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According to the print version of The Daily Mail (January 23, page 65), as reported by HITC, West Ham United are keen to secure the services of outcast Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater in this January transfer window.

The Hammers could certainly do with bolstering their midfield contingent, especially in light of the injuries suffered by Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez, and Drinkwater would be an ideal fit for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. 

On the chalkboard

The Irons currently lack an effective box-to-box midfielder. Wilshere’s ongoing fitness concerns rule out the former Arsenal man as a reliable option. Elsewhere, club captain Mark Noble no longer has the stamina to fulfil such a role, whilst the likes of Pedro Obiang and Declan Rice are too defensively minded to offer a genuine threat in the final third on a consistent basis.

Drinkwater, however, has the capacity to perform this duty at the London Stadium and play a link role between West Ham’s defensive and attacking units.

Check out the video below to find out why West Ham’s potential sale of Marko Arnautovic sets such a dangerous precedent…

His vision, creativity, technical ability and eye for goal make him an effective presence in attacking moves, whilst his defensive diligence and composure in possession ensure he isn’t a liability when his team comes under pressure. 

An escape from Stamford Bridge is exactly what the 3-cap England international needs this month, and it’s easy to see how he could fit into Pellegrini’s plans.

A fresh start

Since his £35 million switch from Leicester City to Chelsea (BBC) in the summer of 2017, Drinkwater has failed to establish himself as a first team regular with the west London club.

In all his time with the Blues, the 28-year-old midfielder – who won a Premier League title in his time with the Foxes – has made just 12 league appearances, and has not registered a single minute of action in the top flight this season.

Drinkwater needs a fresh start to get his career back on track, and a switch to Stratford this month could give him exactly that.

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Lots of Aston Villa fans have been running the rule over their third signing of the January transfer window, as Tyrone Mings has joined on loan.

It feels like Aston Villa have been in second gear for most of this season, but fans are hoping their latest signing will kick start a genuine playoff push.

The club have confirmed the capture of Mings from Bournemouth, per their official site, and the defender will join on loan until the end of the season.

The 25 year-old has made just seven first team appearances for the Cherries this season, per Transfermarkt, and has been pushed down the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium by the incredible form of Nathan Ake.

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Dean Smith’s ageing defence has been in need of reinforcements all season, and Mings, a left-footed defender who can play right across the back four, will be a huge boost to the gaffer’s arsenal.

Mings joins Lovre Kalinic and Kortney Hause on the list of January signings, and the Twitter reactions down below are absolutely loving it…

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Liverpool are currently at the top of the Premier League table, with just thirteen games of the season left to play.

The reigning champions Manchester City, as well as outsiders Tottenham Hotspur, are on their tail though and will be ready to capitalise on any stumbles the Reds suffer during the run in.

Jurgen Klopp has to manage his side’s charge for their first league title triumph in the Premier League era, but must also negotiate the tough upcoming Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.

The German coach may be tempted to play a weakened team against the German giants though, in order to preserve his star players for their all important Premier League title push.

Football FanCast’s Billy Meyers and Will Jones debate whether or not the Merseyside club should sacrifice their Champions League campaign in order to focus all their efforts on bringing a first Premier League crown to Anfield.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Meyers: For

Liverpool should certainly abandon their Champions League campaign in favour of focusing on the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp does seem to enjoy the European competitions, shown by the fact he has made it to the final of the Europa League with the Reds, and the Champions League final on two occasions, one whilst with Borussia Dortmund.

Despite that, there is only a slim, if that, chance of the Merseysiders winning the famous cup competition for a sixth time in their history, whereas they are in pole position to secure what would be their first ever Premier League title.

Additionally, both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk are missing for the first leg of the last 16 tie against Bayern Munich (Goal), so judging by the Reds’ squad depth, it may even be a case of abandoning one trophy and focusing on the other, or missing out on both altogether in embarrassing fashion.

Jones: Against

Yes, winning the Premier League ought to be a higher priority for Liverpool than anything else this season. However, that absolutely does not mean they should take on Bayern with anything other than a commitment to doing all they can to win. 

For a start, the competition must be respected. The Champions League is not something to take lightly. What’s more, the Liverpool players will be hungry to progress in the competition. Knocking out Bayern would be a huge boost to the club and could give them an injection of confidence and belief for the rest of the season.

Setting a precedent of giving up on competitions is dangerous and will not serve to inspire the players. Most importantly, though, the Reds cannot afford to lose momentum. A heavy defeat in the Champions League, even with the context of a weakened team having been fielded, threatens to knock Liverpool’s confidence and upset their rhythm at a crucial stage of the campaign.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sunderland continue to look dire under the management of Phil Parkinson, and despite fans teetering on outrage that he is still in charge, there seems to be little movement in regard to his position.

The match against Gillingham was a familiar tale as the Black Cats mustered just three shots on target before succumbing to a late defeat.

Nothing has changed since the reign of Jack Ross, and in fact, things have got worse. Why then, if his predecessor was deemed not good enough, has Parkinson remained in charge?

