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Arsenal have edged one step closer to sealing Dusan Vlahovic this month, according to recent reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Ok Calciomercato claim that Serie A outfit Fiorentina have accepted a bid of €80m (£66m) upfront and another €26m (£21.5m) in bonuses and instalments from the Gunners for their leading striker.

However, the Serbia international is thought to have an agreement to move to Juventus when his current contract at La Viola expires in the summer of 2023, so that complicates matters somewhat.

Fiorentina are said to be prepared to drop Vlahovic for the remainder of his time in Florence following the loan arrival of Krzysztof Piatek earlier this month.

One step closer

It’s no secret that a new frontman is amongst Arsenal’s priorities in 2022, even transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims that one will definitely be signed, either before this month’s deadline or in the summer.

And that’s because manager Mikel Arteta could soon be without any senior option in the role.

Alexandre Lacazette’s contract expires at the end of the season and there are no signs that he is willing to sign an extension. It’s a similar case for Eddie Nketiah, too, and both players are free to sign pre-contract agreements with foreign teams.

Then there is the matter of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was stripped of the captaincy last month following a disciplinary breach. He’s subject to interest from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr but was recently sent home from the Africa Cup of Nations due to health complications.

Vlahovic is currently one of Europe’s most lethal forwards, making him a hot commodity indeed.

As per Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old beast has found the net 20 times across 24 appearances this campaign, adding to his tally of 21 goals last term. One goal every 101 minutes is a mouthwatering prospect and perhaps why Gunners boss Arteta is so keen.

It is no surprise that Vlahovic has been dubbed a goalscoring “monster” by his former coach Ivan Tomic, who also likened him to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Arteta will surely be delighted and buzzing by these reports suggesting that the north Londoners have had a bid accepted for the £63m-rated talisman.

It’s an issue that needs resolving at the Emirates Stadium and the Gunners are surely one step closer after receiving the green light from Fiorentina.

AND in other news, “They will”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Arsenal transfer claim, Arteta will be buzzing…

Celtic winger Karamoko Dembele may not be in line for a return to first-team action any time soon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Kieran Devlin, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that the 18-year-old’s injury sustained in pre-season appeared to be a break rather than a less serious knock, something which could see the forward ruled out until well into the new year.

When asked by a fan why Dembele has not featured for Celtic so far this season, Devlin said: “He’s also injured, *think* it turned out to be a break in the end but conflicting information on that.”

Postecoglou will be livid

Considering Dembele’s regular involvement in Celtic’s pre-season campaign this summer, in addition to Ange Postecoglou appearing incredibly excited to work with the teenager this season, the news that Dembele could remain sidelined until well into next year will undoubtedly have left the 56-year-old manager livid.

Indeed, shortly after his arrival at the club, the Greek-Australian coach singled the winger out for praise, stating: “He is obviously a hugely talented boy. He has been here for a while and I guess he gets an opportunity now.

“I think the way we play will suit him. He was positive [against Charlton Athletic], not just with the ball, he also worked hard without the ball. Yeah, I thought he did well. I never worry too much about age, at either end of the spectrum. It is more about can they do what we want them to do.

“He has been in and around the first-team squad for a little while now. I think he wants to break through and be a first-team player so I see no reason why anybody needs to protect him from that.”

And, when taking into account the excitement that surrounds the youngster, – the prolonged absence of the forward will undoubtedly start to raise questions as to whether he can indeed go on to fulfil his undoubted promise.

For instance, French publication L’Equipe once named Dembele as one of “the wonders of European football” alongside the likes of Ansu Fati, Joelson Fernandes, Sebastiano Esposito, Mohamed Ihattaren and Karim Adeyemi back in 2019.

Indeed, should the England U18 international find himself ruled out of action until after the rapidly approaching January transfer window, in which Postecoglou will look to bring in further reinforcements to his current attacking options at Parkhead, Dembele could well find his route to first-team football even more blocked than at present – something that does not bode well for his development in professional football whatsoever.

In other news: “Continuing talks”: Sky journalist reveals transfer update that Celtic fans will love

An update has emerged regarding Rangers’ efforts to add a new signing to their ranks at Ibrox during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are in advanced discussions over a deal for New York City midfielder James Sands.

The report claims that Rangers are poised to land the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the current campaign, before then re-signing him on another season-long loan.

Masterstroke

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could land a masterstroke by securing this deal to sign Sands on an initial 18-month loan. Financially, it appears to be a fantastic deal for Rangers, as they are able to enjoy his talents for a season-and-a-half before deciding whether or not he is a good fit in the long run.

This means that they will not be out of pocket significantly if Sands is unable to make an impact in Glasgow. If it doesn’t work out, the club can send him back to New York and cut short his loan, instead of potentially losing out on a transfer fee and struggling to find a buyer to take him off their hands. This is why the deal could be a masterstroke from a financial point of view.

