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Aston Villa would be wise to make a move for Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez as a replacement for Azel Tuanzebe, according to Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Villa linked with Gomez move

The 24-year-old has found it difficult to get regular minutes for the Reds this season, appearing for just 14 minutes in the Premier League.

Villa have been linked with a move for Gomez in the January transfer window as Steven Gerrard looks to strengthen his squad between now and the end of the season.

With Tuanzebe set to leave Villa and join Napoli on loan, a centre-back may well be needed this month.

The Latest: Phillips talks up possible Gomez move to Villa

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips talked up the idea of Villa acquiring Gomez’s services.

After Gerrard admitted that “we would be delighted to keep [Tuanzebe]” and “we just hope we have the opportunity”, the former Sunderland striker stated: “He’ll definitely need a new centre-back. Whether Joe Gomez happens, I’m not sure. It’d be a great signing.

“But when managers speak like that, ultimately it looks like the player will be moving on. Then, it will be a priority to get a centre-half through the doors”

The Verdict: Tough to see happening

Gomez is a top-class defender who has won both the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, being hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jurgen Klopp.

He could be an exceptional signing for Villa despite some sizeable injury problems, but it is hard to see the Reds allowing the England international to leave.

With Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip both now in their 30s, Gomez will surely be viewed as a future regular if he can stay fit, and even a loan move could feel needless after the Reds’ centre-back shortage last season.

Villa may well need to look elsewhere if they intend to add to their ranks in this department during the month.

In other news, some Villa fans have reacted to reported interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle failed to escape the bottom three as they were swept aside 4-0 by Leicester City at the King Power on Sunday.

Jamaal Lascelles was adjudged to have brought James Maddison down in the box and Youri Tielemans stepped up to fire the ball into the top corner from 12 yards out.

Patson Daka then doubled the lead in the second half as he tapped into an empty net after brilliant work from Maddison and Harvey Barnes. Tielemans and Maddison both then found the back of the net in the final 10 minutes to complete the scoring.

Whilst it was a dismal afternoon for the Magpies and many players struggled, one player who failed to pull their weight was striker Callum Wilson.

Newcastle fans know how good he can be on his day, but he was unable to make a positive impact on the game. He has scored six Premier League goals this season, showing that he can make the difference in the final third at this level, but came away from the King Power without getting his name on the scoresheet.

Against the ball, he was a liability for the Magpies. As per SofaScore, he lost eight of his 12 duels – including all four of his aerial battles against the Leicester defenders. He also gave away two fouls and completed two tackles, which meant that he was successful in 50% of his challenges. This shows that he was too weak off the ball as he was shrugged out of the way too easily by the opposition.

The forward, who had fewer touches (23) than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (35), was disappointing on the ball. Via SofaScore, he gave possession away 10 times from his 23 touches, resulting in just six completed passes out of nine attempts. He failed to create a single chance or manage a shot on the Leicester goal, whilst also failing with his one attempted dribble.

Given his goalscoring record and what is he capable of delivering at the top end of the pitch, this worrying performance will surely have left Howe feeling frustrated.

He was not the sole problem with the team’s display, given it was a 4-0 loss, but he did not do enough up front to drag them back into the game or cause Wilfred Ndidi and Caglar Soyuncu any real problems to deal with.

AND in other news, “Seriously interested”: Romano drops fresh NUFC transfer claim which fans will love…

An update has emerged on Frank Lampard, regarding Rangers’ thoughts on potentially appointing him as their new manager.

What’s the talk?

According to Gers media partner Hearts & Hand Podcast, the club are not interested in a deal to bring the ex-Chelsea coach to Glasgow to replace his former England teammate Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

They Tweeted: “Just spoke to club: Lampard and Knutsen not on radar. Gio stuff already broken by Sky. Rangers engage with certain media outlets and not others. Don’t pay attention to the ones on the outside – they haven’t a clue.”

Delight

This update from a Rangers insider will surely leave fans delighted as it means that Ross Wilson has avoided a disaster. We published an article urging the Gers chief to avoid Lampard after it was reported that the club were set to hold talks with the 43-year-old over the role, however, this twist now suggests that was not the case.

His managerial C.V does not suit Rangers’ needs at this moment in time and he would represent a gamble Wilson does not need to take. The Scottish giants are currently top of the Scottish Premiership and need an experienced coach with a history of winning to ensure that they get over the line and are able to build on what Gerrard created at Ibrox.

