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With no new players brought in during the winter aside from Willy Caballero who joined the club as a free agent in early December, Southampton have had a rather uneventful few weeks regarding any potential transfer business.

While the club did welcome a takeover from Sport Republic led by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, Ralph Hasenhuttl has not been given any new players to add to his squad.

Although, with only a few days left until the transfer window closes, it seems as though the south coast club could have a challenge on their hands to keep hold of one of their key players.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Jose Manuel Oliva (via Saints Extra) Newcastle United are negotiating with Southampton over a potential transfer for Mohammed Salisu and have apparently offered a similar to what they have tried to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos for, which is said to be in in the region of over £30m.

Southampton signed the defender back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Spanish club Real Valladolid in a deal worth a reported fee of £10.9m.

Since then, the 22-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £39k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has gone on to make 38 appearances for the Saints across all competitions.

Ralph would be furious

This season has seen the Ghanian play more minutes in the Premier League than any other Southampton player, as well as managing to rack up an overall performance rating of 7/10 from WhoScored, making him their second-highest rated outfield player behind club captain James Ward-Prowse.

Labelled as a “nasty” player in the past in terms of his defensive action on the pitch by Hasenhuttl, Salisu’s latest appearance for Southampton saw the centre-back put in a colossal performance in their recent 1-1 draw against Manchester City where he made a total of 14 clearances, seven tackles and four interceptions.

This not only highlights how important Salisu has been for the team this season but also how unhappy Hasenhuttl would be to see him potentially leave the club halfway through the season to join another Premier League side, which would undoubtedly be a disaster for Solak, especially this late in the window.

Moving forward, with Newcastle journalist Luke Edwards recently claiming that the Magpies had made an approach to Southampton to sign Salisu but were told that “it’s not going to be possible” for them to sign him, this should put to bed any concerns there may have been from the fans or Hasenhuttl about the defender’s immediate future.

In other news: Big boost: Hasenhuttl drops promising 7-word Southampton update, fans surely pleased – opinion

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has won six of his first seven matches in charge of the Ibrox giants and is yet to taste defeat.

The ex-Feyenoord boss came in after the 3-1 loss to Hibernian in the League Cup and has gone on to win all five of his Premiership outings, whilst winning one and drawing one in the group stages of the Europa League.

They now play host to Dundee United in Glasgow as they look to extend that run, having beaten St Johnstone 2-0 in midweek.

Key issue

One change that could be enforced upon the head coach is axing Borna Barisic from the XI. Van Bronckhorst provided an update on the defender after the win on Wednesday, saying:

“He’s okay. He was just not feeling well. He’s not injured.”

Whilst he did not pick up a physical knock during the match, the news that he was feeling unwell is concerning ahead of this weekend. There is no need for the Gers to make him play through poor health, assuming he is still not 100% at the moment, and that means that he could be taken out of the team to give him a rest ahead of Christmas.

Van Bronckhorst could solve this key issue by unleashing the player who replaced him against St Johnstone. He was withdrawn from the match in the 79th minute and right-back Nathan Patterson came on to see out the game in an unnatural position. However, he was quickly able to adapt to his surroundings and won all three of his ground duels during his cameo, whilst completing 89% of his passes and making three tackles.

Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor previously lauded the young defender whilst on international duty with him for Scotland, saying:

“He’s been absolutely first class. You can tell he’s a real talent – even from the first day he trained with us in the summer.

“You could see his quality, his athleticism. And it’s great to see him make such a big impact, getting off the mark with a goal. He needs to just keep his head down and keep working hard. Other experienced boys will keep him on the right track, keep him honest.”

Patterson, who Che Adams once dubbed as “amazing”, scored and provided an assist in his last outing for Scotland as they beat Moldova 2-0 in a World Cup Qualifier. He also has one assist in five Premiership appearances, having started once, this season – showing off the attacking threat he can provide from full-back.

The £4.9k-per-week gem could, therefore, be an ideal choice to come in and replace Barisic at left-back for a game if he is not well enough to start. He showed great promise with his cameo in the week and he has proven his quality at right-back in his aforementioned games for club and country, which is why van Bronckhorst must unleash him this weekend.

