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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

Journalist Jordan Cronin has slammed both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon for their antics as Everton lost 2-0 away to Liverpool on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Everton tactics

Frank Lampard clearly set up his team to frustrate the hosts at Anfield, as they committed eight fouls in total and picked up five yellow cards (SofaScore).

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One of those was for Gordon, who was booked for simulation in the first half, while Richarlison was also cautioned late on after a nasty tackle on Jordan Henderson, amid the Brazilian being accused of play acting and deliberately time wasting throughout the game.

The Latest: Cronin reacts

Taking to Twitter, Cronin slammed Richarlison and Gordon for their antics on the pitch, saying:

“There’s trying to frustrate Liverpool and then there’s Everton. Embarrassing at times, especially Richarlison and Gordon.”

The Verdict: Nothing to show

Ultimately, the tactics employed by Everton did not pay off, as Jurgen Klopp’s team won 2-0 in the end.

Richarlison and Gordon did show some bright sparks in the match, as they won a combined 13 duels between them and also recorded four successful dribbles and two key passes in total (SofaScore).

However, they were guilty of giving the ball away no fewer than 33 times combined, and ultimately they could not make the most of their strides toward Alisson’s net.

Nonetheless, the Toffees will want to put this result behind them now and focus on Chelsea at Goodison Park next weekend as they aim to climb out of the relegation zone.

In other news, find out which Premier League club are now eyeing this Toffees centre-back

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

A crucial transfer claim has been made as Rangers plot their second signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, the Gers are in a ‘strong position’ to sign Vitesse Arnhem defender Danilho Doekhi on a pre-contract agreement this month.

His deal with the Eredivisie outfit expires in the summer and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are leading the interest in his services.

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news, as it suggests that the club have a great chance of landing the centre-back at the end of the season. The Gers could be set to bring him in on a free transfer, which would be a coup for Ross Wilson as it would free up funds to strengthen in other areas instead of needing to splash out on a big transfer fee for a defensive signing.

James Sands has already joined the club on loan from New York City FC and this deal for Doekhi could be Van Bronckhorst’s second signing of the month, although he would need to wait until the summer to line up for the Scottish giants.

Last year, his current boss Thomas Letsch lauded his ability, saying: “Danilho is extremely important. He is one of the best center-backs of the Eredivisie.

“Of course there is more talk about Oussama Tannane, Riechedly Bazoer and the attacking players. But it is very important for the team that you are stable and prevent goals. Everyone is responsible for that, but Doekhi, Jacob Rasmussen and also Tomas Hajek do a super job.

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

This highlights the Dutchman’s qualities as a defender and illustrates why Van Bronckhorst will be buzzing over this telling update from Campbell. The ex-Feyenoord coach will surely love to have a centre-back who makes ‘almost no mistakes’ and, at the age of 23, has potential to improve even further.

It is now over to Wilson to ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the defender in the coming weeks by pinning him down to a pre-contract agreement.

AND in other news, Chris Jack reveals Rangers swoop for “wonderful” 6 ft 1 beast, fans will be buzzing…

According to a report by L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), it ‘seems clear’ that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ‘intends to separate’ from Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: A failed transfer

In the summer of 2019, Lyon playmaker Ndombele joined Spurs in a £55m deal, making him the North London club’s record signing. However, since his arrival, the midfielder has suffered a disappointing tenure under various managers.

When Antonio Conte joined the club, fans hoped that the Italian could revive the Frenchman’s Tottenham career. However, this has not been the case; the 52-year-old has given Ndombele just 80 minutes of Premier League football, using him as a substitute in two out of his three appearances.

The Latest: Levy wants Ndombele gone

According to a report by L’Equipe (translated by Sport Witness), Tottenham chief Levy has made his decision regarding Ndombele’s future: he wants him gone.

L’Equipe report that the Spurs’ ‘decision seems clear today’, as ‘Levy intends to separate’ the Frenchman from the club. As a result, Ndombele has even been made to train alone since last Wednesday.

