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Tottenham fans are eagerly anticipating the return of talismanic forward Harry Kane from injury.

The England international limped off during the defeat to Manchester United in January with fears he could spend a long time on the sidelines. Scans revealed that Kane had suffered ligament damage which would rule him out until March at the earliest. With few quality options to replace him, Mauricio Pochettino was forced to turn to Fernando Llorente.

Signed in the summer of 2017 from Swansea, the former Athletic Bilbao man had never been given the chance to impress for the Lilywhites – limited to mostly cameos from the substitutes bench thanks to Kane’s goal scoring exploits. The striker was widely linked with an exit from the club in both the summer and January transfer windows but ultimately stayed put. Pochettino’s faith in the forward was rewarded with some excellent performances and crucial goals from the Spaniard.

After scoring a hat-trick in the FA Cup against Tranmere, Llorente netted against Chelsea before scoring and assisting during the 2-1 win against Watford to keep Spurs in the title race. The 34-year-old also picked up assists during the victories over Leicester and Newcastle before scoring off the bench against Borussia Dortmund. With his contract set to expire in the summer, his recent purple patch should convince the Tottenham hierarchy to offer him one more short-term deal.

Indeed, the former Spain international is approaching the end of his career but has proved to be suitable back up should Kane pick up another injury. Finding a forward that will settle for a backup role will prove to be difficult in the transfer window and Llorente has already stated his happiness at the club. Spurs would be better off offering the ex-Juventus man a new deal and using their funds to strengthen other areas of their squad.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

Manchester United are could finally end their striker hunt after being linked with a move for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Super Deporte (as relayed by the Manchester Evening News), the Red Devils have the highly-rated 24-year-old on their ‘agenda’, with new manager Ralf Rangnick looking to make his mark on the first-team squad.

The report states that: “Manchester United has the Sevilla player Youssef En-Nesyri on the agenda…The English team are looking for a forward with good scoring figures, and En-Nesyri fits the profile they are managing.”

En-Nesyri was close to joining fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United in the summer after they had a €30 million (£25.5m) bid rejected, and Sevilla are said to be happy to let him leave ‘if a good offer arrives.’

Ralf Rangnick could end Man Utd’s striker hunt

With Edinson Cavani set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and Cristiano Ronaldo turning 37 in February, reinforcements at the top end of the pitch should be high up on Rangnick’s wishlist.

United have long been linked with an additional striker, and although Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is believed to be their No.1 target, the competition for his signature is set to be fierce.

Therefore, viable alternatives will need to be assessed by the club’s hierarchy, and a potential move for the £36m-rated En-Nesyri could well be on the cards.

The Morocco international only arrived from La Liga minnows Leganes in January 2020, but he’s quickly established himself as one of the division’s elite forwards, bagging 24 goals in 52 appearances for Julen Lopetegui’s charges last term.

And his underlying number were equally as impressive. As per WhoScored, En-Nesyri averaged 2.1 shots per league game throughout 2020/21, 2.5 aerial duels won and 1.6 touches in the penalty area, placing him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates.

These returns saw pundit Terry Gibson dub the African forward a “world-beater” and highlight his truly top-class potential.

Whether Rangnick would deem En-Nesyri an ideal fit for his high-intensity pressing system remains to be seen, but it appears as though the United hierarchy are keeping close tabs of the 6 foot 2 target man.

And, in other news…Huge boost: David Ornstein delivers big Man Utd update, Rangnick will be elated

Crystal Palace have got competition in their pursuit of Lille defender Sven Botman after Newcastle entered the race for a potential January transfer.

The Eagles were linked with a move for the 21-year-old in the summer before eventually opting to sign Marc Guehi from Chelsea in a £21m move and Joachim Andersen from Lyon in a £15.75m deal to strengthen their back line.

Botman ended up staying at Lille despite lots of interest and has continued to impress this season, ranking as their third-best defender this season according to WhoScored ratings.

Despite making just ten appearances in Ligue 1 so far owing to a groin injury, his form has been good enough to keep interested parties sniffing around and David Ornstein claims that Newcastle have made him a priority target for the winter transfer window. While Transfermarkt currently value him at £25.2m, it’s possible Lille would ask for considerably more to lose him mid-season.

Crystal Palace’s decision to opt for different targets this season has failed to really justify itself yet. Guehi has been relatively impressive considering his age and lack of top-flight experience, scoring twice so far. He’s also managed an average of 1.1 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game under Patrick Vieira.

