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With just hours left in the January transfer window, rumours and speculation continue to fly. Celtic find themselves linked with a number of potential targets to help with damage limitation in what can only be described as a disappointing season.

According to Sheelagh McLaren, Celtic are trying to squeeze in a last-gasp defensive signing today. They are reportedly looking to snap up a centre-back on loan, which would be a smart bit of business from Peter Lawwell and co.

The Hoops have all but handed over their Premiership title to Glasgow rivals Rangers, who top the table with a mammoth 23 point advantage. Celtic’s lacklustre Europa League spell has also put heavy strain on Neil Lennon’s position, which is being called into question. The Scottish giants have found themselves linked to the likes of Rafael Benitez and Frank Lampard as Lennon’s chances of staying at the club look doubtful.

However, if the Irishman was ever going to buy himself some more time at Celtic, it would be today. The Bhoys are in desperate need of some new defensive options and if Lennon can get a deal over the line before the January window shuts, he could stall his impending sacking.

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Summer loan signing Shane Duffy has been a huge disappointment since moving to Parkhead. Talks have even emerged over his deal being cut short this month. Indeed, should the Brighton man make a shock early exit, Lennon will need recruits.

Christopher Jullien has been victim of ongoing injuries this season, missing out on a total of 29 fixtures due to back and knee problems. The Frenchman also missed three further games due to self-isolation, according to Transfermarkt. This has had a huge impact on Celtic, who have even resorted to fielding youngster Stephen Welsh to fill in during absences.

Should Lennon make a statement by bringing in a new centre-back, he will be showing both the club and the fans that he has intent to right his wrongs from this season. By recruiting personnel Celtic desperately need, the manager could buy himself more time at the club and give himself the best chance of returning to action in 2021/22 and snatching the title back from Rangers with an improved squad.

In other news, Olivier Ntcham loan move could be beginning of the end…

Not even the most ardent of Aston Villa fans could ever have imagined the kind of start they have enjoyed to the new Premier League season.

Dean Smith’s side have flown out of the blocks this campaign, and made a complete mockery of the fact they only just survived relegation back to the Championship on the final day of last season.

Demolition jobs of Liverpool and Arsenal have been the icing on the cake for Villa, with the side just six points off fourth and with two games in hand on almost all of the sides that are above them.

The pundit and naysayers will no doubt all be out in force over the coming weeks and months to insist that the Midlands club can’t continue to keep up their form, and that an inevitable slide is on the cards.

And of course for every Leicester or Wolves success stories over the past few years of sides breaking up the Premier League’s big six, there are so many more examples of teams falling away after racing off to a great start.

That’s exactly why Villa’s co-owners of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens must back Smith to the hilt in the January transfer window, and give them the extra firepower needed to make sure their incredible first half of the season is backed up for the second.

Smith has already admitted that Villa face a challenge in keeping up their momentum, and almost threw down the gauntlet to the club’s hierarchy over making sure he’s given the tools to ensure they do so.

He said: “We’re always planning for the next window but only time will tell if (our squad depth) is strong enough. We believe it’s certainly stronger than last season and in a much better place.

“Our start to the season has proven that already but we’ve got to sustain that. It’s a tough league to play in week in, week out. We feel we’re stronger this season with the additions we’ve made and the experience we’ve got from last season. We have to go and sustain that.”

It would be such an unforgivable disaster if Villa threw away all the hard work they have done by just taking a much more laid-back approach in the January transfer window.

This is the exact moment where they simply cannot rest on their laurels. Sawiris and Edens hold the key to Villa hitting the jackpot this season.

West Brom may have dodged an almighty bullet this summer.

It’s no secret that one of their weakest positions is on the right flank, it’s why Slaven Bilic has recently reverted back to a wing-back system. And that paid off on Saturday night as the Baggies clinched their first win of the season.

Matheus Pereira thrived centrally in the no.10 role, at last, running the show for Albion completely.

Last season, Bilic often deployed Matty Phillips as his right-sided midfielder but it’s clear to see that he just doesn’t fancy him in the Premier League, so it was no surprise to see them linked with potential additions in the role throughout the transfer window.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend emerged as a late target for the Midlands outfit – according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, West Brom were keen admirers of the former England international but did not have the funds to follow-up their interest.

