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Aston Villa journalist Ashley Preece believes a summer move for Luis Suarez is possible. 

The lowdown

Villa have already pulled off a blockbuster transfer under Steven Gerrard, bringing Philippe Coutinho – the fourth-most expensive player in football history – to The Midlands.

Gerrard, of course, played with both Coutinho and Suarez at Liverpool.

Suarez, who’s about to turn 35, is now into the final six months of his deal at Atletico Madrid.

Villa’s current striking options – Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings – have only managed nine goals between them in 34 combined appearances this season (via BBC Sport).

The latest

In a fan Q & A, Preece said that Suarez ‘is one for the summer’ because he’ll be remaining at Atletico until the expiry of his contract.

The move may depend on ‘whether Gerrard gives him a call like he did with Coutinho’.

He envisages a ’12-month deal’ but did caution that Suarez’s ‘astronomical’ wages could complicate matters.

The verdict

Suarez would arguably be an even more high-profile signing than Coutinho. In his pomp, this is a striker who featured in the FIFPro World XI.

And his output remains strong. Since joining Atletico ahead of the 2020/21 season, he’s bagged 30 goals in 66 appearances, including nine this season

Suarez has spoken extremely highly of the Villa boss, hailing him as one of ‘a small number of players in the world that are irreplaceable’.

If Gerrard makes the call and he agrees to a reduced wage, then perhaps we could genuinely see Suarez at Villa Park.

In other news, fans react to this approach for their defender.

Craig Hope has dropped some injury news for Newcastle United ahead of their game away at Liverpool in the Premier League tonight.

The Lowdown: Defensive crisis

After the four goals that were shipped away at Leicester City last weekend, it is fair to say that the St. James’ Park faithful have a bit of a defensive crisis on their hands.

They have conceded no fewer than 34 goals in the Premier League so far this season, the joint-most in the division along with bottom-placed Norwich City, which is simply too much if they want to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

The January transfer window may help solve that, given recent links to the likes of defenders Sven Botman and Kieran Trippier, but ultimately Eddie Howe needs to try and get the best out of the squad that he has now.

The Latest: Fernandez injury

As per The Daily Mail journalist Hope, Federico Fernandez is now ‘set to miss’ the match at Liverpool as well as the ‘majority’ of other festive fixtures with a ‘thigh strain’, in what is a ‘blow’ for the North East club.

Hope claims that he is the one player that fans and observers believe could come in to aid the defensive issues that they have, but they are now set to be without him for the next few games at least.

The Verdict: Blow

It certainly is a blow to lose Fernandez, especially with the busy Christmas period coming up.

The Argentine has averaged the most blocks (1.4) out of his teammates in the top flight this term, and also ranks highly in terms of average clearances (3.9) and pass success (87.4%) (WhoScored).

The Tyneside outfit have conceded 22 goals in the nine Premier League games that he has not played in, while they have only let in 12 in the seven that he has featured (Transfermarkt), suggesting that they are a better defensive unit with him in the team.

Nonetheless, the Magpies will now have to find a way to pick up points without the 32-year-old, as they look to climb out of the relegation zone.

In other news, find out which ‘sensational’ signing NUFC are now ‘closing in’ on here!

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Mason Holgate.

As per Football Insider, Burnley are now plotting a raid for the central defender in the January transfer window, and a source from the Clarets has told the news outlet that he is on currently on their radar.

Holgate is not enjoying the best of seasons at Goodison Park, and was recently slammed by supporters for his poor display in the 3-2 loss at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League, as he completed just 66 per cent of his passes and managed only one tackle (Whoscored).

He is ranking poorly among his teammates in terms of average tackles and pass success in the top flight in general (WhoScored), and with a fair few centre-back options already at the Merseyside club, it could be a good time for them to cash in.

Everton fans on Holgate transfer news

These Toffees were left buzzing as the transfer news on Holgate was shared on Twitter:

“I’ll drive him there”

Credit: @maxhornby14

“Please please please please please please”

Credit: @Luke_M20

“The best way to beat the drop is to weaken our rivals”

Credit: @SteToffee

“I’d happily pay for his Uber to Burnley”

Credit: @alandavies1985

“Yessssss”

Credit: @aikenj897

“This news is too good to be true”

Credit: @ScouseGamerLad

In other news, find out who EFC could now be offered here!

