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Aston Villa may rue the fact they weren’t able to tempt Omar Elabdellaoui to join them in the summer transfer window.

What was the story?

Reports suggested that Dean Smith’s side were very much interested in signing the 29-year-old right-back, who had left Greek outfit Olympiakos on a free transfer.

However, it was suggested that despite being one of a number of clubs keen on him, Elabdellaoui turned down a potential move to Villa Park, instead opting to join Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Villa of course ended up signing Matty Cash from Championship side Nottingham Forest in a deal worth a reported £16m.

Better than Cash

At just 23, Cash has got all the potentially develop into one of the Premier League’s best right-backs, and may even surpass Elabdellaoui.

But for the here and now, there is no question that the former Olympiacos man would have been the best bet to ensuring Villa landed a top quality full-back that could have given them a couple of years of fantastic service, especially given that Cash has only played in the lower levels of English football.

Elabdellaoui on the other hand has built up considerable experience playing in the big European competitions, and was a key part of an Olympiacos side that dumped Arsenal out of the Europa League last season – Villa of course will be taking on the Gunners this coming Sunday.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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As per SofaScore, in the second leg that the Greek side ultimately triumphed in, Elabdellaoui played the full 120 minutes, making five clearances, recording 71 touches, and sending in two crosses.

The biggest work he did on the night however was nullifying Arsenal star Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang down the flank, with the Gabon international proving to be the culprit as he missed a gilt-edged chance in the dying seconds of the match to save the game for the Gunners.

The fact that Villa could have got him on a free transfer this summer just makes it all the more painful that they couldn’t convince him to move to England.

Glasgow Rangers ace Glen Kamara tends to let his football do the talking but the midfielder is becoming an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side.

Despite Rangers throwing away a 2-goal lead to Benfica in the Europa League last night, the Gers are currently enjoying a 19-game unbeaten run, dating back to the 1-0 win over Aberdeen FC at the start of the season.

It’s been well over a year since Kamara put pen-to-paper to the pre-contract agreement that saw him sign for the Light Blues from Dundee. The £50,000 they paid Dundee looked like a bargain at the time. Now, with the Finland international a fully-fledged first-team regular starter, it seems like an absolute steal.

Now, Kamara arguably has an even bigger role to play for Gerrard, who has made it clear he is in no rush to sell the 25-year-old and would be reluctant to do so in January given the fact that the Gers are on course to regain the title for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

It looked like it could be a long night for the Light Blues after Benfica took to the lead thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Connor Goldson. But Gerrard’s side battled back before being stunned by two late goals from Rafa Silva and Darwin Nunez.

Whilst some players struggled, others shined – and it was Kamara who gave the Gers the lead, finishing a fine team move with a well-placed shot beyond the helpless Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachomidis.

If anything, it’s hard to pick holes in Gerrard’s side but it’s fair to say that the thing they’ve lacked the most is goals from midfield, which is arguably their one glaring weakness. James Tavernier has actually scored more goals so far this season than Kamara, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo and Ryan Jack combined. Alright, we get it, the club captain is the designated penalty taker, but that’s beside the point.

Per SofaScore, the Finnish international won four out of five duels overall, made 3 tackles and 2 interceptions whilst he took a whopping 112 touches of the ball, completed 93 out of 103 passes (92%), made one key pass and took one shot on target, whilst his heatmap shows that he was getting into attacking areas as well, particularly on the left flank.

Once hailed as an “excellent” colossus by former Rangers star Neil Murray, the defensive midfielder admitted he wanted to add goals to his game for the Gers. If this performance is anything to go by, he is showing he can do precisely just that and if he can add some more strikes then it could be a major boost to their titles hopes as they would finally have a midfielder chipping in with goals.

Given his importance to the side, it would surely take a colossal offer to prise him away from the Ibrox outfit to allow Gerrard the time to find a suitable replacement for the right price.

The Rangers boss revealed in the summer that he was aware of interest in Kamara and is desperate to tie him down to a new contract. Is it any wonder, really?

