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Everton could face a battle to keep manager Rafa Benitez at the club over the coming months as Newcastle United have reportedly refused to give up hope of enticing the Spaniard back to St. James’ Park.

What’s the story?

The 61-year-old spent three years at the helm of Newcastle between 2016 and 2019 and was a firm fans favourite in the North East after guiding the Magpies back to the Premier League in his first full season in charge.

However, Benitez departed due to a lack of investment from previous owner Mike Ashley, but the retail entrepreneur has now sold the club to a Saudi-back consortium, allowing them to join football’s financial elite.

Newcastle’s newfound wealth has already led to Steve Bruce’s sacking and brought questions over his potential successor, with Benitez believed to be at the top of their wishlist.

A report from Football Insider states that: “Newcastle United have not given up all hope of luring Rafael Benitez into a sensational return, Football Insider understands.

“The Spaniard, 61, has long been the favoured choice of the Saudi-led regime to take over as manager, and that remains the case nearly a week into their search for a Steve Bruce replacement.

“A Newcastle source has told Football Insider there is an inkling of hope Benitez could be persuaded to leave Everton even though he has publicly ruled it out.”

Everton fans may be worried

Although Benitez’s appointment at Everton wasn’t a universally popular one due to his previous connections with fierce rivals Liverpool, a large section of the club’s supporters will still be worried over his potential exit.

The tactician has made a solid start to life at Goodison Park, picking up 14 points from his first nine top-flight fixtures to leave the Toffees just three points outside of the Champions League qualification places.

Coupled with the fact that Benitez is Everton’s sixth permanent manager since David Moyes’ exit in 2013 – and that the ex-Real Madrid boss has won one Champions League, two La Liga titles and one FA Cup crown throughout his career – it’s likely that many supporters will be desperate for some stability and success under the current regime.

The Toffees impressive start to the 2021/22 campaign under Benitez this season has seen the Spaniard win plenty of supporters around Merseyside over despite his chequered past in charge of their arch-rivals.

As such, this latest update could leave many rather worried, particularly as any departure would leave them looking for their second boss in as many seasons.

And, in other news…”Finally some good news…”: Fabrizio Romano’s Everton update will have fans buzzing

According to a report from Football Insider, Villarreal are set to open talks with Tottenham Hotspur regarding the transfer of Giovani Lo Celso, and Fabio Paratici could swoop for Pau Torres in part-exchange. 

The lowdown: Successful loan

The 26-year-old attacking midfielder joined Unai Emery’s side on loan until the end of the season on transfer deadline day and has enjoyed an impressive start to life back in Spain, ranking as the Yellow Submarine’s fifth-best player by average Whoscored rating.

Lo Celso played all 180 minutes for Villarreal as the La Liga outfit eliminated Bayern Munich from the UEFA Champions League to set up a semi-final showdown with Liverpool.

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Now after 13 appearances across all competitions it appears the clubs are ready to discuss the option to make the move permanent…

The latest: Swap deal on the cards?

As per an FI recruitment source, Villarreal are believed to have ‘indicated’ a desire to sign the Argentinian international in the summer transfer window.

It’s claimed that Spurs are ‘confident they can secure a major fee’ for the man signed from Real Betis, with a £30million price tag mooted – profit on the £27.2million spent in 2020 (BBC).

Furthermore, the report states that Managing Director of Football Paratici could explore a part-exchange option involving highly-rated central defender Torres.

The verdict: Make it happen

While the 38-cap ace has shown flashes of brilliance during his time as a Lilywhite, just 14 direct goal contributions in 86 appearances for an attacking midfielder isn’t of the level required for Antonio Conte’s squad.

After failing to complete 90 minutes even once in the Premier League this term, Lo Celso’s exit made room for the arrival and subsequent impact of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski – who already has three goals and six assists in just 11 league outings – further proof that Spurs would be wise to seal the permanent departure of the Argentinian.

Whilst the £30million fee would represent a welcome boost to the coffers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having previously been linked with a move for 6 foot 3 centre-back Torres, bringing the man hailed as ‘sensational’ by Spanish national team manager Luis Enrique as part of the deal would be a superb piece of business.

