Category Uncategorized

It has not proven a particularly happy return to Everton for experienced midfielder Idrissa Gueye, with the 33-year-old having no doubt been culpable for the Toffees' woes so far this season since his £2m switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite having been hailed as a 'big player' for the club by then-boss Frank Lampard upon his arrival back at Goodison Park – after previously departing for the Parc des Princes in 2019 – the Senegalese international has flattered to deceive thus far, having created "more problems than he solves" according to journalist Greg O'Keeffe.

The veteran's woes have been laid bare by the fact that he has made three errors leading to goals so far this season, with that the most of any outfield player in the Premier League and just one shy of Tottenham Hotspur stopper, Hugo Lloris.

As Everton reporter Carl Markham noted, the £80k-per-week dud simply "looks like a mistake waiting to happen" such is his tendency to cost Sean Dyche's men, with the Merseysiders likely to be questioning the wisdom in bringing the one-time Aston Villa man back to the club.

With Gueye already not set to be a long-term solution in the centre of the park due to his age, Dyche should no doubt ruthlessly ditch the 98-cap menace from his side ahead of next season, with it perhaps time for the club's academy talent to be given a chance to shine.

If the former Burnley boss is hoping to find a figure to build his side around for the future, then the Englishman should look no further than that of 20-year-old starlet, Lewis Warrington, with the playmaker currently thriving out on loan at Fleetwood Town.

How is Lewis Warrington getting on at Fleetwood?

The promising youngster appears to be making the most of his time under ex-Celtic skipper, Scott Brown at Highbury, having already made 30 appearances in League One so far this season, with 28 of those coming from the start.

Hailed as a "very good player" by former Tranmere Rovers boss Micky Mellon after starring on loan with the lower-league side last term, Warrington has again shown his class this time around, illustrating his creative flair by creating three big chances and averaging 0.7 key passes per game in the current campaign.

That is a far superior record to that of Gueye – who has created just one big chance and averaged only 0.3 key passes per game from his 23 league appearances – with the Englishman having also shown himself to be both "combative and composed", according to journalist Joe Thomas.

The Birkenhead-born gem also clearly made a big impression on the aforementioned Lampard prior to heading out on loan, with the former Chelsea man having stated back in August:

"He is knocking on the door. Fleetwood was a tough game and he came on and influenced it. He's an incredible young professional, desperate to play for Everton and I love that. We'll see what happens next week."

The youngster's all-round quality has also been noted by Everton's official website, who said of his talents: 'A gifted all-round midfielder, he boasts impressive energy, and expansive passing range and eye for goal.'

As such, rather than persisting with an underwhelming, short-term fix like Gueye, Dyche must start afresh ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and put faith in young Warrington to perform for his boyhood club.

Arsenal moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League standings after a resounding 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners were in a rampant mood as they stuck four goals past a managerless Eagles outfit, who just days ago sacked Patrick Vieira, with Bukayo Saka (two), Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli all finding the net.

It was the first time that the north London giants took the field following their exit from the Europa League and they certainly put that result behind them.

The defeat to Sporting CP in midweek also saw a couple of worrisome injuries emerge, with William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu both missing this encounter, though in their absence, Rob Holding stepped up to prove all his doubters wrong…

How did Rob Holding play against Palace?

The prospect of the forgotten centre-back starting for the foreseeable future made several Arsenal fans worry about the title race, with some viewing the Englishman as not being up to the standard required.

However, he was arguably one of the better players on the pitch for Mikel Arteta, particularly in the first half.

By the full-time whistle, he was the only starting defender to still be on the pitch as the Spaniard tinkered with his options, likely planning for future inconveniences and affording some rest to his regular starters, with Kieran Tierney and Jakub Kiwior earning minutes.

The £40k-per-week titan was heavily involved throughout the 90 minutes, registering the second-highest number of touches (87), in which he delivered 64 accurate passes, including 100% of his five long balls finding an Arsenal shirt, via Sofascore.

He also won a whopping 11 duels, made five clearances and put in two successful tackles, helping thwart the threat on offer from Wilfried Zaha, who on his day can be a major threat to any backline.

