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Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he’s confident Sam Allardyce will stay at West Brom despite their relegation.

The Baggies’ brief stay in the Premier League was ended following their defeat at Arsenal last Sunday – with the 3-1 scoreline also ending the ex-England boss’ record of never being relegated in his managerial career.

Despite some impressive results against both Chelsea and Southampton last month, West Brom paid the price for winning just twice in their opening 25 matches, with Allardyce always chasing a what appeared a lost cause from the moment he replaced Slaven Bilic before Christmas.

Should Allardyce stay on at the Hawthorns, he’ll be managing in the second tier for the first time since getting West Ham promoted via the play-offs back in 2012.

The 66-year-old has managed England since he was last working in the Championship, but Sanchez believes that he’ll be desperate to get the Baggies back into the Premier League in a bid to make them a more well-rounded outfit should they go straight back up.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“Sam is coming to the mature end of his career and he realises he won’t be offered loads of jobs – and West Brom are a big club in the Championship, great facilities as I understand it.

“If he has the budget that the parachute payments will allow, I think he thinks he can get the club back into the Premier League in the shape that he wants it to be, to be more of a force.

“So, 12 months, sat at West Brom, get another title under his belt, I think he will be happy with that because I don’t think there will be loads of Premier League clubs looking to tie him up at the end of the season.”

Speaking to in an Anfield Watch Q&A, journalist David Lynch has made a very promising transfer claim involving Liverpool target and Fulham forward Fabio Carvalho.

The Lowdown: Liverpool reach agreement…

In the January transfer window, Liverpool were painfully close to sealing a deal for Carvalho but couldn’t complete the necessary paperwork in time to make the move official.

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Indeed, the Reds shook hands on £8 million to sign the scintillating teenager in winter but Anfield officials couldn’t finalise his documentation before the 11pm cut off.

Jurgen Klopp, however, hasn’t given up on signing Carvalho and is a big admirer – having previously stated to the press that Liverpool would be ‘crazy’ not to maintain their interest.

The Latest: Lynch makes Carvalho claim…

Speaking to AW, journalist Lynch backs that Liverpool are fully expected to complete the move this summer, saying that personal terms shouldn’t be an issue.

When asked for an update on the Carvalho situation, he said:

“Liverpool already reached an agreement to sign Carvalho in January, they just weren’t able to finalise things due to time restrictions. Both clubs were happy, however, to shake hands on the same agreed figure and simply push back to the summer in order to avoid going through a tribunal. With personal terms unlikely to be an issue (let’s be honest, those tend to get agreed in advance anyway) I expect Carvalho to become a Liverpool player at the end of this season.”

The Verdict: Promising update…

Judging by this update, it appears Carvalho is far more likely than not to be a Reds player this summer in a big boost for Klopp.

The 19-year-old has shown real signs of promise in the Championship for Fulham at such a young age, scoring seven goals and assisting six others over 27 appearances.

He’s also been called the ‘perfect fit’ and ‘perfect style of player’ for Klopp by ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan, while members of the English press have lavished Carvalho with even more praise.

South London Press sports editor Richard Cawley branded the Portugal Under-21 international ‘absolutely unplayable’ earlier this season and news of his likely move to Liverpool could very well excite supporters.

In other news: ‘Told…’ – Big name journalist shares Salah update right out of the Liverpool ‘dressing room’, find out more here.

Now that Southampton are under new ownership after Sport Republic, backed by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, recently bought Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in the club, this could pave the way for some potential January spending to take place in the coming weeks.

With that in mind, one potential deal that the Saints could look to complete this month would be to sign Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, who the club have been linked with in recent weeks.

Aribo, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, joined Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 25-year-old has gone on to make a total of 123 appearances for the Scottish champions across all competitions in which he has managed to score 23 goals and provide 20 assists along the way, showing how much of a bargain he has been for them.

During his time at Charlton, Aribo was likened to former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure by his former Charlton teammate and current Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who also described Aribo’s “languid style” on the pitch as “unique.”

Judging by that, this could be a great first piece of transfer business under their new owners to bring in a midfield operator that can score and assist goals, which is something that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could do with having.