In terms of what happens on the pitch, his performances in the MLS are extremely promising. His former coach Patrick Vieira previously hailed him after he handed the youngster a first-team debut at the age of 16, saying: “We wanted to give him an experience because he’s been doing really well in the academy.

“We wanted to see him to see how he would cope with the intensity and the level of tactical, mental and physical demand. I’ve been really impressed with him – he’s really calm, composed and good on the ball. He’s really smart as a footballer.

“I think we have a special talent in our football club.”

The 21-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 in MLS last year, having averaged a score of 7.01 in 2020 and 6.88 the year before. This shows that he has been consistently delivering good performances across three campaigns despite his young age, suggesting that he has the potential to come in at Rangers and become a solid performer for the Light Blues if he is able to adapt to Scottish football.

Sands is also hugely versatile and could help plug the gap left by the departure of Nathan Patterson to Everton today. He is capable of playing at right-back, centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, which could make him a valuable asset for Van Bronckhorst to use in a variety of ways on the pitch.

Along with the financial aspect of the deal, this is why a loan move for the 21-year-old could be a masterstroke from the Rangers coach. It is now down to him and Ross Wilson to ensure that they can get it over the line so that the American can come in and start playing straight after the winter break.

AND in other news, Rangers can brutally axe £5.6k-p/w dud if Van Bronckhorst signs beast who’s a “nightmare to mark”…

Liverpool are set to lose Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for the Africa Cup of Nations, with the rescheduled tournament set to begin on 9 January and conclude on 6 February.

Liverpool are hopeful that the trio won’t have to join up with their countries until after their clash with title rivals Chelsea on 2 January, but the associations are entitled to demand that the players be released on December 27.

Discussions are ongoing, but there’s a possibility that Salah, Mane and Keita could miss up to four Premier League matches. That could be a huge blow for the Reds given the sensational form of the Egyptian in particular, who leads the Premier League charts for both goals and assists.

Mane has chipped in with nine goals himself, while Keita is a valuable squad option, having started seven games in the Premier League and Champions League.

Doubts about wisdom of holding AFCON?

At a meeting on Thursday, the Executive Board of the European Club Association (ECA) ‘expressed its deep concerns about player safety and welfare’ ahead of the tournament. This is ‘in light of the worsening public health situation’.

The ECA will work with FIFA to ‘ensure all necessary precautions are in place’ for the protection of players and ‘club interests’.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed their statement, and here’s how some Reds supporters reacted.

Liverpool fans flock to AFCON latest

“I totally agree !!! AFCON SHOULDNT HAPPEN”

Credit: @lewedwards12

“AFCON must be cancelled for the sake of everyone’s safety”

Credit: @AngelDiMezzala

“I hope they just cancel or at least postpone it. Risks are huge and we would like to see empty stadiums again. Football without fans is nothing”

Credit: @SH13895102

“Can’t see it going ahead”

Credit: @deedna00

“There’s hope?”

Credit: @lewis20

“If they cancel it we might win it all…”

Credit: @PrinceTrent66

In other news, many Liverpool fans hailed this pre-Wolves injury update

An update has emerged on Tottenham defender Joe Rodon, regarding interest from Newcastle United…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Welsh international is one of the players the Magpies are looking at ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims the central defender is one of a number of targets the club are considering as they look to improve the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Lascelles 2.0

Eddie Howe could solve a key issue at St. James’ Park and land the next Jamaal Lascelles by securing a deal to sign Rodon from Spurs in January.

The Magpies brought Lascelles to the club at the age of 20 from Nottingham Forest and he has since gone on to captain the side and make 199 appearances in all competitions to date. In Rodon, they could find their next long-term centre-back option.

At the age of 24, he is still incredibly young for a centre-back and could still have many more years ahead of him to give. This means that he would not be a short-term solution and, instead, could grow over the course of a number of seasons and potentially fill up a spot in the starting XI year after year – just as Lascelles has since his arrival at St. James’ Park.

Ex-Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink heaped praise on the £17m-rated centre-back last season, claiming that ‘nothing fazes him’. He told Sky Sports, via Wales Online:

“He looks like a proper Spurs player, a centre-half, nothing fazes him, he put his head in when needed. You have to be comfortable on the ball because you want to control the game.

“I like that he gets up straight away and gets on with it because that tells me he is hard enough.”

Earlier this year, journalist Ian Mitchelmore dubbed him as “flawless” and a “special player” after an impressive showing for his country.

These quotes highlight the £24k-per-week beast’s quality and the potential he has to be an excellent signing for the Magpies. He could solve a key issue for the club as their defence has been abysmal this season, with one clean sheet and an average of two goals conceded per game in the Premier League.

