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Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened, this will give Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard the chance to make his mark on the squad at Villa Park and get them ready to make a push up the league table in the second half of the season.

With that in mind, it seems as though the club have their eye on someone that could bring some real star quality to Villa.

According to a recent club-by-club transfer guide from the Daily Mail, the Midlands club are interested in signing Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski.

Juventus signed Kulusevski in the 2020 January transfer window from fellow Italian side Atalanta, shortly before he joined Parma on a loan deal until the end of the 2019/20 season.

Overall, the 21-year-old winger, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has made 68 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring eight and providing ten assists along the way, showing the attacking capabilities he has in front of goal.

Despite making 21 appearances across all competitions so far this season, Kulusevski has only been in their starting XI on four occasions, showing that the 21-year-old isn’t that much of an important figure for Juventus and suggests that they could be tempted to sell him this month.

This could then pave the way for Villa to sign Kulusevski, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £78k-per-week according to Salary Sport and has been likened to Arjen Robben by Sweden manager Janne Andersson in regards to his ball control and finishing ability.

Described as being a “champion” in terms of his mentality by former Juventus player and manager Andrea Pirlo, Kulusevski could be a dream signing for Gerrard, becoming a player who takes his Villa team to the next level as a young and talented attacking player that has experience of playing at one of Europe’s top clubs and in the Champions League.

With this in mind and the fact that Villa are reportedly keen on letting Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore leave this month, the club should definitely see what they can do in terms of securing Kulusevski’s signature this month. After all, his experience at Juventus could really push Villa towards the top half of the table and potentially even inspire a chase for European football.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops exciting Aston Villa transfer update, Gerrard would be delighted – opinion

Celtic’s Tom Rogic should be available for Sunday’s SPFL clash with Aberdeen, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin. 

The Lowdown

Celtic will be looking to bounce back from Thursday’s Europa League defeat against Bayer Leverkusen, which knocked out of the competition, when they host The Dons.

Rogic has missed Celtic’s last five matches in all competitions as a result of the hamstring injury he sustained against Hibernian at the end of October (via Transfermarkt).

Manager Ange Postecoglou has raved about his ‘brilliant’ compatriot and the ‘extra special qualities that he brings’.

The Latest

Addressing a supporter in The Athletic’s matchday discussion on Thursday night, Devlin wrote that, while Rogic wasn’t ‘ready’ to face Leverkusen, he thinks he ‘should be for Sunday’.

The Verdict

What do the stats say about Rogic’s importance to Celtic? Well he’d started six of the last seven league games prior to his injury, suggesting he’d established himself as a key man under Postecoglou.

He also stands out in the squad because of his dribbling ability. He’s averaging 2.3 successful dribbles per 90 minutes and his nearest challenger (with more than three starts) is Jota on 1.3.

More generally, it’s crucial that Postecoglou has plenty of options at his disposal between now and the end of the year. Celtic are due to play 10 games in 34 days during that period.

In other news, this trio were Celtic’s poorest performers against Leverkusen.

Rangers manager Gio van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a sublime start to life in Glasgow with five wins and one draw in his first six games.

The Gers boss is picking up the results on the pitch but could now start to deal with off-field matters as the transfer window gets closer to reopening next month.

He could have a few decisions to make when it comes to the players who are out of contract at the end of the campaign, with centre-backs Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun both set to be free agents next summer as it stands.

Save millions

It remains to be seen whether or not either of them will be at Ibrox next season and there are questions marks over other players at the club, with Filip Helander currently injured and Nikola Katic out on loan.

This leaves Jack Simpson and Calvin Bassey (a left-back by trade) as the only fit centre-backs currently at the club who are contracted beyond the end of this term.

The issue for van Bronckhorst now is that the former is now attracting interest from south of the border. According to The Telegraph, QPR, Swansea and Middlesbrough are all interested in signing him in January to bolster their squads ahead of the second half of the Championship season in England.

However, with the issues Rangers have in terms of the make-up of their centre-back options heading into next season, they could need Ross Wilson to splash the cash to restock in that position. This means that allowing Simpson to leave whilst also losing Balogun and Goldson could cost the club millions.

The gem has won 83% of his aerial battles this season and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.83 in three Premiership appearances this term and his ex-boss, Eddie Howe, described him both as a “lovely footballer” and a player who’s got “everything.”

This suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable option when called upon, which is why van Bronckhorst could save the club money by offering him more minutes in the first-team instead of allowing him to join Middlesbrough, Swansea or QPR.

The 6 foot 3 titan could prevent Wilson from needing to spend millions in the market on another centre-back to fill up a position in the squad, which is why this could be a key decision from the Dutch head coach heading into January.

At the age of 24, the £3.1k-per-week earner has the scope to develop further and it could be a worthwhile effort to offer him more game time to see if he is able to improve whilst playing in the team.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kent: GvB must seal Rangers deal for £9.3k-p/w gem who “creates opportunities”…

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse had dropped out of international duty with England due to illness.

Even though there is still a week to go until Southampton are back in Premier League action with an away clash against league strugglers Norwich City, there’s every chance that the skipper may not be fit enough to play at Carrow Road next week depending on the nature and severity of the condition currently afflicting him.

With this possibility in mind, this could provide one other Southampton midfielder with a great chance of showing Ralph Hasenhuttl what he can bring to the party.

Opportunity knocks

Despite appearing in nine of the 11 Premier League games Southampton have played so far this season, 22-year-old midfielder Ibrahima Diallo has only started two of them, the first being their 1-0 win over Leeds United followed by their 2-2 draw against Burnley, completing the full 90 minutes on both occasions.

These two games were the two that Ward-Prowse missed as a result of the red card he picked up during their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea last month, proving that Hasenhuttl has made no issue in turning to Diallo in Ward-Prowse’s absence, which he could well do again if the Englishman is not fit enough to play against Norwich.

After earning himself a decent overall match rating of 7/10 for his performance in the Leeds match according to SofaScore, Diallo then followed that put by providing an assist in the draw against Burnley, proving that he can be a useful figure for the Saints when called upon.

With Hasenhuttl recently describing Diallo, who is currently valued at £13.5m according to Transfermarkt, as a “very physical player” who has a “very good amount of ability with the ball”, the Austrian should have no issues with including the midfielder in his starting XI against Norwich if Ward-Prowse isn’t able to play.

Looking beyond that, given Diallo’s young age and the fact that fellow Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu has now hit the age of 30 and has his current contract at St. Mary’s set to expire in the summer of 2023, there’s every possibility that Diallo could go on to become Romeu’s long-term heir at the club if the Spaniard leaves at the end of his deal and if Diallo can continue to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to start for the Saints.

In other news: “Intelligent” £30k-p/w Saints dynamo proved that he can be Ralph’s main man

As per South American news outlet El Intransigente.com, it appears West Ham United and head of recruitment Rob Newman have their eyes on another striker as some Julian Alvarez news emerges.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing new forward…

It is perhaps the worst kept secret in football that West Ham wish to add a new striker to their ranks amid fitness concerns surrounding Michail Antonio.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Manager David Moyes has been attempting to bring in a back-up for his Jamaica international since the start of 2021, confirming himself that bids had been lodged in January.

Over the most recent summer window, the Scotsman candidly admitted he was ‘desperate’ to bring in a centre-forward but to no avail as his hunt continues.

The arrival of new transfer chief Newman could help in this regard as they become linked to more and more strikers.

Alexandre Lacazette, Adam Hlozek and Andrea Belotti are just some of the names to be mentioned alongside the Hammers and now some news has surfaced on yet another target.

The Latest: West Ham in Alvarez hunt…

According to El Intransigente’s sources, West Ham are one of the several clubs across Europe in the race to sign promising Argentine forward Alvarez.

The Liga Profesional sensation has been attracting suitors from across the continent due to his fine form, with Moyes’ side joined by Real Madrid, Atletico, Juventus, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich and, now, Borussia Dortmund.

The Verdict: Good candidate?

At 21-years-old with plenty of seasons ahead and real sell-on value, Alvarez may have just become one of the best candidates to reinforce West Ham’s forward line.

The five-cap international’s record in front of goal speaks for itself, having netted 19 strikes across 2021 alone as he draws some crazy comparisons.

Former Uruguay star and club football journeyman Sebastien Abreu bizarrely likened him to a ‘Lion’ in the jungle due to his ruthlessness whilst also comparing Alvarez to the likes of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez for his hardworking style (archysport.com).