The French outlet reveal AS Roma and Napoli have come forward in recent days, with former manager Jose Mourinho said to have maintained a ‘close relationship’ with the France international.

The Verdict: Difficult to find a solution

With the January transfer deadline looming, it is becoming worryingly possible that Ndombele will remain at Spurs for the rest of the season, soaking up wages without contributing on the pitch.

The report details how his salary has become a major stumbling block – his £120,000 per week would put him immediately at the top of Roma’s wage structure, for example.

Levy would surely jump at a loan-to-buy deal if one presented itself, but an official offer has yet to be made.

The Spurs chairman will be hoping that Mourinho ramps up his approach for the player, with the Roma boss having previously hailed the Frenchman as ‘magnificent’ – perhaps he will be Spurs’ saviour on this occasion.

According to The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Academy director Alex Inglethorpe has said that 22-year-old Ryan Kent is worthy of a call-up to the first team. 

Kent is currently on loan with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, where he is turning a lot of heads at Ibrox. The winger has bagged four goals and two assists in 14 appearances this season, and is proving to be one of The Gers’ most dangerous players down the flank.

He has certainly been impressive this season, and there is no doubt that he will get his chance with Liverpool at some point, but he may need to wait a while.

In all honesty, neither Jürgen Klopp or the Liverpool fans would want to start tinkering with their squad and trying out new players at this stage of the season. Sadio Mané seems to have his place secure on the left flank at Anfield, and Xherdan Shaqiri is an able replacement should anything happen to the Senegalese forward.

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With Liverpool in their best position to win their first ever Premier League title, it would be nothing short of madness to start throwing new players into the mix, particularly as they are out of the FA Cup and League Cup. This would also entail recalling the player from his loan in Scotland, which creates further complications.

However, next season may offer Kent the chance to feature for The Reds, however, it is still unclear whether he would be able to make the sizeable step up. Unfortunately for him, he has a very tough task of trying to break into this Liverpool team.

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

The Liverpool ownership FSG will be having nightmares about what could have been if the club had signed German star Mario Götze back in 2016.

Ahead of Klopp’s first full season in charge at Anfield, it wasn’t surprising to see him linked with players he’d worked with in the past. One of those was Götze.

The world cup winner was at Bayern Munich at the time and his spell there wasn’t going to plan having made only 14 appearances the season before.

The German giants wanted £30m for him but Liverpool were only willing to pay £15m – £20m which was well below what Bayern paid for him.

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Götze was keen to move away from the Allianz Arena at the time and eventually opted for a move back to former club Dortmund instead of reuniting with Klopp in the Premier League.

His best years were during his first spell Signal Iduna Park, where he’d been described as “special” by reporter Liam Twomey and was a key part of Klopp’s success there.

In his second spell at the club he made 103 appearances and was involved in 31 goals, before eventually moving to the Eredivisie where he now plays at PSV Eindhoven.

Overall his career hasn’t been bad by all means, he has won the Bundesliga five times and most famously the World Cup in 2014 where he scored the winner in the final for Germany.

His legacy will forever be remembered because of that. He was so young at the time and achieved everything every young boy dreams of, so why at 29-years of age are we not talking about him being one of the best midfielders in the world?

Well, he’s had his fair share of injuries and ultimately it seems as though he peaked at a young age. You can’t blame him for moving to serial winners Bayern at the time, but just how good could he be now if he had followed Klopp to Merseyside?

He seems to think he would have been better for it. In a recent interview cited by the Mail he revealed how he “should have joined Liverpool” and that manager Klopp had the biggest impact on his career.

Not many players have had the privilege of playing under both Klopp and Guardiola but Götze is one of them. Could he still potentially join Liverpool at some point in the future?

He’s been performing well since moving to PSV with 17 goals and the same number of assists in 71 appearances, however, he isn’t at the level required for a Liverpool player.

