Find out who they are here.

Crystal Palace could form a deadly duo after being linked with Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux (as relayed by SportWitness), the Eagles are one of three Premier League clubs interested in securing the 26-year-old’s signature, with Newcastle United and Everton also listed as potential suitors.

An enticing short-term loan move including an option to buy has been outlined as the most option given Pepe’s recent struggles, meaning Palace chairman Steve Parish may have to act quickly in order to secure his target’s signature.

Imagine him & Odsonne Edouard

The south London outfit have made a hugely encouraging start to life under new manager Patrick Vieira, but the Frenchman’s squad rebuild is far from complete.

Following Andros Townsend’s departure over the summer, Palace lack a natural option on the right-wing, with Jordan Ayew and Michael Olise both preferring to play through the middle.

Therefore, Vieira needs to acquire a player in the mould of Pepe over the next couple of transfer windows in order to continue his progression at Selhurst Park.

Despite failing to live up to the extremely high expectations that his club-record £72m price tag brought at Arsenal, the Ivory Coast international remains a talented player.

In 98 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, Pepe has found the back of the net on 25 occasions, laying on a further 18 assists for his teammates.

After bagging a brilliant brace via two outstanding free-kicks against Vitoria de Guimaraes in the Europa League, former manager Unai Emery labelled his efforts “perfect”, highlighting just how dangerous he can be on his day.

And the prospect of Pepe linking up with one of Palace’s new, exciting attacking talents under Vieira’s tutelage is surely a mouth-watering prospect for everyone associated with the club.

Edouard has settled into life in the Premier League with ease following his switch from Celtic, notching up three goals in his first nine outings.

With the extra creativity and chance creation that Pepe would bring, that tally would surely increase exponentially in the second half of the season, should the Ivorian make the move across the capital.

And, in other news…Forget Gallagher: Palace monster who made 8 clearances was Vieira’s hero vs Burnley