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According to Sky Sports, Arsenal attacker Emile Smith-Rowe is reportedly set to join Bundesliga side RB Leipzig on loan until the end of the season, and that deal could boost Southampton’s chances of bringing Jean-Kevin Augustin, whom they are keen on according to a report in The Sun earlier this month, to St Mary’s before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports report that the 18-year-old flew out to Germany on Wednesday night and is expected to undergo a medical with the top-flight outfit on Thursday morning, with a move expected to go through.

The exit of Smith-Rowe, who has made six senior appearances for the north London outfit this term according to Transfermarkt, has been sanctioned amid Denis Suarez’s likely arrival at the Emirates, as per Sky Sports, and he will join Gunners teammate Reiss Nelson in the Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, The Sun reported earlier this month that Saints were keen to bring Augustin to the Premier League, although the £38m price tag on his head suggest a deal would not be possible.

Have their chances been boosted late on?

Potentially, as long as Leipzig aren’t demanding a permanent deal now.

The addition of an attack-minded player who can play through the middle or out wide may well impact Augustin’s first-team chances at Leipzig, where he has only played 355 minutes of Bundesliga football this season following the departure of Ralph Hasenhuttl at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

The 21-year-old netted 12 goals and provided a further six assists in 37 appearances in all competitions under the Austrian manager last term, once again according to Transfermarkt, and would fit the high-pressing style the 51-year-old wants to implement at St Mary’s.

While his reported value in The Sun is clearly an issue given Southampton’s record signing will be Danny Ings when they pay £20m for him in the summer, as per The Telegraph, it could potentially be possible that similarly to the Liverpool man, they agree a loan deal with a view to a permanent move at the end of the season.

Let’s see what develops across the next few hours…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to an injury update on Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford, Football Insider report. 

The Lowdown: Six weeks out

Bamford has missed the majority of the campaign but seemed to be nearing full fitness after making all four of Jesse Marsch’s matchday squads in March.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

He failed to get on from the bench against Leicester, played half an hour against Aston Villa and started in the 2-1 win over Norwich.

The 28-year-old once again got the nod from the off against Wolves but was forced off with a reoccurrence of a foot problem. It has since been confirmed that the striker will miss six weeks of action after rupturing his plantar fascia.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Talking to FI, former top flight forward McAvennie had this to say on Bamford’s latest setback, admitting he is ‘gutted’ for the forward.

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“I’m gutted for the boy [Bamford], I have been all season, he’s not been there.

“I was hoping this injury isn’t too bad. As a striker, I know what it’s like to have those injuries and it’s awful.

“A few weeks ago, I said he might need a full pre-season to get back fit.

“Maybe that is what was needed. Leeds have just had an awful time with injuries.

“Phillips has barely been there as well and he’s been a big miss. It’s ruined their season.

“It’s meant they can’t play the football they want to. I just hope they are all back as soon as possible.”

The Verdict: Nightmare

The best thing Bamford can do now is to look to the future and forget all about the 2021/22 campaign.

You could argue that Marsch has rolled the dice with the player’s fitness and that gamble hasn’t paid off with the forward now likely to miss the final eight games of the season.

Hopefully, Bamford will be over his foot problems by the summer and can look to replicate his 2020/21 form, where he featured in every league game and contributed to 25 goals.

In other news: Orta now ‘open’ to signing ‘unbelievable’ Raphinha replacement who’s scored vs Leeds this season. 

An injury expert has now dropped a ‘hopeful’ Wolves claim involving Ruben Neves.

The Lowdown: Not as serious

Speaking to the media, Bruno Lage revealed that Neves’ injury setback was ‘not as serious’ as they initially expected.

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The Portugal international has been missing since March, but will now be hoping to make a swift recovery in time to play the final few games of the season.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in both medicine and data analysis, has claimed that he is still ‘hopeful’ that Neves will return in ‘early to mid-May’, despite this ‘new info’ from Lage:

“My understanding initially hasn’t changed a great deal even with this new info.

“We’re talking about an MCL here. The indication that it was a grade two.

“I was working on the premise that we could maybe see a return around early to mid-May. I am still fairly hopeful that is the case.

“It happened against Leeds. He tried to continue but he couldn’t. He then went out to Portugal for some rehab and recovery.

“The target was always going to be around game week 35. I think there is a strong possibility that he’ll play again this season somewhere around there.”

The Verdict: Big boost

The fact that Neves’ injury is not as serious as previously expected, and that he could return for the last few matches of the campaign, is certainly a big boost for the Midlands club.

He currently ranks as their fourth-best performer in the Premier League so far, scoring four goals and making two assists, while also picking up two man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, interceptions, shots, passes, long and through balls per game (WhoScored), and will clearly be an important player for them if they are to finish the season strongly, and potentially challenge for a European place.