In other news: Italian source claims Spurs are eyeing a move for Serie A midfielder! Find out more here.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side return to Premier League action this afternoon as Norwich City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 52-year-old’s reign at Spurs has got off to an impressive start – embarrassing UEFA Europa Conference League defeat aside – with the club picking up seven points from the Italian’s first three league games in charge.

However, while Newcastle United’s win over Burnley on Saturday means that the Canaries come into the fixture as the 20th placed side in the top flight, Dean Smith’s men are currently on a run of four games without defeat in the league, with Conte undoubtedly being well aware that Spurs will have to be at their best if they are to pick up all three points in North London.

So, will the 52-year-old make any changes to the side that started the 2-0 win over Brentford on Thursday evening? Here’s how we’re predicting Tottenham will line up against City, along with the latest team and injury news.

With Antonio Conte recently confirming that Giovani Lo Celso – as well as long-term absentee Cristian Romero – will once again miss out on Sunday’s fixture due to injury, we expect the Spurs coach to make two changes to his starting XI against Norwich.

Indeed, as previously mentioned, Conte will know that Norwich can pose something of a threat despite their lowly league standing, leading us to believe the Italian will not rotate his squad too much – something which will likely be saved for Thursday evening’s European fixture against Stade Rennais.

As such, the back six of Hugo Lloris, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Davison Sanchez, Sergio Reguilon and Emerson remains unchanged from midweek.

The first alteration comes in the middle of the park, with Tanguy Ndombele – who Noel Whelan dubbed a “frustrating” player – taking the place of 21-year-old Oliver Skipp, in a bid to increase the fluidity of the Tottenham attack.

The second change comes in the front three, with the £80k-per-week Lucas Moura dropping to the bench after a disappointing performance against Brentford, being replaced by Steven Bergwijn – who Conte recently took the time to praise.

Speaking about the potential of the 24-year-old winger, the former Inter Milan boss said: “I think Steven could also be a good option. We have a world-class striker as a number nine in Harry [Kane]… but in the past, I have seen that Son played in this position. Honestly, I prefer Son to play as a number 10 that he is now playing.

“I like to have a point of reference as a number nine. Steven is working and we are utilising him also in this position, in the three positions of the striker. Steven could be a good option on the day that I want to give a rest to Harry.”

With that in mind, it must be the Dutchman’s chance to shine in attack for the Lilywhites.

In other news: Conte offered £157k-p/w beast who’s “impossible to mark”, he’d solve a huge THFC issue

Leeds United are at risk of suffering from the infamous second-season syndrome in the Premier League as they sit perilously in 15th place, just five points above the relegation zone.

Marcelo Bielsa has suffered from an injury crisis to several key stars for the bulk of the campaign so far and with multiple teams below them holding at least one game in hand, things are not looking good for the Yorkshiremen heading into 2022.

But for all of the negatives at Elland Road this term, there has been at least one shining light – Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger, who joined in a £17m deal from Stade Rennes in October 2020, has not only excelled but has also emerged as one of the club’s most integral players.

United have struggled for goals in the absence of Patrick Bamford, who has missed 12 of 13 league games since mid-September. Indeed, only five teams have scored fewer times than Bielsa’s side, two of which are in the drop zone.

However, Raphinha has stepped up to become the Whites’ leading scorer, finding the net eight times, which accounts for 44.4% of all of their goals scored this term in the top-flight.

An average of three shots per game sees him lead the squad as Bielsa’s most threatening player, whilst 2.4 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per outing – which also sees him rank first – suggests he’s doing more than just adding goals to the side. He’s the Argentine’s most creative option, too.

Raphinha’s form at Elland Road has seen him called up to the Brazil national side for the very first time, and he has since landed five caps, in which he’s delivered two goals and two assists. It’s been quite a year for the 5 foot 9 dynamo.

Those around him in the squad have regularly waxed lyrical about his ability, ranging from summer signing Daniel James dubbing him “a magician” to goalkeeper Illan Meslier describing him as an “unbelievable player” and “a storm.”

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently emphasised his importance to Leeds.

“Phillips is the player whom Leeds miss most but, in an attacking sense, Raphinha is consistently head and shoulders above everyone. Even aside from his touch and his vision, he has the most incredible engine.”

After a stunning year in United colours, the Brazil international’s transfer value has now soared to an all-time high of £36m, as per Transfermarkt, meaning the Yorkshire giants have made a 111% return on their investment so far.

