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According to a report by The Athletic, should Spurs and Dele Alli part ways in January, Jose Mourinho may want to add another attacker to his ranks. The report has tipped teenage sensation Gabriel Veron as a possible replacement for the Englishman. 

Veron, who is gaining European ‘admirers’ with his performances for Palmeiras on the South American continent, is currently touted as one of the most promising young talents in world football.

Alli is now being heavily touted with a move away, as this report claims inside sources are tipping him to move on – with Mourinho potentially wanting to find a replacement in January if that departure does come to fruition.

Veron an exciting option for Spurs

Veron is allegedly an ‘exciting option’ who could make the move mid-season, with his exploits in Brazil turning the heads of top European clubs.

Indeed, as per this update, a move for the 18-year-old could be something Spurs pursue depending on developments around Alli, with a recent report detailing just how promising the attacker could become.

Brazil Under-17 coach Guilherme Della lauded him a ‘master’, meanwhile Palmeiras Under-17 coach Artur Itiro knows his game inside and out.

Itiro, speaking to the Athletic, described the ‘unbelievable’ starlet as someone who can ‘unbalance opponents’ in the art of trickery – and Transfermarkt claim he is valued at around £22.5 million. 

Transfer Tavern take

Despite this being a heavy investment for a rising star, unproven in Europe’s toughest leagues, his potential and high ceiling tout the fee as a worthy price to pay.

Whether or not Tottenham do make a January move to replace Alli, depending on his future, remains to be seen – but Veron has emerged as an option for Spurs as the winter window looms.

In other news: Tottenham have been dealt a Son Heung-min setback, find out more here.

Liverpool dropped another two points in their hopes of retaining the Premier League title as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening.

One man who will have disappointed Jurgen Klopp with his performance was winger Mohamed Salah, as the Egyptian struggled to stamp his authority on the game.

The winger was also guilty of missing two huge chances for the Reds either side of half time, first being denied by Karl Darlow, before putting his shot well wide after being found through on goal by Roberto Firmino.

As per SofaScore, the former Roma man earned a 6.0 rating for his display, which comfortably ranked him as the worst player on the pitch from both sides, as he struggled to have any real influence on the game going forward.

Klopp’s side finish 2020 top of the league but the German manager will surely be furious that Salah couldn’t finish his chances during the game, as that would’ve ensured a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester United.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old touched the ball just 31 times, which was one fewer than the 32 touches of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

Despite this, the winger was still able to lose possession on eight occasions, with the Newcastle defence seemingly getting the better of him, so it was no surprise when Xherdan Shaqiri replaced Salah with a few minutes remaining.

Liverpool Echo were also critical of the Egyptian’s display, rating him 5/10 following the game, suggesting that it wasn’t his night and that he was wasteful in front of goal.

Back in 2019, the winger was heavily praised by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who said:

“Unfortunately for Mo, it didn’t work out here but it is great credit to him. He went to Italy and then came back and now he’s a superstar.”

Following the disappointing draw at St James Park, it seems clear that Liverpool will need to be much-improved when they face Southampton away from home in their next Premier League fixture, otherwise, they risk dropping off the top of the league.

And, in other news… Liverpool may already have their Wijnaldum replacement in “extraordinary” teenager

Premier League side Leeds United have reportedly made their move for Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar.

Some days ago, Leeds were linked with a move for Fiorentina star Pulgar and it was stated that the Whites had made contact with La Viola over a move for the Chilean midfielder. Further updates have now emerged about Pulgar’s links with a potential move to Elland Road.

Leeds lead the way for Pulgar

Florence-based outlet La Nazione have reported (via Sport Witness) recently that the Whites have now made the most ‘concrete’ contact for the Chilean, who could now be closer to a possible La Viola exit. The fact that the midfielder hasn’t come off from the bench in the last two games is seen as a sign of the fact that he could be leaving soon.

It also stated that La Viola could be willing to listen to offers for the former Bologna man in an attempt to make sure that they get some funds through his sale to make some new signings this month.

Pulgar had arrived at Fiorentina from Bologna in the summer of 2019 for a fee of £9million. For La Viola, the midfielder has played 53 games in all competitions and has scored seven goals, while picking up eight assists.

Last season, Pulgar had come up with 56 shot-creation actions from dead ball situations in Serie A. He also came up with the highest number of goal creation actions from dead ball scenarios in the previous campaign – he is a set-piece specialist, currently valued at £11.25m by Transfermarkt.

Pulgar could be a good signing for Leeds

Apart from the fact that Pulgar is a fantastic set-piece taker, the Chilean is also a versatile midfielder who can play in defensive midfield and in central midfield. In that sense, he would add depth to the Leeds side.

