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Derby County secured safe passage to the next round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon.

Both sides were reduced to ten men before the final whistle, but despite a spirited performance from the League One home side, Martyn Waghorn pounced in the 78th minute to poke the Rams ahead from close range.

Frank Lampard’s side just about deserved the win on the balance of play, and Waghorn will surely now have put himself in contention for more regular starts in the Championship.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The 29-year-old striker arrived at Pride Park from Ipswich Town in the summer (BBC), but he has been in and out of the Derby team so far this season. According to Transfermarkt’s statistics, the forward has made nineteen league appearances for Lampard’s side so far, though only twelve have come as a starter. He has only managed two goals and two assists in the league as well.

Lampard may have hoped to see a more prolific return on his summer investment by now, but he’ll be hoping that this contribution against Accrington Stanley sparks Waghorn into a run of good form.

After the win over Accrington Stanley, plenty of Derby fans took to Twitter to react to Waghorn’s heroics…

Manchester United are still firmly locked into their manager search as they set out to find Ralf Rangnick’s successor to take over at Old Trafford this summer, but there has been some worrying reports emerging from the dressing room that could be a huge setback for the club.

What’s the word?

According to Manchester Evening News, the Manchester United dressing room is split over the potential appointment of Erik Ten Hag, who is currently one of the favourites to become the new manager at the club this summer.

The report suggests that many of the United players are feeling positive and excited at the prospect of working with the Dutch coach, however, sources close to some of the players say Ten Hag is an ‘underwhelming’ choice for the role.

Supporters will be furious

There is no doubt that Ten Hag has become one of the favoured choices to take the wheel at Old Trafford this summer amongst supporters, and this latest reported dressing room leak will surely leave fans furious.

To say Man United have had an underwhelming season after finishing second the season before is an understatement, with the side crashing out of every competition and struggling to gain a position inside the top four to qualify for Champions League football next season, now three points adrift from Arsenal and Spurs in 7th.

The Red Devils will now go another season trophy-less leaving them in their longest trophy drought in four decades, and the appointment of a manager like the Dutchman, who has led Ajax to two league titles, winning five Dutch trophies in the last four years, is becoming desperate for Man United who have fallen far from their winning ways of the past.

This is not the first time that there have been reported leaks from the dressing room either, with numerous reports coming out that 17 players wanted to leave the club back in January, with Rio Ferdinand claiming there are “bad eggs” who “make it uncomfortable for everyone” when reflecting on the problems behind the scenes.

With that being said, the lack of harmony in the squad could be extremely off-putting for Ten Hag as he is speculated to have a number of choices amid interest from other clubs this summer, and this latest setback with the players split over his potential appointment will surely not be helpful in the Red Devils pursuit of the 52-year-old manager.

In other news: Rangnick must wield the axe on “embarrassing” £180k-p/w MUFC dud this summer

Nottingham Forest striker Keinan Davis, on loan from Premier League outfit Aston Villa, could be made available for a permanent move in the summer with the West Midlands club looking to clear out the deadwood in their squad.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Birmingham Live journalist Ashley Preece revealed the latest on Villa’s plans for Davis.

“The feeling at Villa is that Davis is surplus to requirements,” claimed Preece. “He’ll have two years on his contract when pre-season begins in July and there’s every hope Villa will be able to make a decent profit on the 24-year-old.

“Gerrard and the club have really high hopes for next season and they want to crack Europe. To be blunt, Davis is not going to get them there.

“In terms of a deal, I think a fee between £5m and £10m would be the ballpark figure Villa would be looking for. Strikers cost money and Davis has proved himself to be a good one in Nottingham.”

The striker has scored four goals and registered one assist in 12 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side, who are still very much within a chance of finishing the season in a playoff spot.

Forest must swoop for Davis

With regular forward Lewis Grabban spending two months on the sidelines, the Villa loanee has really stepped up at the City Ground.

The Jamaican, ten years Davis’ senior, had scored 12 Championship goals in 28 appearances prior to his injury in late January and returned from his layoff on Saturday, coming off the bench as Forest won 4-1 at Blackpool.

Now, with the 34-year-old back fit and Davis in good form, Cooper’s mouth will be watering at the prospect of having both strikers involved during the run-in.

The Nottinghamshire outfit sit just one point and one place outside of the playoff positions but have a whopping three games in hand on sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers with nine league matches still to be played in the second-tier.

As well as both Davis and Grabban, 20-year-old winger Brennan Johnson is currently the Reds’ top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions this term, whilst midfielder Ryan Yates (eight) and winger Philip Zinckernagel (six) also sit pretty in the Forest scoring charts.