Therefore, it cannot be disputed, Leeds have struck gold and potentially a dream deal in signing Raphinha last year. Well done, Victor Orta. What a player he has been.

AND in other news, Bielsa can finally axe Leeds’ “absolute disaster” by signing “spectacular” 5 ft 9 gem…

Gio van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side were left frustrated as they failed to pick up all three points on their return to Premiership action this month.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen in their first match after the winter break, with Lewis Ferguson’s second-half penalty canceling out Ianis Hagi’s goal in the first half.

Forget Goldson

One player who struggled in the match was central defender Connor Goldson, who received a SofaScore rating of 6.6 for his performance. He only completed 59% of his attempted passes and lost 100% of his ground duels as he failed to impress.

Elsewhere in the Premiership on the same night, Ibrox-bound defender John Souttar caught the eye with an excellent showing for Hearts. Rangers have agreed a deal to sign the centre-back at the end of the season when his contract at his current club officially expires and he is continuing to show off his superb form.

It has been reported that the Gers would be interested in bringing him to Glasgow this month instead of waiting until the summer and this latest display, coupled with Goldson’s unimpressive one, highlights exactly why they need to do it.

Souttar was given a SofaScore rating of 7.6 for his display against St. Johnstone, with the colossus winning 70% of his duels and completing 84% of his passes. He also completed 100% of his two dribble attempts and made one block, one interception and two tackles – as per SofaScore.

This shows the level of quality he can provide at this level and these are the kind of performances he could bring to Rangers, potentially replacing Goldson.

Gers sporting director Ross Wilson hailed the beast upon the announcement of the deal to sign him on a pre-contract earlier this month, saying:

“We are really looking forward to John joining Rangers and continuing his development under Gio, our coaching and support staff.

“John is a full Scotland international and has so much potential ahead for the coming years. I have really enjoyed getting to know John across all of our conversations so far and I can see how excited he and his family are to be joining Rangers. We are equally excited to welcome John to Ibrox.”

The Glasgow giants are evidently keen to see him playing for the club next season and now need to do all they can to bring him in during the current window. Goldson’s contract is up at the end of the campaign and the Gers cannot afford to allow performances like the one against Aberdeen to become common-place as he begins to think about where he will be playing next term.

Therefore, Wilson must strike an instant deal to get Souttar playing for Rangers this month instead of waiting until the summer.

AND in other news, 7 duels won: “Brilliant” Rangers gem with 100% dribble success was Gvb’s shining light…

Numerous Premier League clubs are interested in signing Benfica striker and reported Liverpool transfer target Darwin Nunez this summer, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Nunez on fire this season

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the best young strikers in Europe this season, catching the eye with his performances for the Lisbon club.

Nunez has scored an incredible 24 goals in just 20 Primeira Liga starts, also netting in the Champions League quarter-final clash with Liverpool last week and being described as a ‘top, top boy’ by Jurgen Klopp.

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The Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Anfield in recent days, with the Reds ‘convinced’ that they should sign him, and a fresh update on the player’s future has now been provided.

The Latest: Nunez a wanted man

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning as he shared a corresponding article from The Athletic, Ornstein revealed that a number of top English clubs are leading the race to snap up Nunez, for whom Benfica want £58.6m, but Liverpool weren’t specifically mentioned.

The journalist tweeted: “Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez has interest from many clubs for summer move but current leading contenders Man Utd, Chelsea, #PSG. None of those can move yet so just initial dialogue. Benfica seeking ~€70m & sale early in window.”

The Verdict: Do Liverpool need him?

Nunez is clearly a special young talent with a big future, as evidenced by his goal record and much sought-after status, but there is a strong argument to say that more big-name attacking signings aren’t needed at Liverpool this summer.

Klopp arguably has five world-class attacking options at his disposal already, and unless someone leaves in the summer, it would be almost impossible to keep six forwards happy if the Uruguayan were to join.

Midfield should be the main area of focus instead, with players ageing in the middle of the park – Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are in their 30s, while Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain turn 29 this year – and an injection of youth needed to take Liverpool forward.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has provided a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

Southampton have not had a particularly good start to their 2021/22 Premier League campaign, with four draws and three defeats in their opening seven games.