For context, they’ve only managed to score 20 times in 19 league games this season, fewer than the likes of Watford, Brentford and Leeds United.

Given how Saints captain James Ward-Prowse has five goals and one assist under his belt in 17 league appearances this season, it could be incredibly exciting for Southampton to have him and Aribo in the same team that can score and create in equal measure from midfield.

However, with Aribo having appeared in all but one of Rangers’ games across all competitions so far this season, racking up six goals with five assists, the Ibrox club could be quite reluctant to let him go halfway through the season given how important he is for them.

Despite that, Southampton should still make an approach to Rangers to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for the player and see if he would be willing to make a move to the Premier League.

In other news: Solak could blow Saints fans away with swoop for “magnificent” £4.5m-rated sensation – opinion

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

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud recently and his signing could prove to be a repeat of the deal that saw Ilkay Gundogan join the Citizens in 2016.

According to the Daily Mail, a host of Premier League clubs including City, Chelsea, Everton and Chelsea are all interested in signing the 25-year-old, who has just one year left on his deal with BVB.

The report suggests that City were keen on the midfielder before his move to Dortmund from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016 and they could reignite their interest this summer as he continues to impress with the Signal Iduna Park outfit.

So far this season, the German international has made just 12 appearances in the Bundesliga, in which he has contributed one goal and no assists, averaging a solid if unspectacular 6.74 WhoScored average match rating for his performances.

However, he has impressed with his displays in the Champions League, as he has averaged a 7.21 WhoScored rating for his performances, which suggests that he can be a top midfielder when on form.

City’s last signing from Borussia Dortmund was the deal which saw Gundogan join in 2016 and he has certainly proven to be a huge success, despite the injury concerns many had when he made the move to the Etihad.

This season in particular has seen the 30-year-old impress, as he has contributed 12 goals and one assist in 23 Premier League appearances, resulting in a superb 7.23 WhoScored rating.

However, the Turkish-born midfielder was not usually renowned for his goals at Manchester City, with his six league goals in the 2018/19 Premier League season his previous best tally.

WhoScored suggests that both Dahoud and Gundogan’s main strengths are their passing and long shots, which suggests that the Dortmund midfielder is a very similar style of player to the 30-year-old and could duly be a big hit at City should he join Guardiola’s side this summer.

Therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider bringing the £7.65m-rated midfielder to the Etihad Stadium in the summer, as it could prove to be a repeat of the masterclass which saw them sign Gundogan five years ago.

In other news… Txiki may regret £25m Man City decision with “phenomenal” beast

Everton have landed a huge boost entering the international break after James Rodriguez revealed that he expects to be fit to face Crystal Palace.

That’s according to Caracol, who quoted the Colombian as claiming on his Twitch channel that he intends to make his return from a calf injury on April 5.

Rodriguez has missed the Toffees’ last four Premier League games, plus the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City, as a result of the issue which developed in February’s meetings with Manchester United and Liverpool.

Carlo Ancelotti revealed ahead of this month’s clash with Burnley that Rodriguez had been absent from fixtures with Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea after feeling a tightness in his calf that the Italian tactician was reticent to risk worsening.

Rodriguez had registered his first assist in 13 Premier League games when he created Richarlison’s go-ahead goal during the Merseyside derby, while striking his fifth English top-flight goal at Old Trafford two weeks earlier.

The £27m-rated playmaker now intends to add his first minutes since playing the opening hour at Anfield when Everton host Crystal Palace.

“I’ll play again in the next game, April 3, I think [vs the Eagles on April 5]. I’m very well thank God and I want to play again,” Rodriguez said.

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Ancelotti had voiced hope of having Rodriguez back for the Selhurst Park natives’ trip to Goodison Park when addressing the state of his squad for the FA Cup tie with Manchester City.

“James is out but he will start to train with the team next week,” the 61-year-old said on Friday, before adding: “In the international break, we have time to recover some players. James is one of those and maybe Jean-Philippe Gbamin.”

Rodriguez now noting that he expects to be fit to face Crystal Palace at the start of next month will surely excite Ancelotti, having seen the 29-year-old rediscover his wavering form against two of the Premier League’s elite sides in Manchester United and Liverpool.