"Rob Holding been solid in heart of defence so far," noted Evening Standard journalist Simon Collings at the break, whilst former Hale End graduate Nico Yennaris also gave the 27-year-old – who cost Arsene Wenger just £2m from Bolton in 2016 – his flowers on Twitter.

Although few endorsements were as glowing as the one from NBC Sports lead Joe Prince-Wright, who said: "Rob Holding doing his best Virgil van Dijk impression so far. Some majestic passes out of the back."

Given the stick that Holding received before he even stepped out on the Emirates turf on Sunday afternoon, his performance would've surely shut up a few doubters and just maybe, the 6 foot 2 colossus can have a big say in the title race in the coming weeks, if not months.

Glasgow Rangers return to action this afternoon, with a place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup up for grabs.

Raith Rovers are the visitors at Ibrox today and the Championship side dumped out Motherwell in the previous round, meaning they could be a potential banana skin in Michael Beale’s chase for his first trophy as Gers boss.

The Ibrox side suffered a scare against Partick Thistle in the previous round, winning just 3-2, but the Englishman will be aiming to send out a message with a comfortable victory.

It’s likely the manager makes alternations to the team that thrashed Hibernian in midweek, and we have predicted the Light Blues starting XI for the Scottish Cup tie, which will see three changes from the Premiership clash in midweek.

What could the Rangers XI look like against Raith Rovers?

4-2-3-1 – Allan McGregor; James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Ben Davies, Borna Barisic; Ryan Jack, John Lundstram; Fashion Sakala, Ianis Hagi, Ryan Kent; Alfredo Morelos

Allan McGregor will retain his spot in goal and he will be hoping Rangers can make the final. The 41-year-old has won four Scottish Cup winner’s medals, however, he has appeared in just one final, and that was a brief cameo in 2022 against Hearts.

Beale could deploy his strongest defence, with James Tavernier and Borna Barisic occupying the flanks, while Connor Goldson and Ben Davies form the centre-back pairing.

The midfield could see some changes from midweek. John Lundstram – dubbed a “cult hero” by Ally McCoist – may come in for Nicolas Raskin, and he would operate alongside Ryan Jack in the midfield axis.

Fashion Sakala – fresh from his wonderful performance against Hibs – will drop into a right-wing slot, with Ryan Kent moving to the left in what will be a 4-2-3-1 formation deployed by Beale.

Ianis Hagi could make just his second start since recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in this same competition back in January 2022, and the gem would replace Cantwell, dropping in just behind the striker.

Antonio Colak has been excellent recently, enjoying a two-goal salvo in midweek, but the £19k-per-week hitman could drop to the bench in favour of Alfredo Morelos, who may see the chance against Raith as an ample opportunity to grab a few goals to put pressure on the Croatian marksman.

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a summer swoop for Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling as manager Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad.

What’s the latest on Raheem Sterling to Arsenal?

According to 90min, the Spaniard is looking at reuniting with the Englishman – having coached him at Manchester City – as the Gunners look to add players with Champions League experience.

Arteta is said to be a big fan of the winger and could look to make a bid if he becomes available this summer. Meanwhile, due to their extravagant spending in January, the Blues may have to sell some players in the summer.

His contract doesn’t expire until 2027, so he’s unlikely to move for anything less than what Chelsea signed him for – £47.5m.

Could Sterling improve Arsenal?

The north London outfit looked like a front-runner to sign Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk in January, however, Chelsea emerged out of the blue and snatched the player from under Arteta’s nose, willing to pay the fee demanded by Shakhtar Donetsk, an eye-watering £88.5m.

Full credit goes to Arteta for not wilting in face of Shakhtar’s demands, however, he will be keen to avenge this missed opportunity by luring Sterling to the club.

The wingers in Arsenal’s squad this term have been performing excellently, registering 50 goal contributions between them, with Bukayo Saka the standout with 18 goal contributions and this is an area Arteta has managed to get firing on all cylinders.

With a first foray into the Champions League since 2017 looking extremely likely next term, the 40-year-old will need some added experience, and Sterling fits the bill.

Not only has he won ten major honours with City – including four Premier League titles – bringing a winners mentality to the squad, but his impact on Europe’s elite competition has been impressive.