The answer could rely on finances. The club recently received £10m according to The Sunderland Echo (via The Sun) of investment but paying off both Parkinson and Ross would represent a significant outlay, as would bringing in a new manager.

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That could eat heavily into Stewart Donald’s resources, which is a massive concern given the additions that will have to be made to a lacklustre and underperforming squad in January.

As things stand there seems to be no thought given to Parkinson’s poor management and he looks set to remain in charge for the foreseeable future, yet he is taking the club backwards.

Sunderland Echo writer Phil Smith has suggested that the Black Cats’ manager still has the backing of his boss, Donald, but if he continues to fail even after reinforcements are brought in then his time must surely be up soon.

Trusting him to bring in his own playing personnel now seems like a massive gamble Sunderland can’t afford to make, as it could not only hinder them this season, but in years to come.

He has been trusted to bring in coaches to improve the players’ fitness and their understanding of his style, yet two wins in 12 games for a massive club in League One is diabolical, and hints that he won’t be able to turn things around.

Players caught eating fast food shows there is now a mentality issue in the squad, and Parkinson, therefore, has a lot to do right if he is ever going to sort out the mess and carry Sunderland forward.

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Tottenham Hotspur host Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be looking to keep pace with the Premier League title race with a win. 

However, Spurs must be wary, as the Foxes showed in their recent hard-fought draw against Liverpool that they have what it takes to match the best. Every member of the Spurs team must pay due diligence to their defensive duties.

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Pochettino will be looking to his midfielders to follow runners and drop deep to support their defence throughout the match. Harry Winks, who has impressed recently in the middle of the park for Spurs, will shoulder plenty of this responsibility.

The 23-year-old will have to balance his attacking duties with being mindful of the threat being posed by the likes of James Maddison and Demarai Gray who will be looking to exploit any gaps between Spurs’ midfield and defence.

The 3-cap England international must be mature and disciplined to ensure that his side aren’t caught out as they push forwards.

According to The Mirror, Everton have completed their ambitious swoop to bring Carlo Ancelotti to the club, although his contract will be until 2023 rather than 2024, which has been reported by the likes of The Telegraph and The S*n.

The Mirror says that the Italian, who has signed an £11.5m-a-year deal at Goodison Park, is likely to be in the stands to watch their Premier League fixture against Arsenal this weekend, before officially starting in his new role on Monday.

Watch Everton vs Burnley Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

The report adds that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri played a key role in convincing the experienced 60-year-old to be Marco Silva’s successor, and has given the former Premier League winner assurances about the Toffees’ ambitions and that transfer funds will be available for him to strengthen the squad.

Given they lie just three points above the top flight relegation zone given some of the fees they have splashed out on players in recent years, that boosting of the team looks to be much-needed.

With the transfer window set to open in less than a fortnight Ancelotti may already have some targets in mind, but before that he is on course to begin his reign against Burnley on Boxing Day.

In other Everton news, a report has suggested that the future of a high-profile Toffee could be under threat if Ancelotti is appointed…

In the first Premier League Amazon Prime Video late kick-off of Boxing Day, two northern powerhouses in the form of Manchester United and Newcastle United lock heads at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.

The jury remains out on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the Red Devils as his reign at the club enters its second year, although United are there or thereabouts of where they need to be in terms of the table.

For the visitors, ’19/20 hasn’t been half as bad as some predicted it would be under the management of Steve Bruce as they’re sitting comfortably in the middle of the standings.

Watch Man Utd vs Newcastle Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

There’s been some memorable clashes in this fixture over the course of history, from the 5-3 of November 2002 to the 3-2 of October 2018 and the most recent affair, featuring Matty Longstaff’s historic winner.

United do have a significant upper hand on the overall record, but you’d be foolish to back against the Magpies completing the double over Solskjaer’s men.

How to watch football on Amazon Prime

Free Premier League football is returning to the UK once more this festive period after Amazon Prime Video showed ten top-flight matches live in the first week of December – they’re doing it again!

All the same features will be in operation, these include the no commentary feature enabling viewers to just hear crowd noise throughout a match, the ability to watch three games at once on three separate devices and the Goals Centre channel, where goals as they go in around the country can be viewed.

The 4K Ultra HD service is available on internet devices, as well as Smart TVs, Fire TV, games consoles, BT TV, Apple TV, Virgin’s V6 TV Box, Chromecast and TalkTalkTV.

The way you can watch United and the Magpies, in the coverage hosted by names such as Gabby Logan and Jim Rosenthal, for nothing is by starting a free 30-day trial with Prime and cancelling it within the 30 days, you will also get free UK next day delivery from Amazon in this period.

However, if you decide that you want to keep Prime Video and free express delivery, it will only cost you £7.99 a month and £79 per year after that.

Phil Parkinson is determined to strengthen his squad as early as possible in the transfer window with Football Insider reporting that a Championship winger has emerged on his radar.

What’s the latest?

Sunderland have been linked with another Bristol City young player in Hakeeb Adelakun, and Football Insider suggests they have made a loan enquiry about the 23-year-old’s services.

They aren’t the only club to have done so, however, with League One rivals Doncaster and Rotherham also reportedly keen to snap him up this month.