AND in other news, 86% duels won: Rangers beast who made 5 tackles vs St Johnstone surely had Gio purring…

Manchester United has a lot of making up after early dismal displays under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Thankfully, they have been taken over by Ralf Rangnick until they find a permanent fixture.

Although Manchester United hasn’t returned to their best, they are winning games now, and that’s the essential part. This is great news if you like to bet on the outcome of Man United matches, and don’t worry, you are in safe hands making a bet through one of these betting sites.

And now let’s look at the predicted starting lineup, which features regular faces that will be part of the squad through the 2022 season.

David De Gea

David De Gea will likely be the man in front of the net, with an impressive 71 saves this season and only 31 goals conceded. De Gea has been a Red Devil since he was 14 years old and has made a stamp on the pitch as one of the greatest goal keepers in the world.

Diago Dalot

At only 22 years old, Diogo Dalgot has made an excellent name for himself in defence. Across the current season, he has won 17/23 tackles and come out on top in more than 50% of his duels. He has appeared ten times this season, and of the five he was in the starting lineup, he has not been substituted off.

Victor Lindelof

Leading the Red Devils’ defensive game is Victor Lindelof, who deals extremely well when put under pressure. After suffering breathing difficulties in their game against Norwich, Lindelof is reportedly back in shape and ready to give it his all. Lindelof had appeared in 18 games this season and has only been substituted off one time – when he played Norwich.

Harry Maguire

England’s very own defensive hero Harry Maguire joins Lindelof in central defence. He’s found impressive action in the opponents’ box and has also scored a goal. So far, Maguire has played 18 games and only been substituted off once. The game against Brighton where he might have played again was sadly cancelled.

Alex Telles

Closing the defence line is Alex Telles on the left. Donning the number 27, the 29-year-old brought impressive outside talent to Old Trafford, and he has joined the team on many of their most critical European outings.

Donny Van De Beek

Van De Beek will play in midfield alongside Scott McTominay. Finding his start with Amsterdam-based Ajax, Van De Beek is a highly talented footballer. He has won almost half of his tackles and has been in the starting 11 four times.

Scott McTominay

Joining Van De Beek is Scott McTominay, who has been part of the senior squad since 2017. At the beginning of 2021, McTominay captained United during the Emirates FA Cup. He’s joined the starting lineup 16 times and isn’t afraid to get stuck in.

Jadon Sancho

Moving forward, there will likely be Jadon Sancho on the right-wing, working tirelessly to create opportunities. So far in the 2021/22 season, Sancho has appeared 19 times and found the back of the net twice. His style of play mimics the gritty street scene of London and the Brazilian samba style of the greats.

Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes will work hard to smash crosses into the box on the left wing. This Portuguese footballer made a name for himself in Italy, where he spent the first five years. Fernandes has scored five goals across his 22 appearances in the current season.

Mason Greenwood

At only 20 years of age, Mason Greenwood is well above expectations regarding stats. He’s appeared 17 times and hit the back of the net five times. At only the beginning of his career, this energetic striker will go far.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Red Devil talisman Cristiano Ronaldo will join Greenwood in the front. So far this season, he’s appeared 18 times and scored 13 goals. You can expect to see Ronaldo in the starting lineup for most of Manchester United’s games.

There are many other key players in the 2022 United squad, but these are the most likely to appear in their next game. Despite all the talent, the question remains whether they can reclaim their former dominance.

Images from: https://www.pexels.com/@pixabay

Many Glasgow Rangers slammed the performance of Alfredo Morelos despite scoring in their 3-0 win at home to Dundee on Saturday afternoon.

In fairness, the Colombia international took his goal well, bulldozing his way through the visitors’ defence before slotting the ball into the net with his left foot.

However, some home fans were still frustrated by his overall performance, as he lost out on six of his duels and only scored once from his eight shots on goal in total (SofaScore).

He was also guilty of giving the ball away 13 times in the match, the joint-fifth most out of any of his teammates on the pitch (SofaScore), and hopefully the goal will give him confidence to perform better in their next fixture.

