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[ad_pod ]Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is set to be fit to face Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday evening, after making a full recovery from a knock sustained in the dramatic 4-3 loss to Wolves in the Foxes’ last Premier League outing, as reported by the club’s official Twitter account.

Whilst that may seem like good news for Claude Puel and Leicester, it could also be a blessing in disguise for the Reds.

Why could it be a good thing?

Whilst the England international is undoubtedly the Foxes’ best defender, his few weaknesses could be exploited to the maximum against Jurgen Klopp’s side. The 25-year-old is a commanding, physically imposing presence who is surprisingly very good on the ball, although his lack of pace and noticeable immobility could and should be taken advantage of at Anfield.

Those of you who remember this same fixture on Merseyside from last season should recall the joy Mohamed Salah had against the former Hull City man, in which he turned Maguire and made him look foolish before slotting into the back of the net.

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

Could the same happen again?

Maguire has since embarked on a memorable World Cup campaign with the Three Lions, becoming a household name in the process as he won admirers from all over the country, although he may not be the same player against the Reds on Wednesday evening.

Leicester are in a bit of a rut and have lost four of their last five games, and after being cut apart by Wolves like a hot knife through butter on more than one occasion last time out, the game against a Liverpool side who are top of the league could expose Maguire in noticeable fashion.

Salah is one of the quickest players in the league, and his new role as a central striker will see him come up directly against Maguire – if you were to ask me who I think would win the battle, I’d say the Egyptian could have a very fun evening against the team from the east Midlands.

Ex-Feyenoord head coach Gio van Bronckhorst is reportedly closing in on a deal to take over at Rangers to replace Steven Gerrard.

Aston Villa poached the ex-Liverpool man from the Gers last week and Ross Wilson is now moving swiftly to get a new man in the dugout for the clash with Hibernian next weekend.

Upon his arrival, van Bronckhorst will have a number of key decisions to make, regarding team selections, formations and transfers.

Time’s up

One decision he will need to make is whether or not to extend Scott Arfield’s contract at Ibrox. The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and van Bronckhorst will need to decide on what to do with his future, whether he will allow him to leave as a free agent or keep him at the club for another year.

Based on his performances in the Premiership for the Gers this term, Arfield should be let go by the club. He has not shown enough on the pitch this season to prove that he is deserving of a new contract and the Dutchman must wield his axe and make a call that could make him an instant hit in Glasgow.

Gerrard handed Arfield six appearances in the Premiership this season and two in the Europa League. Whilst he has not been a regular in the side, eight appearances in the two main competitions for Rangers by this point in the campaign suggests that the former Anfield hero saw value in him.

However, he has not shown enough back in his displays to warrant his inclusion. Per SofaScore, he has lost a whopping 71% of his duels on the pitch in the league and averaged a rating of 6.66. He has also only created two chances, whilst scoring one goal and missing two big chances.

The £1.8m-rated Canadian international averaged a rating of 6.85 and lost 63% of his duels in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst only averaging 0.4 key passes per game. This suggests that his performances have been declining over the past 18 months and now could be the perfect time for the club to part ways with him.

Therefore, one of van Bronckhorst’s first tasks as Rangers manager, should the appointment be made official, is to axe Arfield from the squad and sell him in the January window.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid instant stitch up for GVB over Rangers gem with “terrific quality”…

Everton put on yet another disappointing display against Premier League Champions Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

Rafa Benitez’s side put in a defensive disaster-class at the Ethiad, losing 3-0 to the title challengers, and never really establishing any attacking threat in the entire duration of the game.

Another injury blow was dealt to the Spanish manager, as winger Demarai Gray went off injured in just the 16th minute of the game.

Manchester City could’ve opened proceedings much earlier in the game, in the 33rd minute, when a penalty shout was luckily overturned by VAR when Michael Keane clashed with Raheem Sterling.

However, it wasn’t long for Pep Guardiola’s side to score, with a fantastic ball from Joao Cancelo put onto Raheem Sterling’s foot in front of goal which he converted in the 44th minute to put the City side ahead 1-0.

Everton continued to come undone and showed no signs of getting back into the game after half time, when the Toffees conceded two further goals in the 55th minute and then once more in the 86th minute.

Overall, the Merseyside club had a shocking 22% possession over the 90 minutes, which is a real reflection of how poor and reluctant the Everton side looked to get into the game and move the ball in important areas of the pitch.