And that is now looking like a masterstroke of a decision as the 29-year-old has failed to continue his spout of early-season form. It is now seven straight games without a single goal or an assist, whilst he has been dispossessed most by some of the division’s flailing sides – Fulham (four times) and Burnley (twice).

Reports suggest that Townsend is earning around £80k-per-week at Selhurst Park, which puts him among their highest earners, so it would have been one expensive gamble to try and secure his signature as no Albion player is on anywhere near that amount right now.

The £8.55m-rated wide man was once lauded by former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas as a “fearless player” but when he’s on the opposition’s team sheet, he doesn’t quite have the spine-chilling effect that a Wilfried Zaha has.

With the Eagles star averaging just 1.6 dribbles, 1.5 key passes and 1.1 shots per game this season, via WhoScored, sporting director Luke Dowling and the Baggies have certainly had one lucky escape.

They mustn’t revisit him in January, even if his contract is due to expire in the summer.

AND in other news, West Brom’s “huge talent” has just given Slaven Bilic one big selection headache…

If we’re being completely honest, we can’t remember the last time that Crystal Palace had one of the best players in the world on their books.

Whilst some will argue that Wilfried Zaha falls into that category, Ian Wright was probably the last truly world-class star who plied his trade at Selhurst Park, before the club’s greatest ever striker ended up signing for local rivals Arsenal in 1991.

However, things may have panned out very differently indeed if they had played their cards right a few years ago.

According to Sky Sports, Palace missed the opportunity to sign Ferland Mendy from Le Havre in the summer of 2017, as it seems the Eagles weren’t willing to pay the same price as Lyon.

The French Ligue 1 side spent a mere €5m plus €1m in additional add-ons to prise him away from Le Havre (£5m), which is hardly a colossal amount, especially when you consider the fact that Palace signed Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool for £26m in the same year.

Obviously, it’s easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight, but if the Eagles had pulled the trigger, they could have had a true world-class talent on their hands.

Mendy is arguably one of the best full-backs in the world at the moment, as he has already won the La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, having made 25 appearances in the Spanish top flight last season, via Transfermarkt.

Once hailed as a very “talented” beast by club legend Zinedine Zidane, the 25-year-old has even started to usurp legendary Brazilian left-back Marcelo – the French international has played more league games than his teammate so far this season.

Mendy averaged 1.3 tackles, 1 clearance and 2 dribbles per league game last term, whilst he scored one goal and supplied two assists, via WhoScored. By comparison, even Patrick van Aanholt only managed fewer than one dribble per game in the Premier League last season, as per WhoScored.

With Tyrick Mitchell working his way back to fitness, and van Aanholt only recently returned from a spell on the sidelines, it looks like Palace missed an opportunity to land an absolute bargain back then who surely would’ve been in contention to start right now.

Steve Parish wasn’t prepared to part ways with such a small amount in 2017, which now looks like it was a terrible mistake, as he’s now valued at £36m via Transfermarkt, and Palace could have signed him for £5m. Even in the unlikely event a transfer hadn’t worked out as well as planned, they could’ve still sold him for a greater profit. It almost doesn’t bear thinking about.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace dynamo Eberechi Eze was Hodgson’s most vital cog against Leeds United…

Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard has shed light on his transfer situation over the last 12 months. The Denmark international admitted that a move was on his mind earlier this year, but he ultimately decided to stay at the request of Ralph Hasenhuttl and the club.

Speaking to Goal.com, Vestergaard mentioned the fact that even in the summer, clubs had come knocking for his services. However, since being convinced to stay, his focus is only on Southampton and he has not received any information on interested parties from his agent.

Whilst his loyalty to the club is admirable, the Saints should look to reevaluate their decision. Is the 28-year-old a player Southampton are reliant on?

Hasenhuttl made a mistake with Verstergaard talks

It’s certainly an odd decision to keep Vestergaard at the club following his quiet 2019/20 season. The Dane was dropped for 17 Premier League matches and missed a further two due to picking up a knock (via Transfermarkt). This hints that Hasenhuttl had no real desire to deploy the defender, especially having four players in the same position fighting for their role in the squad.

