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Even though Aston Villa have been fairly active in the current January transfer window, having brought in the likes of Lucas Digne, Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen, there are still some areas where Steven Gerrard would ideally like to strengthen, such as centre-back and defensive midfield.

However, with just 10 days left until the window closes, it seems as though the Midlands club can forget about signing one of their reported targets this month.

What’s the latest?

In a recent online Q&A for Birmingham Live, Villa journalist Ashley Preece was asked if there is any news on the possibility of the club making a move to sign Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez this month, after previous links emerged suggesting that Steven Gerrard’s side were interested in bringing the 24-year-old to Villa Park.

In response, Preece said: “Gomez not happening this month, Villa could go back in in the summer, depending if the centre-back wants a fresh challenge away from Anfield.”

Since joining Liverpool back in 2015 from Charlton Athletic, Gomez has gone on to make 132 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions, winning a Premier League title and the Champions League along the way.

Taking into account how he has only made 11 appearances for the Merseyside club across all competitions so far this season, with no starts in the Premier League, a move to Villa could have been rather tempting for the 24-year-old, especially if he would be guaranteed regular game-time under Gerrard’s guidance.

Gerrard will be fuming

Given how Villa only have three senior centre-backs in their squad at the moment after Axel Tuanzebe had his loan spell cut short by Manchester United earlier this month, Gerrard will surely be fuming that the Villans haven’t been able to secure a deal for Gomez to come in and strengthen their options at the back.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the transfer window, Gerrard will definitely be concerned if the club don’t bring at least one centre-back in for the rest of the campaign, especially with Villa having conceded 32 goals in the Premier League so far – more than the likes of Burnley, Crystal Palace and Brighton.

In other news: Gerrard could strike gold at Villa by signing £63m-rated “total package”

According to a breaking news report by Sky Sports, Benfica have rejected West Ham’s bid for striker Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Desperate for a striker

Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior centre-forward at David Moyes’ disposal, and as a result, he is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, having netted eight times.

Despite this, the Jamaica international has looked tired at points throughout the campaign, sometimes lacking that clinical edge in front of goal. With a lengthy injury history, calls have been made for the club to bring in another striker to bolster their options in the attacking third.

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The Latest: Benfica reject West Ham’s Nunez bid

According to a breaking news report on Sky Sports’s Transfer Centre, Benfica have rejected an Irons bid for Nunez.

The Hammers are considering an improved offer, but a deal looks increasingly difficult with the little time left before the transfer window closes at 11pm, per a further report from Sky.

This issue is exacerbated by the logistical difficulties, as the 22-year-old is currently in South America with the Uruguay squad for their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Tuesday.

The Verdict: Get it done!

The 22-year-old has scored 20 goals in 25 appearances for Benfica this season, which has alerted plenty of clubs to his undeniable attacking threat, with many monitoring his situation at the Portuguese club.

His former Benfica manager, Jorge Jesus, has claimed that he ‘will be the best in the world’ even claiming the youngster would be ‘the most expensive player to leave Benfica’ – the Primeira Liga club have a reputation for selling top talents for big fees, with Joao Felix bringing the current largest sum at £114m.

West Ham should do everything they can to secure Nunez’s services on deadline day as it will only become ever-more difficult to sign him. At just 22 years old, he could prove to be a top-level attacker for the next decade, and it’s not hard to imagine richer clubs pushing their way in this summer going by Jesus’ praise.

In other news: West Ham United: Phillips bid officially rejected

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has had a reputation for overspending on certain players in recent seasons, but no player emphasises his transfer failings more than Alex Iwobi.

The Nigerian joined the Merseyside outfit from boyhood club Arsenal in summer 2019 for a fee believed to be worth up to £34m having scored just 15 goals in 149 games for the Gunners.

Then 23, there was still plenty of potential and excitement around the forward which has since petered out following a largely unsuccessful spell at Goodison Park thus far.

26 in May, Iwobi has made 13 appearances in the Premier League this season, starting seven games whilst scoring once and assisting once.

However, across his whole Toffees career the Nigerian has just six goals and six assists in 81 appearances, a goal contribution of one every 6.75 games which has therefore seen a decline in his market value.

To put that figure into perspective, Andros Townsend (seven), Demarai Gray (six) and Richarlison (five) have near, the same or more goals this campaign than Iwobi has managed to net in his entire Toffees tenure.

When Everton signed the forward, Iwobi’s value was at its peak, with the winger worth £28.8m according to Transfermarkt, a very similar figure to what the Blues eventually paid for his signature.

However, after December 2019, it all went downhill for the 25-year-old.

