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West Bromwich Albion appear to have been dealt a setback in their bid to bring Vedat Muriqi to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider relaying the quotes of Lazio director Igli Tare on Twitter, who seemed to suggest that the 27-year-old centre-forward will not be leaving the Serie A side in the current market.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Vedat Muriqi won’t join CSKA Moscow, Lazio director Igli Tare says: “It was fake news. He’s not joining CSKA Moscow.”

Aside from CSKA Moscow, previous reports had also suggested that Valerien Ismael’s Albion side were interested in a move for the Kosovo international this month, while both Leeds United and Hull City have also been credited with an interest in Muriqi.

However, with Tare stating quite intently that news of the club’s striker potentially leaving Rome is ‘fake’, a move elsewhere could now also be off the cards, including to the Hawthorns.

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Muriqi’s return of goals during his seven and a half year spell in Turkey was impressive, considering how poor the striker has been since making a big-money move to Lazio back in the summer of 2020, the news that the Kosovan looks unlikely to be leaving Italy this month is sure to have left Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 246 appearances for the likes of Giresunspor, Genclerbirligi Ankara, Caykur Rizespor, Fenerbahce, KF Teuta and KS Besa Kavaje, the £12.5m-rated man scored 81 goals and registered 23 assists – not far off making a direct goal contribution every other game.

However, since his £17.93m move to Lazio, the £52k-per-week striker has failed to hit anywhere near these heights, having bagged just two goals and provided two assists over his 49 appearances in all competitions for I Biancocelesti.

As such, when taking into account Muriqi’s extremely hefty weekly wage, in addition to the fact that the 27-year-old has proven he does not have what it takes to make it in one of Europe’s big five leagues, the news that the Kosovan will not be leaving Italy for The Hawthorns this winter is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the Baggies.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drops worrying WBA January claim, it’d be a “huge blow” for Ismael

Liverpool have been placed on alert after Atletico Madrid informed Joao Felix that he could leave if the right offer arrives, according to AS (via The Daily Mail).

The Reds are named as one of four Premier League suitors, alongside Newcastle United, Arsenal and arch-rivals Manchester United.

Newcastle’s interest appears to be the most advanced, with the report claiming that they have already made an approach. Felix is open to leaving the Spanish capital, but isn’t particularly keen on moving to St James’ Park as the Magpies battle to stay in the top flight.

A brief lowdown on Felix

Felix ranks as one of the five biggest signings in the history of football, having joined Atletico from Benfica for a fee of €127.2m (£108.5m) in 2019.

However, the 22-year-old has only scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in the space of nearly two-and-a-half seasons with Diego Simeone’s side (via WhoScored).

Fan feed LFC Transfer Room relayed the link, and here’s what some Liverpool supporters made of it. Despite his less than stellar goal tally in the Spanish capital, many Kopites still reacted with enthusiasm to the rumour. One drew comparisons with Fernando Torres, who thrived at Anfield after moving from Atletico in the 2000s.

These Liverpool fans go wild over Felix links

“Ah how I would love this player. He is one big talent that needs nurturing to make him a world star. Problem is Atletico played over the odds for him. So they will want big money for him.”

Credit: @RomeoLFC

“Just add this guy and Raphinha to this squad and I’m satisfied”

Credit: @edem_demslfc

“Perfect Bobby Replacement.”

Credit: @sairamsagar

“MAKE IT HAPPEN @LFC”

Credit: @paulo060802

“The second coming of Torres for Liverpool”

Credit: @infiniteamg

“I’ll gladly have him. As Firmino is declining, he’s a perfect replacement.”

Credit: @SchwarzHertz

In other news, some Reds fans were critical of this man’s performance against Aston Villa

Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has decided to keep hold of Donny van de Beek during the January transfer window, according to The Mirror’s David McDonnell. 

Van de Beek is reportedly ‘valued’ by the German coach and as such, he ‘will not be allowed to leave’ at the turn of the year.

Opportunities under Rangnick?

Rangnick has only taken charge of three games so far, but Van de Beek has been involved each time. He was handed brief run-outs in the 1-0 victories over Crystal Palace and Norwich City and played the full 90 minutes of United’s final Champions League group stage game against Young Boys.

The £22.5million-rated midfielder still has at least three and a half years left on his contract at Old Trafford, having joined from Ajax in 2019.

Van de Beek scored the final goal of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era in the 4-1 defeat away to Watford in November, and was hailed by ex-United player Owen Hargreaves for an ‘absolutely fabulous’ display.