The length of the loan deal has not been disclosed but since Aiden McGeady is likely to depart on a permanent basis the Black Cats may want to secure Adelakun for the rest of the season.

Sunderland may have to depend on the loan market for most of their incomings this month, with reports suggesting that Parkinson is likely to be limited in his use of any money made from outgoings.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Adding something different

Antoine Semenyo, another young Bristol City winger, has also been linked with a move to Wearside but Adelakun would be a more dependable option due to his greater experience.

His proven track record in League One means his arrival would likely boost the current players and the fans too, though considering he has played just five games in 18 months he may take a while to get up to speed.

That should be the only doubt Parkinson has over bringing him in, however, as he showed in his previous League One stint with Scunthorpe that he is a quality asset to have in the third-tier, and would add to Sunderland’s quality.

The Black Cats have been boosted by Lynden Gooch’s return from injury but Adelakun would provide an injection of pace that the American doesn’t provide.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

His 16 goal contributions in 2017/18 propelled the Irons to the League One play-offs and if he can replicate that productivity he could have the same effect in the north-east.

Chris Maguire has operated well on the right-wing of late with two goals and two assists in four games, and therefore the Robins’ player may have to prove himself, but the signs suggest he could become an important player for Parkinson.

As far as getting around their limited funds, this seems ideal for Sunderland.

In other transfer news, Will Grigg has been linked with a move away from the club but there is one caveat to a possible deal being struck.

According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are considering a loan move for a centre-back after it was confirmed Harry Maguire has suffered a hip injury.

What’s the word?

The England international appeared to sustain the problem in the FA Cup third round clash against Wolves at Molineux, but stayed on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. The 26-year-old however subsequently missed the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against rivals Manchester City on Tuesday night, and it has now been revealed that he will be out for the foreseeable future with the injury.

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As such, The Manchester Evening News claim the Red Devils are on the look-out for a possible short-term fix in this January transfer window. The report further claims that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are quite cautious over the returns from injury of both Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe, whilst Marcos Rojo has not played in a couple of months amid reports of a potential move away.

Short-sighted

Doing deals in the January market is notoriously difficult given that teams are reluctant to lose their best players mid-season. So for United to contemplate a loan deal really does limit the kind of quality they would be able to get. What kind of personnel could they bring, that a team would be willing to give up on loan half-way through a campaign?

A short-term fix is understandable, but it really is the one area of the pitch where even with their injuries, United seem relatively well-stocked on the whole. The encouraging signs of Bailly and Tuanzebe closing in on first-team returns means the Red Devils would be well-advised to keep their powder dry and focus their attentions elsewhere. Why not just bring Rojo back from the cold if the club are really desperate for a centre-back to fill Maguire’s shoes?

Quickfire Quiz: How much do you know about Man Utd’s history in the January transfer window?

The Argentine has played just nine times all season, but in those games he has hardly put a foot wrong, even helping United to keep a clean sheet in each of the four Europa League matches he featured in. Indeed, his average match rating of 7.13 in European competition this year as per Whoscored is certainly an impressive statistic. Whilst Rojo has effectively been side-lined over these past few weeks, Maguire’s injury could give him one last chance to prove his worth. It’s perhaps the perfect time for Solskjaer to bring him back from the cold, and for Ed Woodward to shelve plans for a new central defender.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans discuss their interest in this Premier League play-maker.

TalkSPORT pundit and former footballer Jason Cundy has hailed Dean Smith’s tactics following their 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium which leaves their EFL Cup semi-final tie with Leicester City hanging firmly in the balance.

The Villans had threatened to take a lead to Villa Park after Frederic Guilbert had poked the visitors in front, before Kelechi Iheanacho levelled things up after Villa cheaply gave the ball away from their own free-kick.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Cundy was delighted with the approach from Smith’s side as they frustrated the Premier League high-flyers, with the tie delicately poised heading into the second leg in three weeks’ time.

He said: “Tactically, I thought Smith got it spot-on. He frustrated [Leicester]. He said in his pre-match conference: ‘I want to make sure I go there and keep the tie alive for when we take them back to Villa Park’, and he’s absolutely done that.

“But secretly, I think he’ll be disappointed they’ve not taken a lead.

“The bodies on the edge of the box, the three centre-halves were outstanding, the wing-backs tucked in, the midfield done their job, there was no way through.

“Smith will be happy the tie’s still alive.”

With the teams going into the fixture at opposite ends of the Premier League table, it certainly seems an achievement for Smith’s Villa team to have avoided defeat, let alone threatening to grab a first-leg advantage.

And considering they were comprehensively beaten on their home turf by the Foxes a month ago, it seems as though Smith has done his homework having foiled the home side’s threat, with Leicester unable to turn 70% of the possession and 21 shots into goals.

Of course, there is still plenty of work to do with at least 90 minutes of the tie remaining, but with it taking place on home soil and having given themselves a fighting chance against a team which looks all-but-certain to secure Champions League football next season, it is little wonder why Cundy was so impressed by the valiant Villans.

Villa fans, can the team reproduce this performance in the Premier League and stay up? Let us know what you think below!