Rangers fans slam Morelos

These Gers fans slammed Morelos’ performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’ today despite scoring:

“Morelos has had an absolute stinker here today!!! Awful”

Credit: @alston2_kev

“Morelos only tries in Europe, time for Alegria to step up to the 1st team”

Credit: @Giovani2021Ward

“No celebration when Rangers score from Morelos, body language is terrible. Still like a huffy child sometimes. His best has come and gone”

Credit: @AlanWyseDJ

“Morelos’ finishing is depressing.”

Credit: @Greg_1872

“Morelos’ body language is very lazy right now. Would hook him for Roofe at HT”

Credit: @rosscofaz

“Morelos is dreadful man”

Credit: @wullieboy78

In other news, find out whose display against Hibernian was slammed by some Gers fans

Injury expert Ben Dinnery thinks Celtic attacker Jota could be out for a total of seven weeks with his hamstring issue, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Jota’s absence

Celtic are expected to sign the 22-year-old on a permanent deal before the end of the season in a £6.5m transfer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-18/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Portuguese winger has been involved in 14 goals in 18 appearances, however, he’s missed the last two games with a hamstring issue.

Ange Postecoglou has ruled Jota out of the League Cup final against Hibernian later this month, as shared by Sky Sports, and it seems as if he could miss the entire festive period and New Year.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Injury expert Dinnery was talking to Football Insider regarding Jota’s timeframe on the sidelines.

This is what he had to say in reply, believing Jota, labelled as ‘explosive’ by Alan Hutton, could return following the winter break, meaning he’d have missed seven weeks of action after he picked up the problem on December 2 against Hearts.

“Look, it’s very much touch and go. It depends on the player’s response to treatment.

“We talk about external factors maybe influencing a possible return to play. Should Celtic go on a run and they keep winning games, then the pressures to maybe throw Jota back in the team lessens almost.

“You’re making that decision. Why take any chances? Why throw anybody in there?

“Two or three weeks? Yeah, but I think those decisions will be probably taken game week to game week. There will always be context to those decisions.

“If a player is returning and he does decide to sort of throw him back in, then you could be looking at maybe just minutes from the bench.

“With a return to maybe like a full, proper training during that winter break.”

The Verdict: Not ideal…

Should Dinnery’s prediction on Jota prove accurate, it could prove to be a blow, but possibly the correct decision.

Giorgos Giakoumakis has struggled to get his Parkhead career going, whereas Albian Ajeti and Kyogo Furuhashi went off on Thursday against Real Betis, also with hamstring issues.

That means Postecoglou’s attacking options could be extremely limited ahead of the winter break with some crucial games before then.

The only good news to come from Jota’s time on the sidelines could be the possibility of making his move permanent, with Dinnery thinking he could be without Jota for a total of seven weeks.

In other news: Possession lost 40x, 21 duels lost: Celtic’s 3 worst players v Betis who didn’t take Ange chance. 

Crystal Palace have made great progress on the pitch under Patrick Vieira in the opening weeks of the season, but his squad rebuild off it is far from complete.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman oversaw significant changes in personnel during his first summer at the helm, replacing several experienced campaigners with a host of exciting young talents.

So far, it appears as though Vieira has expertly identified some astute acquisitions for the south London club, and he must do so again over the coming months if they’re to continue making progress.

It was recently reported that striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is set to depart Palace in January after failing to impress during his loan spell, so Vieira is likely to be in the market for a replacement for him in January.

One player who would be an ideal candidate to do just that is Arsenal’s unwanted forward Eddie Nketiah.

The Eagles were first linked with the 22-year-old in the previous transfer window when The Athletic claimed that Palace were willing to pay £10m for the youngster, but a deal couldn’t be agreed between the two clubs as the Gunners were holding out for a £20m fee.

Patrick Vieira needs him

If Mateta does leave Selhurst Park over the winter, Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard would then be the only recognised strikers in Vieira’s first team squad.

With the latter already deputising out wide on multiple occasions this season due to Palace’s limited attacking options, a new striker will be needed if Palace are to fulfil their potential in 2021/22. In Nketiah, Vieira could unearth a gem capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis for the Eagles for many years to come.

The £10.8m-rated gem was lauded by his current boss Mikel Arteta last season, with the Spaniard lauding the forward’s maturity and potential.

