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Despite currently sitting in fourth place in the Championship table and just four points off the top spot, West Brom have scored the fewest number of goals out of any of the top five teams in the league at the moment with 30 scored in 23 games.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is close to opening, this could provide the Midlands club with the opportunity to strengthen their squad to put themselves in the best possible shape to attack the second half of the campaign and push for promotion.

In recent days, it has been reported by The Athletic that Barnsley striker Cauley Woodrow is “under consideration” for the Baggies to sign in January, which could be just what they need to progress.

The 27-year-old originally joined Barnsley on a loan deal from Fulham back in the 2018 summer transfer window before signing on a permanent basis in January 2019.

Overall, the striker, who is currently valued at £2.7m according to Transfermarkt, has made 151 appearances for Barnsley across all competitions, scoring 53 goals and providing ten assists along the way, showing how much of a goalscoring threat he could be for the Baggies.

With 42 appearances under Valerien Ismael during the duo’s time together at Barnsley, Woodrow managed to score 12 goals and provide six assists, showing that the West Brom manager knows how to get a tune out of the player and why it would make sense for them to reunite in January at The Hawthorns.

Labelled as a player that “carries a goal threat” by former Huddersfield Town boss and pundit Danny Cowley, Woodrow could be a great January signing for West Brom if he’s able to hit the ground running in terms of scoring goals and push the Baggies to promotion back to the Premier League.

However, with the striker playing the full 90 minutes in all but one of the 22 Championship games he’s appeared in so far this season, it could be tough for the Baggies to get Woodrow out of Barnsley based on how important he clearly is to their team.

Although, with Barnsley in the relegation zone with just 14 points on the board, a chance to secure promotion and play in the Premier League with West Brom could be rather tempting for Woodrow and possibly give hope to the Midlands club that they would be able to work out a deal to sign him in January.

In other news: Lai still wants to sell the Baggies

Everton have further fortune in their favour after their fantastic FA Cup win at the weekend, with a fresh update on injuries handing Frank Lampard a huge boost in the Premier League challenge that lies ahead of the new manager.

What’s the word?

The ex-Chelsea boss took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is back in training with the squad and will be available for the upcoming fixture against Newcastle United this evening.

Lampard simply said: “Dominic’s in the squad, so, Dominic has been training for the last few days.”

The striker had been confirmed last week as unavailable for the FA Cup clash with Brentford last Saturday afternoon after sustaining a knock, but quickly returned to training and will now be in contention for a place in the team at St James’ Park.

Fans will be delighted

Calvert-Lewin has cemented himself as a fan favourite at the club thanks to his attacking output since he joined the club in 2016 when he was signed for just £1.5m.

He has been worth his weight in gold with 56 goals and 16 assists in 179 appearances for the Toffees.

The 24-year-old has been instrumental for the side and continues to have a presence Everton seem to struggle without, almost seven years into his time at Goodison Park, which is something we have witnessed this season with Calvert-Lewin missing the majority so far through injury.

The star striker has scored three goals this term so far of which were scored consecutively in the first, second and third games of the season, in which they won two and drew one. Sadly his momentum came to an end when he sustained a quadriceps injury and a fractured toe at the beginning of September.

Since then, it has been downhill for the Toffees, winning just two games in the Premier League in Calvert-Lewin’s absence, conceding 11 more goals than they have scored in their campaign, so his return will surely be a huge boost for the team and for Lampard, as he considers his starting XI tonight with a desperately needed win the outcome the new manager will be hoping for.

New signings Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli will also be available for the league fixture for the first time and it will be interesting to see if Lampard will stick or twist with his winning team from the FA Cup clash at the weekend.

In other news: Lampard could sign Broja in the summer

Aston Villa must seal a summer swoop for £9m-rated Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, and he would make a great partner for Ollie Watkins.

Villa were interested in bringing Nketiah to the club ahead of January but a move never materialised, but they can’t make the same mistake this summer and must secure his signature before another club do.

According to Birmingham Live, Villa are still interested in the 22-year old who has made 87 appearances for Arsenal and been directly involved in 22 goals. To have played that amount of games at such a young age is impressive, he has a long career ahead of him and we think he would make a worthy investment.

The Englishman has impressed when called upon by Mikel Arteta this season, particularly in their recent derby victory over Chelsea where he scored a brace.