Lauded as ‘amazing’ whilst he develops ‘enormously’ by Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni (remonews.com), the young striker is also pretty affordable from West Ham’s perspective.

He reportedly has a release clause of around €20 million (£16.7m) which could rise to €25 million (£20.9m) depending on a special clause (El Intransigente), arguably a decent price to pay when taking into account his age and prolific form.

Alvarez has also averaged more shots per 90 domestically (3.3) than any West Ham player bar star man Antonio (WhoScored), perhaps indicating he would be a fine understudy.

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘What a day’, ‘Get in’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘great news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Declan Rice will leave West Ham to play for a Champions League club in the near future, according to former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

The Lowdown: Rice continues to shine

The 22-year-old has matured into one of the Premier League’s most consistent midfielders, also becoming a key man for England.

Rice was outstanding in the Hammers’ 1-0 win away to Everton on Sunday afternoon, deservedly taking home the Man of the Match award in the process.

The Latest: Neville makes key claim

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football [via West Ham Zone], Neville and Jamie Carragher discussed the quality of the West Ham man.

The former United right-back claimed that Rice will soon be at a bigger club performing at a higher level, in order to reach his potential:

“I think the development will be at some point, and West Ham fans won’t like me saying this, that he’ll somehow have to obviously transfer to a club that’s going to the Champions League, where he plays in midfield with high expectations, where he’s playing against teams that are dropping deep every week.”

The Verdict: Tough to argue

In an ideal world, Rice would remain at West Ham for another decade and inspire them to countless trophies, but that may be wishful thinking.

In truth, the time will likely come when a huge bid is made for the midfielder from one of the country’s biggest clubs and his head may be turned.

Hammers supporters should certainly enjoy Rice while they can, as he continues to play at an incredible level.

In other news, some West Ham fans were critical of one player against Everton. Read more here.

Leeds United’s poor start to the Premier League season continued as they held Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

Hwang Hee-chan scored the opening goal in the game, before a last-minute penalty from Rodrigo secured a point for the home side. Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites are now three points above the drop zone, in 17th, and only five points ahead of bottom club Norwich.

Whilst it was a frustrating afternoon for Leeds as a whole, one player in particular who let Bielsa down was Jack Harrison.

The winger endured an abysmal first half after starting the game and was hauled off at the interval by the Argentine head coach, who was clearly unimpressed by the 24-year-old’s performance. He was dreadful at all aspects of the game as he struggled to showcase the quality Leeds fans know he can produce.

Harrison produced eight goals and eight assists in the top flight last season, proving that he has the ability to be a threat at this level. However, those statistics are a far cry from his display against Wolves on Saturday as he put in a worrying performance.

Defensively, he was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost all seven of his duels before being substituted. The winger also failed to make a single tackle, interception, clearance or block as he was dribbled past once. This shows that he was weak in his individual battles and unable to defend well enough to win the ball back for the Whites whenever Wolves were in possession.

He also offered very little on the ball. As per SofaScore, he had a dribble success rate of 0% as he failed with both of his attempts. Harrison was also unsuccessful with his one cross and only completed 67% of his passes, creating one chance in the first half. This shows that, whenever he did get the ball, he did not have the quality to make the most of his openings, despite showing last season that he has it in his locker.

Therefore, he let Bielsa down with this performance as the Argentine knows that Harrison is capable of far better than what he showed against Wolves. The 24-year-old must now get his head down in training and work hard to improve ahead of the trip to face Norwich in the Premier League next Sunday.

In other news: Leeds could sign a huge Dan James upgrade in “exceptional” £22.5m-rated trickster

Newcastle United have suffered a major injury blow to Joe Willock ahead of their Premier League clash against Watford.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have endured a difficult start to the new top-flight campaign, remaining winless in their opening five matches and currently lying 18th in the table.

Manager Steve Bruce said: “Joe Willock picked up an injury in this week, unfortunately, and Jamaal Lascelles hurt his thigh. So they, unfortunately, go on to the injured list, which makes that about five or six of our first team.