One player who has yet to get his season up and running for the Saints and who Ralph Hasenhuttl should be putting in his starting XI to face Leeds United in their next Premier League match is Stuart Armstrong.

On the chalkboard

Having returned to team training prior to Southampton’s previous Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after struggling with a calf muscle issue, we feel that the Scotland international should be in the starting XI to face Marcelo Bielsa’s side next week if he is fit enough to feature for his first match of this season.

Southampton signed Armstrong back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Celtic on a four-year deal for a fee of £7m.

Since then, the 29-year-old – who is currently earning a weekly wage of £50k-per-week according to Spotrac – has made 104 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists.

Last season saw Armstrong, who was once labelled as a “role model” by Hasenhuttl, score four goals and provide five assists in the Premier League, ultimately earning him an overall season rating of 6.82/10, making him Southampton’s sixth-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that he should definitely be in Hasenhuttl’s starting XI if he’s fit enough to play. He could even provide the team with a suitable replacement for James Ward-Prowse, who was given a red card in the Chelsea game, resulting in him being given a three-match ban.

Only three players contributed to more goals for the Saints last season. One is the suspended club captain and another is Danny Ings, who is no longer at St Mary’s. Therefore, the Austrian manager would certainly be wise to call upon the Scotland international to provide a cutting edge in the final third.

If Armstrong does play a part in the Leeds game and has a positive impact on the team in terms of contributing to a goal, we feel that he could potentially be the player to keep Southampton away from the relegation zone and save their season – if he is trusted to play regularly throughout the rest of the campaign and can match or exceed his 2020/21 goal contributions return.

Nonetheless, whether or not he plays a part against the Whites, we feel that this could still be a great opportunity for Southampton to grab their first league win of the season considering that Marcelo Bielsa’s team have also had a difficult start to their campaign.

In other news: Ralph could solve big Southampton issue with £12m “special talent”, fans would love it – opinion

Tottenham Hostpur have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of a deal to bring Ruben Neves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent David Ornstein article for The Athletic, in which the transfer insider claimed that, after five years of service for the club, Wolverhampton Wanderers could be open to parting with the central midfielder at the end of the current campaign – should an acceptable offer be lodged.

Ornstein went on to state that, despite Barcelona currently looking to be the most likely destination for the 25-year-old, a number of Premier League teams are also in discussions with the Portugal international’s intermediaries regarding a potential summer swoop – one of whom could well be Tottenham.

Indeed, just last August, Fabio Paratici was reported to be negotiating a long-term contract with Neves prior to a £40m (£34m) move to north London, however, in the end, no agreement between the player and Spurs was reached.

In his article, Ornstein wrote: “There is an acceptance that after five years of fine service, Neves may be sold if a suitable offer arrives and gives him a chance to play Champions League football.

“Discussions are taking place between intermediaries and, at present, the most likely destination is said to be Barcelona, though Premier League teams are known to be keen and Wolves would gladly sign him to a new contract.”

Neves can replace Lo Celso

Considering just how impressive Neves has been since his £15.8m move to Wolves back in 2017, in addition to the fact that both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele – currently on loan at Villarreal and Lyon respectively – appear as if they could be on their way out of north London this summer, it would be surprising if Paratici does not reignite his interest in the 25-year-old in the coming months.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances this season, the £36m-rated midfielder has been in electric form for Bruno Lage’s side, scoring four goals, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

The £58k-per-week maestro has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 50 passes and winning four duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who David Edwards claimed was Wolves’ “biggest signing of the window” after keeping him at Molineux last summer average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.20, not only ranking him as Lage’s best performing outfielder but also as the joint 25th-best player in the division as a whole.

In comparison, over Lo Celso’s nine Premier League outings in the current campaign, the £25m-rated midfielder was in rather less spectacular form, scoring no goals, providing no assists and creating two big chances, in addition to making an average of 0.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 13.9 passes and winning 2.6 duels per game.

These returns saw the £100k-per-week Argentina international who John Wenham dubbed “unacceptable” earlier this season average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.72, ranking him as Antonio Conte’s sixth-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Neves would be a significant upgrade on Lo Celso, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all to move the 25-year-old on this summer, before reinvesting the fee received for the Argentine – as well as his hefty weekly wage – into a move for the Wolves destroyer.

