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According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account on Thursday, Southampton want £10m if they are going to sell Charlie Austin before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl once confirmed in his Burnley pre-match press conference on Thursday that while the club don’t necessarily want to get rid of the player, they are willing to do so if a deal can be found that suits all parties.

In quotes, as reported by The Daily Echo, the Austrian said: “We don’t want to send him away.

“If there is an option that he can make a good step and we get someone else in then it can be that this works.”

Nixon believes that the south coast outfit are asking for £10m for the 29-year-old having turned down four loan approaches from Premier League clubs, as per Sky Sports, with the player having less than 18 months remaining on his contract.

Will he go?

It seems unlikely unless Southampton are willing to drop the reported asking price.

While Austin has proven in the past that he can get goals at this level, the injury issues that he has suffered from in recent years, as well as the fact that he isn’t the most mobile striker around, mean that they are being overly ambitious with their demands this late in the window.

Given they are still interested in signing Che Adams, as per Sky Sports, who is more suited to fitting into Hasenhuttl’s style than the experienced centre-forward, it is strange that they aren’t willing to sell the 29-year-old for a smaller fee so they can get the in-form Birmingham City man.

It all stinks of the Saints hierarchy losing the plot, and it could mean that they are left with a player who won’t be of much help to them for the remainder of he campaign.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

A number of Liverpool supporters are happy that Jurgen Klopp has hinted at fielding a weakened team in tonight’s Champions League clash with Porto.

The Reds roared back into form last weekend, beating Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield in the Premier League. After dropped points against both Brighton and West Ham, it was the perfect response by Klopp’s men, who performed like title challengers against an in-form Gunners side.

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Domestic commitments make way for European duties tonight, with Liverpool taking on Porto at Anfield, having not only qualified for the knockout stages already but even won their group with two matches to spare.

The hope is that Klopp makes plenty of changes in order to keep legs fresh amid a spate of injuries, and speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday [via journalist David Maddock on Twitter], he hinted at doing as such.

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Liverpool fans happy with Klopp’s team news hint

These Reds fans took to Twitter to react positively to the manager’s comments, claiming it would be a wise decision ahead of a busy schedule, as well as considering the costly three-month injury incurred by a flying Diogo Jota in a similar dead rubber against Midtjylland last December.

“Sense prevails”

Credit: @liamtogher88

“Bring it on. I want to see the most random starting 11 ever”

Credit: @TweetGiffen

“Good, we respected it by qualifying two games early. Play the under 12s”

Credit: @SirLeonP

“Get Carol & Caroline out on the pitch too I reckon”

Credit: @footyyuxun

“VAMOS”

Credit: @tombelcerf

“Get in, love it. Gordon, Kelleher, Morton all start I hope”

Credit: @LFCPG90

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited about a Reds transfer rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

Key Leeds United duo Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford will feature for the club’s under-23s on Monday evening, according to Marcelo Bielsa, whose press conference comments were relayed on Twitter by journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds miss key duo

The Whites have had a season to forget so far, sitting 17th in the Premier League after securing a ninth-place finish last time around.

Part of their struggles have been down to injuries, with both Ayling and Bamford long-term absentees having not featured since September.

The duo were vital figures last season, starting 75 out of 76 league games between them, and their absences have hurt the team badly in the early weeks of 2021/22.

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The Latest: Bielsa provides positive update

It looks as though Ayling and Bamford could be back in the fold in the near future, though, following an update from Bielsa.

Hay took to Twitter during the Leeds manager’s press conference as the Argentine claimed that the pair will feature for the u23s away to Manchester City on Monday night.

The journalist tweeted: “Bielsa talking pre Palace – Ayling and Bamford will play with the 23s this evening.”

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The Verdict: Huge boost for Whites

This is an enormous boost for Bielsa, just as Leeds are about to embark on a busy December with six league fixtures in the month.

Granted, it may take a little time for Ayling and Bamford to find their feet again after two-and-a-half months out, but their mere presence on the pitch may lift those around them, and their mooted return to under-23 action comes as a big step in their respective recoveries.

The Whites are in danger of getting into a genuine relegation scrap, but Ayling’s leadership and Bamford’s end product – he scored 17 league goals in 2020/21 –  have the potential to turn their season around.

In other news, three Leeds players struggled in the draw with Brighton. Find out who they are here.

