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According to a report by L’Arena, as cited by Calcio Hellas, there has been an update out of Italy as Tottenham Hotspur eye a late bid for yet another target in Czech Republic international Antonin Barak.

The Lowdown: Panic stations…

Over these last few days, Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte have seen targets slip through the club’s fingers as Tottenham’s deals become hijacked.

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They were closing in on moves for winger Adama Traore and forward Luis Diaz but both Barcelona and Liverpool respectively scuppered Spurs’ January plans to sign the duo.

Now, with the window closing on Monday, Tottenham face a race against a time to back Conte with major signings in the winter market and kickstart the N17 rebuild.

As such, new names are coming out of the woodwork, with Spurs now apparently plotting a move for Hellas Verona star Barak.

The Latest: Paratici gets to work…

As per L’Arena (via CH), there has been a ‘first phone call’ in recent days between Paratici and the Serie A side’s sporting director Tony D’Amico over a transfer for the 27-year-old.

It is believed that Spurs are ‘ready’ to table a €20 million (£16.6m) bid, plus defender Ryan Sessegnon on loan, to sign Barak ‘immediately’ and before the Monday deadline.

Verona president Maurizio Setti is apparently open to taking this offer, as it would be ‘very well received’ him personally, but D’Amico ‘appears much less convinced’.

The Verdict: What Spurs need?

The 6 foot 3 attacker has been in fine form for Verona this season, supplying eight goals and six assists over 19 league appearances from midfield whilst becoming a key player under manager Igor Tudor.

He’s also averaged a threatening 2.3 shots at goal per 90 with only Son Heung-min and Harry Kane making more attempts in comparison to Conte’s current squad at Spurs (WhoScored).

An experienced international with 28 caps and appearances at Euro 2020 last summer, for £16.6m plus Sessegnon on a temporary transfer, Spurs could seemingly do far worse in terms of finally landing a playmaker.

It will be interesting to see whether D’Amico and Setti can come to an agreement over whether or not to entertain Paratici’s advances.

In other news: Tottenham now also preparing last minute marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward for Conte, find out more here.

Should a Manchester United fan rock up at the Borussia Dortmund training ground and sing Mariah Carey’s hit festive track, ‘All I want for Christmas is You’, there’s only man they’d be singing it in the direction of; Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian’s exit from Dortmund has been teased for several months now and with Ralf Rangnick at the helm, a figure he knows well from his days at Red Bull Salzburg, United’s dreams of signing him could become a reality.

Indeed, it’s thought that the club’s interim boss has even had conversations with Haaland’s father about a potential transfer to Old Trafford in 2022.

The Red Devils may have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, but perhaps the finest present this winter could be Dortmund’s star striker.

He is a colossal figure in the game and is so perfect at every aspect of the game that he feels like he was made in a laboratory.

Haaland has remarkable pace and upper body strength, can head the ball and leap like a salmon, while his finishing ability is simply devastating.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that he was dubbed a “goal-scoring cyborg” by reporter Alex Truica.

Further acclaim has come from one of United’s nemesis down the years in Thierry Henry who described the 21-year-old as “lethal.”

That’s an easy word to label the £135m-rated forward who has found the net with ridiculous regularity in recent years.

Since signing for the Bundesliga club, he has scored 76 times in just 75 outings, with 19 of those strikes coming this term.

On that evidence, staking a case for him improving the United side is an easy one to make.

Nurtured at Salzburg, he already knows the pressing philosophy and thus, he could be absolutely perfect for Rangnick this January as he aims to put his stamp on the Manchester club’s playing style.

For instance, Haaland has recorded 35 successful pressures of the ball in 2021/22, a tally that betters every attacking player at Old Trafford. In terms of forwards in their squad, Mason Greenwood (31) and Jadon Sancho (30) are the best.

With that in mind, not only would the Norway international bring a bigger goal threat to the northwest but he’d also help Rangnick implement his gegenpress.

Therefore, signing him this winter would be the perfect late Christmas present for United supporters around the globe.

AND in other news, Rangnick must seal Man Utd swoop for £81m-rated “weapon” with the “essence of Cruyff”…

With on-loan defender Axel Tuanzebe leaving Aston Villa for a different loan spell away from his parent club Manchester United, this time to Napoli – as well as reports claiming that Wesley will be joining Brazilian club Internacional on a temporary basis until the end of the season after his loan spell with Club Brugge earlier in the campaign – Villa seem to have been more focused on getting players out of the club rather than bringing new ones in this month.

