Category Uncategorized

Aston Villa’s superb run of form continued this afternoon with a wonderful 3-0 victory over Newcastle United that gives Unai Emery further hope his side can secure a coveted European spot this term.

The Midlands side controlled proceedings throughout, having 52% possession during the tie and taking almost double the number of shots compared to their opponents (15 to eight) and in the end, it was a comfortable win.

Ollie Watkins was like a man possessed, scoring twice for Villa in the second half and his Sofascore rating of 9/10 was the highest out of any player on the pitch.

Since the domestic season resumed following the World Cup in December, Watkins has registered 15 goal contributions – 12 goals and three assists – and against the Magpies, the striker also made two key passes, took five shots in total and created one big chance, clearly proving that he is Emery’s key man right now.

Despite his incredible display, Watkins wasn’t the only star man, with Jacob Ramsey running the show from midfield in what was a performance which will give Emery confidence he can fulfil his potential.

How did Jacob Ramsey perform against Newcastle United?

The midfielder scored the vital opener for the Villa Park outfit and his rating of 8.5/10 via Sofascore was the second-highest in the team, behind Watkins of course.

Ramsey made four key passes during the tie which were important in order to carve a resolute Newcastle defence open and he also chipped in with two tackles and an interception.

His passing ability was near perfect, completing 25 of his 26 attempted passes, succeeding with both of his long balls while he even managed to enjoy some success attacking the Newcastle defence, succeeding with two of his three dribble attempts.

His performance was wonderful, and it went a long way to Villa performing how they did, and Statman Dave certainly enjoyed Ramsey’s display, dubbing the midfielder as “magic” and “exceptional” for his relentless display.

He has now scored or provided an assist in four of his previous five Premier League matches, and this type of form will be key over the next few weeks as Emery leads his men on one final charge to secure a European position – something that will have seemed out of this world back in the final days of Steven Gerrard’s reign.

The Spaniard will now believe his team can defeat just about anyone right now, and with a tie against Brentford coming up, it appears as if nothing can stop them from continuing their dazzling run.

Chelsea have distanced themselves from the reputation they had a few years ago of having a seemingly endless number of young players out on loan.

The likes of Matt Miazga, Lucas Piazon and Marco van Ginkel would all spend a number of years at Chelsea without ever really featuring for the first team but have all finally left Stamford Bridge on permanent deals.

However, one forgotten man from Chelsea's loan army is still contracted by the club, with Baba Rahman currently on loan with Reading in the Championship in what is remarkably the 28-year-old's seventh separate spell away from the west London club.

How long has Rahman rinsed Chelsea?

Chelsea signed the left-back from Augsburg in 2015 for a fee of £14m, which could have raised to £20m had he made more than 100 appearances for the Blues.

Considering his last appearance for the Stamford Bridge outfit came in the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, it seems unlikely that the Bundesliga side will ever see that £6m.

The Ghana international was expected to be a replacement for Filipe Luis when he made the move to Chelsea and he was something of a regular in his first season at the club, making 23 appearances in all competitions, contributing no goals and two assists. These would be the only showings he would make for the Blues.

He has since spent time with Schalke, Stade Reims, RCD Mallorca, PAOK and finally Reading, with his 49 appearances for the Royals the most of any club he has played for in his career.

A cruciate ligament injury that Rahman suffered at Schalke was seemingly the end of his hopes of making it at Chelsea, and his lack of appearances since then makes it difficult to understand why the £86k-per-week earner is still contracted at Stamford Bridge.

Ahead of his first loan spell with Reading in the summer of 2021, the Blues opted to extend his deal until 2024, perhaps in the hope that some strong performances in England would encourage a club to pay a fee for him, yet they sent him back out to the Berkshire side again last summer.

He has made 18 appearances for Paul Ince's side this season in the Championship, averaging a woeful 6.43 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which well and truly hammers home that the Ghanaian won't ever be playing for Chelsea again.

Although his game time at Reading has allowed him to become a regular for the Ghana national side, it seems as if he hasn't impressed there either, with journalist Ohene-Bampoe Brenya dubbing him "terrible" during the World Cup.

