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Liverpool have been linked with a move for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma despite intense interest in the player’s services.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Star, the Reds are set to battle it out with fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal for the highly-rated 25-year-old’s signature in January.

The report states that: “Bissouma is one of their top targets, though they will have to fend off competition from Mikel Arteta’s Gunners if they are to bring him to Anfield.”

Bissouma has entered the final two years of his current contract the Amex Stadium, meaning the winter window is likely to be the last chance for Brighton to secure a high price for their prized asset.

Jurgen Klopp needs him

After arriving on English shores back in 2018, the combative dynamo has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the top-flight, racking up 101 appearances for the Seagulls in all competitions.

He featured in all but two of Brighton’s league games last season, highlighting his importance to Graham Potter’s side, and when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, Bissouma recorded an average of 2.9 tackles per game, the highest total amongst his teammates who made over three appearances in 2020/21.

The Mali international also outperformed his colleagues when it came to interceptions, making 1.8 per Premier League fixture, but it wasn’t just his off-the-ball work where he excelled.

Bissouma achieved a passing accuracy of 87.4%, the third-highest tally in the whole of the Brighton squad, showcasing his adeptness at kickstarting attacks as well as breaking up the opponent’s play.

They’re all attributes that led to Gary Lineker labelling him an “exceptional footballer” on Twitter and would serve him well should he make the step up and join Liverpool over the coming months, and Reds manager Jurgen Klopp needs further reinforcements in his engine room.

The departure of Gini Wijnaldum has left the Anfield outfit short of options in the middle of the park after no replacement was signed over the meaning, especially after Harvey Elliott suffered a dislocated ankle in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

It remains to be seen whether the teenager’s injury forces Liverpool into the transfer market in January, although the arrival of the £22.5m-rated Bissouma would be a significant boost to their chances of success.

And, in other news…Edwards must secure Liverpool swoop for £28.8m-rated wizard, Klopp would love him 

Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt a blow regarding the fitness of George Byers ahead of their upcoming League One fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Yorkshire Live, Darren Moore confirmed that the central midfielder will once again be unavailable for selection against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday, as the 25-year-old is yet to recover from an injury he picked up in the Owls’ 3-0 loss against Plymouth Argyle towards the start of September.

Speaking about the current condition of Byers, the 47-year-old said: “George is working at the minute with the physios and we are making sure he is right before we unleash him again.

“George had a little bit of tightness. It is nothing substantial. We are making sure when we get him back that he is ready. Do I think George will be ready for Tuesday? No, but maybe we will have a look in regards to the weekend and see how he goes.”

Moore will be gutted

Considering how impressive Byers has been for Wednesday following his summer move from Swansea City, the fact that the Owls will once again have to make do without the midfielder for what is sure to be a challenging trip to table-topping Wigan Athletic on Tuesday will undoubtedly have left fans of the club gutted.

Indeed, over his four League One appearances so far this season, the £1.08m-rated man has provided his teammates with one assist, as well as making an average of one key pass, 1.5 interceptions, 0.3 tackles and winning 1.5 duels per game.

These returns have seen the 25-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as Moore’s 10th-best performer in the third tier of English football.

As such, the continued absence of the former Scotland U17 international is sure to come as a blow to Moore, who will certainly be hoping that his Owls side can send a message to the rest of the division with an impressive display at the DW Stadium.

In other news: “Unpredictable” £4.8k-p/w ace drops promising transfer hint, SWFC fans will be buzzing

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece has admitted that there is a Plan B for Louie Barry in January.

Barry was one of a number of academy players who were sent out on loan in the summer.

He joined League One side Ipswich Town, however, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the centre-forward, who is awaiting his first goal under Paul Cook.

The 18-year-old has started just three games in all competitions and hasn’t featured in eight of the Tractor Boys’ 10 third-tier fixtures.

Preece was asked by one Villa fan in a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Wednesday about Barry and if the club were planning on recalling the forward in the winter window.

