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Liverpool are reportedly one of the clubs in the mix to sign AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

What’s the story?

This comes after Italian media outlet Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) recently published an article claiming that the Merseyside club, fellow Premier League side Chelsea and Serie A giants Juventus are currently interested in signing the midfielder at some point in the future.

A replacement for Wijnaldum?

In terms of recent incoming transfer activity at Liverpool, the latest summer transfer window saw the Reds bring in defender Ibrahima Konate for a fee of £36m from German club RB Leipzig.

Regarding Tchouameni, the player joined Monaco back in the 2020 January transfer window from fellow French club Bordeaux for a fee of £16.2m.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has made 60 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to score five goals and provide four assists along the way.

Given how Liverpool saw Georginio Wijnaldum leave the Merseyside club for a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, it’s understandable why the club would be interested in signing Tchouameni. He represents a long-term midfield option at a crucial point with Liverpool possessing the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner in their squad over the age of 30.

In his latest appearance for Monaco in their recent 3-0 Ligue 1 victory over Bordeaux, Tchouameni certainly showed what his previous club were missing.

He put in a near-perfect all-round display, demonstrating the type of qualities that Wijnaldum so regularly brought to Anfield.

Tchouameni scored a goal, hit the woodwork, made five tackles and won a whopping 13 of the 18 duels he was involved in. ultimately earning himself a very impressive overall match rating of 8.7/10, making him Monaco’s highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore.

This alone shows why the likes of Liverpool, Juventus and Chelsea are apparently interested in snapping him up.

Looking ahead to the future, if Liverpool are keen on strengthening their midfield either in the upcoming January transfer window or the next summer window, we feel that Tchouameni should definitely be an option to consider bringing in.

However, with other big boys of European football also pursuing him, it could end up being rather difficult to sign the midfielder, but one that could be very beneficial for the club for the next few years.

In other news: Klopp masterstroke: £50k-p/w Liverpool gem has seen value rise by £49.5m in 3 years – opinion 

Celtic currently have a significant number of players in their senior squad that have come through the club’s youth academy and play for the first team such as James Forrest and Callum McGregor, who have made a combined total of 42 appearances between them across all competitions this season.

Looking ahead to who could be the next regular figure for Celtic to come through the club’s academy, one potential candidate that could be set for a big future at the Parkhead club is 18-year-old Dane Murray, who has been touted to have a “bright future” ahead of him by Stephen Welsh.

As a product of Celtic’s youth system, Murray is predominantly a midfield player but has been deployed as a centre-back by Ange Postecoglou, which gives a clue as to what the Celtic manager sees in the teenager in terms of his skills and qualities on the pitch.

In Celtic’s 2-1 defeat against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifying second-leg clash back in July, Murray played at the back for the full 120 minutes and managed to show everyone just what he’s capable of from a defensive point of view.

Murray managed to make six clearances, seven interceptions and three tackles as well as winning 11 duels and not getting dribbled past even once.

This display earned the youngster an impressive overall match rating of 7.3/10 according to SofaScore, making him Celtic’s joint-second highest rated player on the day, proving that he definitely has what it takes to play at a high level alongside the rest of Celtic’s more senior players.

In the first leg against Midtjylland, Murray played 45 minutes of action after Nir Bitton got sent off, after which fellow Hoops defender Welsh described the youngster’s performance as “fantastic,” which could be why Postecoglou selected him to start the second leg.

Looking ahead to the future, even though Murray hasn’t been involved in a matchday squad for Celtic in the league this season, he definitely has what it takes to break into Postecoglou’s side at some point in the future.

Consider the talent he’s shown so far and the fact that he has time on his side with his young age and he could save the club millions in potential future transfer fees.

In other news: “No estimated return date”: Devlin drops big Celtic injury update, Ange will be fuming

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’. 

A report from 90min at the beginning of the month claimed Everton had joined the race for Zenit St.Petersburg forward Sardar Azmoun, with the 26-year-old set to be available for free next summer.

However, with the January window now just days away, it would be a good idea for the Toffees to further their interest next month.

Dubbed previously as ‘the Iranian Messi’, the £22.5m-rated forward has scored ten goals in 21 appearances across all competitions for Zenit so far this campaign, including a goal against Chelsea in the Champions League recently.

Furthermore, having joined Zenit from Rubin Kazan three years ago, Azmoun has a prolific record of 62 goals and 23 assists in 104 appearances for the Russian giants. A goal contribution every 1.2 games.

The Iranian has reportedly attracted interest from Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, who is of Iranian decent, and, according to a previous coach of Azmoun, Moshiri previously contacted him and “tried to negotiate a transfer.”

The Russian Premier League side may have no choice but to sell the 26-year-old next month in order to receive a fee, with his contract set to expire in just seven months time.

The Toffees have appeared stuck all season, sitting in an underwhelming 14th place in the Premier League and are in desperate need of some extra firepower to propel them up the table in order to avoid any nervy moments in the second half of the campaign.

Luckily, signings that initially received a mixed reaction from fans in the summer have exceeded expectations with Demarai Gray (five goals) and Andros Townsend (three goals) helping to fill the void left by star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Moreover, with the lack of goals from Rondon who has netted only once, Rafa Benitez’s side’s attacking output could’ve been much worse.

Alas, extra options in that department will be welcomed with open arms by the Everton faithful, and a possible deal for Azmoun would be shrewd business given his goals record for Zenit.

The only doubt would be the fact that the Iranian hasn’t played professional football outside of Russia, and therefore the jump up to the Premier League may prove a tricky one…at least initially.

