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Aston Villa have been one of the clubs linked with a January loan move for PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, with the Dutchman struggling for game time in Paris.

What’s the story?

After a transfer to Spanish giants Barcelona fell through during the summer, Wijnaldum opted to go to France and join PSG after his contract at Liverpool expired.

However, the 31-year-old has only managed to accumulate 949 minutes of football this season under Mauricio Pochetinno, who once labelled the £27m-rated midfielder as “aggressive”.

According to 90min, the former Liverpool star has been linked with an array of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa with the Parisians reportedly willing to allow the Netherlands international to go on loan in January in a quest for minutes.

The major implication to any deal going through is the fact that Wijnaldum is reportedly earning over £300k-per-week, meaning that the French giants would have to cover a significant proportion of his salary if he was to play elsewhere for the remainder of the season.

Imagine him & McGinn

It has already been reported that the Villans plan to invest heavily and Steven Gerrard will be assessing his squad over the coming weeks to identify areas for improvement.

The 41-year-old appears to have found his preferred midfield trio for the time being, with John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba all starting together in the last three games.

McGinn in particular has been a stand out performer under the Englishman scoring in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace and has averaged a 7.62 match rating under Gerrard, according to SofaScore.

The Scotsman has been linked with a £50m move to Manchester United with new manager Ralf Rangnick looking to “inject energy” into his team. It’s easy to see why he’d be a good addition for anyone, let alone Villa after he was described as “unbeatable” by Ryan Babel.

The Dutchman has amassed a pass success rate of 89.5% proving his ability to keep things ticking over with a measured approach in the middle of the park which combined with McGinn’s dynamic and bullish approach would be quite the sight.

Should McGinn stay and Wijnaldum join, the Villans would certainly mean business with a mouth-watering midfield with one of either Luiz or Nakamba likely to fill the third place in the middle.

Furthermore, if Villa were able to land such a deal, it would prove a major statement of intent from the West Midlands club, with Villa seven points off of the top six.

Rangers could make a ‘huge’ move for Sam Johnstone after Steve Bruce confirmed that the England goalkeeper is likely to leave his current club. 

That is according to Mark McDougall, a journalist for Football Scotland.

The lowdown

The Daily Mail recently reported that Rangers have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing Johnstone from West Brom, whose manager Steve Bruce admitted that the English ‘keeper is probably ‘going to leave’ The Hawthorns when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Sky Sports have claimed that two of the Premier League’s top seven in Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are in the frame for the 29-year-old’s signature.

Rangers are looking to bring in a new goalkeeper, with Allan McGregor soon to be out of contract and potentially contemplating retirement.

https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-3/

The latest

In Football Scotland, McDougall named some of the ‘keepers with whom Rangers have been linked, such as Martin Fraisl, Benjamin Siegrist and Zander Clark, but he feels that Johnstone stands out on the list, adding that signing him could be a ‘huge’ boost to the club’s prospects for next season.

He also believes that the Gers may have an advantage over United and Spurs because the Premier League duo may struggle to offer him first-team football.

That’s exactly what the 29-year-old wants as he looks to secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

The verdict

It’s hard to disagree with McDougall’s assessment. Johnstone would be quite the coup for Rangers, based on the glowing praise he has received in recent times.

For instance, Micah Richards, for example, has dubbed him an ‘outstanding’ player and a ‘wonderful professional’.

He has also produced big-game stops which leave onlookers stunned. His former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce called one save against Liverpool ‘magnificent’, while Gary Lineker’s jaw dropped after an ‘unbelievable’ piece of goalkeeping against Manchester United last year.

Whereas he would have to dislodge Hugo Lloris or David de Gea if he joined one of his Champions League-chasing English suitors, there would potentially be a clear vacancy to fill in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side if McGregor exits the scene.

In other news, this Rangers trio struggled on Sunday

Crystal Palace will be hoping to end their three-game winless run when they take on Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Eagles have followed up an entertaining 3-3 draw at Burnley with consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Leeds United in the last few days after making a very promising start to the current campaign.

Patrick Vieira is once again expected to be without key duo James McArthur and Joachim Andersen due to their respective injury issues, but he could still be confident of securing a positive result.

Palace have already pulled off shock victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City this season, showcasing their ability to cause an upset on Sunday.