Following this display his boss Mikel Arteta said he has been “unfair” on him, eluding to the lack of game time he’s given to the youngster. It’s that lack of game time that could see him leave the club in search for more regular minutes, with Crystal Palace also showing an interest.

His contract expires in June and there is another offer on the table but he looks set to leave for free. Not paying a transfer fee makes signing him even more attractive and a lot less risky, so much so that it’s a surprise other clubs aren’t in for him.

Former England star Michael Owen has heaped praise on Nketiah calling him a “goal-machine” who has a “hunger to score”.

If he made the move to Villa Park then he would be lining up alongside Ollie Watkins. He’s been a menace since he arrived from Brentford for £30.6m in 2020 and is the top scorer for the West Midlands side this season.

They could form a formidable partnership that would give the Villans the best chance at achieving Steven Gerrard’s aim of ‘bringing European football back’ to the club.

When you compare the two players they both excel in different areas meaning that they could each contribute to the team in unique ways.

Watkins is better when it comes to shots on target per 90 minutes with 0.92 compared to 0.84, whereas Nketiah beats him when it comes to goal creating actions per 90 with 0.42 compared to 0.22.

Ultimately not much can go wrong and if Villa want to improve their forward line in the summer then he is the best option for them.

IN other news: Aston Villa now plotting bid for £18m-rated “phenom”, he’s the “new Yaya Toure” – opinion…

Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with Ianis Hagi’s display for Romania against North Macedonia during the international break.

The headlines have been dominated by Steven Davis this past week. He picked up his 125th cap for Northern Ireland against Italy, meaning he equalled Peter Shilton’s British appearance record in the process (The Scotsman). However, he is not the only Gers player to impress while representing their country.

Hagi didn’t start the match against North Macedonia, with him being brought on with 14 minutes remaining. That was enough time for him to have a big impact on the game, with the £5.4m-valued 22-year-old (Transfermarkt) scoring the winner as Romania picked up an important 3-2 victory as they look to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The Gers’ official Twitter account congratulated Hagi for what was his first ever international goal (Transfermarkt), and the tweet attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Hagi below

“Great goal”

Credit: @RangersAssemble

“Chuffed for Hagi as I sometimes think he doubts himself, so this can only help his confidence going forward. We are lucky to have him”

Credit: @ArgyllWarrior

“Love to see great wee player”

Credit: @Mikey1872786

“Brilliant for hagi and his confidence, he’s just getting better an better”

Credit: @alfie_west_55

“Excellent. Well done Ianis”

Credit: @Trinityfishbar

“The best hagi”

Credit: @RFCMatt7

In other news, Rangers fans are far from happy with an update on this 34-year-old.

Southampton return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they take on Burnley at St Mary’s in the early kick-off, and with captain James Ward-Prowse potentially sidelined for the game, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider unleashing Alexandre Jankewitz in his midfield.

Ward-Prowse was forced to withdraw early from international duty earlier this week and was sent back to Southampton as a precaution after picking up a calf problem.

The Austrian manager has since confirmed that, whilst he is hopeful the Saints captain will be fit, the 26-year-old hasn’t been training with the squad in the build-up to the game against Sean Dyche’s side.

You may worry that Ward-Prowse’s run of playing 90 minutes in every single Southampton fixture so far this season could soon come to an end, and with Oriol Romeu also sidelined through injury, Hasenhuttl has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting a midfield partner for Ibrahima Diallo.

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Fortunately, Southampton have a more than capable midfielder waiting in the wings in the form of Jankewitz, who has been the name on many Saints fans’ lips this week after some impressive performances with Switzerland at the European Under-21 Championship.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been seen for Southampton since getting himself sent off on his full Premier League debut in the defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but Hasenhuttl should put his faith in the teenager to make a much more positive impression against Burnley on Sunday.

If Jankewitz isn’t entrusted with any minutes between now and the end of the season, then you worry that Southampton could lose him permanently in the not-too-distant future, especially after he handed in a transfer request in January as a result of his lack of playing time in the first team.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

The last thing Hasenhuttl wants to do is make Ward-Prowse’s injury worse by selecting him when he’s not fully fit, so he should forget about picking his captain against Dyche’s side on Sunday and instead give Jankewitz another chance to impress.