As things stand, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have just a single out-and-out senior-team option for the defensive midfield. They also have only two out-and-out options for the central midfield, considering that Adam Forshaw is injured (as per Transfermarkt).

So Pulgar would improve chance creation from set-pieces and would add depth to midfield. Because of that, he would a very good signing for the Whites.

In other news, a Champions League winner has been tipped to move to Leeds – read more about it here.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s injury problems at Southampton look to have grown after youngster Will Smallbone was forced off against Leicester City on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old was making just his third appearance of the season, and his first since September, in the 2-0 defeat against the Foxes, but he was forced off through knee injury in the second half.

The youngster tried to play on following a collision with Timothy Castagne but it was clear that he could not continue when he went down again just a few minutes later.

Hasenhuttl spoke to the BBC following the game about Smallbone’s injury, saying:

“We have again injured players. Will is not looking good, his knee – and now are coming a lot of games. I hope that players are coming back as soon as possible.”

The Austrian manager’s squad is looking extremely thin at the moment, following injuries to Moussa Djenepo, Nathan Redmond, Oriol Romeu and Jannik Vestergaard.

Youngsters Nathan Tella and Michael Obafemi are also injured, whilst Danny Ings was self-isolating for the game at Leicester, meaning Smallbone was selected out of position on the left-wing.

His injury represents a real issue for Hasenhuttl now, as he is seriously lacking midfield options and he may well be forced to play a similar side on Tuesday night against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup, due to the lack of depth currently available to him.

The Austrian suggested before the transfer window that signings were unlikely in January but following this latest injury setback, it seems clear that chief executive Martin Semmens must act to bring in some more midfield options during the current transfer window, otherwise he risks leaving Hasenhuttl with a threadbare squad.

You would also imagine that, given Southampton’s hectic schedule, Smallbone’s injury will not be the last, and if replacements are not brought in, then the Saints’ impressive start to the season could well be undone.

And, in other news… Lost possession 25x: Sloppy Southampton ace was nowhere near his best vs Leicester

David Moyes could sign West Ham United’s next Jermain Defoe with a late January swoop for FC Girondins de Bordeaux striker Josh Maja amid rumoured negotiations with his Ligue 1 side.

What’s the word?

According to L’Equipe, via GFFN, the Hammers have reached out to Bordeaux chiefs to sound out the possibility of Maja leaving the Matmut Atlantique in the final days of the winter market.

The 22-year-old has fallen out of favour under Jean Louis Gasset with Hwang Ui Jo now seen as the Girondins’ undoubted first-choice, sparking a keen awareness to his situation at West Ham and West Bromwich Albion as Moyes and Sam Allardyce strive to bolster their options.

West Ham’s interest in Maja’s situation has also previously been touted by talkSPORT, who claimed the London Stadium natives turned their attention to the Sunderland product after seeing a £27m bid for Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri turned down.

Maja is noted to be a much cheaper option and may be keen to explore a return to England by reuniting with Moyes, after the Scot gifted the £6m-rated striker his Black Cats debut in an EFL Cup tie with Queens Park Rangers in 2016.

His cameo appearance in the 2-1 win proved to be his only outing under Moyes for the Stadium of Light natives, while going on to score 17 goals in 48 further first-team appearances before sealing a £1.5m move to Bordeaux in January 2019.

The London-born, Nigeria international has started 11 of his 17 Ligue 1 appearances this term, scoring twice, after a potential move to Rangers in the previous transfer window failed to materialise.

West Ham’s next Defoe

Moyes urging the GSB ownership to do whatever it takes to sign Maja in the final days of the January transfer window, amid his search for a Sebastien Haller replacement, could see the former Manchester United boss secure the Irons their next Defoe.

Defoe is known to be a big admirer of Maja following his time playing with the 5 ft 11 striker at Sunderland, and often offered the £13,000-per-week forward advice in training to help the Black Cats product improve his finishing and ability to deceive goalkeepers.

Defoe further backed Maja to be the future of the Stadium of Light natives beside fellow up-and-comer Joel Asoro, now owned by Swansea City, as Maja was proving to be rare breed for his ability to make an impact despite not being blessed with blistering speed.

“Josh is a quick thinker and if you’re that fast upstairs you don’t need anything else,” Defoe told SAFC.com. “When he trained with the first-team, he showed such great awareness – he knew when to pass it, had a great touch – and although he’s not got electric pace, he’s two steps ahead of everyone, which means he’s got an immediate advantage.

“Just look at [Andrea] Pirlo, has anyone ever seen him sprint? No, but he doesn’t lose the ball. The gift Josh has is rare and if he builds on it, the sky’s the limit.”

So far, Maja has been met with a ceiling to his potential at Bordeaux, scoring 11 goals in 48 games across all competitions since joining, but his untapped skill could see the one-time Nigeria international prove to be West Ham’s next Defoe.