The Colombian had been struggling to offer anywhere near the same creativity that saw him register three goals and three assists in his first five games in the Premier League, as injuries began to creep in here and there.

A groin issue prevented his involvement against Newcastle United on November 1, while a calf strain kept the £90,000-per-week playmaker out of four games throughout December.

However, Rodriguez had the telling touch to set the tone against Liverpool when playing Richarlison through to score, while finding the back of the net against Manchester United to round out an initial comeback from two goals down before leaving the field through injury.

Ancelotti would have wished he had Rodriguez at least on the bench as Everton lost 2-1 at home to Burnley recently, knowing the game-changing impact he can bring that also broke the deadlock against Leicester City in a 1-1 draw in January.

That impact will have to wait until Crystal Palace’s trip to Merseyside at the earliest, but a refreshed Rodriguez can have a big say in the Toffees’ push for European football.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing an £18m-rated titan to Everton this summer…

A big Newcastle United development has emerged over midfield gem Isaac Hayden…

What’s the latest?

The Magpies defensive midfielder has revealed that he is closing in on a return from the knee injury that has kept him out of action since December.

Hayden has not played a single Premier League match for the Toon since he suffered a blow in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City at St. James’ Park and is now on the verge of overcoming his setback.

Although he will miss tonight’s clash with Crystal Palace and indeed the rest of the term, it’s encouraging that he’s training again.

He Tweeted: “Road to recovery nearly complete, forever smiling.”

Eddie Howe will be delighted

The Magpies head coach will surely be elated with this news as it means that the midfield enforcer will be fit heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

He will not be able to play in the remaining matches of the current season, as he is not on the club’s 25-man Premier League roster, but he will come back as an option next term.

After being left out of Howe’s squad in January, Hayden outlined his commitment to the club as he said:

“I am bitterly disappointed to have not been included in the 25-man squad for the second half of this season due to injury. Now is a time for me to reflect. I’ll be working harder than ever before to come back stronger, like I always do.

“I’ll be a supporter like everyone else and l’ll be supporting the lads and the staff as best I can for the rest of the season.”These comments show that he is desperate to remain involved at St. James’ Park and Howe will surely want to keep hold of such a positive character, as he can have an influence in the dressing room with the younger players.Hayden has buckets full of Premier League experience and can be a useful option to call upon next season, particularly with this update suggesting that he will be fit to get a full pre-season in.The ex-Arsenal man has played 118 times in the top-flight and 171 matches for the Toon in total. He can be a reliable, experienced, player for Howe to lean on when required and that is why the head coach will be buzzing with his return from injury, even if it does not have any bearing on the current campaign as they look to evade relegation to the Championship.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…

With Pablo Hernandez’s time winding down at Elland Road, it would be no surprise to see Leeds United drawing up plans behind the scenes to try and find the little Spaniard’s successor.

Marcelo Bielsa has only used him sparingly this season in the Premier League, in part no doubt to the recognition that at 35, he just isn’t in peak physical condition.

It’s why reports in recent days of the Whites’ links to Swansea City’s Yan Dhanda makes a lot of sense, with the 22-year-old still a burgeoning talent and has shown flashes of potential.

But if Victor Orta and the rest of the transfer committee at Elland Road were making a ruthless decision, then Dhanda just hasn’t proven to be the man to take Leeds forward.

This season, he’s managed just one goal and two assists in 14 games in all competitions, with his average match rating as per Whoscored of 6.54 ranking him 18th in the entire Swansea squad – only three players who have actually started a game for the Swans have a lower rating.

After signing him from Valencia in the summer, Bielsa has opted to go with Rodrigo as the man to support Patrick Bamford, playing in a slightly withdrawn role but with the licence to make runs forward and try and get in and amongst the goals.

And it’s safe to say that things haven’t quite panned out for him just yet, but with three goals in the Premier League, he’s shown glimpses that he can do it at the very highest level unlike Dhanda, who has struggled even at a level below.