Their opponents will be boosted by having new manager Ralf Rangnick in the dugout for the first time, though, and Vieira may err on the side of caution in this intriguing clash.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 45-year-old to line up at Old Trafford, with just one change from the side which started last time out against Leeds…

Vicente Guaita will keep his place between the sticks for this one, and the Spanish goalkeeper will be looking for a clean sheet after Raphinha’s injury-time penalty denied him one in midweek.

Ahead of the 34-year-old shot-stopper will be a back four made up of Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi, James Tomkins and Joel Ward, with Andersen’s thigh problem keeping him on the sidelines.

Vieira’s engine room selection could have a considerable bearing over proceedings, and we fancy him to opt for the experienced and more defensive-minded Luka Milivojevic over the £8.1m-rated Jeffrey Schlupp.

Conor Gallagher and Cheikhou Kouyaté are expected to partner the club captain in the middle of the park , providing a solid foundation for the forward line from which to build.

Completing the starting XI should be a front three of Wilfried Zaha, Jordan Ayew and Odsonne Edouard, with the summer signing just getting the nod over Christian Benteke once again, perhaps due to the Belgian’s shocking and ultimately costly miss at Elland Road.

In other news… Palace could seal dream deal in “outstanding” 25 y/o wizard with “the world at his feet”

It is not difficult to understand why Leeds United were heavily linked with a move for 19-year-old sensation Fabio Carvalho in the January transfer window.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated attacking midfielder has been in breathtaking form over his 27 Championship appearances for Fulham this season, scoring seven goals, registering six assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the teenager who Sky Sports analyst Nick Wright dubbed an “extraordinary talent” average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Marco Silva’s ninth-best performer in the second tier of English football – playing a key role in the Cottagers’ all but confirmed return to the Premier League.

And, although Victor Orta did spend £26m on support striker Rodrigo back in August 2020, in truth, between Tyler Roberts and the Spain international, Leeds have lacked a truly creative attacking midfielder ever since the departure of Pablo Hernandez.

While it is true that the 36-year-old was probably past his best in 2020/21, being used sparingly by Marcelo Bielsa, the playmaker was influential for the Whites over his 36 appearances in the club’s Championship-winning campaign back in 2019/20.

Indeed, this season, the £270k-rated Spaniard scored nine goals, provided nine assists and created 13 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 2.3 passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the £19k-per-week midfielder who Phil Hay dubbed both a “demon” and “unreal” earn a quite remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.35, not only ranking him as Leeds’ best performer in the second tier but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, while a deal for Carvalho – who looks set to become available on a free transfer this summer – may be a difficult move for Orta to pull off, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund all being linked with the 19-year-old, it would nevertheless appear essential for the sporting director to do all he can to land the Fulham sensation at the end of the season – as the Portugal U21 international could well prove to become the next Hernandez at Elland Road.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Phil Hay drops 7-word behind the scenes Leeds update, Marsch will be gutted

Everton have already signed two players in the first week of the January transfer window, and could be set to make their third signing, but not on manager Rafa Benitez’s terms, if rumours are to believed.

What’s the story?

According to ESPN, Everton are in talks to sign Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona with Premier League clubs interested in the Brazilian attacking midfielder.

However, the report suggests that there is an internal debate at the club as whilst Farhad Moshiri is keen to do a deal for the player, Rafa Benitez is not on board with the signing.

Coutinho has failed to impress at Barcelona and has been heavily linked to many clubs across the Premier League and Europe, however according to Sky Sports, just two clubs remain in the race to secure the signature of the £380k-per-week player.

Disasterclass

If Moshiri wasn’t able to convince Benitez about a move for Coutinho but signed him anyway, the owner could fracture his relationship with the Spanish manager, and it never ends well when Rafa is involved.

Mike Ashley allegedly felt the wrath of the former Newcastle United head coach when the ex-Magpies owner refused to back him in the January transfer window of 2017, with The Express reporting that the Spaniard demanded answers from Ashley.

The relationship between the pair never repaired, and the problems only escalated behind the scenes until Benitez’s contract expired in 2019.

Sadly, Moshiri could be set for a similar situation if he was to blow the budget on the £16.2m-rated star hailed a “magician” by former Liverpool team mate and Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard.