Granted, if Forest were to be promoted to the Premier League, the Reds may target more ambitious striking options than Davis who, despite having top-flight experience, has scored just once in 812 minutes of action in England’s elite competition.

Although, former Villa captain Jack Grealish did previously label the striker as “absolutely unplayable.”

However, if they are to fall short and face a 15th consecutive season in the Championship, the purchase of Davis on a permanent basis would certainly be shrewd.

At 34, Grabban won’t be able to repeat his scoring efforts this term for much longer whilst there is talk of Johnson departing for a Premier League side in the summer.

The Englishman will already know Cooper’s system whilst the Welshman will be familiar with Davis’ strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, at 24 years of age, there is still plenty of potential to be unlocked. It certainly seems a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Cooper can finally axe Forest “bulldog” by signing “very impressive” £135k-rated gem…

Leeds United have picked up a bit of form at just the right time, and having picked up seven points from a possible nine, they head into tomorrow’s clash against Watford with a whole lot more confidence.

Jesse Marsch’s side picked up some much-needed victories over Norwich and Wolves before drawing 1-1 to Southampton at Elland Road last time out.

Their trip to Vicarage Road may prove to be a stern test given that Roy Hodgson’s men are currently battling for their lives in the Premier League relegation battle, and Marsch will have some big calls to make on his starting line-up.

One decision he might be compelled to make is dropping Diego Llorente.

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The Spain international has found himself in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, with niggling injuries disrupting him from really putting together a run of consistent games together.

After being forced off inside the first half against Wolves at Molineux in mid-March, Llorente made an immediate return against the Saints last weekend, but he looked off the pace and nervy on occasion.

As per Sofascore, while he made a team-high six tackles, he also committed the joint-most fouls, finding it difficult to balance being aggressive and playing on the edge, and sometimes losing his cool and composure. In fact, this season has seen him lose 80 duels in total in the Premier League, while winning only 97.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “Can be unconventional, but brilliant at times or just verging on calamity in the backline. Armando Broja gave him a difficult afternoon without dominating him.”

Those sentiments were echoed by The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him a six, before adding: “Brought an element of drama at times that felt unnecessary, some mixed moments of defending and in possession.”

Pascal Struijk was the man to find himself out of the team following the return of club captain Liam Cooper, and the Scot was partnered with Llorente in central defence.

While the Dutchman may have had a difficult time of late, at just 22 he remains a big part of the future of this Leeds team, and he would surely learn a lot more from playing rather than sitting on the bench.

Indeed, speaking earlier this year, Cooper himself said of Struijk: “Pascal has absolutely everything to be one of the best centre-backs out there, he really has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s strong, good in the air. I always knew. We all know now. His improvement speaks for itself.”

Bringing the youngster into the line-up and having someone as experienced as Cooper alongside him should see him return to much better form, knowing that he has someone to fall back upon and organise the defence rather than feeling the pressure to do so himself.

Valued at £12m by CIES, Llorente should be dropped from the starting line-up against Watford, with Struijk coming back in to take his place and resume his fledgling partnership with Cooper.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22 y/o

Manchester United have held internal talks over signing Everton forward Richarlison, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Richarlison’s season

The Brazilian forward, valued at €50m by CIES Football Observatory, has contributed to ten Premier League goals in a struggling Everton side this season.

Richarlison has scored six times and provided four assists under both Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard while playing mostly as a centre-forward or a left-winger.

He’s still under contract at Goodison Park for a further two years, but with the Toffees flirting with relegation, it looks as if United are keeping tabs on the forward’s situation.

The Latest: United talks

Romano shared an update on Richarlison on Thursday afternoon, sharing details of an agency switch for the 24-year-old.

The transfer guru revealed that the Red Devils have spoken about Richarlison internally, along with Benfica’s Darwin Nunez.

“Everton striker Richarlison and his Velasco Sport Group have now officially signed with CAA Base agency.

“Been told Manchester United have discussed Richarlison internally, alongside Darwin Nunez and other options.

“Of course no talks now – he’s totally focused on Everton.”

The Verdict: Ten Hag involved?

Erik ten Hag looks likely to be the next manager at Old Trafford and wanted to be involved in talks over signings, outgoings and new contracts.

However, it is unlikely that he’ll know about these talks regarding Richarlison as he is preparing his Ajax side for a Dutch Cup final this weekend.