He revealed that Villa are monitoring Barry closely, with a possible plan to end his Ipswich stay before loaning him to a League Two side in the New Year where he would feature more regularly from the off.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Preece’s claim regarding Barry on Twitter on Thursday afternoon. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply…

“It was an absolutely terrible loan move.”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

“Knew this would be the case. Not worked out at Ipswich.”

Credit: @AVFCFaithful_

“Jedinak needs to send him to Swindon”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“Hope so, he’s losing important development minutes on the pitch atm. I say bring him home and loan him to Walsall”

Credit: @MikeKnott10

“Would be sensible. Clearly working well for Kesler Hayden, and even the National League was clearly a good move for Archer last season. If Ipswich don’t want to play ball then there’ll be much better spots for him elsewhere.”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“Get him to Swindon”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

In other news: ‘When is it gonna end?’ – Many Villa fans react as ‘ridiculous’ news confirmed.

Former Granada manager Diego Martinez could potentially replace Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds United boss, according to journalist Adam Leventhal.

The Lowdown: Bielsa’s contract expiration

Bielsa has been a wonderful manager for the Whites since 2018, but it remains to be seen how long he will be in the Elland Road hot-seat.

The 66-year-old’s current Leeds deal expires at the end of this season and it could be that he feels next summer is the time to move on, having hopefully cemented the club as a permanent fixture back in the top flight.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Martinez linked with Leeds

Should Bielsa bring an end to his time at Leeds, Martinez is somebody who could come in as his replacement.

That’s according to The Athletic‘s Leventhal, who states that he “has links with Leeds director of football Victor Orta” and that working in England is “on his radar.”

Martinez is currently without a club, having left Granada earlier this year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-19/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Bielsa hopefully stays

Martinez is a talented young manager known for operating on a tight budget and making his teams tough and compact with electrifying counter-attacks, but the hope is that there is no need to find a Bielsa replacement for a number of years.

The Argentine is arguably the most important figure at Elland Road, transforming the club in the last three years and bringing great quality and success on the pitch.

Bielsa is known for only signing one-year deals, so hopefully, that happens again when his current contract runs out. If it doesn’t, Martinez, with a 1.62 points-per-game average at Granada, is certainly a name to keep an eye on.

In other news, Leeds have been boosted ahead of their Premier League clash with Southampton. Read more here.

Sheffield Wednesday confirmed on Thursday evening that teenage goalkeeper Jack Hall has signed professional terms at the club.

And, as to be expected, a number of Wednesday fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Hall, who turned 17 earlier this month, has progressed through Wednesday’s academy and has been a regular in training in Darren Moore’s first-team squad.

He’s also featured for the club’s Under-23’s and made his England Under-18 debut during the current international break. The shot-stopper played on Monday in a 3-0 win over Russia, featuring for 45 minutes.

Hall described penning pro terms at Hillsborough as a ‘dream’, although Wednesday didn’t confirm the length of his first contract on their official website.

Wednesday fans react

Sheffield Wednesday posted the update regarding Hall on their official Twitter page, with one fan labelling it as ‘brilliant news’. This is what these supporters had to add, with many sharing their positive thoughts.

“Heard this lad got a big big future”

Credit: @Fletch19852

“Watched him for a few years when my lad was at the academy, brilliant keeper and destined for the top.”

Credit: @TonyCle13466821

“Excellent, congratulations Jack”

Credit: @nicolarowlinson

“Boom”

Credit: @NickOfTheBrown

“Brilliant news. Well done to Jack and the family. Dedicated and deserved.”

Credit: @LeeNobl60846790

“Learning from mistakes finally”

Credit: @RamblersAnonym1

As per Sport, a significant update has dropped involving West Ham United and Barcelona goalkeeper Neto as manager David Moyes plots to replace Lukassz Fabianski.

The Lowdown: Fabianski nearing end?

West Ham’s current number one is nearing the twilight phase of his career and they may have to start planning for the future sooner rather than later.

Having just retired from international duty with Poland, Fabianski’s career at club level is also a talking point with his current deal set to expire in 2022.

The Irons snapped up Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan with the option to make it permanent but it appears new transfer chief Rob Newman has alternatives in mind.

