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Aston Villa are interested in a move for Everton starlet Thierry Small, amid ambiguity surrounding his future on Merseyside [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Everton get ready for the 2021/22 season

Moving into 2021/22, many Toffees fans will be intrigued to see how Rafael Benitez cultivates a side capable of challenging for continental football this term.

Signing some new stars will of course be essential, but retaining young players who can make an impact in the long-term will be of equal precedence to the Spaniard.

Could the Toffees be set to lose one of their brightest talents following recent reports?

The Latest: Aston Villa enter race for teenage prodigy Small

Aston Villa are said to have joined the race for 16-year-old sensation Small, according to a Football Insider recruitment source.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have all been noted as monitoring his situation in the last few weeks.

Interestingly, Villa may have an advantage in the chase for the youngster, owing to the fact he originates from the Midlands as well as his uncle Bryan Small being a former player at the club.

The Verdict: Losing Small would be a bitterly disappointing for Everton

Losing the prodigy would no doubt be a major blow to the Finch Farm hierarchy.

In 2020/21, the Solihull-born man made 30 appearances combined for the senior side, Everton Under-23’s, and Everton Under-18’s, registering seven goal contributions; six goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

His only first-team appearance came in a 3-0 January win against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup, as he replaced Jose Baxter as the youngest player to ever play for the club [BBC].

Once labelled as ‘quality’ by now Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, the Blues should be looking to tie Small down imminently if at all possible [Football London].

In other news, Everton fans react to transfer rumours concerning a Serie A ace.

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”

Leeds United are set to solve a long-standing issue this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones…

What’s the word?

Speaking to This is Futbol this week, the Eurosport journalist revealed that the Yorkshire outfit will finally sign a new striker during the off-season, helping to bolster a key area of manager Jesse Marsch’s playing squad.

In recent times, the Whites have struggled to provide backup to Patrick Bamford with the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin failing to make their mark.

The England international has missed the majority of the season through injury and his presence has been sorely missed, and without a senior backup, both former boss Marcelo Biela and now the American have struggled to fill that void – that is set to change, though.

“Leeds are definitely going to look to sign a new striker. I think [it’s] irrelevant of whether Bamford is fit or not. We’ve seen that you have to have [a] backup for him,” Jones revealed.

Much needed…

After a 17-goal campaign last season, a lot of Leeds’ hopes would have been pinned on the 28-year-old forward to provide more goals this campaign. However, that’s been far from the case.

Out wide, Raphinha has had to bear the brunt of the club’s attacking fortunes, leading the way for both goals (ten) and creativity (58 key passes), with Bamford only managing 559 minutes of action in the Premier League.

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He has played only four times since September, in which none of those appearances lasted longer than 45 minutes, due to a string of injuries. The latest is a tricky foot issue that is set to rule him out for most of the rest of the season.

It leaves Marsch with only two strikers in the form of academy duo Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, though the latter has emerged as a potential future no.10 instead.

If Leeds had a viable backup, then their league safety may have been confirmed by now, so it’s good to see that they know it’s a position they need to strengthen ahead of next season.

That should leave many, including the American head coach and the Elland Road faithful, absolutely delighted.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Kalvin Phillips transfer update…

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.

Leeds United pair Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford are officially out of the Whites’ Premier League clash with Tottenham, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds head to Spurs

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have shown signs of finding some form recently, having not lost in their last three league outings.

On Sunday afternoon, Leeds head to north London to take on a Spurs side now sure to invigorated by Antonio Conte, in what could be a tough challenge due to the hosts’ new manager bounce.

It will be a good indicator of whether or not the Whites have turned the corner but they will again have to do it without two key figures.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay rules out duo

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Hay confirmed that both Ayling and Bamford – previously a doubt – are unavailable for the game, delivering an eight-word verdict:

“Bamford and Ayling not available for the game.”

He also added that Bielsa “doesn’t want to give a timeframe on their return”, suggesting they won’t necessarily be back soon.

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The Verdict: Hugely important duo

While Leeds deserve criticism for some poor performances and results this season, not having Ayling and Bamford fit for a large chunk of it has played a part in their struggles.

The pair are hugely influential figures for the Whites, with Ayling not only providing quality from right-back – he has seven goals and 16 assists for the club – but also leadership.

Meanwhile, Bamford’s goals are precious, and without him, Raphinha is the top scorer with five league goals, with Jack Harrison and Rodrigo next up with just two.

In other news, a pundit has hailed the return of one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic head into Saturday’s Premiership clash in an excellent run of form, with the Bhoys having won five consecutive fixtures in all competitions, and the 56-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another positive result when Livingston visit Parkhead this afternoon.

With the Lions having picked up just 11 points over as many league fixtures so far this season, results which have left David Martindale’s side in eighth place in the top-flight table, the Hoops manager will know that today’s clash presents his team with a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on the current league leaders.

Will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 3-1 win over Hibernian last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Livingston, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently confirming that Tom Rogic will miss the Livingston clash as a result of a hamstring injury, the 56-year-old will be forced into at least one alteration this afternoon. We predict that the Bhoys boss will make one other change to the side that started against Hibs in midweek.

The back five remains unchanged, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks, Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers lining up at centre-back and Josip Juranovic and Anthony Ralston starting at left-back and right-back respectively.

The first change comes in the middle of the park, with the aforementioned Rogic missing out due to injury and the £2.7m-rated James McCarthy set to be handed just his third league start of the season, while David Turnbull and Callum McGregor retain their starting berths.