In other news, find out which ‘electric’ star the Wanderers now ‘want’ to sign here!

Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis is set to join Nottingham Forest on loan in the New Year.

That’s according to The Express & Star’s Matt Maher, which, as to be expected, has had plenty of Villa fans talking on social media.

Davis saw a temporary move to Stoke City fall through in the summer due to injury and has hardly featured in 2021/22.

The 23-year-old, who Steven Gerrard is thought to be a big fan of, has played just 11 Premier League minutes in what was Dean Smith’s final game in charge.

It now seems as if the forward, who has scored just six times in 86 appearances, will join Steve Cooper’s Forest side for the second half of the season as they look to break into the Championship playoff places.

Villa fans react

Well-known page @villareport shared Maher’s claim regarding Davis on Twitter. This is what these Villa supporters had to say, with many feeling it is the right decision and one even labelling it as ‘fantastic’.

“If this is true, it is fantastic news! Keinan needs regular football to be able to develop further. He can not do that at Villa.”

Credit: @GMP4AVFC

“Great Move For Him I hope it works and he is successful and stays injury free. Good Luck Keinan”

Credit: @AvfcRegan

“I’m a big big fan of his. Very strong and bullies defenders very easily. With frequent chances and regular playing time he’ll be a monster”

Credit: @avbiIly

“Please god let this boy become the player I know he can be”

Credit: @Stokesey84

“good move”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“He needs this so badly! He will get the games and some confidence. I still think he will be a big player for us”

Credit: @AvfcGards

In other news: ‘Sounds crazy’ – Many Villa fans react as Gerrard plots move for beast who’d fit ‘top-six’ side. 

Since Bruno Lage was appointed as Wolves manager back in June and the Midlands club have brought in players such as Jose Sa, Francisco Trincao, Yerson Mosquera and Hwang Hee-chan as well as January signings Hayao Kawabe and Chiquinho, showing that club are not shy in backing their manager and giving him players to build his squad with.

One player that has been linked with a move to Molineux in recent times is Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, who it seems could still eventually join Wolves at some point soon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Alex Crook had this to say on Wolves’ reported interest in Sanches and the possibility of the club making a future attempt to sign him again.

He said: “He’s definitely someone who’s on their radar. But I think this is where, if they can sell someone like Adama Traore, then it gives them some funds for Bruno Lage to be able to bring in his own players because he hasn’t really done that.”

Lage’s biggest swoop?

Since joining Lille back in 2019 from German club Bayern Munich, the 24-year-old has made 77 appearances for the French side across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing seven assists along the way, showing the attacking and creative skills he has on the pitch.

Looking at the players that Wolves have signed under Lage so far and taking into account Crook’s claim that the Old Gold boss hasn’t been able to bring his own targets to the club yet, a permanent move for Sanches could not only arguably be seen to be a massive coup for Wolves as a whole but as Lage’s biggest transfer deal yet.

After all, the midfielder has tremendous pedigree of playing for a trio of big clubs in three of Europe’s top leagues as well as being a fully-fledged Portugal international with 32 senior caps under his belt.

When you consider his tender age too, there is not only a high degree of potential in his bones but also a significant amount of re-sale value in him, particularly if he thrives in the Premier League.

As a result, this move makes sense for plenty of reasons and should be wrapped up swiftly if Jeff Shi has any sense.

With Crook also mentioning a potential sale of current Wolves winger Adama Traore, if the Midlands club sold the winger either this month or most likely in the next summer transfer window, they should definitely use the money to launch a move for the £27m-rated Sanches if Lille would be willing to shift the midfielder on a permanent basis.

They may not play in the same position but signing somebody as good as the Portugal international in return would be an impressive piece of business.

In other news: Forget Trincao: Wolves plotting swoop for “the new Iniesta,” he’d be a big upgrade – opinion

West Ham United could discover another Jarrod Bowen this winter.

The Irons may be set to raid his former club, Championship outfit Hull City, for a second time in January after a very reliable source revealed interest in one of their emerging talents.

Speaking on this week’s edition of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, Hammers insider ExWHUemployee claimed that Keane Lewis-Potter was an attacker that David Moyes could take a look at next month.

“A player in the Championship who West Ham could look at in January is a forward for Hull called Keane Lewis-Potter,” he said.

“The Hull fans talk of him in the same breath as they do Jarrod Bowen. He’s got the same work ethic, the same potential. He has shown similarities to Bowen and if that’s the case, he might be worth a more serious look at.”

Indeed, there are plenty of comparisons to be made between the current Tigers star and the man he has seemingly replaced at the MKM Stadium.

Both are capable of playing anywhere along the frontline and that is something which has proven to be increasingly valuable to Moyes in east London, as Bowen has often been deployed up front in a bid to rest Michail Antonio or whenever the Jamaica forward is absent through injury or suspension.