The pandemic saw his value decline to £22.95m where it stayed until October 2020 before dipping again in March 2021 to £19.8m.

At the end of 2021, Iwobi was valued at £16.2m, less than half what Everton paid to acquire his services just over two years prior.

Back in 2020, the Liverpool Echo’s head of sport David Prentice had some strong words to say about Iwobi after a 2-0 defeat to Southampton, stating: “There was one moment where he actually found some space in the penalty area and Digne made a great run to actually overlap and he just needed to be played in and then he had a cross across the six-yard box, hopefully, for somebody to knock in.

“And he didn’t [cross], he ignored the pass and he checked back.

“It’s only a subtle thing, but if he just made that pass which, probably, Richarlison would have done, it would have been that much more dangerous.

“From that point, it just progressively got worse until there was that embarrassing one where he just missed the ball on the byline entirely. It was an opportunity for him and he didn’t take it.”

Based on how his two-and-a-half-year spell at Goodison Park has gone so far, there is little evidence to suggest that Iwobi will be able to still live up to the transfer fee paid for him.

With a new manager at the helm in Frank Lampard, the Nigerian forward has the opportunity to make an impression and attempt to salvage some of his career back. However, it doesn’t seem likely that the 25-year-old will be able to play his best football for Everton.

In other news: Lampard drops worrying injury update that’ll have Everton fans sweating

Sunderland have once again found themselves looking for a new permanent manager after Lee Johnson was relieved of his duties following the club’s recent humiliating 6-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers in League One.

In terms of who could come in and see out the remainder of the season in charge of the Black Cats, one name, in particular, has given the club a big boost in their search by reportedly making them aware of his interest in the currently vacant position.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Sunderland Echo, former Celtic manager Neil Lennon “has been mentioned” with the manager’s position at the Wearside club “as he is believed to have made clear he wants to be considered.”

This comes after it appeared as though Roy Keane was also in the frame.

Keane alternative

Having had two spells in charge of Celtic where he won many trophies as well as having stints in charge of Hibernian and Bolton, the 50-year-old has a total of 536 games under his belt as a manager, highlighting the experience he has of leading teams and winning titles, particularly at Celtic.

This is something that could make this an exciting and captivating appointment for the club’s supporters, one that leaves them thrilled, especially when Keane has been out of the game for so long, and hardly has a decorated CV either as a manager.

For instance, during his tenure with the Black Cats, Keane won 42% of his matches but that tumbled when he took charge of Ipswich, prevailing in a measly 34.6% of his matches at the helm at Portman Road.

Like the former Sunderland boss, Lennon is currently without a job in management but his reported eagerness to be considered for the role at the Stadium of Light could well make it a pretty straightforward appointment for the Wearside club. That’s something that would surely benefit the team, ensuring they have a new boss in sooner rather than later.

It must be taken into account how the Northern Irishman resigned from Celtic in his second spell with the Scottish club after falling 18 points behind Rangers halfway through their previous season. That’s something that may well go against him if the Sunderland hierarchy does indeed consider appointing him.

That said, his previous exploits in Glasgow, where he won numerous trophies, shows he is a coach who is capable of handling the pressure of a job with a big club where supporters are expectant. As a consequence, his previous expertise could be just what Sunderland are looking for with Lee Johnson having a far less appealing CV when he joined; something that Keane, unfortunately, boasts too.

Moving forward, with Sunderland currently sat in third place in the League One table with 54 points on the board, five below leaders Rotherham United, if the club does appoint Lennon, he will have a lot of pressure on him to try and secure promotion by the end of the campaign.

Though, if he’s shown an eagerness to take the job, he must be aware of what the job would entail and the pressures that would come with it given how Sunderland have now spent four seasons in League One.

In other news: “SAFC have..”: Luke Edwards drops big Sunderland manager update, fans surely amazed – opinion

Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has revealed there has been a positive change in Karamoko Dembele’s work ethic.

The Lowdown: Injury-hit season

Dembele is actually out of contract at Parkhead in the summer and has missed the majority of the season through injury.

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The 19-year-old featured heavily under Ange Postecoglou in pre-season but suffered a complex ankle fracture, making a long-awaited return to the matchday squad last month.

He featured from the bench twice prior to the international break, and it seems as if there has been a mentality switch for the teenager under the Hoops boss.

The Latest: Devlin’s update

Devlin shared an in-depth story on The Athletic regarding Dembele, which is available to view in full here.