Across 80 games in the Champions League, the £325k-per-week gem has scored 26 goals and registered 24 assists, while he has registered three goal contributions for Chelsea in Europe this campaign.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs hailed the winger as “delightful” and despite having a tricky start to life in London, the Englishman is Chelsea’s second-highest league scorer with four goals, while ranking in the top five out of the whole squad for shots on target, key passes and big chances created per game this term.

He hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations since joining from City, however his vast experience and impressive scoring rate in Europe – a goal every three matches – proves that Arteta must look to sign him this summer.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth could well be looking to find a new midfield recruit ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Magpies having been unable to find a suitable option last month.

One name which has been mooted in recent times is Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans, with the Belgian  facing an uncertain future at the King Power Stadium with just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal.

That fact could lead to a scramble for his services this summer, though, with it looking as if both Manchester United and Arsenal could well be the clubs to watch in the race to land the 25-year-old ahead of next season.

Should the Tynesiders be unable to tempt the former Monaco ace into moving to St James’ Park, Ashworth and co could well find a suitable alternative in the form of Juventus star Manuel Locatelli, with the two midfielders said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.

This comes amid claims that Newcastle are interested in signing the Italy international this summer, with Calciomercatoweb revealing that it is ‘not certain’ that he will remain in Turin beyond the end of the season, with the player currently on loan from Sassuolo.

The 6 foot 1 “dominator” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – notably came to wider attention due to his displays in the Azzurri’s European Championship triumph in 2021, having scored twice in the group stage win over Switzerland.

The £94k-per-week midfielder has also been a solid presence so far this season amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding Juventus, notably averaging two tackles per game from his 17 Serie A outings, along with winning 60% of his duels.

That combative nature is seemingly shared by the aforementioned Tielemans, with the Foxes dynamo averaging 2.2 tackles per game from his 21 Premier League appearances this season, also winning 58% of his duels.

The pair are also composed figures in possession, with the Belgian enjoying a pass accuracy rate of 84% so far this term, while Locatelli is only just behind as he has an average of 82% in that same metric.

That likeness is also showcased by the duo’s ability to provide an effective screen in front of the back four, with Tielemans ranking in the top 17% in Europe among those in his position for blocks made, while the former AC Milan ace ranks in the top 4% in that regard.

That comparison appears to indicate that, should Newcastle miss out on the Leicester ace this summer, they could have already identified an ideal alternative in Locatelli.

Leeds United could have another Charles De Ketelaere situation on their hands as interest intensifies surrounding mooted transfer target Azzedine Ounahi this month…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Angers SCO midfielder is keen to secure a move to Serie A leaders SSC Napoli before deadline day, despite the Yorkshire side offering a better deal.

The Ligue 1 outfit are thought to want around €25m (£22m) to let the Moroccan leave and whilst it’s thought that the 22-year-old is yet to reach an agreement with Gli Azzurri, it is believed to be his first-choice destination.

Elsewhere, other reports from the Daily Mail suggest that the Whites’ interest in Ounahi has been parked for the time being due to the uncertainty surrounding under-fire manager Jesse Marsch – either way, it seems as if director of football Victor Orta and co are fighting a losing battle.

De Ketelaere all over again

This situation is an all-too-familiar one to those at Elland Road, having missed out on a similar deal for Charles De Ketelaere during the summer window.

Fabrizio Romano claimed that Leeds were prepared to smash their club-record fee to sign him (around £35m) from Club Brugge but the Belgian attacking midfielder was eager to move to Italian champions AC Milan instead, despite chairman Andrea Radrizzani sanctioning a better deal.

He eventually got his wish before the start of the season, leaving the Whites to look back and think about what could have been.

They are at risk of a repeat scenario here unless they can convince Ounahi to make the switch to west Yorkshire before January 31st.

And that’s what Orta must do, to give Marsch the best chance of success – or if their managerial future does lie elsewhere, he could set up the new man with an absolute gem in the engine room.

Ounahi was a relatively unknown prospect before the World Cup but he became an overnight sensation with his impressive performances for the fourth-placed African nation. “He can really play,” claimed then-Spain boss Luis Enrique as Morocco beat La Roja, as well as Belgium and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals.

Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho was another keen admirer as he dubbed him “absolutely incredible” during the group stages, whilst talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as the “revelation” of the tournament at one stage.

The “fast and dynamic” midfielder – also in the words of Kulig – averaged 3.02 progressive passes, 0.95 key passes and an 81.5% passing accuracy per 90 throughout the World Cup, highlighting his expertise in finding the right man with positive, forward-thinking play.

He also registered an average of 1.27 tackles won, 1.11 interceptions and 1.59 successful dribbles per 90, via FBref, to further display his immense qualities as a box-to-box animal.

It is exactly why Orta and Radrizzani cannot let Ounahi slip away as they did for De Ketelaere, something must be done to convince the Angers “protege” – as once described by his former coach Corentin Bouchard – to become Leeds’ third signing this January transfer window.

The Whites cannot miss out on another one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, otherwise they’ll be left to rue the matter for the coming months, to the point where the problem will only arise again once the transfer window reopens in the summer – hopefully, Leeds remain a Premier League outfit by then, too.

AND in other news, Orta could form “unplayable” Leeds duo by signing £35m machine, imagine him and Adams…

Newcastle United would have to pay a fairly small fee to land Borussia Monchengladbach star Marcus Thuram. 

The Lowdown: NUFC links amid ASM friendship

Gladbach could well look to sell the Frenchman in the January transfer window. His contract is up this summer, so this appears to be their last chance to make a fee from him.

Eddie Howe’s side have been linked with the 25-year-old in recent times, with one report from 90min stating that Newcastle had the most ‘concrete’ interest as far as Premier League clubs were concerned.

Furthermore, Thuram is a good friend of Magpies winger Allan Saint-Maximin, with the winger admitting to Newcastle World he is close with him as well as Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.

The Latest: Claim emerges on Gladbach’s expected asking price

Journalist Jacque Talbot spoke to GiveMeSport regarding the fee that Newcastle may have to pay for Thuram’s services.

Talbot said the fee would be ‘£10-15m’, which in his opinion is ‘relatively low’ for a player of his quality.

He said: “Gladbach’s ambition would be to wait and hopefully get him to see out his contract, which ends in the summer. But I heard that if they were looking for a fee, it’d be somewhere between £10-15m, which is relatively low.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Newcastle should pursue Thuram despite tough competition

Thuram can operate either as a winger or in a forward position and would be a great option for the Magpies to have out wide.

Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron are both strong options at their disposal, but the Frenchman has had an astounding season in the Bundesliga.

The 25-year-old, who has been hailed as ‘world-class’, has 10 goals in 15 league appearances with the German side this term. Thuram also featured five times for France at the World Cup and picked up two assists. All things considered, that kind of money for a goal record of that quality would indeed be a total bargain.

However, with a return like that, Newcastle could face a lot of competition from a number of sides, but they should do all they can to convince him to make a move to the north-east.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing further additions in the January window in their bid to maintain their rampant start to the campaign, with a winger seemingly one position that may well be prioritised by manager Eddie Howe.

One man who could well be an ideal option is that of PSV Eindhoven starlet Cody Gakpo, with the Tynesiders having been named as one of the clubs who were interested in his services over the summer.

The 23-year-old – who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United of late – is “expected to leave” the Eredivisie outfit in 2023, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, with a fee of around €50m (£43m) having been mooted as a possible asking price.

The Netherlands international has become hot property amid his scintillating form at club level in recent times, with the “special” talent, as described by Romano, having scored 13 goals and registered 17 assists in just 24 games in all competitions so far this season.

Such an impact has not been an anomaly, however, with the 6-foot-4 starlet having scored 21 goals and laid on 15 assists in 47 games across all fronts last term, while his total tally for the club now stands at 55 goals and 50 assists in 159 games.

That rampant form has now been translated onto the international stage, with Gakpo having been simply “flying” for his country at the World Cup in Qatar, in the words of Romano, after netting three times in his opening three games at the tournament.

That haul has ensured that the forward now has five goals in only 11 appearances for his country and is currently the joint-highest scorer in the competition thus far, having scored a goal apiece in each of Oranje’s group games to secure their place in the knockout stages.