He won’t regret much in his career given everything he’s won, but in the back of his mind, he may always think about what could have been if he had made the bold decision to move to England.

IN other news: Sources: Liverpool now set to sign “generational” ace, he’s more exciting than Carvalho

Former Tottenham and Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has stated that it would be a “massive boost” if West Ham could see star defender Kurt Zouma return from injury ahead of schedule.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson explained how key Zouma is for the Irons, stating: “It would be a massive boost for them if Zouma returns ahead of schedule.

“David Moyes signed him to be the main man in that area of the pitch. His form in the earlier part of the season was brilliant.

“He is the best centre-half they have so to have him come back would be a massive boost.”

Last month, Moyes gave a promising update on the 27-year-old, stating: “Kurt is coming on and we’re really pleased with where Kurt is.

“I couldn’t turn around and say he’s going to be back in a week or a month but he’s really positive about his injury, well ahead of schedule at the moment.”

The centre-back, who arrived at the London Stadium last summer, has been absent for over a month with a hamstring problem with the timing of the injury far from ideal with Angelo Ogbonna suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury just weeks before.

However, it appears that the 27-year-old will be back playing in claret and blue soon.

West Ham fans will be buzzing

It is fair to say that Zouma has made an instant impression in East London after swapping city rivals Chelsea for the Irons in August and thus, fans will understandably be buzzing to hear that he could return sooner than initially thought.

The defender has been a major contributor to West Ham’s impressive start to the season with the Hammers winning six of the 11 Premier League games that Zouma has played in, including famous scalps over Liverpool and Chelsea.

Moreover, West Ham’s form has dipped slightly since the Frenchman’s injury, with Moyes’ side dropping points at Burnley as well as losing to Arsenal and Southampton before wins over Watford and Crystal Palace.

The East Londoners’ goals conceded per game is also slightly higher without the 27-year-old, with the Irons conceding an average of 1.6 goals per league game without Zouma as opposed to the 1.27 with him.

The sooner Zouma can return, the better with West Ham set for a hectic second half of the season with commitments in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup.

In other news: West Ham interested in promising forward

Celtic are bracing themselves for an offer for Rory Mahady in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Scotland, who claim that Manchester City are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 15-year-old shot-stopper, and have sent scouts to watch the Celtic starlet in action on a number of occasions this season.

The report goes on to suggest that Pep Guardiola’s side could look to make a move for the Scotland U16 international in the coming months, a deal which would see the Bhoys receive a cross-border compensation fee for the teenager’s services.

Big blow

Considering just how highly-rated Mahady is at Parkhead, should Manchester City indeed make a move for the teenager in the near future, and the goalkeeper goes on to agree to a switch south of the border, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Ange Postecoglou and his side – who have made something of a habit of waving goodbye to their most talented youngsters in recent seasons.

Indeed, as recently as last summer Celtic saw their highly-rated 17-year-old attacking midfielder Josh Adam leave for Manchester City, while 18-year-old centre-back Liam Morrison and 17-year-old right-winger Barry Hepburn also both left Glasgow for Bayern Munich in the past two years.

As such, should Celtic continue this trend of developing exceptionally talented young players only for them to be snatched away by bigger sides before they have even had a chance to feature in the first-team, the question must be asked as to whether there is much point in the Bhoys having an academy at all.

However, it would nevertheless appear advisable for Postecoglou to do all he can to avoid a repeat of Adam’s move to City with Mahady, as, with Celtic’s current number one, 34-year-old Joe Hart, very much entering the twilight of his career, the 56-year-old manager will be in need of a new first choice in the position in the not too distant future.

And, if Mahady continues to develop at his current rate, he would appear to be an extremely solid candidate for the role in a few years’ time, meaning his loss would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for the Hoops.

In other news: Nicholson must sanction swoop for £7.5k-p/w ace dubbed The Wall, he’s what Celtic need