Gerrard ended Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football by winning the league last season and has left the club four points clear of the Hoops after 13 games in the current campaign. This shows that he has built the foundations of a winning team and bringing in a coach who has not proven that he can win trophies in the dugout could derail their attempts to be the dominant force in Glasgow long-term.

Lampard has only managed two full seasons in his career, one of which came in the second-tier of English football with Derby, and is yet to win a single honour. He lost in the play-off final with the Championship outfit and in the FA Cup final with Chelsea, whilst finishing sixth and fourth in their respective divisions.

This means that he does not have the requisite experience required to suggest that he is the right man to come in and see out the job for Rangers this season. Therefore, fans will be delighted that Wilson is not even considering him as an option.

AND in other news, Davis 2.0: Rangers could sign new metronome in gem who “quietly impressed” ex-EPL boss…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild over news involving their club and Marseille defensive ace Boubacar Kamara.

Since central defensive mainstay Angelo Ogbonna ruptured his ACL in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool, manager David Moyes and West Ham have been linked to signing a new presence at the back.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Links to James Tarkowski, for example, have emerged in recent weeks with the Burnley defender set to leave on a free deal at the end of this season.

West Ham could save money in cut price moves like this given targets can sign pre-contracts in January ahead of free summer moves next year.

Now, as explained by ExWHUemployee, it appears West Ham are eyeing another defensive star out of contract in 2022 as news emerges on Kamara.

The Ligue 1 man, who can play both as a centre-half and in midfield, is apparently on Moyes’ radar alongside usual suspect Duje Caleta-Car as the club insider shares news on his West Ham Way Podcast.

West Ham fans excited…

Both men are attracting West Ham’s admiration, but the player supporters are most excited about appears to be Kamara.

According to WhoScored, the 21-year-old averaged more tackles per 90 last season (2.5) than any of Moyes’ current crop – standing out as a real presence defensively.

Given his young age, he comes with real sell-on value also and is rated at a meagre £25.2 million by Transfermarkt.

Taking all this into account, it’s understandable why supporters are ecstatic to see his name mentioned – with one calling Kamara a would-be ‘great signing’.

Find all of their best Twitter verdicts down below:

“KAMARA AT LE BOWL”

Credit: @whugdz

“Kamara would be a great signing”

Credit: @WillBailham

“Pleaaaase!

Kamara in this squad boosts us so much!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Bouba Kamara is a no brainer, but he’ll have alot of suitors with his contract up in the summer. Caleta-Car would be a good signing (pings etc). Hes getting game time recently so dunno if Marseille will sell now in January. We can aim for better than Tarkowski (on the ball etc)”

Credit: @MahfuzCOYI16

“BRING IN KAMARA”

Credit: @jeevansinghp

“Kamara now.”

Credit: @Benjamiiin20

“KAMARAAAAAAAAA”

Credit: @jackcoyi1

“siuuuuu”

Credit: @_danieluker

In other news: ‘Steal’, ‘Oh yes’, ‘Top of my wish list’…West Ham fans rave as Newman eyes brand new target, find out more here.

Liverpool will allow Nat Phillips to leave in January for a fee of £12million, according to The Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst. 

Jurgen Klopp told reporters on Friday that they are not planning to stand in Phillips’ way if the right offer arrived in the New Year.

The Reds had demanded £15million for the centre-back during last summer’s transfer window.

But even though he signed a new four-year deal in August, the club’s price tag has now fallen.

Could injury threaten Phillips move?

Phillips made his first start of the season in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over AC Milan, with Liverpool already through to the Round of 16.

He sustained a fractured cheekbone in the 2-1 win, ruling him out of competitive action for four to five weeks.

However, Phillips can continue to train individually to maintain fitness and Klopp doesn’t expect the injury to scupper any potential move.

Newcastle United and West Ham United are two of the clubs interested in the 24-year-old, This Is Anfield report.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed Gorst’s news, and here’s what supporters made of it.

Fans discuss Phillips exit links

“Bargain when you look at other English CBs, will get an England cap if he plays regular and then boom 40mil minimum”

Credit: @jack_w93

“I was thinking about £30m/£40m, haven’t other teams seen him play?”

Credit: @Daddie_Sy

“£12m, what they buying he’s left leg? Come on he’s better than that, single handedly got CL this season.”