The Latest: West Ham ‘best placed’ to sign Neto…

As Barcelona seek to get the Brazilian powerhouse shot stopper off their wage bill, it is believed that ‘he may already have a foot and a half outside the club’, according to Sport.

Indeed, the Catalans will apparently let him go and it may well happen as soon as January, with West Ham now the ‘best placed’ to sign him if he does leave.

Moyes is apparently preparing to replace Fabianski and has one eye on the 6 foot 3 keeper.

The Irons could in fact ‘bet’ on a swoop for his services.

The Verdict: Right move?

Given their links to England international Sam Johnstone and the presence of Areola, we believe the potential signing of Neto isn’t exactly a headline-grabber by comparison.

At 32-years-old with just a handful of Barca starts over the last two seasons, he comes as an arguable back up at best to better options like Johnstone – who himself could leave for West Brom due to his 2022 contract situation.

In other news: Contact made: West Ham have already positioned themselves to sign 17-goal ‘real handful’ for Moyes, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

Spanish reporter Edouardo Inda has claimed that the Magpies are interested in signing the Belgian international forward in the January window.

Speaking on El Chiringuito TV, Inda said: “The Newcastle want Hazard. I do not rule out that it comes out in the winter market”

Imagine him & Saint-Maximin

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Hazard in January as he could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve their chances of storming up the Premier League table by forming an exciting partnership with Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Magpies could take advantage of his difficult situation in Spain to bring him back to England. He has only scored five goals in 51 games for Real Madrid, but his previous form for Chelsea suggests that he could be a terrific option for Newcastle in the Premier League.

In 352 appearances for the Blues, he managed 110 goals and 92 assists – including 85 goals and 61 assists in 245 top-flight matches. This shows that he is a proven player in England who knows how to score and create goals consistently.

Former French international Christophe Dugarry once compared Hazard with Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, saying: “He’s faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry.”

Magpies legend Alan Shearer previously claimed that the Belgian had the potential to become the best player in world football. He said:

“He (Hazard) has been the Premier League’s outstanding player over the whole campaign, and he deserves the individual recognition. That is how I felt in 1995 when I won the title with Blackburn Rovers and was also Player of the Year for the first time.

“The bad news for Chelsea’s rivals is that at 24, Hazard is only going to get better. In three or four years, I think we could be talking about the Belgian being the best player in the world – he has the potential to be that good.”

These quotes illustrate the potential Hazard has to be a sensational addition to Newcastle’s squad if he can get back to his best after his struggles in Spain.

Imagine watching him and Saint-Maximin at St. James’ Park, with both players being exciting wingers who like to dribble with the ball and create chances. Saint-Maximin has a career average of 4.9 dribbles and key passes per game, whilst Hazard’s is 5.5.

This means that Newcastle could have two supremely talented wing wizards to get them off their seats at St. James’ Park, which could also cause nightmares for defenders as they attempt to deal with them both.

AND in other news, Newcastle could unlock Willock by signing £100k-p/w beast who helps others “flourish”…

With Sheffield Wednesday having racked up three draws in their previous three League One matches, Darren Moore’s side are back in action this afternoon with a clash against Cheltenham Town to try and secure a win rather than yet another draw or a defeat.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead to the fixture, one player who we think should be in the starting XI for the Owls is on-loan winger Theo Corbeanu, who Moore has praised in the past for being able to get into “wonderful” positions on the pitch.

Predominantly due to Wednesday’s three previous league results, we feel that Moore could do with shaking up his team in some way. Whether that’s with the personnel he’s using on the pitch or the formation he’s asking them to utilise, they just need something fresh to turn their form around.

Therefore, given how Corbeanu has yet to start a League One game for the Owls since joining the club back in August from Wolves’ under-23 side and has only played eight minutes from one appearance in their past seven league games, we feel that now is a great time for Moore to unleash the winger from the start against Cheltenham to see what sort of impact he has on the team and this game in particular.