Wolves have been making headlines with a number of rumours already circulating on the expected incomings and outgoings in the January transfer window, and now journalist, Luke Hatfield, has had his say on one particular rumour.

What’s the word?

Hatfield has spoken to GIVEMESPORT giving his opinion on the rumours of a move away from Molineux for Wolves defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri, he said;

“I’d be surprised if that one happens. I think we’ll see him as a key part of the squad.

“Considering Marcal isn’t going to get a game and Jonny still coming back from injury, he’s the first kind of port of call in that position. And I think he’s done well and is improving. So, I’d be surprised if they let him go.”

According to reports from El Nacional, the £13.5m-rated gem was rumoured to have interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in recent weeks, but there have been no further fresh claims that any of the European giants are interested in stealing the signature of the 20 year old, as of yet.

Fans will be delighted

Ait-Nouri has become a crucial part of the Wolves team, with the attacking left-back proving he can step up for his side and has played his part in Wolves impressive run of form in the top half of the table this season so far.

He has won an impressive 35 tackles in his nine Premier League appearances so far, and according to InfoGol, the young player is averaging 38 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 74%.

If these statistics are anything to go by, Bruno Lage would do well in January to keep the young left-back in the squad to continue the consistency in performances Wolves have been experiencing, utilising his confidence on the ball to push on for a higher finish in the Premier League.

Fans will be delighted that the £33k-p/w player could be staying with the side, as they have taken to Twitter this season to praise the 20-year-old for his individual performances for the side.

One Wolves fan praised his confident performance against Liverpool back at the beginning of December: “Ait Nouri was unbelievable today” Another fan took to Twitter to question how Jonny Otto would get back into the team over Ait-Nouri: “Interesting thing that I haven’t seen many people speak about is are LB/LWB situation. With Jonny back soon we have 3 first team quality LB’s and I think it’s fair to say Ait Nouri is probably first choice so what do we do with Jonny cus he is too good to be on the bench.”

Lage has spoken out on the upcoming transfer window at length in the past and we expect that there will be a few changes made during the first month of 2022, with the club setting their sights on a spot to secure European football next season.

In other news: Lage could replace Dendoncker with Renato Sanches

Now that Southampton are under new ownership after Sport Republic, backed by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, recently bought Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in the club, this could pave the way for some potential January spending to take place in the coming weeks.

With that in mind, one potential deal that the Saints could look to complete this month would be to sign Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, who the club have been linked with in recent weeks.

Aribo, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, joined Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 25-year-old has gone on to make a total of 123 appearances for the Scottish champions across all competitions in which he has managed to score 23 goals and provide 20 assists along the way, showing how much of a bargain he has been for them.

During his time at Charlton, Aribo was likened to former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure by his former Charlton teammate and current Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who also described Aribo’s “languid style” on the pitch as “unique.”

Judging by that, this could be a great first piece of transfer business under their new owners to bring in a midfield operator that can score and assist goals, which is something that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could do with having.

For context, they’ve only managed to score 20 times in 19 league games this season, fewer than the likes of Watford, Brentford and Leeds United.

Given how Saints captain James Ward-Prowse has five goals and one assist under his belt in 17 league appearances this season, it could be incredibly exciting for Southampton to have him and Aribo in the same team that can score and create in equal measure from midfield.

However, with Aribo having appeared in all but one of Rangers’ games across all competitions so far this season, racking up six goals with five assists, the Ibrox club could be quite reluctant to let him go halfway through the season given how important he is for them.

Despite that, Southampton should still make an approach to Rangers to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for the player and see if he would be willing to make a move to the Premier League.

In other news: Solak could blow Saints fans away with swoop for “magnificent” £4.5m-rated sensation – opinion

An update has emerged regarding the availability of three key Rangers players prior to heading away with their country for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

What’s the talk?

According to The Scotsman, the Gers are set to hold talks with the Nigerian FA to discuss whether or not Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun will be able to play in the Old Firm derby at the start of January.

The report claims that the trio are all due to jet away with Nigeria ahead of AFCON on December 27 and would miss the derby clash on January 2, with Rangers now set for discussions over a deal to keep them around for that match before releasing them for international duty.

GVB would love it

Ross Wilson could pull off a Rangers masterclass by convincing the Nigerian FA to hold off on calling up the trio before the match against Celtic. Giovanni van Bronckhorst would surely love it if he could have all of them available for the game, as they are all valuable members of the squad.