Andersen is yet to find the net for his new club and defensively has done relatively well too, averaging 0.9 tackles 1.5 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game for the Eagles. But with Vieira keen to build a team comfortable in possession an important stat to look at is their pass success, something Guehi edges Andersen in with a percentage of 87.3% compared to 83.7%.

So where would Botman fit in? Likely right alongside Guehi in an ideal world. In an underperforming Lille side he has averaged 0.9 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and a huge 4.6 clearances per game for the current reigning French champions. That all-important passing stat is what’s impressive though, with the currently uncapped Dutchman successfully completing 85.8% of his passes.

Aerially he is dominant too, winning 2.5 aerial duels a match compared with Guehi’s 1.3 and Andersen’s 1.2 in the Premier League. With his top-flight experience in the Champions League and abilities that dovetail well with the England U21 captain, it could prove to be a formidable partnership for Vieira and for the future of Crystal Palace.

Having been described as a “leader” in the past, it would give Vieira options defensively and with his system, potentially moving to a back three on occasion but ultimately it would just be smart business to bring in another promising and talented footballer to a young and gifted squad.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace must use Eze instead of spending on £6m playmaker.

Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened, this will spark a flurry of potential transfer deals across a range of clubs as they aim to strengthen their squads.

At Aston Villa, it has previously been reported that manager Steven Gerrard will be given the backing from the owners to make whatever changes to the club that he thinks will benefit them in terms of bringing new players in.

With this in mind, it could prove to be a very busy month for the Midlands club, on and off the pitch.

After making just nine Premier League appearances for Villa since joining on loan from Manchester United back in August, and with just eight minutes of league action since Gerrard’s took over from Dean Smith as Villa’s manager in November, it seems as though Axel Tuanzebe could be on his way out of the club.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently shared a post on his official Twitter account claiming that a deal has been worked out between United and Napoli that will see Tuanzebe spend the rest of the season on loan with the Italian club.

Taking this into account, it could be worth Villa bringing a new defender in to take Tuanzebe’s place in the squad so they aren’t depleted in that area.

Having been linked with a transfer move for Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez in recent weeks, this update about Tuanzebe could now pave the way for Villa and Gerrard to finally secure a deal for the defender, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £85k-per-week according to Salary Sport, and bring him to Villa Park.

With a total of 82 appearances in the Premier League, Gomez would certainly bring a decent amount of experience with him to Villa as well as an elite winning mentality having won the Premier League and Champions League during his time at Anfield.

Labelled as a “sensational” player in the past by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Gomez has found regular game time in the Premier League hard to come by this season with just three fairly short substitute appearances under his belt so far, which could result in a move to Villa being quite tempting for him if he’d get regular playing time under Gerrard’s guidance.

Moving forward, if Tuanzebe is set to leave Villa in the coming days, the club should be turning their attention to securing a deal for Gomez as soon as they can so the team doesn’t suffer should any of their other defenders end up with injuries or a positive virus test.

In other news: Forget Trezeguet: NSWE dropped AVFC transfer clanger with “horrible” £5.4m-rated dud – opinion

Aston Villa target Joe Gomez is ‘staying at Liverpool’, Pete O’Rourke has told Give Me Sport.

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote earlier this month that Gomez is a player Villa ‘like’.

The Englishman has found game time hard to come by at Anfield this season, with just 11 appearances (four starts) under his belt.

Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Gomez is valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt and his £75,000-per-week contract still has two and a half years to run.

The latest

O’Rourke has learned that Liverpool have absolutely no plans to offload Gomez at this stage.

“From what I’ve been told, Joe Gomez is staying at Liverpool, he won’t be going anywhere,” he told GMS when asked about the possibility of a deal by Johan Lange.

The verdict

Gomez would have been an excellent signing for Villa. In the words of Jurgen Klopp, he’s a ‘sensational’ player with ‘outstanding speed’.

He’s still only 24, so while he’s struggled for minutes this season, the Reds may well view him as part of their long-term plans. And, unless Liverpool’s stance changes, Villa need to move onto other targets.

After Axel Tuanzebe’s loan was cut short, they’ve been left with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause as their only senior centre-backs.

And Konsa’s recent injury shows how perilous that situation is. All of a sudden, Steven Gerrard may find himself with no experienced back-up.

In other news, fans react to links with this forward.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though Leeds United are in the mix to sign another young prospect that could well become a future star at the Yorkshire club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Leeds are one of the clubs keeping an eye on Arsenal U18 striker Khayon Edwards amid concerns over his future at the north London club.

The report also claims that fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in Edwards as well as a number of clubs in Germany, showing how much of an exciting prospect he is to have so many clubs circling him.