However, it seems as though the Midlands club could be set to welcome their first new face of the 2022 January transfer window imminently, which will surely excite a lot of fans.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from The Athletic by journalists David Ornstein and Gregg Evans which was shared on Ornstein’s official Twitter profile, Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho is set to join Villa on a six-month loan deal after a number of Premier League clubs were apparently interested in signing him.

The report also claimed that the opportunity to play under Steven Gerrard was the key factor in the 29-year-old’s decision to return to the Premier League.

The move has now been confirmed by Villa’s official club website, which stated that “the agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours.”

During his time with Liverpool, Coutinho made 152 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 41 goals and providing 37 assists in the process, with 81 of those games seeing him play alongside Gerrard, who recently labelled the Brazilian a “serial winner” and a “special footballer”.

Even though Coutinho has only scored 25 goals and provide 14 assists in 106 appearances for Barcelona since he made his big-money move to the La Liga club back in January 2018, it is still an exciting piece of business for Villa and their fans to see Coutinho playing under his former teammate for the remainder of the season.

Moving forward, if Coutinho can hit the ground running at Villa and Gerrard can get the best out of his former Reds team-mate in terms of goals, assists and solid performances, this could be just what the Midlanders need in order to get consistent results under their belt after winning four and losing four of their eight Premier League games since the 41-year-old took over in November.

In other news – Imagine him & Ings: Lange can form scary AVFC duo with £30m beast who “has everything”

As confirmed by West Ham United and shared by the press, David Moyes has been dealt ‘another big injury blow’ as news comes out of the club.

The Lowdown: Injuries pile up…

Defensive mainstay Angelo Ogbonna, who was a fixture in Moyes’ starting XIbefore his ACL injury, has already been sidelined for the foreseeable future, with worries then mounting over Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson.

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The latter pair limped off during West Ham’s epic 3-2 victory over Chelsea at the London Stadium last weekend as Moyes and the club’s fans were made to sweat over the players’ conditions.

This is amid their top-heavy run of fixtures as they attempt to maintain a fight on all fronts, currently still competing in the Carabao Cup and Europa League and continuing to battle for a Champions League finish in the Premier League top four.

News has now come out of West Ham on Zouma’s condition in what has been described as ‘another big injury blow’.

The Latest: Moyes dealt worrying news…

As relayed by The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinburg, West Ham have confirmed that Zouma suffered a hamstring tendon injury in ‘another big injury blow’.

The journalist tweeted:

“Kurt Zouma suffered a hamstring tendon injury against Chelsea. Another big injury blow in defence for West Ham who have already lost Angelo Ogbonna for the rest of the season.

“Increases need for a centre-back to arrive next month.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

Zouma was playing brilliantly under Moyes before his latest setback, dealing a big blow to the 58-year-old and West Ham, who now have just two senior centre-back options at their disposal.

Unsurprisingly, since this news emerged from east London, the club have been linked with signing a central defender urgently, with both Nathan Ake and James Tarkowski mentioned (Evening Standard).

Given the emergency state of affairs, 90min also claimed that Moyes could turn to the Championship in an effort to boost his options, with the likes of Dael Fry, Rob Dickie and Lloyd Kelly already being scouted.

Whether he opts to swoop for lower league or top-flight standard cover, there is little arguing that the need for a centre-half is now imperative for the Irons, especially considering the greater number of matches this season.

In other news: West Ham could already back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign 6 foot 3 powerhouse in January, find out more here.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update concerning Kyogo Furuhashi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Scottish Sun, the Bhoys boss revealed that, despite being brought off due to a knock after just 15 minutes of Sunday’s fixture against St. Johnstone, the 26-year-old centre-forward’s injury does not look to be anything serious.

Speaking about the hamstring strain suffered by the Japan international, Postecoglou briefly said: “He will be fine.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Kyogo has become since his £4.6m move to Glasgow earlier this year, the news that the centre-forward does not look as if he will be ruled out for any real length of time is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership appearances this term, the £1.8m-rated forward has already bagged eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes and taking 2.1 shots per game.