In other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop this summer, he’s stealing a living

According to Tutto Atalanta, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a proposal to sign Atalanta goalkeeping colossus Pierluigi Gollini after just taking information on the player.

The Lowdown: Spurs in goalkeeper hunt?

Tottenham have been linked with new goalkeepers this summer amid speculation surrounding the future of current number one Hugo Lloris.

The Frenchman, who signed back in 2012, has gone on to make 298 appearances for Spurs in the Premier League alone but has just one year remaining on his current deal (Transfermarkt).

There is no offer of a new deal currently on the table for Lloris and the Lilywhites will have to think about his eventual heir.

The Latest: Spurs about to make Gollini proposal?

As per Tutto Atalanta, Tottenham are ‘considering making a proposal’ to sign Atalanta shot stopper Gollini this summer alongside Premier League rivals Everton.

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It is believed that Spurs are weighing up the offer after having ‘taken information’, according to what the website has recently learned.

The 26-year-old, standing at a lofty 1.94m (6 foot 4), started 25 Serie A matches for the Italian club over 2020/21, but the arrival of Juan Musso from Udinese has plunged his future into doubt.

The Verdict: Spurs swoop?

Over his 25 league appearances for Atalanta last term, the Italian conceded just 26 goals whilst keeping 10 clean sheets – solid numbers for anyone between the sticks (Transfermarkt).

Valued at around €17m (£14.5m) by Transfermarkt, Gollini could come as a bargain alternative to Lloris judging by his age and record last season.

Managing director Fabio Paratici’s connections in Italy could also feasibly help to facilitate any deal, with there being many incentives for Spurs to make a move for the 26-year-old.

In other news: Spurs frontrunners to sign ‘absolutely sensational’ player with Nuno set for final call, find out more here.

Kevin Phillips says Ian Poveda could be one of a ‘few surprises’ in the Leeds line-up to face Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Poveda is still waiting for a full Premier League debut, having been limited to 12 substitute appearances thus far, but it may have opened up perfectly for him ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.

Raphinha remains out with the hip injury he sustained in the win against Manchester City, and perhaps more worryingly given the lack of depth now at that position, there was no sign of fellow winger Helder Costa at Thorp Arch as Leeds posted their ‘Inside Training’ video.

Costa was forced off with an apparent back problem against Manchester United last week, and the footage seems to suggest the concerns about his fitness will prove true.

Has Bielsa dropped Poveda ‘hint’?

Bielsa was tight-lipped on the possibility of a Poveda start, keen to keep opponents Brighton guessing.

“Anything that indicates the 11 for the next game, I look to avoid,” he said, as quoted by Leeds Live.

But Phillips reckons his silence could be telling.

“It could be a hint that he plans to start him,” the former Premier League Golden Boot winner told Football Insider.

“We all know how stubborn Bielsa is. He doesn’t give a lot away.

“He’s his own man. So it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few surprises there. Poveda could be one of those.”

The 21-year-old has racked up a total of 288 minutes off the bench in 2020/21.

In that short time, he’s impressively created three big chances, but none of them yielded an assist.

Transfer Tavern verdict

In all honesty, it’s a surprise that Poveda hasn’t earned a league start already given the positive impact he has repeatedly made from the bench.

Ordinarily, you would expect a team in Leeds’ position – comfortably mid-table without much prospect really challenging for Europe – to hand out opportunities to young players in the final games of the season.

For Poveda, though, this could be an excellent opportunity to stake a claim to a greater role come 2021/22.

In other news, Brighton have been dealt an injury blow of their own ahead of the game. 

Lots of Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news the Citizens are prepared to let Raheem Sterling leave the club this summer.

The Citizens face a huge clash on Saturday night as they prepare to face Chelsea in the Champions League final in Porto. This will be the first time they have played in the biggest match in European club football in their history, so Pep Guardiola and his team will have done all they can to make sure his side is as well-prepared as possible.

Unfortunately, he cannot control what the press decides to report in the build-up to the clash. According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Sterling is atop of a list of players City are prepared to offload this summer, with the club willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old, whose form was questioned by numerous supporters this season after his goal tally dropped by more than half from last term.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and they were fuming at the thought of Sterling possibly being offloaded, with the winger having scored 114 goals in his six years at the club.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Sterling news

“delete this.”