Even in his side’s 1-0 victory over Leeds back in August 2019, Dhanda was absolutely mauled by Kalvin Phillips, finishing with a 6.1 match rating – the second-worst of any Swansea player.

Phillips came out with the highest of any player on the pitch, and it’s no surprise when you see just how much he dominated Swansea’s attacking midfielder. He won an incredible 14 of his 18 duels, and made a ridiculous nine tackles, both of which were game-highs.

Dhanda, on the other hand, made just six successful passes, lost seven of his 11 duels and conceded possession on 13 separate occasions. The 22-year-old just couldn’t cope with the pace and intensity of Leeds’ play, and you can only feel that he would encounter similar problems at Premier League level.

It’s a move they desperately need to avoid.

Meanwhile, Leeds must desperately sell this flop…

Twitter account @AVFC_News has asked Aston Villa fans if they would like to see the club make a move for Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia.

Buendia has been instrumental in helping Norwich regain their top-flight status as winners of the Championship.

The Canaries posted a final tally of 97 points, finishing six points clear of Watford, who were also relegated in 2019/20.

Outstanding numbers mean Buendia is attracting interest

Buendia led the division for assists with 16 overall, four clear of his nearest challenger – Reading’s Michael Olise.

And, on top of that, his tally of 15 goals left him joint-eighth in the second tier. Buendia was WhoScored’s player of the season with an average rating of 7.78.

The 24-year-old does still have three years left on his Norwich City contract. Transfermarkt value him at £19.8million.

Buendia’s excellent creative stats make him appear a natural replacement for Jack Grealish, were the Englishman to depart this summer, as Birmingham Live report that Norwich could cash in with Villa one of many clubs interested,

Do Villa fans want the club to sign Buendia?

“He is quality but price is gonna be high! Norwich might sell though to fund other purchases.”

Credit: @pauljb412

“Yes, yes, yes. Let’s not miss out on him, as I really think we’ll regret it.”

Credit: @ABCDEFC45833367

“Yessss, please”

Credit: @MarioJimenez89

“Should have bought him last summer”

Credit: @tw1708

“Yes.”

Credit: @Laithmatic

“You wait years for a Brazilian and now we have two. We’ve only got one Emi so let’s do the double there too. Then Djemba Djemba can come back too.”

Credit: @Villafied77

In other news, this forward has been tipped to leave Villa Park in the summer.

Aston Villa must land Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer transfer window amid Lee Hendrie’s verdict.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Bissouma could be on his way out of the Seagulls this summer, with interested sides having to pay at least £40m to lure him away from the south coast.

And, speaking exclusively to FFC about Bissouma, former Villa ace Hendrie has suggested Dean Smith’s side should be in the conversation to sign him, and praised the midfielder for his ability.

He said: “I did a chat with myself and Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday a few weeks ago talking about Bissouma, and we highlighted what he actually does. I mean, his stats are absolutely phenomenal, the way he breaks the game up, his forward play.

“He’s got a good football brain. Like I said, when you’ve got someone who breaks the game up so well and can go join in and play, I’m inviting players like that to the football club.”

Gary Lineker loves him

Described as “very skilful”, former England striker and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker is seemingly a big fan of the powerhouse, hailing him as an “exceptional footballer” after a superb display against Everton just last month.

His teammate at Brighton, Dale Stephens, said: “He’s got the ability of perhaps a winger playing in central midfield with the way he can go past players. His feet are incredible and I’m sure he’s going to get better and better. He’s got everything you need to be a top player.”

Bissouma has previously been described as a “wonderful talent” by ex-Seagulls boss Chris Hughton, and when you look at his stats, it’s clear to see why he’s such hot property.

As per Whoscored, the Mali international averages just shy of three tackles per game in the Premier League (2.9), while he also makes 1.8 interceptions too – compare that to those in the Villa squad, and he’s simply far better, with absolutely no-one matching him in the tackling category, and only Matty Cash topping him for interceptions.

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With his time in the Premier League, Bissouma would offer Smith the ready-made proven option that can hit the ground running at Villa Park, and it’s exactly why the club should be looking to muscle their way into the race to sign him this summer.

Meanwhile, this Villa man stole the show vs Spurs…