AND in other news, Time to go: Benitez should axe EFC’s “reckless” £18m-rated dud, he’s not good enough…

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

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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…

A big claim has emerged from the Spanish press involving Tottenham Hotspur star Sergio Reguilon, and it could be worrying news for Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Spurs stars eye moves away…

Over the summer, it’s safe to say there were no shortage of Tottenham players eyeing moves away from N17.

The most high profile of them, star striker Harry Kane, was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City as their boss Pep Guardiola even confirmed interest in the player.

This move failed to come to fruition with more exit news then emerging, this time concerning another big name in Tanguy Ndombele.

Spurs’ club record signing told club chiefs he wanted to leave before August 31 but, yet again, a departure failed to materialise.

The Latest: Reguilon has ‘already said yes’ to Madrid…

As per El Nacional (via Sport Witness), yet another Spurs player appears to have one eye on a move away as news emerges on defender Reguilon.

According to the Spanish source’s information, is it only a ‘matter of time’ before Real Madrid decide to activate their €40 million (£33.7m) release clause and re-sign the 24-year-old.

The clause comes into effect next summer and was a major talking point of the deal which brought Reguilon to Spurs in 2020.

As well as this, El Nacional go on to claim that the player himself has ‘already said yes’ to the Galacticos with club president Florentino Perez set to green light a swoop at Carlo Ancelotti’s request.

While they claim this move ‘will not happen’ in January due to Tottenham’s stance on an early sale, it appears Real could take matters into their own hands later on in 2022.

The Verdict: Big blow for Spurs?

Losing Reguilon next summer would come as a major blow for Spurs given their lack of options without the Spaniard.

Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon are able to deputise in his stead but Fabio Paratici would more than likely have to take to the transfer market, especially given the latter man’s injury record and inability to work his way into Tottenham’s plans.

In other news: Growing frustrated…Alasdair Gold says ‘special player’ could now ‘potentially leave Tottenham’, find out more here.

West Ham United must sanction a move for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the upcoming January transfer window, ending David Moyes’ injury crisis.

The Hammers are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table after a hugely impressive start to the season, but extensive fitness woes across the backline are threatening to unravel their hard work.

First-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with an ACL problem, while Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson are also set for extensive spells on the sidelines.

That leaves just Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the capital club’s only fit central defenders, meaning the winter window could prove pivotal in their future success.

According to 90min’s Toby Cudworth, West Ham’s hierarchy are assessing a raft of options as Moyes looks for the right candidate to slot into his impressive starting lineup.

One of those being watched is reportedly 23-year-old Kelly, who has put in a string of eye-catching performances for the Cherries throughout 2021/22.

He’s what West Ham are missing

After arriving on the south coast from boyhood club Bristol City back in 2019, the youngster initially struggled to settle, failing to produce his best form as Bournemouth were relegated from the top-flight.

However, he’s gone from strength to strength over the last 18 months, playing a pivotal part as the Vitality Stadium outfit reached the play-offs last term, earning the praise of former manager Jonathan Woodgate.

“He’s got talent. He’s got a lot of attributes that Premier League teams look at. But he needs to be consistent week in, week out now,” he said before lauding Kelly’s natural pace.

“At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City). I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him.

“It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’,” he concluded.

And the £9m-rated ace has taken his game to new heights this time around. As per WhoScored, Kelly has averaged 3.2 aerial duels won per league game, a whopping 5.2 clearances and 5.5 long balls while averaging 73.8 passes per game.

Those figures place him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates, illustrating his top-class potential.

Therefore, it’s clear that Kelly is exactly the sort of player that West Ham are missing in their first-team squad at this moment in time due to their injury woes, and Moyes must push the club’s hierarchy to secure his services in January.

And, in other news…Newman could seal dream West Ham deal with “outstanding” £21m “superstar”

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

Newcastle United’s new owners showed during the January transfer window how keen they are on revitalising the squad at St James’ Park and strengthening where needed.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Tyneside club could be set to say goodbye to at least one figure who was brought in during Mike Ashley’s tenure.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Pete O’Rourke was discussing the future of Jeff Hendrick at Newcastle and what the upcoming summer transfer window could hold for him.

The journalist said: “Obviously, we saw Jeff Hendrick go out on loan in January, I’d expect him to leave on a permanent in the summer.” 

Newcastle signed the midfielder in 2020 on a free transfer from fellow Premier League side Burnley. Since then, the 30-year-old made just 27 appearances for the Toon across all competitions before being loaned out to Championship side Queens Park Rangers in January, as O’Rourke mentioned.

Having made 22 appearances for Newcastle during the previous Premier League campaign, the Irishman earned a rather disappointing overall performance rating of 6.33/10 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated player to start more than four league games for the Magpies.

Also, having only made 18 combined tackles and interceptions, fewer than the majority of players in Newcastle’s squad at the time, it’s safe to say that the Irish midfielder didn’t offer much in terms of breaking up opposition attacks.

Taking this into account, it would be safe to assume that many supporters at St James’ Park would be happy to see the back of Hendrick if he were to leave for good this summer.

However, having only earned an uninspiring overall performance rating of 6.42/10 from nine Championship appearances with QPR since his arrival in west London, Newcastle may have a challenge on their hands finding a club to take him.

Either way, as long as the midfielder isn’t on the books at St James’ Park heading into next season, it’s hard to see too many Magpies supporters being bothered about where he ends up.

In other news: Howe can now axe “shocking” £42k-p/w dud as NUFC plot move for £9m-rated “Rolls-Royce”