Credit: @mancitybluess

“right before an important game how weird”

Credit: @mcfc_kai

“I will say this again, offloading Raz will be a huge mistake Man City will regret… We still need players like Sterling, yes he had bad season but we need him..he will bounce back to his form.”

Credit: @Zethemb87730720

“Amazing. Everybody’s leaving then. Right before the CL final. Thanks SAMI”

Credit: @NK_ESQ

“Just someone trying to cause issues before a final. Wouldn’t be surprised if it is true though, give us 100 million.”

Credit: @Ethan4707

“What a way to treat one of our best ever players, smh, he has one bad season and the club gives up on him just like that. Shameful”

Credit: @QJweRfWQ4YzvJ8R

In other news, these Man City fans want the club to sign this player in the summer.

Celtic appear to be back in for former target Bright Osayi-Samuel this summer.

The Lowdown: Hoops’ previous interest

The Hoops were linked with a move for the winger back in December. Neil Lennon made the 23-year-old his winter window transfer priority, but as we know, a deal never materialised.

Osayi-Samuel eventually left Queens Park Rangers for Fenerbahce; however, he has struggled in Turkey, scoring just once in 18 Super Lig appearances.

The Latest: Monaco in talks, Celtic interested

According to Turkish outlet Fotospor, Fenerbahce are in talks with Monaco over potentially including Osayi-Samuel in a swap deal for Henry Onyekuru.

The report adds however that ‘there is also interest from Celtic’ – an intriguing six-word claim at the end of the story.

Rivals Rangers are also credited with an interest, and it appears as if there is a real chance Osayi-Samuel’s stay in Turkey could be short-lived.

The Verdict: Just what Celtic need?

It’s safe to say Osayi-Samuel, who QPR boss Mark Warburton described as ‘outstanding’ last year, knows how to beat a man, and with Mohamed Elyounoussi’s second loan spell at Parkhead now over, the Nigerian could be a handy acquisition to bolster the attacking ranks.

He’s averaged 2.4 successful dribbles per game throughout his career, with Hoops star David Turnbull averaging just 0.4 per match [WhoScored], while Tom Rogic, perhaps the other competitor for that attacking midfield spot, manages 1.5 dribbles per showing.

Osayi-Samuel contributed to 14 Championship goals in the 2019/20 season, so if he could get back to that form, you’d expect him to be a real threat in the attacking third.

If the Hoops are serious about reigniting their interest in the 23-year-old, they may have to act relatively fast, as it appears as if Fenerbahce are looking to use him as part of a deal for Onyekuru.

In other news: Celtic hold talks with Ange Postecoglou alternative, find out more here. 

Liverpool have started 2021/22 excellently and their season could be about to receive another significant boost as talismanic attacked Mohamed Salah is now expected to sign a new contract.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023 and he has occasionally openly flirted with the idea of moving to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, Salah now appears set to extend his stay at Anfield after entering negotiations over fresh terms several weeks ago.

And now, journalist Mark Jones has provided an update on the flying winger’s situation, claiming he expects him to put pen to paper on a new contract.

He said: “He can be a force of nature, really. I mean, in terms of his future as well, I mean, I think he’s probably missed that boat in terms of a potential move to Real Madrid or Barcelona,” said Jones on the from the Mirror Football YouTube channel (as relayed by This is Futbol).

“I know there are contract negotiations still going on, but I expect him to sign one pretty soon and he’ll go on and get even more goals.”

Liverpool fans will be buzzing

In 208 appearances for the Anfield outfit, Salah has bagged 129 goals and provided a further 49 assists, firing Jurgen Klopp’s charges towards the Champions League crown, Premier League title, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

And while many of his teammates struggled last season, he was one of few shining lights for Liverpool, continuing to put the ball in the back of the net with alarming regularity.

Therefore, news that Salah is expected to remain on Merseyside for many years to come will certainly have the supporters buzzing with excitement.

The former AS Roma ace reached a landmark total of 100 Premier League goals after scoring in the 3-0 victory over Leeds United last time out, and he’ll be hoping to inspire his side to more success this season.

Salah will be following in the footsteps of several high-profile first-team stars in penning new deals at Liverpool this year, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Alisson Becker, Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson all doing the same.

And, in other news…Zero key passes, lost 50% of his duels: Liverpool ace flopped on the CL stage