Chelsea surely cannot allow Rahman to go out on loan again this summer, so Graham Potter must finally bring an end to his 2,788-day stay at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool have suffered a complete and utter plummet from prominence this season, having been so imperious under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp since his arrival as manager in 2015.

Having gleaned the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last term, competing for a historic quadruple before falling at the final hurdle in both the Premier League and Champions League, Liverpool's season was supposed to be an emulation of past feats, continuing the good work and adding layers to the wondrous work Klopp has plied since taking the reins on Merseyside.

But with the Reds six points adrift from top-four and recently falling to Real Madrid in the Champions League for the third successive campaign, a fight to salvage even a sliver of positivity is now on, with the effects of failing to qualify for next year's continental edition possibly detrimental to the team's future exploits and ability to retain the most coveted stars.

Klopp needs some newfound energy and inspiration from the centre of the park, and he must consider turning to academy prospect Jayden Danns, who could be nurtured into the club's next midfield maestro over the coming years.

Who is Jayden Danns?

Liverpool need a spark of ingenuity to steady the ship after steering alarmingly off-course, and with the current senior players not exactly evoking confidence with their lack of fluidity and consistency, turning to the youth ranks might be an avenue to delve down as the season approaches the business end.

Stefan Bajcetic has already been offered a platform to flourish after graduating from the Kirkby crop, starring and being lauded as "outstanding" by prominent former player Jamie Carragher before an untimely recent injury ended his season prematurely.

And while Danns is still only 17-years-old, he has been promising in his exploits during his formative feats, scoring five goals from 14 appearances for Liverpool's U18 squad, including four goals from just ten outings in this season's U18 Premier League.

According to Liverpoolfc.com, Danns, the son of former midfielder Neil Danns, is a "versatile player" who flourishes in "attack or in midfield", and this level of dynamic capability could be invaluable to the Reds' system over the coming years.

Given the teenager's dynamic skill set and Klopp's willingness to offer chances to Liverpool's most glittering prospects, he could be moulded into the outfit's next Philippe Coutinho, with the distinguished Brazilian phenom enjoying arguably his most fruitful years at Anfield.

Coutinho scored 54 goals and supplied 45 assists from 201 games for the Reds before completing an exorbitant £146m move to Barcelona in 2018, and his creativity and guile were a staple towards the foundation of Klopp's tenure at the club, who languished away from prominence upon the German's arrival.

The 69-cap star found the back of the net with regularity for the outfit, something that Danns, hailed for his involvement in a "brilliant" team performance by Neil Mellor, has started to exhibit during his maiden years, and given his versatility, this could be channelled into something special over the coming seasons.

With Klopp investing in youth and desperately searching for some attacking innovation to ensure Liverpool's blip is nothing more than a sojourn from salience, Danns must be provided all the tools to grow into a Premier League quality presence, emulating Coutinho's exploits for the club.

For all the euphoria of Manchester United’s Carabao Cup triumph over Newcastle United on Sunday, one man who may well be somewhat disappointed with his own display is Diogo Dalot, with the Portugal right-back having endured a torrid time up against Allan Saint-Maximin.

The 23-year-old was notably beaten by the skill of the fleet-footed Frenchman early in the first half, only to see his blushes spared by team-mate David De Gea between the sticks, having also received a booking for hauling down the dynamic winger amid the chance of a Magpies breakaway.

That rather drab Wembley performance – which led to the full-back being hooked at half-time – saw the former Porto man win just two of his six duels and be dribbled past on two occasions, having recorded a measly 6.3 Sofascore rating.

His replacement Aaron Wan-Bissaka proved far more influential after the break, winning seven tackles – the most of any player on the day – to continue his impressive resurgence, with the latter arguably now the “first choice” pick for Erik ten Hag (according to Daily Express journalist Alex Turk) due to his defensive prowess.

As such, if United are to look for a new recruit at right-back this summer, then it would be no surprise if it is Dalot who makes way. The £25k-per-week gem has hardly pulling up any trees going forward, with only one goal and three assists to his name from 28 appearances in all competitions this season.

Although it may be somewhat ruthless to replace the ten-cap dynamo, Ten Hag could have identified a potential dream replacement in the former of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, according to recent reports.