Last season, Rodon played 12 top-flight games for Spurs and won an outstanding 73% of his duels overall as he managed 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows his strong defensive qualities and adds further depth to the comments from Mitchelmore and Hasselbaink’s comments on his talent.

Therefore, he could potentially come in and help to solve Howe’s defensive issues on Tyneside, whilst also being Lascelles 2.0 with his young age allowing him to be at the club in the long-term if he is successful enough on the pitch.

AND in other news, “We understand”: Craig Hope drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Following on from their 2-2 draw against Cheltenham Town at the weekend, Sheffield Wednesday are set to take on Sunderland this evening in their latest League One fixture.

Speaking ahead of the match against the Black Cats, who are currently three places and six points above Wednesday in the league table, Owls boss Darren Moore revealed that defender Dominic Iorfa has a 50/50 chance of being fit to face Sunderland after picking up an ankle injury prior to the Cheltenham match.

With this in mind, here’s how we feel Wednesday could line up this evening with two changes expected.

In goal, we think Moore will stick with Bailey Peacock-Farrell after playing in their previous three league games and managing to make four saves in the game against Cheltenham.

For the defence, assuming Iorfa isn’t fully fit enough to start against Sunderland, we can see the manager sticking with the same back three that started last time out as Liam Palmer, Jack Hunt and Chey Dunkley, who grabbed himself a goal at the weekend, all feature.

For the wing-back positions, on the right-hand side, with Olamide Shodipo impressing against Cheltenham by completing three out of the four dribbles he attempted and ultimately earned himself a decent overall match rating of 7/10 according to SofaScore, we think Moore should stick with him in that position on this occasion with Marvin Johnson keeping his place on the left.

In midfield, we anticipate the boss making changes with Lewis Wing coming in for Oluwafisayo Dele-Bashiri to partner Barry Bannan in midfield.

That’s followed by Saido Berahino replacing 22-year-old Dennis Adeniran to play up close to the striker duo of Callum Paterson and Lee Gregory to see if Wednesday can replicate a similar scoreline that Rotherham United managed to secure against Lee Johnson’s side at the weekend then Sunderland were beaten 5-1.

Whether Moore goes with this exact starting XI that we have suggested or not, this is a big game for the Owls. If they manage to defeat the Black Cats and keep their unbeaten streak going, it would put them firmly in the race for promotion back to the Championship.

In other news: Forget Iorfa: Moore must unleash “solid” Sheff Weds beast, he could bully Sunderland – opinion

With Celtic currently on a run of eight consecutive games without suffering defeat, it is undeniable that things are looking on the up under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou at Parkhead.

Indeed, almost all of the 56-year-old’s summer signings have settled into the squad perfectly, with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi – 13 goals and three assists in 18 fixtures – and Jota – six goals and six assists in 14 games – particularly impressing for the Hoops.

However, there is nevertheless a long way to go in Celtic’s rebuild, with Postecoglou himself admitting that January will once again be a busy period at Parkhead.

And, with left-back being the position that has provided the Greek-Australian manager with arguably his biggest headache of the season so far, it would be incredibly surprising if Postecoglou did not bring in a fresh face on the left-hand side of his defence this winter.

Indeed, the Bhoys have already been linked with a host of players in the position, although out of all the targets mentioned, there would appear to be one stand-out candidate – that of Derby County’s Lee Buchanan.

Big coup for Celtic

It is easy to see why Alan Nixon reported for The Sun that Postecoglou believes the 20-year-old could be the answer to his left-back woes, as the England U21 international is undoubtedly a player who boasts an incredible amount of potential.

Despite his tender age, Buchanan has already made 59 first-team appearances for the Rams, consistently turning in very respectable performances despite his side’s struggles.

Indeed, over his 35 Championship appearances last season, the £2.25m-rated man helped his side keep seven clean sheets, registered three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 2.3 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per game.

Furthermore, Wayne Rooney is clearly a huge fan of the young defender, with the 36-year-old claiming: “He’s a top, top player. I’d argue he’s one of the best young left-backs in the country. And he can go to another level as well. He’s a real top player.”

As such, it would indeed appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to make a move for the man who Rooney also dubbed an “incredible” talent this winter, as not only would the £5k-per-week 20-year-old be a big coup for Celtic given his stock in England, he could well go on to transform the club’s issues at left-back for many seasons to come.

In other news: Get it done: “Outstanding” £8.4k-p/w ace drops big transfer claim, Celtic must act

Manchester United extended their winless run in the Premier League to four games in dramatic fashion over the weekend after they were thrashed 5-0 by fierce rivals Liverpool.