One player that stuck out like a sore thumb in Everton’s defence is Michael Keane, who looked lost in many moments of the game today, which reflected in his individual match statistics that saw the centre back have less touches (36) than goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Everton fans took to Twitter to scold the £22.5m-rated rated centre back;

One fan tweeted; “The sooner we move on Michael Keane the better, diabolical defender”

Another wrote; “Michael Keane’s movement for the third goal and his meek reaction as the ball went in says it all. When things are tough, they play within themselves. No character, no leadership, nothing.”

To make matter worse, he only completed 76% of his passes and made just two tackles despite an offensive onslaught from the opposition.

This disastrous defensive performance is hard proof that Rafa needs to either add players in the January transfer window, or pray for a return to full fitness from centre back Yerry Mina, as the side falls further away from getting back into the top half of the table.

Everton will now look forward to a game at Goodison Park against Brentford next weekend, and Benitez will surely be hoping he has some more players back from injury in an effort to win some points before a tough run of fixtures against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. If he does, then Keane simply has to be axed after his feeble showing in Manchester.

With moves for Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne this month showing that Aston Villa were keen on strengthening their first team, a subsequent move for young defender Kerr Smith showed that the club have aspirations of strengthening their youth sides as well, adding players who can hopefully grow and develop into future first-team stalwarts.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the Villans have their eye on another young player to come in this month as one for the future, which would be a source of great excitement for the fans.

What’s the news?

As per a recent Twitter post from Alan Nixon, Villa are “watching” Sunderland’s 20-year-old midfielder Dan Neil, who the journalist suggested could be the “new Gerrard” for the Midlands club.

Nixon also mentioned that fellow Premier League club Burnley are “already sniffing” around the Black Cats youngster over a potential transfer.

As a product of Sunderland’s youth academy, Neil has made 98 appearances for the Wearsiders across their youth and senior teams, with 41 of them coming in their first team, showing how highly he is rated at the Stadium on light.

In those 98 appearances, Neil has chipped in with five goals and nine assists along the way, showing his attacking capabilities from the midfield.

With only Ross Stewart having made more appearances in League One than Neil this season, this shows just how important the 20-year-old is for Lee Johnson’s side and why they could be reluctant to let him go, especially halfway through the season as they chase promotion to the Championship.

His performances in those gamees could be an indication as to why Villa are apparently looking at him. WhoScored list him as Sunderland’s joint-fifth highest rated player with an overall rating of 6.85/10, which would also put him fifth-highest among Villa’s squad when counting those to have featured in more than one Premier League game. Therefore, the Midlands club’s fan base may be buzzing to see such a capable player being linked with a move to Villa Park.

While the opportunity to join a Premier League club and potentially learn under the management of Steven Gerrard could be tempting for a young player like Neil, it seems a likelier scenario that he would be more open to leaving Sunderland at the end of the current season if they don’t manage to secure promotion from League One.

In other news: Villa could secure another transfer masterclass with £49k-p/w gem who “has everything”

According to reports by Calciomercato, Alex Meret has said that he wants to leave Napoli, with Tottenham having identified the Italian as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris.

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The Lowdown: Lack of playing time

Despite starting the opening two games of the Serie A campaign, he has since had his playing time decimated. A fractured vertebrae kept the 24-year-old out for three games, and while he has been fully fit since, he is yet to make an appearance in the league following that enforced absence.

Meret arrived at Napoli in the summer of 2019 from Udinese in a deal worth £23.4m and he has played 85 games for the Azzurri, having kept 25 clean sheets in the process.

The Latest: Tottenham interested in Meret

According to a report by Calciomercato, Meret is keen to leave the Serie A club, and Tottenham have identified the goalkeeper as a potential replacement for club captain Lloris.

This follows a previous report by The Independent, who claimed that Spurs have identified the 24-year-old as a possible long-term replacement for when the Frenchman decides to leave the club, with retirement potentially looming as he turns 35 on Boxing Day.

Meret will look to leave Napoli in the January transfer window in a bid to secure more playing time, with hopes that he can add to his international recognition, having been capped twice for Italy.

The Verdict: A possible long-term Lloris replacement

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has expressed his desire for Lloris to remain at Hotspur Way for at least another season, with the 34-year-old’s contract set to expire in the summer. Meret could prove to be a fantastic long-term replacement for the Frenchman, with Spurs on the lookout for a youngster who can ease their way into their first-team plans.