Gelhardt 2.0

As a product of Arsenal’s youth academy, Edwards has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 35 appearances for their U18 side, as well as making two appearances for the north London club’s U23s, which just goes to show how much the club rates him by giving him the chance to show what he can do with the U23s.

So far this season, Edwards has managed to score nine goals and provide five assists in 12 outings across the U18 Premier League and EFL Trophy, not only highlighting his attacking talents but why the north London club would presumably be reluctant to let him leave, especially to another Premier League club. In total for the U18s, he’s racked up as many as 16 strikes in his career to date.

With that in mind, it’s clear to see why young Spurs forward, Dane Scarlett, called him “sharp.”

This swoop could see Victor Orta replicate the same sort of transfer masterclass that he delivered by signing young striker Joe Gelhardt from Wigan Athletic back in August last year.

Also incredibly young, he has gone from strength to strength since arriving at Elland Road, scoring 18 times in 27 games for Leeds’ U23 side and netting his first senior goal for Bielsa’s side in their recent 3-2 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Moving forward, if Leeds do manage to sign Edwards, they will undoubtedly be hoping that he can be their next version of Gelhardt by starting off in the academy and then progressing to the senior side if he impresses.

In other news: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 20-goal monster who’ll still be scoring “when he’s 60” – opinion

Flocking to Twitter, some West Ham United fans have shared their takes as an exciting update emerges involving Hertha Berlin defender Niklas Stark.

Club mainstay Angelo Ogbonna’s anterior cruciate ligament injury has been at the centre of discussion since he sustained the problem in West Ham’s 3-2 win over Liverpool prior to the international break

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The Italian had previously started every 2021/22 Premier League game for David Moyes and was untouchable on the Hammers’ team sheet, but they had to cope without his presence for the first time this season against Wolves on Saturday.

West Ham slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Molineux and never really got going as Raul Jimenez consigned the Irons to their first loss since early October.

Ogbonna has now undergone successful surgery as he begins his recovery, yet all eyes are now on who could jump in his stead, with Moyes apparently set to be backed in the January transfer window (Evening Standard).

Links to Burnley defender James Tarkowksi and Stark have emerged recently, but Sport 1 reporter Florian Pettenberg has now dropped an exciting update on the latter.

The German source claims that talks have now ‘taken place’ for the 26-year-old, who is personally ‘interested’ in the idea of joining West Ham (Twitter).

Moyes is also a personal admirer of the centre-half and Hertha want to do a deal in January, especially considering that Stark’s contract is set to expire in 2022 as things stand.

West Ham fans react…

Reacting to this exciting development, some West Ham fans have dropped a diverse range of takes on social media, with one supporter even branding Stark an ‘upgrade’ on Ogbonna.

According to WhoScored, when comparing both players, the stats actually support this theory, with Hertha’s mainstay averaging a superior rate of tackles, interceptions and clearances per 90 over the 33-year-old Hammers centre-back.

However, another Irons supporter feels that Moyes’ current crop in Issa Diop and Craig Dawson are actually better options than Stark.

Check out some of the best verdicts on this news from Twitter here:

“Getting players running down contracts is smart. Why we haven’t done this in last 5 years has amazed me. January window is the best place to get bargain quality players”

Credit: @corsan_harry

“He’s good, I hope this is true”

Credit: @SaidTalks

“Yes please. He’s really good.”

Credit: @eezeeu

“better upgrade to Ogbonna, a good signing if it happens”

Credit: @Markwake141

“He’s alright, used to be a big talent but hasn’t quite performed to the levels expected. Reckon Dawson and Diop are better”

Credit: @WHUInfo

“Can play holding CM as well

Contract talks on hold.”

Credit: @PinceyKeeble1

In other news: ‘I understand’ – West Ham reporter makes promising transfer claim involving ‘extraordinary’ striker, find out more here.

Celtic are thought to be eyeing a move for midfielder Ahmed Kendouci from Algerian side ES Setif, according to reports, relayed by The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Kendouci profiled

Kendouci is just 22 years of age and is valued at £1.17m by Transfermarkt, making him his agency’s most valuable star by a considerable distance, so they’d surely be delighted to facilitate a big move.

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He’s capable of playing as a left midfielder as well as in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role, offering the sort of versatility that any manager would love to have in their squad.

Kendouci has made ten appearances in Algeria’s top flight this season, scoring three goals, and it seems as if he is now on Celtic’s radar after a move for Riley McGree broke down.