Consequently, a swoop could just turn out to be the deal of the window, something Edwards alluded to last summer.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £59m bid for 24 y/o “appreciated by Conte”, he’s “perfect” for Spurs

Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened, this could spark a flurry of transfer activity between a range of clubs with lots of players on the move.

Despite having the joint-second smallest senior squad in the Premier League with 25 players according to Transfermarkt, it seems as though Leeds United could be saying goodbye, albeit temporarily, to one of their current players.

According to the Daily Mail (via Glasgow Times), Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville is being considered for a potential loan move to Scottish club Rangers this month.

Since joining Leeds’ U23 side back in September 2020, the winger has made 24 appearances for the Yorkshire club’s youth team in which he has managed to score nine goals and provide eight assists in the process, highlighting his attacking talents and why Rangers apparently have their eyes on him.Even though the 20-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £8.4k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has made seven senior appearances for Leeds so far this season, none of the five league appearances he’s made in this current campaign have seen him start, which suggests that he is not a crucial figure for Bielsa at this moment in time.This also suggests that a potential loan move to Rangers this month could be beneficial for the player if he gets regular playing time there.Labelled as a “runaway train” in the past by Leeds journalist Beren Cross, Summerville could find his chances to play in the first team at Elland Road hard to come by throughout the remainder of the season given the presence of Raphinha and the fact that Jack Harrison and Dan James managed to get on the scoresheet in their recent 3-1 win over Burnley in the Premier League.With this in mind, it could be worth Leeds loaning the Dutchman out this month to give him the chance to show what he’s capable of in a senior team that can give him regular playing time.If Summerville does go to Rangers on loan this month until the end of the season and manages to make the best use of his time there, this could give Victor Orta the chance to save Leeds and Bielsa millions in potential future transfer fees if he can come back to Elland Road and immediately take a place in their starting XI on a consistent basis.In other news: Orta can seal Bielsa’s dream LUFC deal with £18m-rated gem who has a “fighting spirit” – opinion

Leeds United have had a shaky start to their season, failing to collect enough points in the first eleven games of the season to keep them away from the relegation conversation.

Bielsa’s side has been plagued with injuries and inconsistencies of form in their 2021/22 Premier League campaign so far which is a far cry from their previous season as a newly promoted side, finishing ninth.

One player that will offer a boost in the team’s performances going forward, is Raphinha, who has recently returned from a minor injury and will be hoping to add attacking threat to the struggling side to secure points and climb the table.

Raphinha has been heavily linked with several different clubs since the summer, with Liverpool being the front runners to potentially get the signature of the popular Brazilian international.

Liverpool have had many links to the £28.8m-rated forward, with former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor chiming in on his thoughts on the Brazilian recently in an interview with Football Insider.

“I’ve said it many times but without Raphinha, Leeds would get relegated this season,” he said.

“He’s the only bright spark going forward.

“Raphinha, he’s a cut above Leeds. He’s going to look at moving and there’s going to be a lot of clubs around Europe looking for his signature because he’s outstanding.”

Leeds United’s director of football, Victor Orta, will have a challenge on his hands to keep the star player at the club, if performances and league positioning doesn’t begin to pick up in the next few months.

Despite links to a move away, Raphinha spoke out about his desire to play Champions League football with Leeds United.

When asked if he wanted to play Champions League football in an interview with news outlet AS.

“Of course. I’m very happy at Leeds and hopefully we can play in the Champions League.”

Bielsa will have to perform nothing short of a miracle to secure a Champions League spot this season, with his side currently 12 points adrift from fourth place, West Ham.

The main focus for Leeds and Bielsa will be securing a safe spot in the Premier League next season, and without Raphinha it could be the final nail in the coffin that sends Leeds back for another spell in the Championship. With 11 goals and nine assists since his arrival in English football, it’s evident how important he is to the cause.

The club should be working to do whatever it takes to keep the £63k-per-week attacker at Elland Road, especially in the winter transfer window where Leeds could be caught vulnerable for relegation.

Winning points in the next few weeks could be crucial to whether Raphinha jumps ship or helps Leeds triumph to another season in the Premier League in 2022.

In other news: This midfield partnership could be the recipe for beating Spurs…