Credit: @R3DLFC

“Nahhh £20m at least”

Credit: @jfritz66

“Stepped up multiple times for us in big league games and UCL games,worth much more than a measly £12m”

Credit: @Benslfcworld6x

“Insane”

Credit: @king_louie83

In other news, Paul Gorst also said Liverpool had their eye on this forward.

Everton slumped to their second consecutive defeat in the Premier League after they were thrashed 5-2 by Watford at Goodison Park.

It seemed as though it was going to be an easy afternoon’s work for the Toffees after Tom Davies’ third-minute strike gave them an early lead, but the visitors equalised through Josh King just 10 minutes later.

Former Hornets striker Richarlison then restored Everton’s lead after coming off the bench for Rafa Benitez’s charges ahead again, although their joy was short-lived once more. Juraj Kucka’s header drew Watford level late on before King then struck twice inside six minutes to complete his hat-trick, with Emmanuel Dennis putting the seal on an incredible comeback victory.

It was the Norwegian who stole the show as he fired Claudio Ranieri’s side to a much-needed three points, yet several Everton players were hugely disappointing throughout the 90 minutes.

Although goalkeeper Jordan Pickford conceded five goals in a humbling defeat for the England international, it was arguably midfielder Allan who put in the most underwhelming display among the home side.

As per SofaScore, the Brazil international received a match rating of just six out of 10, the second-lowest rating awarded to anyone on the pitch.

When taking a closer look at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he was rated so low. Allan was dribbled past a whopping five times by an opposition player, won only three of his 11 duels (73% lost) and had a passing accuracy of just 77%.

With Abdoulaye Doucoure out injured, the 30-year-old was the most senior player in Benitez’s engine room, but he let his manager down with a hugely below-par showing this afternoon.

Both Allan and Benitez will be hoping for a much-improved performance against Wolves next time out, especially as Everton’s injury list shows no sign of diminishing for several weeks.

In other news… Report drops worrying Everton update over £40.5m-rated gem, fans will be concerned 

Michael Ball has dropped a key claim on Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos’ future…

What’s the talk?

Former Rangers defender Michael Ball has claimed that Alfredo Morelos ‘will’ leave the club as the Gers will want to maximise their profits on him.

He told This is Futbol:

“We know he will move on in the future, Rangers will want to capitalise on a good fee for him but it’s down to him, he’s got to be the key player week in and week out.”

Frustration

Rangers fans will surely be left feeling frustrated by this key transfer claim from Ball. Why is it inevitable for the club to sell star players? Supporters will want to see some ambition from Ross Wilson to retain Steven Gerrard’s top performers, rather than conceding that they will 100% leave.

Of course, there is sometimes little that can be done if a player is desperate to go and play for a top European side who are competing for the best trophies in football. For example, if Real Madrid, Manchester City or Chelsea came calling then you could excuse a player for wanting to move on, but is competing in midtable in the Premier League better than winning trophies with Rangers?

It is a subjective question and one that there is little point arguing over right now, but Wilson needs to put up a convincing case for the Gers in order to keep hold of players like Morelos. The Colombian striker has proven his worth in the Scottish Premiership and losing him would be a huge blow for Gerrard’s side.

Speaking anonymously to The Athletic in 2019, a Scottish Premiership player labelled Morelos as “non-stop” and praised the way his movement made him difficult to defend: “In my experience, he is just non-stop.

“There’s never a time when he’s walking about or not interested in the game. He’s always involved, whether that’s taking you away or dragging you closer to the ball.

“He’s kind of dropping deep now and going out wide. That’s a nightmare for defenders because he’s your player that you’re meant to be man-marking but then you’re dragged out of position and you’ve got midfield runners taking his space. That means you need to start talking to your full-backs and centre-mids to start swapping players, which makes it a lot more difficult.”

This highlights the problems he can cause defenders in Scotland, which is why Wilson must avoid a disaster over the gem. Fans will be frustrated if the club actively looks to sell him on without trying to pin him down to a new contract to keep him at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gerrard must unleash “exciting” £4.5m-rated Rangers beast, he may get fans off seats…

A number of Everton fans have been left gushing over some news involving Rafael Benitez.

As per The Northern Echo, the Spaniard has now ruled out walking from his job at Goodison Park to go and manage one of his former clubs in Newcastle United, believing that it would be wrong to turn his back on the Toffees even though he retains a strong affinity to the Magpies.

This comes after a report emerged that the new owners at St James’ Park were plotting a move to get him back in charge after the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium was completed.