The England icon joined West Ham in his youth, but the 5 ft 7 marksman’s tender age did not stop Defoe from scoring 10 goals in his first full Premier League season and going on to make 102 appearances for the east London outfit.

No doubt his words of wisdom helped Maja to develop, and a homecoming to the capital for the former Fulham, Crystal Palace and Manchester City trainee could provide West Ham with just what they are looking for in the January transfer window.

AND in other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a £13.5m-rated striker on loan…

Lee Ryder has slammed Jeff Hendrick after the Newcastle United man got himself sent off for two bookings versus Southampton in the Premier League.

The football journalist did not hold back in his analysis of Hendrick’s display in his latest piece for The Chronicle, as he gave the Republic of Ireland international a mere 2/10 overall rating, describing his second yellow card as ‘beyond stupidity’ and adding that he will be a ‘relieved’ man after the 3-2 win at St. James’ Park.

Steve Bruce’s team raced into a two-goal lead with debutant Joe Willock and Miguel Almiron on the scoresheet, before Takumi Minamino, on loan from Liverpool, pulled one back for the Saints.

Almiron grabbed his second of the afternoon just before half-time as the Tyneside club were relatively comfortable.

However, James Ward-Prowse made the game nervy in the North East with a great free kick before Hendrick got himself a red card just a minute later, which could have put his side in real trouble.

Hendrick was poor for Newcastle

Aside from his sending off, Hendrick was pretty poor for the Magpies. The central midfield player failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble, clearance, tackle, key pass or cross in the match (Sofascore).

He also lost possession of the ball no fewer than 10 times, and given that he only had a mere 20 touches of the ball in total in the clash (Sofascore), the 29-year-old lost it every two touches on average.

It was an afternoon to forget personally for Hendrick, currently valued at £8.1m by Transfermarkt, but at least the Toon spared his blushes by getting all three points.

In other news, find out what update Mark Douglas has dropped on the potential takeover here!

Mike Ashley should go all out to seal a late deal for Newcastle United to sign Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles on Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, the Magpies were unsuccessful in efforts to sign Maitland-Niles on loan with United unable to agree on financial terms with the Gunners.

The two Premier League sides are believed to have been far apart in their valuations of the versatile £16m-rated talent, who has started only five of his 11 top-flight appearances this term.

Reports by The Athletic claim that Maitland-Niles had also been West Bromwich Albion’s top-target for Deadline Day, but they have seemingly missed out on the England international too, with the 23-year-old weighing up offers to join Southampton and Leicester City.

It is added that the Foxes would be Maitland-Niles’ preferred destination if he is to leave the Emirates before Monday night’s deadline passes, with Brendan Rodgers keen on a deal after Dennis Praet and Wilfred Ndidi both suffered injuries.

Maitland-Niles moving to the King Power Stadium, in a deal that could include an option to buy the Arsenal product, is expected to allow Hamza Choudhury to leave Leicester on loan amid interest from Newcastle.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Go all out for Maitland-Niles

Steve Bruce should be urging Managing Director Lee Charnley and owner Ashley to go all out for Maitland-Niles on Deadline Day and come up with an offer simply too good for Arsenal to refuse, and then set about changing the £35,000-per-week dynamo’s mind.

Maitland-Niles would be the perfect late addition for the Magpies as they look to build momentum from Saturday’s 2-0 win at Everton and pull further clear of the relegation zone, as the Gunners’ self-proclaimed “workhorse” has fantastic drive and room for growth.

Arsenal icon Martin Keown could only wax lyrical over his efforts in the centre of midfield after Mikel Arteta’s side beat Rapid Vienna in the Europa League earlier this season, telling BT Sport via quotes by the Metro: “He impressed me, it looks so easy for him at times and you can tell he’s got gears.”

Peter Crouch further added: “‘I think he’s tremendous, I really like him. He’s got energy and he’s calm on the ball. He was full of confidence.”

Maitland-Niles also impresses when fielded as a left-wing-back, proving excellent going forward and alert defensively against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final last summer, while former England international Chris Sutton described him as a “versatile talent, a diamond” in his Daily Mail column after playing a key role in the Gunners’ Community Shield when over Liverpool last August.

Thus Bruce would solve two issues in one with a swoop for Maitland-Niles on Deadline Day, having scoured the market all winter for a new box-to-box midfielder and full-back. It just remains to be seen if Ashley is willing to put his hand in his pocket to get a deal done.

AND in other news, Newcastle United have faced enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal this afternoon, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that defender and summer signing Nathan Ake has returned to training, albeit alone, after a lengthy absence (official website) – prompting many Sky Blues to buzz at this update. 