In attack, £7.9k-per-week winger Mikey Johnston drops out of the XI, with Kyogo Furuhashi moving to the left of the front three, 26-year-old Giorgos Giakoumakis returning to the side in the centre-forward role and Jota keeping his place on the right wing.

In other news: Nicholson must sanction Celtic swoop for prolific 24 y/o beast, he’s Edouard’s heir

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

A number of Everton fans have urged their club not to pursue a move for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek. 

The player’s agent said that he held talks with Farhad Moshiri and Marcel Brands over a potential deal with the Toffees late in the transfer window, only for the Red Devils to intervene.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Old Trafford was regarded as ‘bad news’ for the Dutchman, further limiting his starting prospects under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Van de Beek made a six-minute substitute appearance against Newcastle United on Saturday, his first game-time of the new campaign.

Everton and Van de Beek – a good fit?

Two pundits have recently talked up Everton as an ideal destination for the out-of-favour 24-year-old, who started just four Premier League games last term.

Alex McLeish has urged him to make the ‘drop down’ from the title-chasing Manchester United to European hopefuls Everton, while Noel Whelan said that it would be ‘probably’ be the best move for the Dutchman’s career.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues asked supporters whether they would like to see the club revisit their interest in January, and here’s how they responded.

These fans far from keen on Van de Beek

Many Everton supporters are unconvinced by Van de Beek, with some making comparisons with his Dutch compatriot Davy Klaassen, another former Ajax player who failed to make an impact in England after his unsuccessful stint at Goodison Park.

“Why, if James is still here? We’ve done this before, with Klaassen, Rooney and every other available number 10.”

Credit: @_PaulMoorcroft

“What does he really offer us compared with what we have already?”

Credit: @brundellfilimou

“We need to stop taking flops off the teams above us”

Credit: @GrahamDavies4

“Absolutely not”

Credit: @DeborahMitchin1

“No way, Davy Klaassen mk2”

Credit: @wigantoffee

“Another Klaassen methinks”

Credit: @richardwye

In other news, many Everton fans flocked to this footage of a reported transfer target.

An update has emerged on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of his services…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Magpies have made an enquiry over a potential deal to sign the ex-MK Dons man in January.

The report claims that Antonio Conte’s side are open to offers for Alli, with the Toon Army hoping to strike a loan deal with an option to sign him permanently in the summer.

Phenomenal

PIF must ensure that they are able to seal a deal to sign the midfielder as he would be phenomenal for Eddie Howe and could provide the quality they need to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

The England international has lost his way over the past 18 months, but a change of scenery could allow him to re-focus and motivate himself to get back to his best. His form for Spurs in his first few years for the club showed that his ceiling as a player is colossal.

Alli scored 37 goals and provided 26 assists in his first three Premier League campaigns for them, which shows that he has the requisite quality required to be a top player at this level. Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton previously compared him to two England legends as he heaped praise on the playmaker, saying:

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent.

“I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

However, he has only scored one goal in the top-flight since the start of the 2020/21 season and this has presented Newcastle with the opportunity to swoop him away from White Hart Lane.

The £100k-per-week gem could be “phenomenal” for Howe if he is able to recapture the kind of form he has shown in the past. He could come in and chip in with vital goals and assists to win games for the Magpies and help them to move up the table, which is why they must work hard to get this deal over the line in January.

Taking him on loan with an option to sign him permanently also means that they can avoid major financial losses if he is unable to turn things around and play like the Alli of old. Therefore, it could be an ideal transfer for Newcastle both in terms of the potential benefits on and off the pitch.

AND in other news, “Newcastle are…”: Ornstein drops exciting transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Leicester City have already added four new signings to their first team squad this summer but Brendan Rodgers is still on the hunt for further additions, according to reports.

What’s the story?

The Foxes secured the signature of former Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard last week following Wesley Fofana’s horrific injury, but more defensive reinforcements could be on their way to the King Power Stadium.

Speaking on the TalkSport Gameday podcast (as relayed by This Is Futbol), journalist Alex Crook revealed that Rodgers remains keen to do a deal for Bologna ace Takehiro Tomiyasu.

“I think, from what I’m told, they might still look to add one more defensive player. They’re looking at Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was the Japanese defender who has been heavily linked with Tottenham as well,” Crook revealed.

“So I think if Brendan can get one more player in before the transfer window closes, that’s where he would like to do a bit more business.”

Leicester fans will be buzzing

With former club captain Wes Morgan retiring over the summer and Fofana expected to be on the treatment table for at least six months, Rodgers may feel that he’s still light on numbers in central defence despite Vestergaard’s arrival.

The addition of Thursday night fixtures in the Europa League to an already packed schedule will mean that Leicester need significant strength in depth to be able to fight on multiple fronts, and Tomiyasu may be the ideal acquisition for the Midlands outfit.

Equally comfortable at either centre-back or right-back, the Japan international has showcased the versatility and tactical intelligence to slot into Rodgers’ setup with ease.

The Northern Irishman flipped between a back four and a back five last season, something that Tomiyasu’s flexibility would make even easier should he arrive on English shores in the current window.

He has established himself as one of Serie A’s most promising young defenders since arriving from Belgium outfit Sint-Truidense two years ago, making 63 appearances for Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side in all competitions.

As per WhoScored, Tomiyasu recorded an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 0.6 blocks per league game last term, placing him in the top three players at his club who featured regularly.

Therefore, Leicester supporters will surely be buzzing to hear that the club’s hierarchy are still keen to bring in the 22-year-old, providing Rodgers with the tools that he needs to finally break into the top four.

In other news… David Ornstein reveals huge Leicester City update which will leave the fans delighted