Benitez only took charge of the Toffees in the summer after the departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid and has started off well, with Everton currently sitting fifth in the Premier League.

Reports that he has now ruled himself out of joining a top-flight rival have unsurprisingly been met with delight by many Blues supporters.

Everton fans on Benitez news

These Everton fans gushed as the news was shared on Twitter:

“Was never worried as Rafa has always been an honourable man and has never broken a contract.”

Credit: @toffeecrunch25

“Rafa the gaffer, up the Toffees”

Credit: @AJGardensEFC

“Great news, now we need to back him properly”

Credit: @jaysmith1878

“That’s great news!!”

Credit: @ALANBRO32378008

“Happy days”

Credit: @CalumGahan

“In other words Rafa has principles and his word is his bond unlike a few previous managers I bet you could name!”

Credit: @JimFromWoodburn

In other news, find out what club announcement has left these Evertonians buzzing

A journalist has revealed that Brendan Rodgers is now a ‘serious contender’ to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Under pressure

Solskjaer is now under pressure to keep his job after the recent 5-0 drubbing at home to bitter rivals Liverpool, and their game away at Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend could prove pivotal.

Erik ten Hag is one name to have been mentioned as his potential successor should he leave Old Trafford, as the Red Devils sit in a measly seventh place in the Premier League table, with just 14 points after nine games played and a whopping 15 goals conceded, the joint-most in the top half (Premier League).

The Latest: Rodgers likely?

As per ESPN journalist Alex Shaw,  Rodgers is now emerging as a ‘serious contender’ to replace Solskjaer, and has support ‘within United’.

However, the possibility of Antonio Conte joining instead has not been ruled out yet, but there are reportedly ‘concerns’ with the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager.

The Verdict: Get it done

If any team lose 5-0 at home to their biggest rivals, their manager would be under immense pressure.

It seems as if with no major trophies delivered to Man Utd so far, now may be the time for Solskjaer to go.

In that case, Rodgers could be the perfect replacement, in spite of his Liverpool links.

Described as one of the ‘outstanding’ managers in the top flight by none other than former United captain Gary Neville back in November, Rodgers has proven unlike Solksjaer that he can win trophies in England, by winning the FA Cup and Community Shield with Leicester City, a team not part of the so-called ‘big six’ (Transfermarkt).

His sides win a very impressive 1.83 points per game, which is more than Solskjaer, and while the latter has only managed Molde in Norway and Cardiff City elsewhere, Rodgers has also managed in the Premier League with both Liverpool and Swansea City and has plenty of European experience with both the Merseysiders and Celtic.

Nonetheless, the Northern Irishman would surely be an inspired appointment.

In other news, find out who could leave MUFC next summer here!

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Noa Lang, who could well bring shades of Alexis Sanchez back to the Emirates Stadium…

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain (via The Sun), the Gunners are lining up a swoop for the Club Brugge winger after continuing his fine form from 2020/21 into this campaign.

It’s thought that their offer could be in the region of £20m, whilst Premier League rivals Leeds United have been credited with interest in the past.

Shades of Alexis

The 22-year-old dynamo netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists as the Belgian giants won the league title by a comfortable 16 points, with the Dutch international playing a major part.

He has since continued this impressive contribution rate into the new season, where he has delivered four goals and four assists in all competitions, including a ‘Man of the Match’ performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

It’s no wonder he has been dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbemp in the past, and that was after he netted a hat-trick on debut for his former club Ajax.

Lang is primarily a left-sided wide option despite being a right-footed player, which suggests that he’s more a modern type of winger rather than a traditional one that will deliver crosses aplenty.

This could draw plenty of similarities to Sanchez, who was the Gunners’ lethal phenomenon, cutting inside to finish and provide some creativity.

The 22-year-old gem has even played up top, just like the Chilean. whose role regularly converted between being out wide and leading the line. Much the same with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so Lang could be a nice little fit in Mikel Arteta’s system.

“At the moment, Lang is without a doubt the best player in the league, I think. Pure class,” acclaimed Belgian football pundit Filip Joos explained to Extra Time. “His technique is not normal. Lang is constantly on the move, he glides across the field, he likes to dribble, but he will always play at the right time.”

Arsenal chief Edu Gaspar could well secure the club their next Sanchez with a swoop for the £19.8m-rated Lang this January.

AND in other news, Once valued £45m, now worth 56% less: Gazidis had a nightmare over Arsenal “liability”…