Dubbed a “real talent” by compatriot Nigel de Jong, the towering marksman notably lashed in a stunning strike in the draw with Ecuador in the second group game, having looked like a player who simply can’t be stopped at present.

Not only lethal in front of goal, it has been the forward’s all-round performance that has also been particularly eye-catching, with Gakpo having also been a real creative threat after averaging 1.7 key passes per game in the tournament so far, while also putting in a shift defensively after averaging 1.3 tackles per 90.

That outstanding form thus far – which has seen the player record an average match rating of 7.57, as per Sofascore – must surely have caught the attention of those back at St James’ Park, with such an addition likely to be one that can give Howe’s men a real boost in the quest for Champions League qualification.

Celtic continued their sensational Premiership form on Saturday afternoon, with Ange Postecoglou’s side making it six league wins in a row after a comprehensive 4-2 victory over Dundee United at Parkhead.

Indeed, two Sead Hakšabanović strikes either side of Steven Fletcher’s 12th-minute penalty saw the Hoops take a 2-1 lead into the break, before Dylan Levitt’s 87th-minute equaliser appeared to have snatched a point for The Terrors.

However, two late goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Ababa would go on to seal a well-deserved win for the home side, with the result moving the Bhoys seven points clear of Rangers at the top of the Premiership table.

And, while Hakšabanović’s two goals and overall performance will likely steal the headlines on Sunday morning, it was undoubtedly the display of Matt O’Riley in the middle of the park that provided Celtic with the platform for their win on Saturday.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £4.8m-rated midfielder was near-faultless in the heart of Postecoglou’s side, enjoying 118 touches of the ball – with no player from either side having more – completing 86 of his 91 attempted passes – a success rate of 91% – and finding his man with nine of his 11 attempted long balls and two of his seven attempted crosses.

The 21-year-old also took four shots at the Dundee United goal – three of which were on target – made four key passes and created one big chance for his teammates.

Furthermore, the central midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making two tackles, one interception and two clearances, as well as winning two ground duels.

These returns saw the Denmark U21 international earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 8.2 – the third-highest of any player to feature in the fixture – while Glasgow Live’s Ryan Thom also awarded the playmaker a seven in his own player ratings, as well as stating of the midfielder’s display:

“Another industrious display from the midfielder. Can always be trusted to do a job and makes this Celtic side tick.”

As such, with O’Riley himself claiming that his performances in recent weeks will determine whether or not he is called up for Kasper Hjulmand’s 26-man squad for the World Cup this winter, the Dane’s display at Parkhead will certainly have boosted his chances of sealing a seat on the plane to Qatar – as the youngster well and truly ran the show against Dundee United.

Former Premier League defender and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has backed Newcastle United to sign Christian Pulisic in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wingers wanted

It was revealed by Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano last week that the St. James’ Park outfit are looking to sign wingers in January, and will identify targets during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Pulisic is one player who has been linked as a target in the North East for January and will of course be in action for USA this month, and Hutton is full of praise for the possible deal.

The Latest: Pulisic move backed

Speaking to Football Insider, the former top flight defender said that Pulisic would ‘100 per cent’ choose a move to Tyneside in January, and that it would be an ‘easy decision’ for the Chelsea winger:

“100 per cent.

“It is pretty much an easy decision. He has come back into the Chelsea team in recent weeks, but he has not really been playing a position where he feels most comfortable. But he is back within the playing squad.

“If Newcastle did come in for him it is something that he would definitely sit up and want to think about. I think there is only one direction that they are going in at the moment and it is definitely something that you would want to be part of.

“It will be a huge decision for him, and I do not think he would take that one lightly.“

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Worth a punt?

There is no doubt that Pulisic lacks consistency in his game, with a total of 31 goal contributions over four seasons in the Premier League, and Chelsea would have expected higher numbers from their £58m signing.

However, it is a different story at international level, as Pulisic has netted 21 times and provided 12 assists in 52 senior caps for the USA (Transfermarkt), and is set to star and captain the side in the World Cup against England and Wales.

He is still only 24 years of age, and so there is plenty of room for improvement should he sign for the Magpies.

Nonetheless, if they could negotiate his £150,000-per-week wages down, he could turn out to be a shrewd purchase.