When Vestergaard has been on the pitch, he’s been subject to a lot of criticism. Lots of Southampton fans have ridiculed his performances and even club icon Matt Le Tissier has given him both barrels. Speaking to Sky Sports (via HITC), the pundit slammed the Saints man for not doing enough to mark his man.

“It’s a really odd habit to get into,” Le Tissier said following Southampton’s loss to West Ham last year.

But Vestergaard hasn’t just been disappointing for his club, his international displays have also left a lot to be desired. Denmark’s most recent match against England saw him play just 16 minutes, with the previous fixture leaving him reduced to the bench (via Sofascore).

Leicester were reported to be linked to Southampton’s controversial man, but a move didn’t materialise. Hasenhuttl should look to strike up talks against once the January window comes round, in hopes to cash in on the man slowly being phased out of the team.

In other news, Southampton cashed in on Morgan Schneiderlin at the exact right time…

Manchester United were quite busy in the ongoing summer transfer window but they are also not showing any signs of stopping any time soon. Of course, the Jadon Sancho saga is bound to last for at least a while longer as the Red Devils look to secure their primary target.

However, even though they usually have the financial power to get the players they want, it still feels like they are not exactly that prolific on the market.

That’s what Gary Neville, a Man United icon himself, thinks. Here’s what he said about their transfer business as of late, as quoted by The Daily Mail:

“Like everyone else they had three months off because of coronavirus, so I don’t think it should be the case they didn’t have the resource or time to get things done. Chelsea got their business done, [Manchester] City have got three or four pieces done. I don’t think timing’s the issue.

“It’s just a thing with United that every time they go for a player in the last four, five, six years it feels they are a little bit desperate. They think they can hang on but they always pay it [the asking price] in the end. That’s sometimes where I think you can take control, give a hard deadline and say ‘we’re moving away from this deal'”

And maybe Neville really does have a point. Other clubs know Man United have the money and because of that, they tend to bump up the prices and the Red Devils always end up paying them.

This might also be true for Sancho as well. Even though they are refusing to meet Borussia Dortmund’s asking price at this moment in time, it does feel inevitable.

And their rivals are already taking advantage of that sloppy approach.

Verdict

Only time will tell if Man United have finally learned their lesson. But can they really get Sancho for a reduced price?

After all, the youngster is already a superstar and they simply don’t come cheap.

David Moyes’ decision to end plans to sell Andriy Yarmolenko in the summer transfer window backfired on Wednesday night when the Ukraine international offered a dismal display in the EFL Cup.

What’s the word?

Reports early in the summer by the Mirror named Yarmolenko as one of the high-earning outcasts expected to leave the London Stadium this year, with Moyes deciding that he, Felipe Anderson and Albian Ajeti would help raise funds for any needed investment in the squad.

Yarmolenko was brought to England during Manuel Pellegrini’s expensive tenure in charge of the Irons, with the Chilean signing off on a £17.5million deal and awarding the former Borussia Dortmund forward a £115,000-per-week, five-year contract that runs until 2023.

In return, West Ham fans have seen the 30-year-old feature in just 38 games for their club and play a role in 14 goals (nine scored, five assisted) across all competitions, with Yarmolenko also suffering two lengthy muscle injuries.

But Moyes had a change of heart during the summer and opted to keep Yarmolenko at the London Stadium, with ExWHUemployee stating on The West Ham Way podcast in August that the Scottish coach had liked what he’d seen from the attacker and was now keen to retain his services.

Moyes’ decision has only backfired, though, as Yarmolenko displayed all the reasons why he was initially deemed surplus to requirements as West Ham crashed out of the Carabao Cup away to Everton on Wednesday night.

A night to forget for Yarmolenko

The EFL Cup clash at Goodison Park was a night to forget for Yarmolenko as the now £8.55m-rated forward hindered more than he helped by holding West Ham back whenever the visitors sought to push forward.