Fan feed Utd Report relayed McDonnell’s claim, and here’s what supporters made of it, feeling he can recapture the type of form he enjoyed with Ajax, where he bagged 41 goals and 34 assists in 175 games.

These United fans erupt over Van de Beek news

“Yesssss redemption time”

Credit: @UTDKN_

“OUR TIME IS SOON TO COME”

Credit: @SznWeigl

“He will be class again just like when he was at Ajax, watch”

Credit: @jrwbritain

“Oh my!!! Am relieved”

Credit: @EbrimaJones

“Perfect decision”

Credit: @Shamil45700651

“Praise the Lord”

Credit: @scottyirl

In other news, could United sign his compatriot?

The January transfer window is set to be a frantic state of affairs for Newcastle with the Toon Army recently taken over by the Saudi Prince Investment Fund.

It’ll be an exciting time for Magpies supporters as they can finally look forward to a period of spending, rather than having to sit back and watch a number of uninspiring signings walk through the door as they did under Mike Ashley.

What’s the word?

One of the areas Newcastle should look to strengthen over the winter is in forward areas. They have already been touted with moves for players like Mauro Icardi and Dusan Vlahovic but it’s a Premier League based player who has now caught their eye.

According to French outlet, Jeunes Footeux, Nicolas Pepe has emerged on the radar of the northeast club.

The Arsenal winger is also fielding interest from Crystal Palace and Everton as the Gunners’ £72m record-signing potentially faces the exit door.

Imagine him & ASM

There is no denying that Pepe quite clearly possesses a quite incredible amount of ability. On his day, he has the ability to “ignite” games in the words of Toon legend Alan Shearer, but on other days, he’s “not bothered” to quote Newcastle’s famous number 9 again.

Criticism has impacted his time in north London considerably with the Ivorian even believed to have been left “hurting” according to Mikel Arteta after a barrage of comments from Shearer.

That said, despite his shoddy work ethic, he’s a player that Newcastle supporters could relish seeing in action, particularly alongside Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman is a bundle of energy in forward areas and has recorded 4.1 dribbles per game this term, the second-highest number in the entire English top-flight.

Coincidentally, that’s an area where Pepe thrives in too. Although his numbers aren’t quite so astronomical, he possesses the ability to beat most full-backs in Europe, recording 1.9 dribbles per match this term.

He is an inconsistent figure, something Saint-Maximin can relate to, but the thought of witnessing the two wing wizards dominating the flanks at St James’ Park is a thought worth salivating over.

Combine that with Eddie Howe’s desire for possession-based football and Pepe would surely feel right at home after his spell at Arsenal.

Although he has flattered to deceive in England, the Ivory Coast international has still found the net 25 times for the Gunners in just over two years. To put that into context, Callum Wilson has scored exactly the same number over a parrel period of time.

Push all of those combinations together and Newcastle could end up having quite the strike force if they can lure Pepe further north in January.

AND in other news, Howe could finally axe Joelinton if NUFC swoop for £31.5m-rated “phenomenon”…

Pascal Struijk is expected to be available for Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Brentford this weekend, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Struijk injured in midweek

The Whites picked up a crucial victory on Tuesday night, winning 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace thanks to Raphinha’s stoppage-time penalty.

One of the negatives on the night saw Struijk leave the field at half-time, though, with the centre-back picking up an injury.

Although his involvement in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brentford at Elland Road looked in doubt, that now doesn’t appear to be the case.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay gives positive update

Taking to Twitter on Friday morning, Hay confirmed that Struijk is expected to be available for the weekend action, giving the following eight-word update:

“Struijk should be available for the Brentford game.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-25/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Injuries finally easing

This is another big boost for Leeds, with Struijk hailed as a ‘fantastic’ player by former Whites hero Noel Whelan and someone who provides real squad depth. He has impressed with his defensive efforts this season, with his match averages of 2.3 tackles and 1.6 interceptions among the highest in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

There is a feeling that the Whites’ injury problems are easing at long last, with Hay also confirming that key duo Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford should be fit to face Brentford as well.

While Bielsa and his players deserve some blame for a poor start to the season, injuries haven’t helped at all and we should now hopefully start to see improvements on the pitch, with Leeds potentially pulling clear of the relegation fight.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a new signing – find out who it is here.

Southampton finally secured their first Premier League win of the season last weekend with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United thanks to a second half goal from Armando Broja. 