There are many key areas of concern that Everton need to focus on, as well as finding a solution for the ongoing issues with Lucas Digne during the four-week window, and Benitez will want to avoid adding to the reckless spending habits of the past that the club has become famous for since Moshiri landed at Goodison Park.

The owner has signed 43 players and spent over £500 million over the last five years, not including the two additions this week, with little return of investment considering the club have not won a single trophy in that time and sit 15th in the Premier League currently.

Benitez has clearly attempted to adopt a different direction when it comes to signing transfer targets, just judging by his signings of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend in the summer, with Gray costing just £1.7m and Townsend joining on a free transfer.

It will be interesting to see if Everton continue their pursuit of Coutinho if the owner and manager cannot agree on the signing, and if he does go to Everton, it will only add to speculation that Benitez’s time at the club is slowly but surely coming to an end.

In other news: Benitez can axe Holgate with Araujo signing

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West Ham received a huge reality check at Molineux on Tuesday evening, and fans are absolutely furious with the performance of Angelo Ogbonna.

West Ham were quite simply swept aside by Wolves on Tuesday night, as the Premier League newcomers ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Romain Saiss opener and a brace from Raul Jimenez.

The opener didn’t come until Saiss met Joao Moutinho’s corner 66 minutes into the match, but if truth be told it could have come long before that.

Look away Arsenal fans! American Soccer Fan is back to troll more fans at the London Stadium in the video below…

Wolves racked up 20 shots in the match while West Ham managed just four, and the home side also got nine of those 20 shots on target.

Manuel Pellegrini will be livid with his side’s reaction, or lack thereof, to the FA Cup defeat against Wimbledon, and it has now become crystal clear that he has a massive problem in the heart of defence.

With Fabian Balbuena still out with a knee injury, the boss has been forced to deploy the erratic and inconsistent Ogbonna alongside a young and inexperienced Issa Diop.

The 13-cap Italian was at fault for at least one of the goals at Wimbledon, and he was horrific at Molineux on Tuesday, mustering a measly 5.91 rating on Whoscored.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions to the 30 year-old’s display down below…

Former Celtic player Frank McAvennie says he wouldn’t be surprised if Kyogo Furuhashi made a ‘shock appearance’ in Sunday’s Scottish League Cup final. 

The lowdown

Furuhashi has missed Celtic’s last two games through an injury he sustained in his side’s final Europa League group stage game against Real Betis.

Ange Postecogolou brought on the Japan international when Albian Ajeti was forced off with a hamstring injury, only for Furuhashi to suffer the same problem.

Celtic already knew they would be finishing third in the group and entering the Europa Conference League playoff round, so the game was something of a dead-rubber.

And now Furuhashi faces a late fitness test at Lennoxtown ahead of the Hampden Park clash with Hibernian.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie suggested that Furuhashi’s fitness may be better than Postecoglou is letting on.

He thinks there’s a possibility that the 26-year-old will play a part in Sunday’s showpiece.

“There have been a few times where Ange has said players won’t make it or they will only make the bench,” he said.

“Then they are in from the start in the next game. So well will see what happens.

“I’m not getting my hopes up but it wouldn’t surprise me if Kyogo did make some sort of shock appearance.”

The verdict

It would be a huge boost for Celtic if Furuhashi made it. He’s the Hoops’ top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions and, crucially, his nearest challenger – Jota, who has eight goals – is already confirmed out.

There’s a possibility, then, that they find themselves short of firepower against Shaun Maloney’s Hibs.

But as well as enhancing Celtic’s goalscoring threat, Furuhashi’s return would also surely improve morale in the camp. He’s a player team-mates can look to for decisive moments of quality in games like this.

Indeed, Jota has marvelled at his ‘unbelievable’ movements, and having at least one of the pair back would be a massive boost.

In other news, this journalist has offered the latest on Reo Hatate.

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Celtic are “looking” to sign a new central midfielder, despite Ange Postecoglou’s recent comments.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “Celtic, back to the drawing board looking for a central midfielder.

“So, despite what Ange said, that they weren’t in the market for any new faces, I think if a midfielder does come up, and he fits what Celtic are looking for, I would think Celtic will try and bring one in before the close of the window.”