Lewis-Potter is yet to prove himself outside League One or the Championship, very much like Bowen prior to his £22m move on deadline day in January 2020.

So far this term, the 20-year-old gem has provided Grant McCann – who was in charge when Bowen was still at Hull – and the Tigers with five goals and four assists in 22 appearances across all competitions, building on last season’s tally of 15 goals and six assists, per Transfermarkt.

He has done so primarily at left-wing but he has also featured as a striker, in the no.10 role and on the other flank too.

The 5 foot 7 dynamo has been dubbed a “special talent” by his boss at Hull, with McCann telling the club’s official website last year:

“Keano will play a huge role this season. The kid’s a special talent. Wherever we play him across that frontline, he’ll create and score goals.

“He can be anything he wants to be. He’s quick, he’s getting stronger. If you see him physically now compared to where he was this time last year, he’s head and shoulders above in terms of his physique. He’s got all the tools to be anything he wants.”

Valued at around £12m according to The Sun, Irons recruitment chief Rob Newman could well secure Moyes his next Bowen with a January swoop for Lewis-Potter.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Areola: West Ham flop who made only 9 passes badly betrayed Moyes on Thursday night…

Everton have been dropping in and out of form this season, and finding that creative midfielder to score goals and create chances has surely become a top priority for Rafa Benitez.

James Rodriguez’s exit has seen the side lack attacking presence in midfield, and Rafa will be keen to rectify that issue in the upcoming winter transfer window, with a signing that can make an instant positive impact on both Everton’s Premier League campaign and tight challenge for a European spot.

What’s the word?

A number of sources, including Calciomercato, have linked ex-Arsenal and current Juventus player, Aaron Ramsey, to an Everton move in January, stating the club has an “excellent relationship” with the Serie A winner.

Ramsey has failed to be part of the bigger picture at Juventus for Allegri, with Fabrizio Romano taking to Twitter to confirm that the club were keen to move the Welsh international on.

The Italian journalist wrote: “Juventus are still planning to find a solution to sell Aaron Ramsey in January. He’s out of the plans and looking for a potential new challenge.”

There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to why Allegri doesn’t utilise the experienced midfielder in his successful Italian side, but if the reports are anything to go by, both Juventus and Ramsey would be keen to seal a deal in January to benefit both parties.

It remains to be seen how much Ramsey might command in terms of transfer fees, though Transfermarkt currently value the 69-cap midfielder at just £9m.

Sign him up!

Ramsey would be a fantastic addition to the blue side of Merseyside if his experience is anything to go by, with three FA Cups and a Serie A title, to name a few of his accomplishments.

He also offers huge amounts of European experience, in both the Champions League and Europa League for his previous Premier League club, Arsenal, featured which will surely be advantageous for Rafa Benitez, whose obvious goal will be to secure European football for the Toffees this season.

The Welshman provided 65 goals and 65 assists in over a total of 371 matches in north London, in which he recorded a career-best of 13 goals and ten assists during the 2013/14 campaign, as per Transfermarkt. That suggests that, on his day, he is a goal threat from midfield and one that could help fill the void left behind by Rodriguez.

Of those 370 matches, 63 were in a European competition.

He has regularly been compared to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, two players renowned for their influence in the heart of the pitch and in the final third.

BT Sport pundit Martin Keown, who was once a colossus for the Gunners, also once described him as a “great leader” and an “outstanding technician” – a glowing endorsement that only bolsters reasoning to sign him this January.

As a proven winner and a proven Premier League player, the 30-year-old could help to inject a winning mentality into the current side to push them on in both domestic competition and when challenging for European spots in the Premier League over the second half of the season.

Therefore, director of football Marcel Brands must push ahead with plans to seal the Wales international this winter.

AND in other news, Brands joins race for £15.3m-rated “match-winner”, he’s just what Everton are missing…

Everton took a huge win from their clash against Manchester United at Goodison Park yesterday, with the side embroiled in a difficult relegation battle this season the three points couldn’t have been more crucial for Frank Lampard.

With reports that sources from Everton had claimed the Toffees boss would be sacked if he didn’t take points from Ralf Rangnick’s side on Saturday, Lampard definitely put up a fight to prove the doubters wrong in his pursuit to lead Everton to safety this season.

Although the manager can’t take all the credit, the team performance from Everton was outstanding in a rarely-seen impressive defensive display from the whole team who put in a shift to hold onto a clean sheet following Anthony Gordon’s 27th-minute goal.

Despite having less possession than the visitors, the Toffees made more tackles (18) and over twice as many clearances (35) throughout the game, with Jordan Pickford a clear contender for man of the match after making four saves and two clearances in a fantastic performance.