AND in other news, No better than Arfield: Glasgow Rangers must resist urge to sign Sampdoria midfielder Jakub Jankto…

After spending the last two seasons on loan at West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday, Jacob Murphy may have felt his career at Newcastle was slowly coming to an end.

The former Norwich starlet had made just 34 Premier League appearances in total for the Magpies since joining, and his future looked bleak when he wasn’t even named in the match-day squad for the opening two games of the season.

But a couple of impressive performances in the Carabao Cup saw him given his chance in the top-flight, and he’s since started the last three Premier League games.

And seeing him score a dramatic equaliser against Wolves earlier this season, Bruce was quick to insist that sending him out on loan again was never in his plans.

He said: “He was arguably our best player today and I’m delighted for him. He had a big loan at Sheffield Wednesday last year and that did him the world of good.

“I never contemplated it (a loan move) from the first week he was back. He was a different player. Certainly physically he’s come back in really good condition.”

Murphy’s performances in the Premier League have come as a right wing-back though, and he may feel like he could offer a lot more in his more natural attacking position.

And with Bruce confirming that Ryan Fraser has been ruled out for the game against Chelsea on Saturday, it’s surely the perfect time for the Newcastle boss to unshackle him.

As well as his goal against Wolves, Murphy was also one of the highest-rated players in the win against Everton, and giving the in-form ace an opportunity to shine further forward could be the kind of masterstroke that sees him wreak havoc against Frank Lampard’s side.

When one door closes, another door opens. Fraser’s injury could be the beginning of Murphy finally realising his true potential.

Ahead of the January transfer window, Everton have been linked with yet another midfield option, though it’s one they should avoid at all costs…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, the Toffees are ‘making concrete steps forward’ in their reported pursuit of Juventus outcast Sami Khedira over a potential deal.

It’s claimed that the German World Cup winner wants to leave Turin and is working to have his contract terminated before the turn of the year.

The 33-year-old is said to want a move sorted out before he leaves the Serie A giants, which is where Everton come into the equation. It remains to be seen where the Merseysiders currently stand in this regard.

Gbamin 2.0?

Khedira is yet to play for Juventus this season and has not featured for the Italian champions since their 0-0 draw with AC Milan in the Coppa Italia back in June.

In fact, that has been his only competitive showing in 2020. This is because the former Real Madrid powerhouse has been battling injuries for the latter part of his career.

During the last two years alone, the veteran midfielder has gone under the needle twice for two knee surgeries and that has got to be a major red flag, especially considering this effectively mirrors the problems the club have been dealing with in the shape of 2019 arrival, Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

The 25-year-old has played just twice for the Toffees since joining for £25m. Whilst it is not his fault, director of football Marcel Brands cannot afford to risk his reported £184k-per-week wages when there’s a risk he won’t even play let alone be the back-up to Allan.

In the past, Khedira has been lauded as an “intelligent and smart player” by Joachim Low whilst Jose Mourinho dubbed him the “best” in his position.

Even Ancelotti has recently waxed lyrical about his former player, he told reporters: “I have a good memory of Sami Khedira, he was with me at Real Madrid and was a fantastic professional. I would love to work with him, but unfortunately, he’s not the only one! I’ve had fantastic players in my career, I’ve had good memories of them.”

Regardless of what he once was, Khedira would be an awful signing for the Toffees to make. It would be inexcusable to crack on and sign him this January, even if he arrived on a free transfer.

AND in other news, Everton flop was worse than Tom Davies during defeat to Leeds…

Steven Bergwijn has managed to cement his place down as Jose Mourinho’s first-choice right-winger at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the likes of Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura.

Although his returns, on the face of it, have been far from impressive – failing to score or assist a single goal in eight appearances, four of which have been starts in just as many outings.

Indeed, the £64m-rated Dutch speed demon has only managed to deliver three goals and four assists in 32 matches since his £26.7m arrival last January.