Exciting transfer twist for Celtic fans

Speaking just last week, Postecoglou said: “As we speak right now, there are no other offers or people I have spoken to. So the 20 names that come out tomorrow are all lies or fabrications. Or they’re from people at home bored and Googling names and throwing them up there, or agents trying to get a little more value for their clients.

“I can’t be any clearer than that, and what I won’t do is lie. There’s no one else we’re talking to, there’s no other offers, no one else I’m showing interest in. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”

The Hoops boss was very insistent that the club seemed to have no plans to strengthen further in this January window, and that might have just deflated fans a little.

However, O’Rourke’s revelation that the Scottish giants are still in the market and are looking for a new central midfielder is sure to have the Celtic faithful excited about what could potentially happen over the final few days of the transfer window.

The revelation that the club have their eyes open and haven’t just firmly shut the door on any new signings is a welcome one, and there could well be some late developments for Celtic fans to anticipate despite what their manager recently said.

Meanwhile, Celtic could strike gold with a move for this Ligue 1 star…

Leeds United continue to be interested in Brenden Aaronson ahead of January 31st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that the Yorkshire giants are preparing another bid for the RB Salzburg midfielder after having a £15m bid knocked back by the Austrian champions.

The 21-year-old has only been at the club for a year but his impressive performances have caught the eye of many across Europe, though it is the Premier League that he dreams of playing in one day.

Aaronson’s running stats are amongst the highest around the continent, so it’s no wonder Marcelo Bielsa is hugely keen on securing him.

Shades of Gallagher

Leeds have long been looking for a central midfielder capable of driving the team forward in the final third, especially as it has now been four years since they signed someone in the role, that being Adam Forshaw from Middlesbrough in January 2018.

The Whites failed with their attempts to sign promising Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher during the summer after his impressive loan stint at West Brom, with the England U21 dynamo opting for top-flight rivals Crystal Palace instead.

However, there are shades of the 21-year-old Eagles loanee in the 15-cap American sensation.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

“Typically an attacking midfielder, Aaronson is best described as a half-winger, capable of playing out wide or centrally in the third line of Salzburg’s 4-2-2-2 formation. During games, Aaronson is expected to cover ground in central spaces, as well as supporting attacks via the channels,” claimed journalist Joe Donnohue to LeedsLive recently.

Indeed, the bustling Salzburg gem ranks amongst the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for pressures, having averaged 27.84 pressures per 90 and he also forces the opposition into losing the ball 8.55 times per 90, with those figures coming in the Champions League, via FBRef.

This is right up Bielsa’s street as he loves a player who can press high up the pitch, just as Gallagher has proven to do during his time at the Hawthorns and Selhurst Park.

Nicknamed the ‘Medford Messi’, Aaronson has been dubbed “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and “silky” by ex-USMNT international DeMarcus Beasley.

His returns of ten goals and 12 assists from only 51 appearances in Austria make him a very exciting young talent indeed. As such, Victor Orta and co must push ahead with plans to sign him as soon as possible.

Bielsa could finally be getting his Gallagher-like midfield presence.

AND in other news, Journalist drops huge Leeds United transfer claim ahead of deadline day…

Manchester United may keep Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge until the end of the season.

That’s according to reliable reporter Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News, and, as to be expected, his update has had plenty of Red Devils fans talking.

Solskjaer has been under pressure at Old Trafford following comprehensive home defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City prior to the international break.

Recent reports claimed that Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers reached a verbal agreement to take over from Solskjaer.

Luckhurst shared a story on Wednesday morning, claiming Solskjaer could remain in charge until the end of the campaign due to a lack of readily available replacements.

He added that Rodgers could be the man to replace Solskjaer, while the United hierarchy are also impressed by Ajax coach Erik Ten Hag and Spain coach Luis Enrique after deciding a change of manager will eventually be required.

United fans react

@utdreport shared the claim on Solskjaer potentially seeing out the 2021/22 campaign on Twitter. This is what these fans had to say in reply, with many not happy at that possibility.

“Will this pain ever end?”

Credit: @omartamimm

“You’re actually joking”

Credit: @AJLawton1

“oh goodness.”

Credit: @blobsterino

“This club is Truly FINISHED. I’m done watching this team”

Credit: @abkhani_

“This will be a very painful year. Football is supposed to be entertaining.”

Credit: @FhelleStarck

“We are finished as a football club”

Credit: @abdkaba2021