Their next league fixture sees them take on Burnley at St Mary’s this afternoon to see if they can pick up another three points and climb further away from the relegation zone.

Ahead of the match against Sean Dyche’s side, who are now one of the three teams still without a league win, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed in his latest press conference that only Jack Stephens will miss the game through injury, with Che Adams back available after recovering from a muscle injury.

Taking all of this into account, here’s how we feel Southampton will line up against Burnley, with two changes from the team which started last Saturday.

In goal, having played every minute of league action so far this season, it’s safe to assume Alex McCarthy will retain his place in the team this afternoon.

For the defence, given how Southampton managed to keep a clean sheet against Leeds last weekend as well as stopping the visitors from having even one shot on target throughout the whole game, we think Hasenhuttl should stick with the same back four of Valentino Livramento, Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu and Romain Perraud to see if they can keep another clean sheet this time around against a Burnley side who have only managed to score five goals so far this season.

In the central midfield positions, with club captain James Ward-Prowse still serving his three-game ban, we think Oriol Romeu and Ibrahima Diallo will partner each other to try and dominate the midfield.

On the wings, we reckon Mohamed Elyounoussi, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Spotrac, will drop out of the team as a result of his poor performance against Leeds. That allows Stuart Armstrong to come back into the starting XI on the right after he came on as a substitute in the second half last weekend.

On the left wing, we can see Hasenhuttl taking Moussa Djenepo out of the side, with Nathan Redmond moving back to that position from centre-forward to allow the potentially potent Adams to come back in the team to partner Broja up top.

In other news: Saints could unearth ideal Romeu heir with “excellent” 18 y/o ace, Ralph is a big fan – opinion

Rangers are reportedly keeping a close eye on a Glaswegian goalkeeper as Steven Gerrard looks to improve the options available to him at Ibrox.

That happens to be Zander Clark who may be available on a free transfer next summer.

Gerrard will already be looking for ways to improve and refresh his team moving into the winter transfer window, especially if Rangers get out of their group, progressing to the latter stages against some tough competition in the Europa League.

The St Johnstone and Scotland keeper, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been recently praised by his manager, Callum Davidson, after a great performance from Clark in a 1-0 win against Dundee United.

“Zander was outstanding, some of the saves were phenomenal. He has been like that since I’ve been here.

“I think if any manager is watching that today, they’ll think it was a decent performance.”

“Zander reacted to it the right way. I told him to keep performing at a high level and he’s doing that.”

“He’s done it in big games against big teams.”

Gerrard will be aiming to be prepared for the potential retirement of Allan McGregor, who will also be out of contract in the summer. His exit could become a big issue for the Gers as it shortens the players available to them between the sticks. Thus, Rangers will surely be keeping their options open when it comes to looking around for the right goalkeeper to take them into another title challenge next season.

Clark could be that man. He has played an integral part in the recent success of St Johnstone, assisting the team in lifting the Premier Sports Cup and Scottish Cup last season, offering an outstanding performance in the penalty shoot-out against Rangers, saving two spot-kicks.

The club is keen to keep hold of their star keeper at MacDiarmid Park, opening new contract talks recently, but Clark is on the radar of a number of clubs, with the right move potentially taking his career to the next level.

With so much attention on the impressive performances from the 6 foot 3 Saints keeper, there’s a chance Gerrard could try to swoop in early, with Rangers potentially bidding for the keeper at a cut price to secure him before somebody else does.

The 29-year-old has just been called up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, with the international side facing Moldova and Denmark in their World Cup qualifier games which shows he’s caught the eye. Clark will be hoping to continue to impress and play a part in Scotland’s efforts to secure their place at the World Cup in Qatar next year.

Should he continue to stand out, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up as Rangers’ new number 1. He’d certainly help fill one of their biggest holes next summer.

AND in other news, Worrying update emerges on key Rangers figure that’ll leave fans gutted…

Southampton have joined Tottenham in the race to sign West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Forster to depart?

Ralph Hasenhuttl has Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster and youngster Harry Lewis as options in goal on the south coast, although Forster, who has been on the books at St Mary’s since 2014, has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Southampton are expecting to lose the 33-year-old at the end of the campaign, and it seems as if they already have a target in mind to bring in.

The Latest: Nixon’s claim

Alan Nixon of The Sun shared a story late on Saturday night claiming the Saints have joined Spurs and West Ham in the race for Johnstone’s services.