“Not that healthy, I have to say. Disappointed. Joe’s was a complete fluke, unfortunately he kicked the ground, damaged his toe. He’ll not make this week, and probably touch and go whether he’ll make next week as well.”Massive blow for Newcastle UnitedMake no mistake about it, being without Willock is arguably the second-biggest absence the Magpies could have faced, outside of Allan Saint-Maximin of course.The former Arsenal starlet arrived on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window, and in his initial loan spell at St James’ Park, he showed exactly why he’s a real match-winner. He bagged eight in 14 games following his winter arrival and set a new record by becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to score in seven consecutive matches.That ability to get into the box at the right time to finish things off is something which has been hailed by Owen Hargreaves, too, praising him after his goal-scoring display for Arsenal against Dundalk in the Europa League last season.The former England midfielder said: “The point is, he can do so much, he gets in the box in the right place at the right time. He wants it to feet, he’s always on the half-turn, which is nice to see. Today I saw a bit more athleticism rather than just coasting in there. His overall game is really good.”While Willock has yet to find the net so far this season, he has still shown his importance to Bruce’s side with a squad-high 4.3 tackles per game, while only Saint-Maximin has averaged more dribbles per match (SofaScore).Without him in the starting line-up against Watford, it really looks like it will be more the same of having to rely on Saint-Maximin for a moment of inspiration.Newcastle fans must be gutted over the injury to the 22-year-old gem, especially considering the freakish circumstances in which it came about.Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this Championship ace…

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo is closing in on a return from injury.

As to be expected, a number of Red Devils supporters were quick to react to the update on social media.

The 19-year-old officially made the move to Old Trafford at the beginning of the year for a fee worth close to £20m. He netted once in eight senior appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season and was set to join Feyenoord on loan in the summer.

However, a temporary move away collapsed after the winger picked up an injury. Romano has now claimed that Diallo is set to return from a muscular issue this month, with a January loan move a possibility with many clubs interested in him.

United fans react

Romano posted the latest news regarding the teenager on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Here is what these United fans had to say in reply, with plenty not holding back in their thoughts on the update, and indeed on Diallo’s short-term future.

“Premier League loan, I’m on my knees”

Credit: @SAMlR2SHIESTY

“YEEEEESSSS, I really believe in this kid, I hope he gets used when he comes back!”

Credit: @KrishnanUTD

“Here we go”

Credit: @RichieMnene

“We’ve wasted him at this club”

Credit: @Tari______

“OR– we could play him. A revolutionary idea, I know.”

Credit: @patrickmcdona10

“Banter FC”

Credit: @dhegec

In other news: ‘Take him ASAP’ – These Man Utd fans buzz as exit rumour emerges

Some Everton fans have been left bemoaning a transfer update on Donny van de Beek.

Speaking earlier on in the week to Ziggo Sport Voetbal (via The Daily Express), which has since been shared by The Everton End on their Twitter page, the Manchester United ace’s agent Guido Albers has revealed that him and his client opened up discussions with the Goodison Park faithful over a potential move: “We took the initiative to find a club and our search ended up at Everton. We opened talks with Marcel Brands and Farhad Moshiri.”

Given that both James Rodriguez and Gylfi Sigurdsson are yet to play a game for the Merseyside club so far this season (Transfermarkt), van de Beek would have been a smart signing to fill in the vacant number 10 role.

Even though he has had his problems at Old Trafford, there is no doubt that the Netherlands international has quality, emphasised during his time at Ajax, where he scored 41 goals and made a further 34 assists in 175 matches in total over all competitions across five consecutive campaigns (Transfermarkt).

Everton fans on van de Beek transfer update

These Toffees supporters bemoaned the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that they were ‘gutted’:

“I was always impressed with him at Ajax, a bit like a Cahill but with better technique.”

Credit: @fergus_maximus

“Would have actually been all for this. He’s wasted at United.”

Credit: @TabbyEfc1991

“There’s a player in DVDB. He needs to leave to revive his career. I’d love him at Everton.”

Credit: @TacticallyEv

“May be true but I’ll never accept Everton being a step down for anyone. Would have been a cracking signing.”

Credit: @SK21878

“Gutted”

Credit: @JakeC98__

“Would have been a boss signing for both Everton and van de Beek that. He’s far too good to be only playing 15 games a season him”

Credit: @bluetom_tom

In other news, find out what Rodriguez news has Evertonians unhappy here!