Should the 52-year-old want Richarlison, then a summer move could be explored, especially if Everton suffer relegation, however, for now, it seems to be a case of United chiefs drawing up a list of potential targets for their soon to be new boss.

In other news: ‘Brilliant…’ – Sky Sports man buzzes at who Ten Hag may now bring to Man Utd; it’s ‘important’. 

ExWHUemployee has dropped an update on the situation surrounding West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on The West Ham Way, the club insider revealed that, while talks between the 34-year-old shot-stopper and Aston Villa regarding a transfer were taking place on Monday, the negotiations between the two parties subsequently broke down at an advanced stage – with the deal now appearing to be on hold.

ExWHUemployee went on to state that David Moyes’ side are actively looking to move the Republic of Ireland international on in the January transfer window, as his wages are extremely high for a third-choice goalkeeper, however, it no longer seems likely that the former Middlesbrough man will be making a move to Villa Park this month.

In his post, Ex said: “We can confirm that Darren Randolph was in talks with Aston Villa over a move [on Monday] although talks seem to have broken down at the advanced stage. The move is currently on hold and it is unclear whether Villa will look to resurrect the deal. West Ham are keen to move Randolph on, as he is on a large wage for a third choice keeper and his wages saved could be spent elsewhere.”

Moyes will be gutted

Considering just how little Randolph has featured for West Ham since his £4m return to East London in January of 2020, in addition to the fact the goalkeeper is reported to be earning a whopping £42k-per-week at the London Stadium, the news that the 34-year-old’s move to Aston Villa looks to have fallen through will undoubtedly have left Moyes gutted.

Indeed, in the last two years, the £900k-rated man has made just nine appearances for the Hammers, with only five of these fixtures coming in the Premier League.

As such, when taking into account the fact that the shot-stopper has cost the club around £4.3m in wages, in addition to his £4m transfer fee – meaning each league fixture Randolph has featured in has set West Ham back around £1.7m – it is clear for all to see that the veteran ‘keeper is not worth keeping on the books.

In fact, it would appear highly advisable for Moyes to simply offer the 34-year-old out for free this month, as, at present, Randolph has another year-and-a-half left to run on his contract – something that will only set the club back around a further £3.25m.

In other news: Jacob Steinberg reveals big January transfer twist that’ll leave West Ham fans fuming

Liverpool are looking to open contract talks with defender Neco Williams this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by the Liverpool Echo, who claim that the Reds are planning to hold talks with Williams at the end of the season, before making a final decision on the defender’s future at Anfield.

With the club making the 21-year-old available for around £10m last year, it has been a remarkable turnaround for the player.

There were no bids for Williams in the summer and this led to him joining Fulham on loan in January, where he has excelled.

Jurgen Klopp sees progress

The Welshman’s form in the Championship with Fulham – who were recently promoted back to the Premier League – has convinced Klopp to see what the future holds for the defender at Liverpool.

The £10m rated defender has played 14 times for his adopted side in all competitions and registered an impressive two goals and two assists during that time. A solid return for a right-back and this will surely have impressed a watching Klopp.

The manager is clearly a massive admirer of the defender, explaining that he “trained like a machine” with further compliments also coming from his international boss, Rob Page.

Page stated that Williams “had to be brave” to join Fulham from Liverpool in January, moving away from what could be a historic achievement if they win the quadruple and training with world-class players on a daily basis.

This move seems like it has paid dividends, however, with the news that Klopp could want the player – who Page also claimed is a “recipe for success” – to remain at Anfield after the summer transfer window.

There is no doubt there he is a talented player, his success already proves this, plus the fact he has been capped for Wales 18 times at such a young age.

And, should Williams continue his impressive form at Anfield next season, the right-back could well begin to challenge Trent Alexander-Arnold for his place in the Reds starting XI, something that would undoubtedly please Klopp greatly.

Indeed, with more competition for a starting role, the England international will need to be at his absolute best in order to remain as the German’s number one in the position – something that is only likely to improve Liverpool further next season, meaning Williams could indeed be Klopp’s recipe for success.

AND in other news: Liverpool now plot £67m bid for “sensational” 76k-p/w “winner”, imagine him and Salah.

In his first January transfer window as Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard has seen three new faces come through the door at Villa Park as the Midlands club look to strengthen their squad and push up the Premier League table as high as they can go under their new boss.

One of the new players that made the move to Villa this month was Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, who played in 81 games with the Villa boss before making the move to Barcelona, who the Brazilian is now on loan from.