The Dutchman has started just five Premier League games all season under Guardiola due to fitness issues, but he is now ‘closer’ to a return according to Guardiola (Man City).

Snapped up from Bournemouth in the summer, alongside star signing Ruben Dias and Ferran Torres, City supporters will be hoping he can work his way into the team and justify a considerable £40 million price tag (BBC).

Reacting to this update on Ake, it’s safe to say plenty of fans are excited at the prospect of him finally returning to action and have buzzed over this news he is back in training.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man City fans buzz over Ake training return

“yessssss”

Credit: @mcfcfinlay

“FINALLY”

Credit: @MoNasereldin

“He’s aliveeee”

Credit: @fredijeh

“Yessssssssssss”

Credit: @calmcii

“Welcome back”

Credit: @Esther78278157

“Great news”

Credit: @chrisreno101

“No way”

Credit: @LastJediIsBad

“AKE PROP BEGINSSSS”

Credit: @CitizenDezza

In other news: Sky Blues slammed this embarrassing claim, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers interim right-back Leon Balogun badly let Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard and his side down on Thursday night despite reaching the Europa League last 16 for the second successive season.

The 32-year-old, who earns a reported £12,500-per-week at Ibrox, was once again called into action on the right-hand side of the defence in the absence of the injured James Tavernier.

After a frenetic start, Balogun endured a difficult opening as he struggled to gain a foothold in the game in the first half, and it was no surprise to see him replaced by Nathan Patterson at the break after being booked for a clumsy challenge.

Writing in his post-match review, The Daily Record’s Gavin Berry gave his performance a low grade of 4/10 and noted the ‘Nigerian international was beaten by Jordan Lukaku for Antwerp equaliser and struggled with a booking that rules him out of last-16.’

As per SofaScore ratings, the veteran defender, who is traditionally a centre-back by trade, was graded as one of Rangers’ worst defenders (6.3) – in fact, only four other players received a lower rating from either side.

Balogun has usually been a colossus at the back for Gerrard’s side this season thus far but against the Belgians, he was uncharacteristically lacklustre and lightweight, winning just five of his duels overall (45%).

He was also rather ineffective in possession, only producing 60% of his 15 attempted passes, while he also lost control of the ball 12 times, that being the most of any defender for Rangers barring Borna Barisic on the opposite flank. For context, Filip Helander, who otherwise endured a frustrating evening against Antwerp, only lost possession three times by comparison.

This also meant that Balogun managed to lose possession once every 2.75 touches, which further emphasises just how anonymous he was throughout the first half.

It’s no wonder, then, that he was the first player to be hooked off at half-time when replaced by Patterson on his return to action.

He was also caught out of position on several occasions as he was dribbled past twice more than any other Rangers defender, including Barisic and Helander, which was well above that of his season’s average of 0.7 times per game since arriving at Ibrox from Wigan Athletic.

The Nigerian let his manager down big time on the night, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ryan Kent was exceptional once again in Rangers win over Royal Antwerp…

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it two wins in two as they head down the road to face Fulham at Craven Cottage this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side have lost five of their last seven matches in the Premier League but looked back to their best as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

It now gives the Portuguese boss plenty to consider as this will be their third game in the past seven days and by this time next week, it’ll be five games in 14 days thanks to their Europa League last 16 encounter with Zagreb.

He may well want to rest some of his key players as he faces a relegation-threatened Cottagers side.

So, with everything in mind, this is the starting XI we’re predicting tonight…

There could only be three changes from the weekend, which includes a surprise return for one man.

Between the sticks, club captain Hugo Lloris should remain but we’re expecting to see 32-year-old Toby Alderweireld rested, having started their last two matches in all competitions.

The £18m-rated stalwart is replaced by Eric Dier, while Serge Aurier may not be risked after only just returning from injury. He was withdrawn early in the win over Burnley – likely as a precaution – so we could see Matt Doherty start this one.

A partnership between Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele has been struck up in midfield in recent weeks, and that should continue – it’s the perfect mix of defensive strength and attacking flair.

After Gareth Bale’s recent masterclass – providing two goals and one assist – the Welshman should remain in the starting XI, though he could be joined by Dele Alli, who finally earns a start – just his second in the Premier League all season.

The 24-year-old scored one goal and assisted two against Wolfsberger AC last week, but still found himself on the bench at the weekend. He now must be given a fair crack and could come in for Lucas Moura in the no.10 role, as a result.

Moura, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt and dubbed a “nightmare” in training by Dier, will feel aggrieved having also found the net in the rout over Burnley, but Alli has earned his opportunity and someone has to make way for the change.

Bale and Alli will then join Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in a mouth-watering front four for the very first time this season.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Bale: Mourinho must now unleash £26m-rated “freak of a talent”…