There was one player who did make an important return and huge impact on the team following his selection in the starting line-up alongside Alex Iwobi and Allan, with Fabian Delph proving that the side desperately missed his experience in the centre of the pitch.

According to SofaScore, the 32-year-old midfielder won 100% of his duels, made six clearances, three tackles and two interceptions, as well as offering up a pass completion rate of 80% (24/30) before he was taken off in the 84th minute to be replaced by Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Delph who was hailed a “leader” by Gerard Houllier, recently returned to full fitness following a number of injury issues this season including a hamstring injury that has seen him unavailable for selection for the entirety of 2022 so far, and he surely made up for it in his seventh appearance this season against Man United.

Lampard was full of praise for the £92k-per-week midfielder following the victory, claiming that they “missed him” in his post-match interview;

“Yeah we’ve missed him.

“Delph gave us a sense of calm, his positional behaviours — like when a centre-back is out of position he falls into the backline.”

Everton may have found the key to unlocking survival in the Premier League this season by unleashing Delph in midfield and Lampard will be hoping the former Man City star can continue to lead and dominate in midfield ahead of the remaining fixtures this season to give the side their best chance of staying up.

In other news: Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton’s 9-pass flop was “wasteful” once again vs United

West Ham United have opened negotiations with Angelo Ogbonna, Ben Johnson and Lukasz Fabianski in order to extend their stays at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent The West Ham Way podcast that David Moyes’ side have opened contract talks with all three players, each of whom are currently on deals that expire at the end of the current campaign. An announcement regarding their respective extensions is expected to be made by the club in the near future.

In his post, the West Ham insider said: “Contract news should come soon. Negotiations have been ongoing for Fabianski, Ogbonna and Johnson.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Fabianski, Ogbonna and Johnson have been for West Ham so far this season, the news that the club are working towards extending all three of their contracts beyond the end of the season is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over Johnson’s 11 Premier League appearances this term, the £2.7m-rated full-back has helped his side to keep two clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as making 1.3 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 2.6 clearances per game and winning 54% of his duels.

These returns have seen the 21-year-old defender average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as the Hammers’ fifth-best performer in the league.

Meanwhile, over Fabianski’s 20 league outings in the current campaign, the £900k-rated goalkeeper has kept four clean sheets and made 3.3 saves per match, with these metrics seeing the 36-year-old shot-stopper average a SofaScore match rating of 6.88.

Finally, over Ogbonna’s 11 Premier League outings prior to suffering a cruciate ligament injury back in November, the £1.8m-rated centre-back had helped the Irons to keep three clean sheets and scored one goal. These returns saw the 33-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.71.

As such, considering just how important they are to the West Ham cause, the news that all three players look set to extend their respective stays in east London beyond the end of the current campaign is undoubtedly fantastic for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Moyes can finally axe £10m dud as West Ham plot January bid for “determined” £21m colossus

With the likes of Sam Hutchinson, Dominic Iorfa and Lewis Gibson out injured, it seems as though this has forced Sheffield Wednesday into bringing in a new face to the club that could help boost their defensive strength and ease their injury crisis.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Examiner Live that Wednesday have “offered a deal” to former Watford defender Adrian Mariappa, who is currently a free agent after leaving Bristol City during the previous summer transfer window.

As a product of Watford’s youth academy, the 35-year-old centre-back made a total of 340 appearances for the Hornets across all competitions which includes 100 Premier League appearances and 197 Championship appearances, highlighting how experienced he is and why Owls manager Darren Moore would seemingly want to add him to his squad.

Can he save their season?

During his time in the Championship with Bristol City last season, the defender managed to rack up an average of 3.6 clearances per game, 1.1 interceptions per game and one tackle per game which showed how capable he is at the back and why he could be a solid figure for Wednesday in League One for the rest of the season.

Given how former Watford manager Javi Gracia has praised Mariappa in the past for always being an “example for the rest of the players,” this demonstrates what a positive impact and influence he could have on the players at Wednesday if he joins them in the coming days.

In addition to this, Mariappa has been labelled as a “fantastic communicator” on the pitch by Dean Holden during his time at Bristol, which could make him a very useful figure for the Owls between now and the climax of the campaign.

If Wednesday have offered the defender, who is currently valued at £270k according to Transfermarkt, a deal, this could be an excellent piece of business from the Yorkshire club if he manages to improve the side from a defensive point of view. With Hutchinson, Iorfa and Gibson currently out injured, bringing in another body could potentially save their season.

However, it is crucial to keep in mind that Mariappa hasn’t played any football since he left Bristol City, meaning it could take him a while to get up to speed with the Owls if he does join them.

In other news: Big blow: Moore dealt injury setback at SWFC that’ll surely leave fans worried – opinion