Despite only making two appearances for Villa, Coutinho has had a fairly mixed start to his second spell in the Premier League, firstly with a goal on his debut from the substitutes bench in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United, which then followed with a lacklustre performance in their recent 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

While it’s still early days in his spell with the Midlands club, Gerrard still has enough time left in the January transfer window to bring in a player that would certainly raise the roof of Villa Park.

Having been mentioned with an audacious transfer swoop for Real Madrid and former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard in recent weeks with Villa “looking” at the player, bringing the Belgian back to England for another spell in the Premier League, in a similar way they did with Coutinho, would surely be a massive boost to Gerrard’s squad, ensuring they end their January transfer window with a flourish.

Madrid reportedly accepted a €40m (£33m) proposal from Newcastle for the winger’s services, only for the player to reject them. That has now left the door open for Gerrard to swoop in.

With a total of 245 appearances in the Premier League under his belt including 85 goals, 61 assists, two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, the 31-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £381k-per-week according to Salary Sport, could bring a serious amount of experience and winning mentality with him to Villa Park.

Labelled as an “exceptional” player during his time with Chelsea by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Hazard could be tempted with a move to Villa considering he’s only started seven La Liga games so far this season.

Either way, if Villa do think that adding the former Chelsea star to their already strengthened squad this month would be worthwhile, they should definitely make an approach to him and his club to see if the winger would relish another spell in the Premier League under Gerrard’s guidance.

In other news: Lange can replicate Digne masterclass as AVFC plot move for “phenomenal” £10m dynamo – opinion

Adam Montgomery will be the latest Celtic player sent out on loan this month, The Daily Record’s Scott Burns reports. 

The lowdown

Celtic have already granted temporary moves for two of their youngsters in January, with Ewan Henderson and Liam Shaw heading for Hibernian and Motherwell respectively.

As Burns notes in his report, Osaze Urhoghide is likely to follow suit as he holds talks with Dundee FC.

Montgomery has made 18 appearances for The Hoops in all competitions, eight of which have come in European competition.

The latest

Ange Postecoglou has ‘high hopes’ for Montgomery but he feels it would now be in his best interests to head elsewhere for ‘a regular run of first-team games’, reports Burns.

It’s seen as the next step for the Scotsman, who will then return to Lennoxtown in the summer in search of a greater squad role.

The verdict

The beauty of Celtic’s nine-point cushion to the teams third and below is that they can send their young players to some of the stronger Scottish Premiership clubs without fearing repercussions. Motherwell and Hibs, for instance, rank fourth and fifth in the table.

£405,000-rated Montgomery certainly looked to be an important squad player in the first half of the campaign, but the signing of Reo Hatate gives Postecoglou another option at left back.

Long-term, the hope may be that the 19-year-old can be the next Kieran Tierney, living up to Mark Guidi’s billing.

Tierney’s £24.3million sale was the most lucrative in Celtic’s history, and so that would be some going.

In other news, Celtic have made another approach for an Asian-based target.

Everton have now made contact with AS Monaco over signing midfielder Aleksandr Golovin…

What’s the story?

The Toffees have made a couple of acquisitions already in this January transfer window, and it now appears that the Merseyside club have got their sights set on a play-maker.

According to a source who spoke to Sport Witness, both Everton and fellow Premier League side West Ham are “interested” in signing Golovin, and that they have already been in contact with the midfielder’s agent about a potential move.

Fans will love it

While the Toffees may be enduring a difficult campaign on the pitch under Rafa Benitez this season, a move for Golovin would certainly be a good victory off it.

During his work as a television pundit for broadcaster RT, Jose Mourinho revealed himself to be a big fan of the Russian saying: “Golovin is a playmaker, he’s a player that gives the dynamic of the team.”

And, his former boss at AS Monaco, Niko Kovac, simply said: “Golovin is a fantastic player. For his first start since August, he’s scored three goals. He’s a world-class player. He delivers delicious passes. I know the quality of his passing. That’s why I asked him to take the free-kick that led to the third goal.”

In fact, Toffees legend Tim Cahill has previously thrown his backing behind a potential swoop for the creative star, saying just last year: “He (Golovin) is a great footballer. After yesterday’s 4-1 defeat against Liverpool, it is clear that Everton needs good players. He could strengthen the team.”

As per Whoscored, he has averaged 1.5 key passes per game in Ligue 1 this season for Monaco, good enough to rank him inside the top 20 in the entire division – real evidence of the kind of creativity and guile that he possesses.

The £22.5m-rated midfielder could provide Everton with an extra spark in midfield, and have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Everton are considering a swoop for this Premier League outcast…