Serie A legend Antonio Di Natale once described Meret as the ‘new Buffon’ upon his departure from his former club Udinese. It was Carlo Ancelotti who brought him to Naples and described the ‘keeper as ‘special’, no faint praise considering the Real Madrid manager’s glittering CV at the highest level.

With such high endorsement, this raises questions surrounding the player’s lack of playing time this season. However, this could work in Conte’s favour as he reportedly looks to bring in the Italian ‘keeper in the upcoming transfer window.

In other news: Title challengers pursue Tottenham’s £42m ‘monster’; Pochettino called him a ‘beast’

Joseph Masi has dropped an update on the future of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

What’s the talk?

Speaking recently on the Baggies Broadcast podcast (via This Is Futbol), the Express & Star journalist stated his belief that, while the 28-year-old shot-stopper could leave the club in January if he were to receive an extraordinary offer, the England international will more than likely remain at The Hawthorns until the end of the current campaign.

Regarding the goalkeeper’s future, Masi said: “The situation with Johnstone obviously is that if he becomes a free agent [next summer], he will basically get a massive signing-on fee.

“I think Johnstone could definitely leave in January if something unbelievable emerges, and of course, he’ll take it – but I thoroughly, thoroughly expect him to see out the season with Albion and assess his options in the summer.”

Music to the ears of fans

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Johnstone has proven himself to be in recent years, the news that the ‘keeper does indeed look set to remain with the Baggies for the duration of their 2021/22 campaign is sure to come as music to the ears of fans.

Indeed, over his 20 Championship appearances this season, the £7.2m-rated man has kept nine clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 saves and 1.9 runs out per game, with these returns seeing the shot-stopper average a SofaScore match rating of 6.88.

However, it was over the 28-year-old’s 37 Premier League outings last season in which he demonstrated his ability at the highest level of the English game, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of 4.5 saves per fixture – the most of any ‘keeper in the top flight.

These metrics saw the £18k-per-week England international earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as West Brom’s second-best performer in the league.

As such, keeping hold of Johnstone beyond the closure of the winter transfer window will undoubtedly provide Valerien Ismael’s chances of securing promotion back to the Premier League with a major boost, while losing the ‘keeper could well prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the Baggies’ hopes of a top-two finish this season.

In other news: Journo delivers exciting update on WBA transfer window plans, fans will be buzzing

A significant number of Liverpool players signed new contracts at Anfield over the summer, including club captain Jordan Henderson, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk among others, showing just how keen FSG were on securing their futures at the Merseyside club.

One player who didn’t put pen to paper on a new deal in that time is James Milner, whose current contract is set to expire next summer. With this in mind, we feel that FSG should offer the midfielder a new contract to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.

Liverpool secured Milner on a free transfer from fellow Premier League club Manchester City back in the 2015 summer window.

Since then, the 35-year-old – who is currently valued at £2.7m according to Transfermarkt – has made a total of 258 appearances for the Reds, more than any other club in his career. In that time, he has scored 26 goals and provided 43 assists, winning the Premier League and Champions League with Klopp’s side.

So far this season, Milner – who has been labelled a “massively important” player for the Reds by his manager in the past –  has made eight appearances for Liverpool across all competitions and playing in a number of different positions, further proving how significant he is for Klopp and the team given his versatility and how much the German loves having him at Anfield.

Additionally, the veteran has been no stranger to playing in many different positions across the midfield and defence during his time with the Reds.

Speaking of new contracts, it has been heavily reported over the past few weeks and months that Liverpool are trying to secure a new deal for Mohamed Salah, which makes sense given the attacking numbers he has racked up over the years in terms of goals and assists.

However, we feel that it is equally as important for FSG to offer Milner a new deal as it is for Salah to pledge his future at Anfield, as even though they are very different players, they have both proven themselves to be vital figures for Klopp in different ways.

In other news: Klopp could save LFC millions with “super talented” 19 y/o prodigy, he’s Robbo’s heir

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Dutch centre-back Sven Botman…

What’s the talk?

According to Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, the defender is interested in a move to St. James’ Park in the January window. Lille, however, are keen to keep hold of their man after holding initial discussions with the Magpies over a potential £30m deal.