These returns have seen the £18k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 11th-best player in the top flight of Scottish football – of those who remain in the 56-year-old’s first-team squad.

The 26-year-old hitman has also scored a further eight goals and provided three assists over 12 fixtures in the Europa League, Europa League qualifying and the League Cup, taking his total to 16 goals and five assists in 26 appearances for the club.

As such, it is clear for all to see that it is undoubtedly a case of the sooner Kyogo recovers the better for Celtic, meaning Postecoglou’s latest update regarding the striker’s injury is certainly fantastic news for everyone involved with the Hoops.

In other news: Game-changer: Huge Celtic injury update emerges that will leave Postecoglou buzzing

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming as transfer news emerged on Aleksandr Golovin.

As per The Liverpool Echo, the Goodison Park club have been linked with a move in the January transfer window for the AS Monaco man, of whom Rafael Benitez is an admirer.

However, the Ligue 1 club’s asking price is said to be around £40m, which would prove problematic in the winter.

Given that the Toffees only spent £1.8m in the summer transfer window, a move for Golovin at that price does seem unrealistic anyway, but it looks especially expensive given that he has never been able to reach double figures in terms of goals or assists in his entire club career so far (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Everton already have plenty of options in the middle of the park, so they should be focusing on strengthening other positions in their squad.

Everton fans on Golovin transfer news

These Toffees supporters fumed as the transfer news on Golovin was shared on Twitter:

“I don’t know what’s more laughable. The price or the source”

Credit: @Gino52483223

“Bin”

Credit: @Feedtheyak22

“He’s not done anything since being on pens during the World Cup in 2018”

Credit: @mxrganhulme7

“Just don’t need these highly-priced overrated players”

Credit: @richard_smw

“No thanks”

Credit: @WAJG_96

“No”

Credit: @mickyholt

In other news, find out what Carlo Ancelotti revelation has left many Evertonians talking

Leeds United came away from their match against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium with a point and a clean sheet after drawing 0-0 with Graham Potter’s side.

While a positive can be taken in the fact that they managed to keep a clean sheet, everyone at the Yorkshire club will undoubtedly be disappointed that they couldn’t score a goal on the day and barely even threatened.

One man who failed to have a significant attacking impact against the Seagulls was Leeds winger Raphinha.

With the full 90 minutes under his belt, the 24-year-old failed to have even one clear shot at goal and only completed one of the five dribbles that he attempted, losing possession of the ball 21 times. With 52 touches of the ball, he only managed to complete 20 of his 28 passes, while he also struggled out of possession by losing eight duels and being dribbled past twice.

This performance ultimately earned the 24-year-old an uninspiring overall match rating of 6.4/10, making him the lowest-rated Leeds player on the day according to SofaScore.

In addition, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross was rather damning of Raphinha’s display on this occasion, saying that it was “possibly his worst performance in a Leeds shirt.”

Labelled an “unbelievable” player by Leeds teammate Illan Meslier, it was clear a day to forget for the Brazil international.

While his place in the team may not necessarily be at risk at the moment given how he’s only missed two of the Whites’ league games so far this season, Bielsa and everyone else at the club will be hoping that the winger doesn’t deliver another performance like the one he produced against Brighton.

With Leeds set to take on Crystal Palace on Tuesday night in their next league outing, this will not only be a great chance for them to pick up a win in front of their fans at Elland Road but also for Raphinha to put his performance at Brighton behind him and potentially add to his goals and assists tally for the season.

In other news: Beren Cross drops this Leeds United managerial update…

With his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023 and after scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions so far this season, it’s been no secret that Liverpool have been trying to tie down Mohamed Salah to a new deal in recent weeks and months.

With this in mind and the matter still unresolved, football journalist Fabrizio Romano had something to share on the current situation, which we think should excite Liverpool fans a lot.

What’s the latest?

Appearing on a recent edition of Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE Podcast (via Empire of the Kop), Romano revealed that Liverpool are “optimistic” about the chances of Salah putting pen to paper on a new deal at the Merseyside club.

He said: “They are negotiating, they are in talks. Liverpool want to do it as soon as possible, not in April or May, they want to do it in the next weeks or months.”

Since joining the Reds back in the 2017 summer transfer window from AS Roma for a fee of £34m, the 29-year-old – who is currently valued at £90m by Transfermarkt – has made 215 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions. In that time, he has comfortably cemented himself as a crucial figure for Liverpool, with 140 goals and 52 assists to his name.