What’s the latest on Frimpong to Man United?

As per Football Insider, the Old Trafford outfit are said to be ‘plotting a move’ for the former Celtic defender ahead of next season, with the 22-year-old believed to have earned ‘rave reviews’ from Red Devils scouts of late.

The report suggests that the Netherlands international – who arrived in Germany on an £11.5m deal in January 2021 – could be available for a fee of around £35m this summer, despite the Bundesliga club valuing him at as much as £50m.

Could Frimpong replace Dalot at Man United?

In contrast to Dalot, the one-time Manchester City youth product has proven far more of a threat going forward this season, having already contributed five goals and seven assists in 30 games across all fronts, making his mark in either a wing-back or full-back role of late.

That has ensured that the Amsterdam native already boasts a haul of 23 goal involvements from 77 games for his current club to date, after previously offering 11 goals and assists in 51 appearances during his time at Parkhead.

The “dangerous” machine – as previously lauded by former Riga boss Mihails Koņevs – has further illustrated that attacking brilliance as he ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches in the opposition penalty area, showcasing a real willingness to impact proceedings in the final third.

That is a far superior record to Dalot’s, with the current United defender ranking in just the top 44% for progressive carries, the top 34% for successful take-ons, and the top 36% for touches in the attacking penalty area.

That should indicate that Ten Hag could possibly find the long-term solution that he will no doubt be craving this summer in the form of Frimpong, with the 5 foot 7 speedster currently tearing it up at the BayArena.

Journalist Tony Scott has ripped into Everton’s Conor Coady, insisting on the All Together Now podcast that he should no longer be starting.

The Lowdown: A lot of work for Dyche

Everton picked up a huge win in Sean Dyche’s first game as manager, but were quickly brought back down to earth in the Merseyside derby, as they were restricted to one shot on target and an expected goals ratio of just 0.3 on Monday (FBref).

It wasn’t just offensively where Everton struggled, either, as both goals they conceded were due to individual errors from the likes of Vitaliy Mykolenko, Jordan Pickford and Coady.

The latter was brought in on loan over the summer to help shore up Everton’s defence and bring some leadership to a Toffees side who were almost relegated last season under Frank Lampard.

The Latest: Coady’s standards starting to slip

Coady’s arrival was perhaps seen as a coup for Everton as they had landed an England international on a loan deal, but Scott now believes he shouldn’t even be starting for the Toffees.

He said: “Coady should’ve been aware of what was behind him when Gakpo scored. He just let it go, and you’re looking at it in terms of Coady at the moment – would you sign him on a permanent? The way his form’s [fallen] off a cliff? He shouldn’t be in the team.”

The Verdict: Signing Coady a no-brainer

Considering Everton’s worrying financial position and the fact they could be playing Championship football next season, the idea of Scott questioning whether Everton should sign an England international for a low fee lacks a view of the bigger picture, in our view.

While Coady’s error against Liverpool – which effectively sealed all three points for the Reds – can’t be ignored as he let the ball roll past him, the fact that Everton have only conceded 30 goals this season is a testament to the impact he’s helped make.

It has been reported that Everton can buy Coady this summer for just £4.5m when his loan deal finishes, and considering Everton have spent more than that on players such as Mykolenko and Dwight McNeil in recent times, signing Coady should be a no-brainer.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has only just had his squad bolstered by the signings of Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro, although the serial-winning coach and Fabio Paratici may well already have one eye on the summer window and the prospect of further new recruits at N17.

Whether or not the Italian does remain at the helm – amid doubts over his future beyond the end of the season – the north Londoners would seemingly be wise to take the advice of former striker Louis Saha, with the now-retired Frenchman having tipped the club to make a move for Newcastle United speedster, Allan Saint-Maximin.

Having been discussing the 25-year-old’s future at St James’ Park, Saha suggested that Spurs – or bitter rivals Arsenal – could be an ideal destination for the fleet-footed maverick:

“It’s unbelievable because last season Saint-Maximin was unreal and nobody would have been thinking about the prospect of Newcastle United selling him. He’s been unlucky this season with injuries, but he’s a top player and he could potentially find a move to one of the ‘big six’ clubs. I could see Arsenal or Tottenham having a player of Saint-Maximin’s quality and style.”