However, his influence under the ‘Special One’ far exceeds that of merely goal contributions as his selfless work rate at either end of the pitch is absolutely everything the Spurs chief is after, which is why he’s starting and lasting in so many matches lately.

Bergwijn, the sacrificial lamb, as he should be known…

On the Chalkboard

Statistically, of any Spurs player that has started five more matches in the English top-flight, Bergwijn ranks as the worst per WhoScored with a rating of just 6.36.

The 23-year-old has failed to register a shot in matches against Arsenal (2-0 win) and Crystal Palace (1-1 draw) but has instead recorded four tackles and three clearances, as well as delivering four tactical fouls across both games.

Mourinho hasn’t selected him to follow in the footsteps of the free-scoring Heung-min Son, who acts as an inside-forward on that left flank or Harry Kane, who often drops deep to help the cause.

No, instead, Bergwijn is almost being deployed as either a wing-back or someone that can occupy the half-spaces in midfield, this is most seen by his heat map from the victory over the Gunners two weeks ago – per SofaScore:

The majority of his 31 touches throughout the 89 minutes he was on the pitch were literally just outside of Hugo Lloris’ penalty box, which speaks volumes as a player that is renowned for his attacking prowess.

His role has changed substantially since his debut goal against Manchester City and is why he continues to be handed the reins over either Bale or Moura.

The £75k-per-week dynamo is doing his job to a tee, and yet, it goes unnoticed from everyone besides the boss, who told dubbed Bergwijn “incredible” after the north London derby.

Teammate Eric Dier knows it all too well having regularly faced him in training, speaking to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, he said:

“Steven Bergwijn is a player I enjoy to watch in training and in games. He has that Dutch-style about him. He’s so good in possession, keeps the ball so well, technically so sound.”

Take a step back and truly appreciate what the 5 foot 8 sensation is truly doing for Spurs right now.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Spurs star compared to Grealish after moment in Palace draw…

It doesn’t seem to matter what Celtic do at the moment, Rangers still have the advantage.

The Hoops have now won six matches in a row in all competitions and more positive signs are starting to arise at Parkhead.

It has been a brilliant turnaround from Neil Lennon who felt the full brunt of a fan protest in Glasgow a matter of weeks ago.

Peter Lawwell came out and backed the manager, something which now looks like a wise decision. Of course, the Bhoys are still considerably off the pace in the SPFL but all they can do at the moment is win, and they’re doing that to perfection.

Since introducing Ismaila Soro and David Turnbull into the line-up, their fortunes have changed significantly but Lennon now needs to understand one thing – Diego Laxalt is a bit of a liability.

The Uruguay international was an eye-catching signing when he first arrived in Scotland. That wasn’t because of his rather intriguing hair, but because he was a fully-fledged international with experience of playing at World Cups and major tournaments.

However, he has been nothing short of inconsistent since signing on loan from AC Milan and his performance against Dundee United on Wednesday afternoon was rather lacklustre.

Celtic may have won 3-0 but the left-back was poor, spurning possession and being caught out of position on a regular basis. If there was any weak link for Lennon, it was Laxalt.

He won just a solitary duel in the whole match, meaning he lost 83.4% of those he contested. As a result, the 27-year-old committed three fouls but somehow managed to escape a yellow card.

On top of that, the full-back lost the ball a whopping 18 times. It’s fair to say this wasn’t his best 90 minutes, as he did his utmost to look particularly uninterested.

Laxalt did have better fortune in attack, providing one key pass, but his best moment of the match was arguably a goal-bound volley which unfortunately struck Mo Elyounoussi ferociously.

The speedy defender is competent in the final third but he is anything but in defence. This was a pretty horrific afternoon for the loanee and he will have to get better.

Laxalt betrayed Lennon today.

AND in other news, Celtic brute who faced “incredible” flak can save them MILLIONS in January…

After returning from a season-long loan spell at Besiktas, Mohamed Elneny has quickly established himself as one of Mikel Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants in this Arsenal side.

The Egypt international has been a virtual ever-present for the Spanish coach at the Emirates this season, starting nine out of the Gunners’ 16 Premier League games.