“I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. The way he played last night against those players, in those difficult conditions, for me is extraordinary at his age,” said the Arsenal manager.

“He has an immense personality to play, confidence, he’s powerful and is developing in every area I think. I have a lot of faith in him.”

Despite only receiving two starts this season – both in the Carabao Cup – Nketiah has continued to show his class, scoring on both occasions, including a delightful goal against Leeds United last time out.

Therefore, Palace chairman Steve Parish must revive his interest in the former England under-21 international, providing Vieira with the strength in depth that he needs to bring the club forward.

And, in other news…Vieira could unearth Palace gem in “talented” 20 y/o colossus, fans should be excited 

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard looks set to be the man to take over from Dean Smith at Aston Villa, and a number of Villa fans have been reacting to more staff members who could leave Ibrox and join him at Villa Park.

The Telegraph shared a story on Wednesday evening suggesting that Villa will pay around £3m to land Gerrard and his backroom team.

Assistants Gary McAllister and Michael Beale are set to make the move south along with the 41-year-old, whereas set piece specialist Tom Culshaw and Head of Performance Jordan Milsom could also join them.

Villa brought in a set piece specialist in Austin MacPhee just three months ago, but should Culshaw move to the Midlands, then you’d expect there’d be no place for MacPhee.

The news regarding Culshaw and Milsom, particularly the former, had plenty of Villa fans talking.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news about the pair on social media. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many excited at the possibility of MacPhee leaving, possibly due to Villa’s struggles in defending set pieces following his arrival at the club.

“A PROPER SET PIECE SPECIALIST, TEARS IN MY EYES”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Scenes! Unreal news this”

Credit: @GW_94

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @Woodyshama1

“NEW SET PIECE SPECIALIST??? NO MORE MACPHEE???? WOOOOO”

Credit: @luke1874_

“Yeh we’ve won it alllllll”

Credit: @JezAv_

“Lets GOOOOOO UTV”

Credit: @lastritez

In other news: ‘No clause’ inserted by Rangers to stop Gerrard taking players to Villa; he’s ‘keen’ to act

Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side went into Saturday afternoon’s West Midlands derby in much-improved form, as after losing their first three league games of the 2021/22 campaign, the 45-year-old’s Wolves side had picked up nine points from a possible 12 over their last four fixtures.

However, after Danny Ings opened the scoring for Aston Villa shortly after half-time and John McGinn doubled the home side’s lead on the 68-minute mark, it appeared as if Wolves’ fine run of form would be coming to an end at Villa Park.

The latter of these goals led to Lage making a double substitution with around 15 minutes to go, bringing on both Fabio Silva and Daniel Podence for Joao Moutinho and Fernando Marcal respectively – a decision which would change the game completely.

Just five passes made

With Francisco Trincao being ruled out of the game after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal, there was something of a pre-match debate as to who should come in to replace the Barcelona loanee in the Wolves starting XI – Adama Traore or Podence.

While Traore did light up the fixture on occasion due to his remarkable strength on the ball and dizzying dribbles – of which he completed six – it was undoubtedly the Portuguese’s introduction to the game which began to turn the tide for Wolves.

Indeed, despite the £22.5m-rated forward featuring for just 16 minutes, as well as making only five passes and touching the ball just 14 times, the 25-year-old nevertheless ended the game with one assist and one key pass to his name. He played an influential role in his side’s thrilling comeback, with late goals from Romain Saiss, Conor Coady and Ruben Neves securing a famous 3-2 win over Wolves’ West Midlands rivals.

As a result of his efforts, Podence earned a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 – with only Saiss and Neves receiving a higher score for Wolves on the day – while The Athletic journalist Tim Spiers claimed that the Portugal international’s introduction to the game finally saw Lage’s side showing signs of “intent” in the match.

While it is impossible to know whether or not Podence would have had the same impact if he had started ahead of Traore, it seems certain that the £60k-per-week winger will ultimately believe that his performance proved his manager wrong – a sentiment that we wouldn’t argue against.