He revealed from sources close to Celtic that there have previously been issues with Dembele over application in training and in games for the B team. Those same sources have now mentioned there has been an improvement in that work ethic under Postecoglou, despite his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Verdict: Good to hear

Devlin’s update on Dembele is certainly good to hear, and who knows, Postecoglou may now be open to keeping the wide man at the club going forward.

The Hoops only have a matter of months to finalise a new deal, though, with his current contract set to expire at the end of May.

Young winger Ben Doak looks set to move to Liverpool, so that could also play a part in Celtic’s decision on Dembele before the end of the season, along with his positive attitude.

In other news: Season over: Celtic’s injury problems just won’t end as news emerges on ‘terrific’ loanee. 

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will not be keen on engaging in a ‘financial tussle’ for Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, journalist Dean Jones has claimed.

The Lowdown: Kamara won’t sign a new deal

Marseille president Pablo Longoria has confirmed that the player will not sign a new deal at the club and will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season. Whilst currently earning a reported £46,000 per week, it is said that the 22-year-old was demanding £150,000-a-week wages from Marseille.

As a result, Goal have reported that Atletico Madrid are leading the race to sign the defensive midfielder. However, they also credited Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Southampton and Tottenham with an interest in signing the player.

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The Latest: Jones’ claim on Kamara and Levy

Jones believes that the potential fees, alongside the extensive competition, will be enough to put Levy off making a move for Kamara

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “This guy is being linked with almost every club in Europe at the moment. So, it’s going to probably come down to a financial tussle.

“And ultimately, Daniel Levy doesn’t usually like to get involved in that because you end up paying over the odds.”

The Verdict: Great talent

At just 22 years of age, the Frenchman has already accumulated 159 appearances for Marseille, 122 of which have come in Ligue 1.

When compared with players in the same position in Europe’s top five leagues, Kamara ranks in the 95th percentile for passes attempted and the 94th percentile for pass completion (via FBRef). As a result, it is easy to see why Antonio Conte would be keen on signing the young “phenomenon”, as the youngster was called by his former Marseille team-mate Rolando.

However, with Levy earning a reputation as a frugal operator in the transfer market, this prospective move seems unlikely to happen for Tottenham, which would come as a blow for the highly ambitious Conte given Kamara’s evident talents.

In other news: Italian report delivers update on Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham

Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde appears to be available for selection against Watford this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Hjelde’s absence

Hjelde was last seen for the Whites against Everton back in February but has missed the last eight games due to a knee problem.

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The 18-year-old required surgery on the injury but has seemingly made good progress over recent weeks. He wasn’t included in the match-day squad against Southampton, but did return to full training last week.

After Joe Gelhardt was confirmed fit, it seems there may be even more good news for supporters ahead of the clash with the Hornets.

The Latest: Marsch keeps quiet

Leeds shared Marsch’s pre-match press conference from Thorp Arch on their official Twitter page on Thursday afternoon.

The American began with an injury report, ruling out Patrick Bamford, Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and Jamie Shackleton for the trip to Vicarage Road.

One man the boss kept quiet on was Hjelde, but he added that all the players not mentioned above ‘are available and ready to go’, implying the youngster is joining Gelhardt on the available list after his return to the pitches at Thorp Arch.

The Verdict: Welcome news

Hjelde impressed in back-to-back games against West Ham in January, helping the Whites to an excellent 3-2 win at the London Stadium in the Premier League.

Therefore, his possible return to the match-day squad will be a welcome one, especially with Firpo still out.

Hjelde, capable of playing as a centre-back or at left-back, could provide cover on the bench for Stuart Dallas against Watford, in what is a crucial encounter at the bottom of the table.

In other news: ‘Leeds fans won’t be happy…’ – Sky Sports man reacts to major update emerging from Elland Road

Rangers have managed to score 67 goals in 33 SPFL games so far this season, which is 19 more than Hearts have scored who are one place below them in the league table.

One figure that has contributed quite a bit to the Ibrox club’s attacking force in this campaign is winger Ryan Kent.

With 24 league appearances under his belt, the Englishman has scored two goals and provided seven assists for his teammates.

To highlight the winger’s attacking talent, only Alfredo Morelos (4.3) has racked up a higher average of shots per game than Kent (2.5).

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Gers could be making a move to sign someone that could give Giovanni van Bronckhorst the chance to create a deadly attacking duo in his side.

What’s the news?

According to a recent article from Sport, Rangers are one of the teams mentioned with a potential summer transfer move for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.

With 540 club appearances to his name across all competitions for Real, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, the Welshman has scored 183 goals and provided 140 assists in the process.

To further highlight his pedigree, the 32-year-old has won numerous trophies during his time in Spain, including four Champions League titles.