Yarmolenko began well – much like his West Ham career, having scored twice against the Toffees in what was his fifth Premier League appearance – but a refusal to shift the ball onto his weaker right foot brought an end to many attacks, while football.london went as far as to say the 30-year-old “almost looked disinterested and offered nothing”.

Statistics collated by SofaScore do show Yarmolenko was an attacker responsible for 49 of the Irons’ touches and 27 accurate passes with a 73% success rate that led to two key chances, but also a player who lost five of his seven ground duels, lost possession 17 times and failed to deliver a single accurate cross.

Having failed to start any of West Ham’s Premier League fixtures so far this season and failing to enter the action at all as the Hammers hit four past Wolverhampton Wanderers, Yarmolenko should have been expected to push on against Everton rather than fall into the shadows. It was in the Carabao Cup he shone with two goals and two assists only a week before against Hull City, but he has now left Moyes with much to answer for.

AND in other news, West Ham have submitted an offer to sign David Moyes’ top striker target.

After the roller-coaster ride of their 4-3 triumph over Leeds United last weekend, Liverpool enjoyed a more comfortable win against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds took home all three points thanks to a double from Sadio Mane, with Andreas Christensen’s red card at the end of the first-half ensuring Jurgen Klopp’s side didn’t have to sweat too much.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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One man who didn’t enjoy the greatest of games for the Merseyside club however, was Georginio Wijnaldum. The Netherlands international has got greater competition for his place following Thiago’s arrival, and on the basis of his display against Chelsea, he’s certainly the one whose place is most under threat.

As per Sofascore, three of his four shots were off target, was dribbled past three times, and lost possession on eight separate occasions. And after watching his performance, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their frustrations.

A couple of Liverpool fans seemed to have had enough with Wijnaldum, and suggested that he should leave – reports of course have claimed that Barcelona are very much interested in luring him away from Anfield.

If Liverpool fans were waiting to see how Thiago would start life on Merseyside, then the Spain international didn’t disappoint with his second-half appearance.

Despite playing just 45 minutes, he made more passes than anyone for Chelsea, and Klopp will be keen to get him into the starting line-up as soon as possible.

Wijnaldum’s ineffectiveness against the Blues may just give him the reason to get the former Bayern Munich man integrated immediately.

The Premier League have had more pressure piled onto them to give answers on the failed takeover of Newcastle United as thousands of letters have been sent to local MP’s urging them to write to the top flight and its chief executive Richard Masters.

Indeed, this adds to the pressure that he has been put under this week, including a petition signed by over 70,000 members of the Toon Army demanding for the CEO of England’s highest division to come out and give an explanation as to why the EPL was taking so long to make their final decision.

A link has been created by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) and shared on social media to show how supporters of the Tyneside club can write to their own local MP asking for transparency from the Premier League, which has now generated thousands of letters.

Some MP’s have already replied to these fans, and others like Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck for South Shields have also acknowledged requests from several members of the Toon Army.

Indeed, the pressure is building and building on the top flight and its chief executive Masters to come out and give an explanation for the lengthily process, which essentially caused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group to cut the wire on their own £300 million deal with Mike Ashley.

With the new 2020/21 season fast approaching, coupled up with the added fact that the summer transfer window has officially opened, perhaps this was an unsurprising move.

Nevertheless, England’s highest division are now under more pressure than ever before to give answers, as the Magpies continue to demand for them to be given.

Geordies, does the EPL need to give answers on the takeover? Comment below!

He may not have spent too long at Leeds United, but it’s fair to say Ian Rush fondly remembers his time with the club.The Liverpool icon played 39 times for the Whites, scoring three times, and after seeing them clinch their return to the Premier League, took to Twitter to pass on his congratulations.

It speaks volumes of the kind of affinity players build up with Leeds, that even someone who played less than 40 games for them is still absolutely buzzing to see them do well.

Can you name every one of the Leeds’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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Two of Rush’s former sides in Liverpool and Leeds have both enjoyed historic seasons this year, and the prospect of seeing those two giants of English football face off once more in the Premier League is a mouth-watering prospect.

Despite still having a couple of games to play in the Championship, you can forgive anyone of a Leeds persuasion from looking past that and already eyeing up their first game back in the promised land.

Who’s excited?