Despite having yet to register a goal or assist for Wednesday, we think that starting Corbeanu against Cheltenham could be a gamble worth taking at this point in the season to see if he can change the Owls’ fortunes in terms of results, as well as his own record in his first loan spell away from Wolves.

In the two Papa John’s Trophy matches where he has played 90 minutes for Wednesday, the 19-year-old – who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt – has had eight shots (five on target) and two key passes, along with an average passing accuracy percentage of 80%. That shows how much of an attacking threat he can be, albeit against lower opposition like Newcastle United’s under-21 side and League Two outfit Mansfield Town.

Looking ahead to the match against Cheltenham, in terms of who Corbeanu could come into the team and replace, we feel that Moore should take Saido Berahino out of the line-up considering that he hasn’t managed to score a goal in his last six league appearances for the Owls.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe Owls disaster with the “wrong mentality” for Cheltenham clash

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have absolutely erupted over news involving their promising young defender Ben Johnson.

The 21-year-old has come on leaps and bounds since manager David Moyes was forced to turn to him in the absence of usual mainstay Vladimir Coufal through injury.

Enjoying solid performances against the likes of Man City, bitter rivals Tottenham and Aston Villa, even scoring in the latter game, Johnson has now been tipped to pen a new deal at the London Stadium as his current contract expires in 2022.

Lauded as a ‘really important player’ by Moyes for his recent showings, you could be forgiven for thinking his call-up to the England Under-21s squad was a given.

Alas, it wasn’t, with the right-back officially missing out on Lee Carsley’s final selection as per West Ham correspondent Tom Clark.

Flocking to this news, these Irons supporters simply can’t quite believe it – with some calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘insane’.

Going by his recent form at club level, you can see why West Ham fans are a bit perplexed at this development.

Find all of their best takes down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Johnson news…

“How does Max Aarons get in before Johnson? Absolute joke of a selection that. Same with Bowen not getting picked for the full squad”

Credit: @robpatterson24

“Madness”

Credit: @SteveBarry10

“Insane”

Credit: @Grobabbio

“This is ridiculous….”

Credit: @paul_bass10

“Max Aaron’s gets in squad though, how many goals have been put past him this season, absolute joke.”

Credit: @billysollock

“Tututut”

Credit: @lukeowen92

In other news: ‘Woohoo’, ‘Going for the title’…ExWHUemployee’s transfer claim has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester United fans have erupted over a managerial update involving Ralf Rangnick.

The German has reportedly been linked as one of the few candidates to replace under-fire boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as his tenuous position remains in question. 

Man United’s last league outing, a 2-0 derby day defeat to bitter rivals Man City, arguably comes too soon after the Red Devils were also on the end of a 5-0 humiliation against Liverpool.

Resultingly, there has been speculation as to whether Solskjaer’s days are numbered at Old Trafford and now a fresh update has emerged involving Rangnick.

According to ESPN reporter Rob Dawson, while the Norwegian’s position is safe for now, United and Ed Woodward in particular see Rangnick as a ‘viable short term option’ if things change.

It is even believed that the 67-year-old has ‘impressed Woodward’ during ‘informal meetings’ in the past.

Dubbed the ‘godfather of gegenpressing’ and credited with influencing the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp (ESPN), it is little wonder fans are excited by the prospect of Rangnick as a candidate.

Find all of their best verdicts on this news down below, with one labelling a possible move as ‘perfect’.

Man United fans flock to Rangnick claim…

“oh yes”

Credit: @LilLibyan15

“There is hope…”

Credit: @casperorace

“Please makes this happen”

Credit: @FplAuto

“This is the best option, I’m all for it”

Credit: @tyler_5ii

“Its perfect!!

Give him the manager role and then dof!!”

Credit: @whatwhat4328

“Please, man. Ed, do the right thing just for once. I’m literally begging.”

Credit: @_paumorenoo

“Get him in.”

Credit: @lewronjames

“GREAT GREAT”

Credit: @Dohna200

In other news: ‘Praying’, ‘For the love of god’…Man United fans wowed as club eye ‘incredible signing’, find out more here.