Labelled as an “unstoppable” player by journalist John Cross, the winger has also been a pivotal attacking figure for Wales over the years, having scored 38 goals in 102 international appearances.

During his loan spell back in the Premier League with Tottenham last year, the £528k-per-week attacker ended the 2020/21 campaign with an average of 4.4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, higher than any other player at the north London club.

With his undeniable attacking talent in mind, adding the former Spurs star into this current Rangers squad would surely give Van Bronckhorst a massive boost in terms of their power going forward.

Specifically, with Kent’s penchant for creating goalscoring opportunities for his side and Bale’s ability for finding the back of the net, those two in tandem could be a frightening prospect for opposing players to come up against.

Moving forward, if a potential deal for the attacker is there to be worked out in the summer, the Gers should definitely put themselves in the conversation as Bale’s next club.

In other news: From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

Journalist Tom Barclay has made a claim on Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Mitchell injured v Leicester

The defender has been a regular during Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge at Selhurst Park, starting every Premier League game so far in 2021/22.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old was forced off through injury in the 2-1 defeat at Leicester on Sunday, with his availability for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea now seemingly up in the air.

He was due to undergo scans on a calf problem on Monday, and Barclay has made a claim unrelated to the injury on the full-back.

The Latest: Barclay’s comments on Mitchell

Barclay was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Mitchell after what he has heard from the Palace ‘dressing room’.

The reporter claimed that the full-back is ‘really good’ with the Eagles youngsters and wants to help them both on and off the training pitch, outlining:

“He’s really good with the other youngsters, which is funny because he’s only 22.

“But the younger players like him, he spends a lot of time with them, having food and doing warm-ups. He knows the path he’s been on, and wants to help others and he is well-liked in the dressing room is what I’m told.”

The Verdict: Mitchell to stay?

Mitchell has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham in recent weeks, but it appears as if he is loving life at Selhurst Park.

He seems to be passionate about helping the Eagles’ academy prospects as they look to follow in his footsteps, so hopefully he will remain a Palace player beyond the summer.

Mitchell is also the only senior left-back on the books for Vieira at this moment in time, so losing his services would be a big blow to Palace, particularly given his fine performances in recent months.

In other news: Vieira now wants Parish to bring 25-assist star to Palace; club preparing to lose their player

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to qualify for the Champions League suffered a setback as they were held by Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Lilywhites looked lifeless in attack as they failed to register a single shot on target. Meanwhile, former maestro Christian Eriksen practically ran the show in the red and white stripes of the west London outfit.

It was a disappointing day all-round for Spurs as in the early kick-off, arch-rivals Arsenal had defeated Manchester United to cement their name down in fourth spot – they are now two points clear heading into the final five games of the season, so it’s in their hands.

Antonio Conte will surely be left reeling as his side struggled to create any chance of note with neither of his wing-backs able to contribute creatively and when they can’t deliver, Tottenham’s frontline often falters.

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It’s no wonder the pair of them were substituted as the Italian’s only changes.

Plenty of flak will head Emerson’s way after delivering another sub-par showing since his summer move from Barcelona but arguably, it was his wide counterpart, Ryan Sessegnon, that let the 52-year-old boss down the most.

Sergio Reguilon was on the bench, albeit nursing an injury, so it’s not as if his place is secure over the final few fixtures.

From a whopping eight crossing attempts, the England U21 international failed to find a single Spurs star, nor did he manage to fire off a successful long ball – only making 73% of his 22 passes, as per SofaScore, who also graded him as the lowest-rated (6.3) player on the night.

None of those 16 passes translated into a key chance created, nor did he manage a successful dribble or even a shot on goal.

Elsewhere, from his 53 touches, the 21-year-old wing-back lost possession a whopping 19 times (second-most), meaning he handed the ball back to the Bees once every 2.8 touches and once every 3.9 minutes – sloppy.

In terms of defensive output, the Lilywhites lighweight wasn’t much better either, registering just the one tackle, whilst he lost 66.6% of his duels and failed to put in an interception or block, also via SofaScore.

The £13.5m-rated dynamo left little to be desired, as further reinforced by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who graded Sessegnon a joint-worst 4/10 in his post-match ratings column.

‘Very nervy start. Made an important interception in his own box just after the half-hour mark, but he lacked the quality going forward and was very predictable in his play.’ he then explained.

Sessegnon, who was also described as being “really poor” by Press Association journalist Jonathan Veal, evidently badly let his manager and the side down and he was one key reason to why they struggled in the final third.

He’ll need to improve massively as the Spaniard nears a return to full fitness in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Conte can now axe “truly hilarious” £42k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £33m “difference maker”…