But after his impressive display in that 1-0 win away at Manchester United, the 78-cap Elneny appears to have taken a step back, and his performance against Brighton on Tuesday night should be considered as the final straw.

As per Sofascore, he made just one tackle during the game, and contested only four duels – in contrast, his midfield partner Granit Xhaka was involved in 16 of them.  There were also a couple of occasions where Elneny was very fortunate to get away with a couple of slack passes and touches, and had Brighton been more clinical in their finishing, there would have been far more scrutiny on him.

Elneny is a hugely popular member of the squad, with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not shy in admitting they get along off the pitch, saying: “He’s a funny guy Mo, and I think we are similar people. We are both always smiling and being positive, so when we get together it’s always funny – we laugh a lot. It’s really, really nice to be around him.”

That spirit is something Arteta himself has shed a light on too, saying after the United game: “What Mo transmits to the team is special. He goes in the room and he creates that atmosphere. Today I said that we needed that energy and that positive feeling that he brings all the time. I think he was tremendous.

“Obviously I played with him so I know his qualities and who he is as a person, and what he brings to the squad. I like players that have zero ego, who play for the team, who want to contribute regardless of what it is, whether that’s one minute or 96 minutes or just by being there and giving positive feedback all the time.”

But there appears to be a limit on just how good Elneny can be, and that was so evident against Brighton and in recent weeks too. Arteta really needs to make a ruthless call on the Egyptian and drop him, and give the likes of Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock the chance to impress again.

According to Football Insider, Fenerbahce are close to signing Glasgow Rangers’ long-term target Bright Osayi-Samuel from Queens Park Rangers.

What’s the word?

The 23-year-old winger is high on Steven Gerrard’s shopping list and has attracted interest from a number of clubs, including Premiership rivals Celtic, and has also been linked to Premier League clubs Leicester City, Fulham and Brighton.

Osayi-Samuel has been in such fine form for Mark Warburton’s side, scoring three times in the Championship this season, but after his refusal to sign a new contract the Loftus Road boss axed him from his squad in October, which has paved the way for a possible move to Ibrox.

But, according to Football Insider, it’s Turkish side Fenerbahce who have stolen a march on the 54-time Scottish champions, and are set to snap up Osayi-Samuel for free in the summer.

Wilson must act now

The news will come as a huge blow for Gerrard, as it’s fair to say that the Nigerian could have been a real bargain for the Ibrox boss.

At the tender young age of 23, he already has a considerable amount of experience under his belt, and has made 20 appearances in the Championship this season, bagging three goals and three assists, via Transfermarkt.

Osayi-Samuel has impressed during his three-and-a-half years with the R’s and is now ready to take the next step in his career.

QPR manager Mark Warburton recently heaped praise on his young charge after his performance in the 3-2 win against Rotherham, saying: “He looked very good tonight. He looked dangerous and was a constant threat.

“The people above my pay grade are still talking. If someone wants to buy him I’m sure they can – every player in the world has got a price.

“All he’s doing right now is concentrating on playing football and that’s what he needs to do – just enjoy his football, enjoy being a good player and enjoy playing for QPR.”

He’s not wrong, either, as the young Nigerian has started to show signs of his untapped potential, having scored 13 goals and supplied 13 assists in over a hundred appearances across all competitions for the Championship club, via Transfermarkt.

Rangers are in danger of missing out on a player who has a bright future ahead of him and Ross Wilson must act swiftly to try and bring him to Ibrox.

Wilson will know he can land him for nothing at the end of the season and this is simply an opportunity far too good to miss.

AND in other news, Gerrard must unleash Cedric Itten on the right wing against Aberdeen…

Many Manchester City fans have flocked to a tweet from Man City news Twitter account @City_Xtra which shared an update concerning Sergio Aguero’s future. 

The tweet relayed El Chiringuito TV journalist Jose Alvarez Haya’s claim that the Argentinian striker, who is Man City’s all-time top scorer, is the number one transfer target of his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino, who became the new manager of Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. 