The reporter quote Tweeted his article with this claim: “Also contains some better news on Trippier, update on Wijnaldum and Tarkowski too. Based on conversations on the phone with people who know what’s going on. It’s going to be a very long month.”

Elation

Newcastle fans will surely be left elated by this news for multiple reasons. For starters, Edwards claims that people in the know have provided these updates, suggesting that Botman is genuinely interested in making the switch to Tyneside in the coming weeks.

This shows the pull that the takeover from PIF has given the club, as he is now prepared to leave the reigning Ligue 1 champions to fight relegation in England. It proves that the Magpies can attract quality players this month, which should give supporters hope that Nick Hammond and Eddie Howe will be able to complete key deals to strengthen the squad before the window ends.

Fans will also be buzzing as Botman could be a brilliant signing for the side. He has been in fine form for Lille in Ligue 1, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.02, and could come in and improve the defence. The centre-back has shown that he can perform consistently in the French top-flight and that suggests that he could be a strong performer for the Magpies, should he be able to adapt to English football.

Newcastle have conceded the most goals in the Premier League (42), joint with Norwich, this season and are in dire need of an improvement at the back. This is why the signing of Botman could be a major piece of business by the club and fans will be delighted to read that the Dutchman is interested in the potential switch.

Supporters will now need to cross their fingers and hope that Hammond can iron out a deal with the Ligue 1 giants to bring Botman to St. James’ Park. The window still has a few weeks left to run and Newcastle have time to convince Lille to part ways with him.

AND in other news, “Expecting” – Pete Graves drops Newcastle transfer claim that’ll leave fans delighted…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some news that has been shared by the club on Alfredo Morelos.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Colombia international has now been named as the Scottish Premiership’s Player of the Month (POTM) for December.

Morelos scored four goals and made one assist in six games last month, helping his team win all of them (Transfermarkt), as they march on towards another SPFL title.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised the striker upon receiving the award, highlighting how ‘important’ he has been and is for the side ahead of a fresh set of fixtures.

Nonetheless, he will now be hoping to continue his fine form when the Teddy Bears play Aberdeen away from home on Tuesday, and pick up the award once again for January.

Rangers fans on Morelos news

These Light Blues buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one Gers supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘superb’ news:

“The king”

Credit: @BenDixon50

“Brilliant well deserved”

Credit: @Mikey1872786

“Thoroughly deserved! Boys been different class”

Credit: @sayersy1872

“Yessssssssssssss Alfie”

Credit: @TheRealBigMurdy

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @_meganpeffers

“Superb”

Credit: @JamesCa62108199

In other news, find out why Morelos’ Instagram post has Gers gushing here!

Wolves have not been particularly productive when it comes to bagging goals in the Premier League so far this season with just 19 scored in 21 games, leaving just Norwich City and Newcastle United having found the back of the net on fewer occasions.

While this may not necessarily be seen as a major issue at this moment in time given how they’re currently sat in eighth place in the Premier League table and have a rather sturdy defence that has only conceded 16 goals, it could be seen as an area that Old Gold manager Bruno Lage would like to fix, especially if they start to concede more goals.

With that in mind, the Midlands club could spend the rest of the January transfer window identifying and signing a player that could come in and add some extra attacking power to their team.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to Molineux in recent weeks that could do a job for Lage in that regard is Derby County winger and captain Tom Lawrence.

Despite having very little Premier League experience, the 28-year-old has proved in 250 Championship appearances that he is capable of scoring goals and providing them as well with 47 goals and 38 assists under his belt throughout his career.

This then could suggest that the £4.5m-rated attacker is in the right stage of his career to take the step up to the Premier League and make a name for himself there with a club like Wolves.

Taking into account Derby’s widely reported financial issues that could force them to sell players this month, a move for Lawrence may not be particularly complicated for Wolves to complete should they decide to launch one before the window closes.

Also, with Adama Traore reportedly close to joining Barcelona, Lawrence could potentially take the Spaniard’s place in Lage’s squad, not only fixing that issue but also adding a bit of freshness to their attack to help them find the back of the net more often.

Labelled as a “fabulous talent” in the past by Gary Bowyer, while it may be tough for Lawrence to leave Derby halfway through a season that they’re fighting tooth and nail for survival in, on and off the pitch, he may not get an opportunity to play in the Premier League again.

In other news: David Ornstein reveals late Wolves transfer twist that’ll have lots of fans buzzing – opinion