SofaScore have Aribo (5th), Balogun (9th) and Bassey (10th) all within the club’s top 10 performers in terms of average ratings in the Premiership this season. They have all averaged a score of 7.03 or higher in the league, showing that they have been performing consistently to an impressive standard so far this term.

This highlights their importance to the side and why it would be a masterclass from Wilson if he is able to successfully negotiate their availability against Celtic. Van Bronckhorst will want all of his best players at his disposal for that game and the statistics suggest that all three fall into that category.

Bassey, in particular, has shot to prominence under the Dutchman since the 43-year-old replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm. The left-back has played in the centre of defence over the last five competitive matches and the Gers have only conceded two goals in that time.

Hopefully, Wilson will be able to convince the Nigerian FA to allow the trio to play against Celtic in these crunch talks and Rangers will have a full squad available. Whilst the three will still miss an as yet undetermined period of time during AFCON, having them in the team against the Hoops could be a major boost as they are the Gers’ closest title rivals as it stands.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: “Exemplary” Rangers beast who won 88% duels finally took chance under GvB…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has hailed the brilliance of the Whites’ youth system, with individuals making positive progress into the first team.

The Lowdown: Youngsters progressing at Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have had a tricky start to the season, but while they have struggled on the pitch, it hasn’t been all negative at Elland Road.

One undoubted positive has been the impact of some academy prospects, with Jamie Shackleton and Joe Gelhardt making 14 appearances between them in all competitions.

England under-21s manager Lee Carsley has even hailed the youth system at Thorp Arch, praising the Yorkshire club’s ability to unearth exciting talent and saying that Leeds are doing a “great job” in bringing through players.

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The Latest: Whelan lauds youth setup

Speaking to Football Insider, Leeds ambassador and BBC radio pundit Whelan also waxed lyrical over the Thorp Arch youth setup as the Whites continue to build for the future. He said:

“I think it’s not only Leeds United fans who are recognising what’s happening within the academy. There’s a lot of work going into developing these young men coming through the academy and into the first team.

“It makes it even sweeter to hear Lee Carsley recognising that as well. It’s amazing to hear these young guys getting recognition because it means the process is successful.

“Sometimes you don’t have to go out and spend £60m, £70m, when you have that pathway which can bring players through gradually.

“That pathway is really bearing fruit now as we are seeing a lot of youngsters in the first team.”

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The Verdict: Great to see

It is easy for football clubs to be impatient and only focus on the here-and-now, but Leeds’ approach is shrewd in terms of its academy excelling and youngsters being given a chance to shine.

The likes of Shackleton, Gelhardt and previous academy graduate Kalvin Phillips are proving their worth in the first team, and even if some don’t find success long-term with the Whites, they could still fetch hefty price tags further down the line, bringing in valuable funds for the club.

The key is to ensure that Leeds don’t fall into decline again once Bielsa moves on, and having a strong youth system can only be a positive in that respect, with the development of exciting homegrown potentially enabling the club to become somewhat self-sufficient in constructing future first team squads.

In other news, Leeds are keen on signing a ‘big six’ player – find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Marcus Forss to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports News (via Football League World), who claim that Brentford manager Thomas Frank has given the centre-forward the green light to leave the Premier League side on a temporary basis this month.

Football League World then go on to claim that a host of Championship clubs, including Valerien Ismael’s West Brom side, were keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Finland international ahead of the January transfer window – with the latest update regarding the 22-year-old’s availability now looking to have opened the door for a move.

Ismael can axe Hugill with Forss

While it is true that, following the £7m January signing of Daryl Dike, Ismael now has two out and out centre-forwards in his first-team squad, with the Frenchman recently suggesting that season-long loanee Jordan Hugill could be set to return to Norwich City this month, a move for Forss could still very much be on the cards for the Baggies.

Indeed, Hugill has failed to impress over his 20 Championship appearances for Albion in the current campaign, with the £1.62m-rated man scoring just one goal, failing to provide his teammates with a single assist and missing nine big chances for his side.

These returns have seen the £36k-per-week striker average a SofaScore match rating of 6.56, ranking him as Ismael’s fifth-worst performer in the second tier.