Reports during the summer had claimed that Tottenham – as well as Chelsea – had made an enquiry regarding the prospect of prising the former Nice man from Tyneside, amid suggestions that the Magpies were open to a £50m exit for the winger.

The £70k-per-week maestro has since endured a rather frustrating, injury-hit campaign in which he has failed to secure a regular role in Eddie Howe’s side, having scored just once and provided three assists after making only five starts in all competitions.

With reports linking the player with a move away during January, it remains to be seen what the one-time Monaco man’s long-term future is at his current side, opening up the possibility for Conte and co to pounce come the end of the season.

Despite his recent struggles, Saint-Maximin is a figure who is simply “unplayable” on his day, according to ex-Everton boss Frank Lampard, with the frightening, “wing wizard” – as lauded by journalist Graeme Bailey – notably ranking in the top 1% for dribbles completed among his European peers.

The hope will be that if he is to make the move to the capital in the near future, the 5 foot 8 ace can emulate the success of another Frenchman to have traded Newcastle for Spurs in the form of David Ginola.

The one-time Paris Saint-Germain ace arrived in north London from the northeast side back in 1997, going on to quickly cement himself as something of a talisman for the Lilywhites in the years that followed, having been ‘pure box office’ due to his ‘movie star looks and style both on and off the pitch’, as per the club’s official website.

Like Saint-Maximin, the now-retired gem was a truly devastating threat down the flanks when in his pomp, with Manchester United legend Gary Neville previously admitting that he was left “nervous” at the prospect of facing up against the forward, such was Ginola’s technical and physical brilliance.

Those traits were laid bare by the fact that even in the year in which the Red Devils claimed the treble during the 1998/99 season, it was Ginola who swooped the PFA Player of the Year award in that campaign, having also guided Spurs to League Cup glory that season.

A figure etched into Tottenham folklore, the 56-year-old would seemingly be a hard act to follow for Saint-Maximin, although the latter man appears to have the confidence and the quality to emerge as the club’s next, talismanic presence.

Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was lauded by The Athletic pundit Jack Collins for one  ‘very special’ moment during Arsenal’s 3-2 victory against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Huge win for Arsenal

The Gunners once again proved their mettle in a huge match against in-form United, with Eddie Nketiah striking late to send his team five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

There were flashes of individual brilliance throughout the match, with both Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka netting from outside the penalty box, and Zinchenko was also singled out for his role in Nketiah’s equalising goal in the first half.

The Latest: Zinchenko lauded

While Saka will no doubt receive plenty of plaudits for his remarkable solo effort, Collins lauded the Ukrainian for his pass in the build-up to Nketiah’s header, which drew Arsenal level midway through the first half.

The pundit tweeted: “What a game already. Great ball from Xhaka, great movement from Nketiah, but Zinchenko’s composure in the recycling of that corner, and ability to pick the non-obvious pass, is very special.”

The Verdict: Impressive display

Not only was the Ukraine full-back vital in Arsenal’s first goal, he also put in another solid display in a defensive sense, making two interceptions, two tackles and winning the one aerial duel that he contested (Sofascore).

The 26-year-old displayed his ability to pick out the right pass for the first goal, and he continued to look comfortable on the ball throughout the 90 minutes, completing 57 of the 65 passes that he attempted (88% accuracy).

It will not get any easier for Arsenal next time out, as they travel to Manchester City in the FA Cup on Friday night, but Mikel Arteta will know that his side stand a great chance of another victory if Zinchenko and the rest of the team perform at the same level as they did today.

Aston Villa are still pursuing a potential move for experienced Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno in the January transfer window, according to reports from Spain.

The Lowdown: Moreno linked with Villa

Unai Emery is highly likely to add to his squad this month, with funds available to bring in reinforcements and bolster their Premier League ambitions.

One player who has been linked with a move to Villa of late is Moreno, with the left-back starting 14 matches in LaLiga this season.

A fresh update has emerged, and it’s one which suggests that the Villans’ interest is not going away.

The Latest: Villa in a hurry for Moreno

According to Spanish outlet AS [via Sport Witness] on Thursday, Villa are attempting to ‘speed up negotiations’ with Moreno, with Emery keen on bringing him in this month.