In other news: “Huge” £51k-p/w Wolves target “able to leave” in January, he’d be a major coup for Shi

Tottenham Hotspur have been monitoring Sam Johnstone ahead of a potential swoop in January or the summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, who delivered a fresh claim on their pursuit to GIVEMESPORT earlier this week. He said: “If Spurs are looking at Sam Johnstone, I’m sure that’s a sensible option.

“I think Spurs have been watching him. He is homegrown, which is good.”

The England international was subject to interest from several top-flight clubs during the summer transfer window, including West Ham, who saw a £10m bid for him rejected, as per the BBC.

Spurs were also linked with a move for the 6 foot 4 shot-stopper several months ago after The Athletic’s Steve Madeley revealed that the north London outfit had ‘sent out feelers’ to the Baggies following relegation.

Lloris heir?

This latest development should leave much of the Lilywhites faithful absolutely buzzing as it seems as if the club’s hierarchy, notably sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy, are planning for the future.

Hugo Lloris (34) is out of contract in the summer, so a change could well be required between the sticks, and the fact that Johnstone is being monitored suggests that he could be a possible successor – and a very worthy one, too.

Despite West Brom’s relegation, the 28-year-old colossus made Gareth Southgate’s England squad at Euro 2020 and he has since picked up three caps, even with Albion in the second tier.

That shows his quality, whilst previous praise from former managers show an insight into his work ethic, attitude and undoubted ability.

“He’s one of the best,” claimed ex-West Brom boss Sam Allardyce back in December, with Johnstone being dubbed a “diamond” to work with by Steve Bruce, his former boss at Villa.

No goalkeeper in the Premier League has faced more shots on target (168) than Johnstone last season, nor did any goalkeeper make as many saves either (116). His four saves per 90 minutes was far above that of Lloris (2.77), as per FBRef.

The veteran glovesman, who captained France to UEFA Nations League glory earlier this month, has often come under criticism for his form in N17, in which he was once slammed for his “lettuce wrists” and dubbed a “weak link” in defence by talkSPORT pundits Jason Cundy and Trevor Sinclair.

Johnstone, who is valued at just £7.2m by Transfermarkt, could be a bargain replacement come next summer, particularly as he’s only on a reported £32.5k-per-week at the Hawthorns.

Spurs fans should be excited by Bridge’s suggestion that the club have been watching him ahead of a potential move. He’d be a very astute addition, even if Lloris remains.

AND in other news, £18m-rated Spurs passenger who lost the ball every 2.7 touches was a disaster against West Ham…

Manchester United could be set to offload struggling striker Anthony Martial over the January transfer window after Newcastle United reportedly made contact with the club over his services.

What’s the story?

The Magpies joined the financial elite of football after being taken over by a Saudi-backed consortium, and the new owners have already started devising transfer market strategies.

According to Stretty News, Martial is one of the players identified as a priority target by the Newcastle hierarchy in what is set to be an exciting if controversial era for the club.

The report stated: “Stretty News understands that Newcastle United’s recruitment team have already made contact over the possibility of signing Manchester United’s Anthony Martial in January.”

They added: “A club source, who has been involved in initial talks, has revealed to us that Newcastle United have made formal contact with the Red Devils, as well as the player’s representative.”

Manchester United fans should be delighted

Martial has been heavily linked with an Old Trafford exit in recent months after struggling for form throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

The France international’s woes have continued into the current season, leading to speculation over an imminent exit, although he did bag his first goal since 2 February in the 1-1 draw with Everton last time out.

Despite Martial’s obvious talent, his inconsistency, lack of progress and low work ethic have seen him fall out of favour with some United supporters of late.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in the previous transfer window also forced the 25-year-old down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pecking order, and with the 20-time English champions set to target Erling Haaland next summer, January could be the optimum time to offload their underwhelming attacking talent.

Therefore, United fans should be delighted with Newcastle’s apparent interest in Martial. The newfound wealth of the St James’ Park outfit means that the Old Trafford club can demand a premium price for the £31.5m-rated forward, recouping a large chunk of their original £36m outlay on him.

It remains to be seen whether the Magpies make a concrete offer for Martial, but there’s surely a large section of the Red Devils’ fanbase who would be happy to see him depart.

In other news… Man Utd receive big selection setback ahead of Premier League return which will leave Ole gutted