In comparison, over Forss’ 39 Championship outings for Brentford last season – only nine of which came as starts – the £4.05m-rated centre-forward scored seven goals, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates – with the 22-year-old finding the back of the net once every 162 minutes of second-tier football played.

Furthermore, Forss undoubtedly has a much higher ceiling than the 29-year-old Hugill, with Frank stating of the striker upon his signing of a new deal with the Bees: “He is a very talented striker who has added extra levels to his game in the last year. He can link up play, is good at arriving in the box, and has made big strides in terms of leading our press. He is also one of the best finishers I have seen. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

As such, with the Finn now looking to be available this month, it would appear highly advisable for Ismael to finally call time on Hugill’s temporary stay at Albion, and subsequently reinvest the significant outlay on the Englishman’s hefty wages into a loan move for the much cheaper £4.9k-per-week Brentford striker.

In other news: Val has just repeated a worrying 3-year transfer mistake at WBA, fans surely fuming

Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update concerning Celtic left-back Greg Taylor.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Herald, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss revealed that, despite being brought off with a knock in Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Rangers last weekend, the defender does not look to have sustained a serious injury – with his withdrawal coming as a result of cramp.

Speaking about the condition of the 24-year-old, the Greek-Australian manager said: “Greg was just cramp.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering how important a part of the Celtic side Taylor has become under the management of Postecoglou, the news that the left-back has not picked up a long-term injury is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances this season, the £1.58m-rated defender has highly impressed on the left of the Hoops backline, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates.

The Scotland international has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.2 key passes, one interception, 1.6 tackles, 1.1 clearances and winning 4.3 duels per fixture, with these returns seeing the £15.5k-per-week full-back average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92.

And, while last weekend’s Old Firm victory has afforded Celtic some breathing room at the top of the Premiership table, Postecoglou will be well aware that his side cannot afford to let themselves believe the job is already done in their bid to reclaim their Scottish crown this season.

As such, the news that the club’s first-choice left-back does not look as if he will miss any of the club’s upcoming fixtures is undoubtedly a major boost for the 56-year-old and his side, as well as being relieving for the Bhoys supporters.

AND in other news: Sources: Celtic now in talks over “important” Lennoxtown deal, Ange will be buzzing

The 2021/22 Premier League campaign has once again thrown up a few stories for football fans to salivate over.  Whether it was the expected two horse race between Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool for the top flight title or simply what would eventually happen to a couple of managerial hot potatoes given the relative states of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and particularly, Manchester United.

The Old Trafford outlet continues to be a source of massive press speculation as despite numerous attempts since 2013, they have simply been unable to adequately replace Sir Alex Ferguson following his retirement.  Whilst there was better success under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, each spell had its own pitfalls and the club ultimately seemed to totally lose its way under former star striker and fan favourite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite the odd brighter moment and a reasonably fair 91 wins in 168 games.

You just can’t not view the club as an outsider without thinking there is no long term plan in place, certainly not a sensible transfer strategy, as they continue to overpay massively for players who have failed to make a major impact and justify the investment made – whilst also seeming to more marginalise their own Academy talent, and a longer term future, by relying on well known and more commercial names.

You’d get silly odds from the likes of asiabet8888.com for current incumbent Ralf Rangnick to last beyond the 2021/22 campaign in the managerial hotseat, as every expectation suggests there’s no deviating from the consultancy role plan that exists, and many would say why would he want to stay in that role given he’s had his own off pitch issues to deal with and despite the glitz and glamour Ronaldo’s return created in the press, he’s being shoehorned in for goals and it has noticeably effected their style of play and approach in matches.  Not least, The Red Devil’s are openly touting for Rangnick’s replacement and the media are understandably lapping it up.

Following Solskjaer’s departure back in November, one of the latest names in the frame is highly rated Ajax coach Erik ten Hag and he appears to have been added to a shortlist that already reportedly contains names such as Mauricio Pochettino, Julien Lopetegui and Luis Enrique.  Given the success Ten Hag has tasted in the Eredivisie, it’s not really a great surprise to see him linked by United’s hierarchy are probably not best pleased with former gaffer van Gaal given his latest comments where he not so subtly warned Ten Hag off taking the job.

“I’m not going to advise, he’ll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club. Erik ten Hag is a great coach and that is always good for Manchester United. But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it’s a difficult choice for a coach. He’d better go to a football club.”

With the summer quickly approaching, this particular piece of speculation is set to run and run.

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