This news comes with the 32-year-old’s contract with the Premier League side set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. 

So, how have these Manchester City fans been reacting to this update? 

The journalist’s claim got a lot of Man City fans talking. Some City supporters seemed resigned to losing Aguero in response to this claim on PSG’s interest, while some fans of Pep Guardiola’s side shared a degree of concern over this claim, indicating that they want the centre-forward to stay at the Etihad Stadium.

“Time to find new striker”

Credit: @mfthlrzky

“I will actually be sick”

Credit: @la_mcfc

“End of an Era”

Credit: @Alex8Mcfc

“Still scared”

Credit: @Harry_MCFC891

“GO AWAY”

Credit: @NiaDiamond9

“Be very gutting seeing him go there as there’s a chance we’ll play against him. Although, we thought we wouldn’t play against Silva but the way Sociedad are playing, wouldn’t surprise me if they got a Champions League spot”

Credit: @Spurmston

In other news, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Eric Garcia’s future seemingly lies at Camp Nou. 

Leeds haven’t particularly had the rub of the green in 2021. Fortunately, a transfer window is here for Victor Orta to try and correct things.

The Whites are yet to win this year, neither have they scored a single goal. It would appear that Marcelo Bielsa is beginning to suffer a few headaches.

One of the worst aspects of their play this term has undoubtedly been their defence. They’ve shipped seven in their last three games and have conceded a league-high ten goals from set-pieces this season.

In total, Bielsa’s men have let in 34 goals – a tally only worse than West Brom in the Premier League.

That being said, it’s difficult to judge a backline pillaged so much by injury. Diego Llorente has played just once for the Whites while Liam Cooper and Robin Koch were both missing throughout the festive period.

Though, one place they could easily have improved in recent transfer windows is their left-back position.

Since Charlie Taylor left in 2017, the Whites have been missing plenty of consistency in that area of the pitch. After his departure, Leeds relied on the likes of Gaetano Berardi and Vurnon Anita in that third of the pitch.

Anita’s spell was far from successful at Elland Road while Berardi – also capable of playing at centre-half – has one of the worst disciplinary records in the club’s history. In total, the Swiss defender has been sent off on seven occasions for Leeds.

Orta brought Wolves promotion hero Barry Douglas in 2018 but alongside Gjanni Alioski, the left side of Leeds’ defence was again met with inconsistency. He was a set-piece wizard in the Midlands but failed to score for the Whites and was also met with plenty of fitness and injury concerns.

Stuart Dallas and Alioski were the main contenders for the left-back role last season and although Leeds were promoted, neither are naturals in that position.

With Alioski demonstrating yet more defensive inaptitude this term, a new left-back is clearly needed. Fortunately, they could find the answer to all of their prayers in Jordan Amavi.

The £25k-per-week earner has been linked with a switch to Leeds in recent days, and if they can prise him away from Marseille, it would end their four-year-long problem.

That’s because not only is Amavi a natural left-back, but he has Premier League experience and he’s a very capable player.

For context, the Frenchman has won a colossal 2.9 interceptions per game this term. That record is better than every single player at Leeds in 2020/21.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-stories” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds stories!”]

On top of that, he gets forward and is strong in the tackle. Amavi has completed 1.1 dribbles per match in Ligue 1 this season, a record that beats each player in the squad besides Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling and Raphinha.

It’s defensively though where Leeds supporters will be most keen to know of his qualities. He is incredibly well suited to dealing with one-on-one situations, being dribbled past by an opponent just 0.24 times a game.

That would make him the best outfield player at Leeds for that statistic. Alioski is dribbled past 1.48 times per game while Dallas is surpassed 1.79 times a match.

It’s clear why Amavi would be a good signing for the club. He is better defensively than the North Macedonian and he’s a natural at left-back – something Leeds haven’t always had in the last few years.

AND in other news, Augustin 2.0: Orta set for more January misery if Leeds sign “inconsistent” 4-goal ace…