The Red Devils were picked apart by their far superior opponents during a dreadful 90 minutes, increasing the pressure on under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Naby Keita opened the scoring after just five minutes at Old Trafford after the visitors ruthlessly exposed the gaping holes in United’s defence, and it was a sign of things to come.

Before half-time, a Diogo Jota tap in and a Mohamed Salah brace had already put Jurgen Klopp’s charges out of sight, but things got even worse following the interval.

The Eygpt international completed his hat-trick on the 50-minute mark, and Paul Pogba’s red card ten minutes later rounded off a humiliating afternoon for the 20-time English champions.

It’s a result and performance that ultimately puts Solskjaer’s position in the dugout under intense scrutiny, but the players on the pitch also have to take a share of the blame.

And arguably nobody was more underwhelming on Sunday than club captain Harry Maguire. He clumsily collided with left-back Luke Shaw for the second goal – who also had a nightmare against the Reds – and was unable to prevent the onslaught as he failed to lay a glove on Liverpool’s ruthless attack.

The England international was slow to react to almost every situation throughout the 90 minutes and was outwitted by Roberto Firmino on numerous occasions.

As a result of his below-par display, Maguire was awarded a match rating of just 4.8 out of 10 by FotMob, the lowest total received by any outfield player.

And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why. The 28-year-old attempted just one tackle which he lost, failed to block a single shot or make an interception, and made just two clearances, highlighting his hugely ineffective performance.

Since returning from a calf injury following the international break, the usually dependable centre-back has put in three calamitous showings against Leicester City, Atalanta and Liverpool, and Solskjaer will be hoping his leader can return to form as soon as possible.

And, in other news…Forget De Gea: Man Utd liability who lost possession 13x had a shocker against LFC

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a major injury setback ahead of their upcoming top of the table Championship clash.

What’s the latest?

According to Express & Star journalist Joseph Masi, Valerien Ismael confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Alex Mowatt remains unavailable for selection for the Baggies’ trip to Fulham on Saturday, as the midfielder is yet to recover from a toe injury which also ruled him out of Albion’s last two fixtures.

Speaking about the condition of the 26-year-old, the Frenchman said: “Jake [Livermore] will be back in the squad but Alex Mowatt will be out, I think we have to take time with him now, Jason and Snods have given us the feeling that we can be patient with Alex.

“I think that we need to make sure that we take time with him and assess him every day to make sure he is fine with his fitness but at the minute he’s not 100%. For what we want to play and what we want to see, what we expect from our players, you need to be 100%, any less than that and it makes no sense.”

Fans will be gutted

After following Ismael from Barnsley to The Hawthorns this summer, Mowatt has quickly proven to be one of West Brom’s most important players this season, so his absence in what could be such an important game in the promotion race is sure to have left Baggies fans gutted.

Indeed, over his 12 Championship appearances so far this term, the £6.3m-rated midfielder has scored three goals, provided one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking one shot and making 1.4 key passes per game. The player who Steve Evans dubbed a “special” talent has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.9 interceptions and 1.9 tackles and winning 5.3 duels per match.

These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as West Brom’s joint second-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the loss of the former England under-20 international will undoubtedly weaken Ismael’s chances of leaving Craven Cottage with all three points today, a scenario which could prove costly for West Brom’s hopes of securing an automatic promotion spot come the end of the season.

In other news: Ismael must start “incredible” £7.1k-p/w West Brom gem today, he’s proven his worth

West Ham confirmed that supporters had voted defender Issa Diop as their man of the match against Manchester United in the week.

And a number of Hammers supporters were quick to flock to the club’s official post on social media.

Diop, who is yet to feature in the Premier League this season, made his second start of the campaign in the 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

The 24-year-old partnered Craig Dawson at the heart of the defence and put in an impressive display.

He made the most clearances by any player on the pitch with seven, while also making three interceptions and completing the highest pass accuracy percentage of all 22 starters. [WhoScored]

West Ham asked fans to vote for their star man following the victory, with Diop up against Dawson, Jarrod Bowen and Alphonse Areola.

Diop earned just shy of 35% of over 5,750 votes by supporters, pipping Bowen in second.

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

West Ham fans react

This is what these Hammers fans had to say in reply to the post regarding Diop being man of the match, with one describing the post as ‘great to see’.

“Not overreacting but not selling Diop this summer could be a Moyes masterclass”

Credit: @Hstikkyt0kky

“He played better and better as the game went on. Oozing confidence. Great to see.”

Credit: @BritInTheMitt

“Huge performance and very much deserved”

Credit: @WHUFCallum_

“BOOM. He’s turning into the CB we thought he would”

Credit: @OlliePaoloWHU

“Well played Issa you played quality last night, COYI’s”

Credit: @JackHat12906632

“deservedddd”

Credit: @whujoe

In other news: Moyes gifted possible West Ham boost as insider drops ‘boardroom level’ claim.