The West Brom goalkeeper, who shares the same agency as Che Adams, is also out of contract at the end of the season, but Southampton are willing to pay for the 28-year-old in a potential New Year deal instead of waiting until next summer.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Both McCarthy and Forster are over 30 years of age and earn a combined £120,000 per week, so bringing in Johnstone, who is on £32,500-a-week at The Hawthorns, could be a shrewd move.

He’s three years younger than McCarthy and five younger than Forster and also has Premier League and international experience.

The Saints are clearly admirers if they are willing to pay a fee for the Baggies star with so little time left to run on his contract, but it still may work out as a smart piece of business if they spend to bring him to St Mary’s.

In other news: Lots of Saints fans were excited over this piece of ‘great news’ in recent days

Crystal Palace will be aiming to extend their three-game unbeaten run when they host Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Eagles conceded a hugely disappointing last-minute equaliser against Arsenal last time out, condemning Patrick Vieira’s charges to a third consecutive draw.

However, there are plenty of positives to take from their recent displays, and the return of star man Wilfried Zaha following a short illness will be a huge boost to their chances of securing a much-needed victory.

Vieira may be tempted to make a few alterations to his starting XI for the visit of Newcastle given their recent woes, with the Magpies currently 19th in the top flight table.

A run of eight games without a victory to begin 2021/22 cost Steve Bruce his job this week, and Palace will be desperate to take advantage of the situation in which their managerless opponents currently find themselves.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Vieira to line up at Selhurst Park, with three changes from the side which started against the Gunners…

In goal, the ever-dependable Vicente Guaita is set to start between the sticks once again as he goes in search of his first clean sheet in five games.

Ahead of the Spanish shot-stopper will be an unchanged back four consisting of Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen and Joel Ward after a string of promising displays from the defensive unit at the start of the season.

However, Vieira could opt for a more attack-minded trio in midfield. Jeffrey Schlupp may get a rare opportunity to impress from the off as Palace go in search of three points, relegating Luka Milivojevic to the bench.

Completing the engine room will be the dependable duo of James McArthur and Conor Gallagher due to their impressive recent form in the middle of the pitch.

In attack, the return of Zaha will be a big relief to Vieira, and it’s likely to see the £8.1m-rated Christian Benteke forced to watch from the sidelines despite bagging his first goal of the season on Monday night.

Summer signings Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise are likely to complete the starting XI after their outstanding contributions in front of goal in recent weeks, giving Palace a very threatening forward line.

In other news… Parish must sanction bargain Palace swoop for 6 ft 2 colossus, Vieira needs him 

While Lee Johnson has seen his Sunderland side get off to a fantastic start in their 2021/22 League One campaign, with the Black Cats picking up 15 points over their opening six fixtures of the season, the suspension of Tom Flanagan presents the Mackems manager with something of a selection headache this weekend.

Indeed, the 29-year-old centre-back has been one of Sunderland’s standout performers over his six League One appearances so far this season, with the Northern Ireland international helping his side t0 keep one clean sheet, as well as averaging 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 5.7 clearances and winning 7.7 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £225k-rated man average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as the Black Cats’ third-best performer in League One this term.

As such, replacing the unavailable defender against Fleetwood Town this Saturday defender will certainly be a challenging task for the incoming centre-back, but the absence of Flanagan presents Johnson with the perfect opportunity to finally unleash summer loan signing Frederik Alves.

Game-changer

While the West Ham United loanee is yet to make a league appearance for Sunderland, the 21-year-old impressed over his 77 minutes on the pitch in the club’s 3-2 victory over Championship side Blackpool in the Carabao Cup, making four interceptions, one tackle and five clearances and winning 75% of his duels.

The £900k-rated man also enjoyed 78 touches of the ball and completed 51 passes in that fixture, with these returns seeing the defender earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.1.

Furthermore, Alves also impressed over his 22 Superligaen appearances in his last full season with Danish side Silkeborg IF, helping them to keep three clean sheets, in addition to making 2.5 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and six clearances and winning 5.5 duels per match.

These metrics saw the man who Johnson himself dubbed a “quality” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as his club’s second-best performer in the Danish top flight.

As such, it would certainly appear as if Alves has the ability to fill in for Flanagan this weekend, and a solid performance from the 21-year-old may even being enough to convince Johnson that he deserves to keep his place in the manager’s starting XI – something which could be a real game-changer for Sunderland this season.

In other news: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will have Lee Johnson buzzing