The Latest: Celtic links

The Daily Record relayed reports from Algeria regarding Kendouci in a story on Wednesday.

It is believed that the Hoops are looking at a potential move for the versatile midfielder and have even contacted former Rangers man Madjid Bougherra for more information on Kendouci.

The Verdict: Strange…

It seems extremely bizarre that a former Rangers man would be willing to help Celtic when it comes to possible signings.

However, it does seem as if Ange Postecoglou wants another midfielder brought in given the collapsed move for McGree, so there could be some truth into the latest rumours.

The Hoops boss has admitted previously that he’d be willing to explore niche markets when it comes to signings, so perhaps this is one to keep a close eye on even with the strange name-checking of Bougherra.

In other news: Scott Burns drops Celtic transfer update as Postecoglou gets his way once more. 

Newcastle United suffered a third successive Premier League defeat on Sunday, going down 5-1 away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Fabian Schar had put the visitors in front on 39 minutes, but goals from Ben Davies, Matt Doherty, Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn ultimately made it an emphatic victory for Antonio Conte’s side.

The result leaves Newcastle 15th in the table, still nine points clear of the relegation zone.

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Here at The Transfer Tavern, we delve into the three worst-rated starting outfielders for the Magpies as per statistical specialists SofaScore, with players required to feature for at least 45 minutes to feature. Collectively, this trio lost 71% of their ground duels and mustered a crossing accuracy of just 17%.

Joelinton – 5.8/10

Joelinton made his second consecutive start after missing a couple of games with a knock last month, but he only lasted 59 minutes before Eddie Howe took him off.

The manager may not have been impressed with a performance which saw the Brazilian lose six out of his seven ground duels, commit two fouls and pick up a yellow card.

Joelinton lost possession nine times overall, failing to complete the single cross and dribble that he attempted.

Dan Burn – 5.9/10

On a run of eight successive starts, the towering defender was also cautioned yesterday and didn’t fare much better than his Brazilian team-mate.

The 29-year-old lost all three of his ground duels and was also penalised for fouls on two occasions. In addition, he turned the ball over eight times and couldn’t find a team-mate with either of his long passes.

Matt Targett – 6/10

Targett has been selected every time that he has been available since making a loan switch from Aston Villa in January, but he completes the below-par trio of Newcastle players from Sunday’s defeat in north London.

He performed better than the aforementioned duo when it came to ground duels, winning three out of four, but he failed to enhance his team’s attacking threat, with four of his five crosses going astray on a less than stellar afternoon for him or his team. He was also guilty of losing the ball on seven occasions.

In other news, Keith Downie drops an update on Jonjo Shelvey

Leeds United had looked at signing Takumi Minamino and Kenedy as possible replacements for Crysencio Summerville in January, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Summerville stays put

Summerville was linked with a move away from Elland Road late in the month, with a loan switch to Hamburg mooted.

Instead, the 20-year-old ended up staying put at Leeds, where he will hope to play an important role in the Whites’ bid to remain in the Premier League this season. He has made eight appearances in all competitions so far in 2021/22, including five in the league.

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The Latest: Leeds had two possible replacements lined up

According to Hay in an article for The Athletic, both Liverpool’s Minamino and Chelsea’s Kenedy were seen as options if Summerville had moved on from Leeds in January. The journalist wrote:

“Various clubs in Europe were asking about Summerville but Marcelo Bielsa’s instinct was to hang onto him. The danger, as Leeds saw it, was that if Summerville insisted on moving on loan, as Cody Drameh did, then Bielsa might quickly usher him out the door.

“In which case, the club would be another man down and under pressure to rustle up a replacement. They took a tentative look at Takumi Minamino of Liverpool and Chelsea’s newly back from loan Kenedy but stepped back again once the decision to retain Summerville was made.”

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The Verdict: Chance for Summerville to shine

Summerville is unlikely to be a key figure at Leeds in the coming months, considering that the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Dan James are all ahead of him in the pecking order.

That being said, he could see it as a great opportunity to prove his long-term worth to the club, potentially affecting games upon coming off the bench and looking to create opportunities from out wide.

He caught the eye of Beren Cross last summer, with the Leeds Live journalist describing the youngster as “a runaway train” after some very impressive performances.

A loan move would have had its benefits in terms of the likelihood of more playing time, but Summerville could arguably learn more from training alongside some of his illustrious Leeds teammates. Also, as Hay pointed out, it would have left Bielsa sweating on bringing in someone like Minamino or Kenedy in order to fill the void.

In other news, a positive update regarding one key Leeds player has emerged. Read more here.