Betis are hesitant to part with the 29-year-old, though, and will likely only sell him if a club matches their valuation of the player.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-4/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Good competition for Digne

Moreno would be an ideal January addition for Villa, providing Lucas Digne with healthy competition at left-back and allowing Emery more quality and depth in that position.

The Spanish defender has vast experience at a high level, having made 145 appearances in LaLiga, so he would be considered a safe pair of hands at this point in his career.

Whether or not Villa and Betis are able to agree on a fee remains to be seen, but at this point, it feels as though Moreno could be one of Emery’s first signings at Villa Park.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418895″]

The Daily Mail’s northeast reporter Craig Hope has revealed that Jonjo Shelvey has not had his one-year contract extension activated at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 30-year-old’s contract at St James’ Park is set to expire next summer, with the option of a one-year extension.

The midfielder has recently been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a calf injury and had also struggled with a hamstring problem earlier this season.

The Latest: Extension not activated

Taking to Twitter, Hope has revealed that Shelvey’s one-year extension on his contract has not been activated amid his latest injury setback, which suggests that he could leave Newcastle once it expires.

The journalist tweeted: “Jonjo Shelvey now facing 6-8 weeks out with calf injury. As far as I understand, his one-year contract extension has not yet been activated.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Time to go?

There is no doubt that Shelvey has been a great servant under Eddie Howe, who labelled the 30-year-old a ‘huge player’ for him having been a regular under the Newcastle boss last season, even being given the captain’s armband on occasion (Transfermarkt).

However, he has picked up far too many injuries over the years, and at 30, his best footballing years are probably behind him now.

Nonetheless, the Magpies can already call upon the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Joe Willock in Shelvey’s position, or alternatively sign another midfielder if they feel that one is needed.

There is a glaring issue within the Liverpool squad which if the club are to achieve anything this season, simply has to be addressed in the January transfer window.

That, of course, is in the middle of the park where the Reds have struggled significantly.

Jurgen Klopp and FSG ignored that third of the pitch until transfer deadline day in the summer, bringing in Arthur Melo.

Sadly, the Brazilian has only made one appearance since joining as a result of injury. That factor has plagued the squad this term, leaving Klopp rather hamstrung when it comes to his midfield options.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are both out of contract at the end of the current season while Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara are now all in their 30s.

Although the latter will never lose his class, injuries have also troubled him throughout the current term.

After the World Cup, the name on the lips of most Liverpool fans will certainly be Jude Bellingham.

Clubs the world over will be queuing up for the teenager’s signature next year but the Reds could find an alternative in Enzo Fernandez.

The Argentine has also caught the eye in Qatar, scoring a delightful goal in their win over Mexico before assisting in the victory against Poland.

Reports in recent days suggest that the Reds already have a pre-agreement in place with the Benfica midfielder over a possible deal in 2023, with any such move potentially costing in the region of a whopping £103m.

Dubbed a “cheat code” by one source for his performances on the big stage this autumn, he has all the hallmarks of being the club’s perfect Thiago replacement.

The Spaniard possesses plenty of poise and grace, sitting in the top 8% of positionally similar players across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion (89.4) while he also ranks in the best 2% of midfielders for passes completed per 90 minutes (82.66) and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (7.34).

These stats are incredibly similar to Fernandez, albeit the 21-year-old is compared to those in the world’s next-best eight leagues outside of the big five by FB Ref.

Across those divisions, the Argentina international is in the top 11% for pass completion (87.1%). That is slightly below Thiago but in the other metrics already assessed, the Spaniard is actually defeated.

Compared to Liverpool’s classy number 6, Fernandez completes a whopping 96.83 passes per 90, 9.50 of which are progressive passes. Both of those figures mean the talented youngster ranks in the very best 1% of players.

Couple that with his ability to score goals and create for his teammates, numbers seen by his three goals and five assists this term, and you have a rather fine player.

Given the sheer lack of depth in central areas for the Reds, the pair could well play together. That said, with Thiago not getting any younger, it feels as though Julian Ward would be signing the Spain international’s natural heir.