Considering what Romano had to say and what Salah has delivered for Liverpool on the pitch since his arrival at Anfield, it would be safe to assume that Kopites would be delighted to see the winger sign a new deal at the club in the near future.

In our view, given how important Salah has proven over the years and how much of a consistent goalscorer he has been for the Reds, we feel that Liverpool and their owners should be doing all they can to make sure that Salah signs a new deal to keep him at the club and continue doing what he has been ever since he arrived.

If that means offering him more money in terms of his weekly wages, duly making him the highest earner at the club, we feel this is an expense worth taking if it keeps Salah at Anfield beyond 2023.

In other news: Klopp must unleash “important” Liverpool beast on Saturday, he’d terrify Brighton

So far this season, West Ham United have not had much trouble in front of goal in the Premier League, with the Hammers having scored 20 goals in their first 10 games of the campaign.

One man who has played a big part in West Ham’s brilliant start to the season is Michail Antonio, who has six league goals under his belt in nine appearances.

With that in mind, it seems as though the east London club have their eyes on adding a new attacking talent to their squad to potentially star alongside the 31-year-old going forward.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Milan Live (via Sport Witness) that West Ham are interested in making a move to sign Lille striker Jonathan Ikone, who has been described as a “very talented” player by Paris Saint-Germain’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in the past during his time in the French capital.

Since joining Lille in the 2018 summer transfer window from PSG, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – has made 142 appearances for the Ligue 1 club across all competitions, in which he has managed to score 16 goals and provide 25 assists.

Despite being considered as a second striker, Ikone has played mainly as a right winger this season, which suggests to us that the Frenchman could be a useful figure for the Hammers alongside Antonio rather than instead of him as West Ham’s first-choice striker.

We feel that a deal to sign Ikone in the January transfer window is definitely worth exploring to see if the player can develop a dream attacking partnership with Antonio and potentially boost West Ham’s chances of finishing in the top four in the Premier League.

However, with current West Ham right winger Jarrod Bowen having played in all of their Premier League games so far this term, it could be a tough ask for Ikone to instantly cement his place in the team on a regular basis if he does join the Irons in January.

In other news – Forget Soucek: West Ham lightweight who lost possession 21 times badly let Moyes down v Genk

Southampton are still without a win in their 2021/22 Premier League campaign after falling to a 3-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

It was a lively affair in west London with goals from Trevor Chalobah, Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell securing the three points for the home side.

It was also a rather mixed day for Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse who managed to score from the penalty spot before picking up a red card in the second half.

Whilst a number of Southampton players failed to step up to the mark against Thomas Tuchel’s side, we feel that Nathan Tella, in particular, let Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl down.

Since making his senior debut for Southampton back in June 2020, Tella has gone on to make 27 appearances for the Saints in which he has managed to score two goals and provide three assists along the way (per Transfermarkt).

Prior to the Chelsea clash, Tella’s only appearance in the Premier League came in Southampton’s opening game of the season where he played ten minutes of their 3-1 defeat against Everton.

After being given the chance to start against Chelsea to see if he could help the Saints pick up their first win of the season, it’s safe to say Tella could have done better during a rare start.

The youngster was one of a few players to actually get at his man and look to make things happen, but ultimately, he was lapse in possession and lacking in his end product as the Saints rarely troubled Chelsea.

Before being taken off in the 73rd minute and replaced by Moussa Djenepo, the 22-year-old winger, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £12.5k-per-week according to Spotrac, failed to have a shot at goal, lost possession on 21 occasions and only made six successful passes (as per SofaScore).

In both of those final two departments, they were comfortably the worst tallies of all 22 players to start the game at Stamford Bridge.

Taking this into account, it’s easy to see why Tella hadn’t made an appearance in the league since the Everton defeat. However, perhaps it could be argued that his lack of game time and the strength of the opposition in Chelsea didn’t work in Tella’s favour.

Moving forward, it would be hard to see Hasenhuttl sticking with Tella and keeping him in the starting XI for their next league fixture against Leeds United later this month, in our view, based on what he showed on the pitch against Chelsea.

In other news: Southampton must start £4.5m-rated “great talent” today, he could terrify Chelsea – opinion