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side continued their impressive Premier League form under the new leadership of the Italian coach on Sunday afternoon, with Spurs dispatching a struggling Norwich City side 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Goals from Lucas Moura – a spectacular long-range strike – Davinson Sanchez and Heung-Min Son ultimately sealed all three points for the Lilywhites.

However, the 52-year-old’s side did not have things all their own way in the fixture, with the Canaries boasting the larger share of possession and completing 192 more passes than their hosts.

And, while the result does see Conte’s men move into fifth place in the Premier League standings, there will nevertheless have been a couple of individual performances that the former Inter Milan manager will have been concerned by – none more so than that of Japhet Tanganga.

67% duels lost

Despite being awarded a considerable amount of minutes during Conte’s limited time in charge of the club, the 22-year-old has failed to truly impress under the Italian, earning SofaScore match ratings of 6.8, 6.4 and 6.5 in the fixtures against Leeds United, NS Mura and Brentford respectively.

It was a similar case on Sunday afternoon, with the £17m-rated right-back – who was deployed at right wing-back – enduring a rather torrid time up against Brandon Williams.

Indeed, over his 62 minutes on the pitch, Tanganga made just one tackle and one interception, while also failing to block any shots or make a single clearance, as well as being dribbled past by an opponent once.

The £25k-per-week defender also lost four of his six attempted duels – a failure rate of 67% – conceded two fouls and completed just 21 passes – the same number as Hugo Lloris between the Spurs sticks.

These returns saw the England U21 international who Gary Neville dubbed a “special” talent earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.5, before being hooked for Matt Doherty midway through the second half.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick was also clearly not impressed with the performance of the 22-year-old, stating in his match ratings: “Run ragged by Brandon Williams after the interval and it was no surprise when he was hooked for Doherty – 5.”

As such, with Conte possessing two other very viable options on the right-hand side of his backline in the shape of Doherty and Emerson Royal, Tanganga could well have blown his big chance under the 52-year-old with yet another below-par display against Norwich.

In other news: Levy must axe “unique” £26m-rated Spurs flop, Conte has only said “two words” to him

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier could be an ‘ideal candidate’ to join Manchester United, according to former Scotland manager Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Meslier shines for Leeds

The 21-year-old has been an exceptional signing since joining the Whites from Lorient, proving to be one of the best young ‘keepers in the game. He has made 67 appearances for Leeds, keeping 23 clean sheets in that time and becoming the youngest Premier League player in his position to feature 50 times in the division.

Meslier has recently been linked with a move away from Elland Road, with Manchester United reportedly sending scouts to watch him in action against Manchester City earlier this week.

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The latest: McLeish discusses possible Man United move

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish discussed the Frenchman’s potential move to Old Trafford, admitting that he isn’t going to be without suitors if he decides to move on from Leeds.

The former Premier League manager said:

“It was a farce of a statement in the newspapers that of all games, they went to see a 7-0 defeat. But a lot of the goals, there was no chance for the goalkeeper.

“We’ve discussed him a lot and we’ve spoken about his youth. His ability has been way ahead of the age he is at this particular moment.

“You have to believe other teams would be looking at that guy. This guy is going to be sought after. That is no surprise.

“The fact that he’s so young and he’s been so consistent makes him an ideal candidate for anybody.”

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The Verdict: Huge player to lose

Given the Whites’ current struggles, it could be hard to keep hold of Meslier if one of the Premier League heavyweights come knocking next summer.

Considering his long-term potential and his untouchable status in the first team, it would be a huge loss for Leeds moving forward, even though his current deal expiring in 2026 means that they could receive a huge fee for his services by selling him.

If Marcelo Bielsa’s side are to continue growing, though, it is vital that they keep hold of their key players – Meslier unquestionably falls into that bracket as the squad’s fourth-best performer according to WhoScored, and the hope is that he is happy to remain at Elland Road for the time being.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a positive Leeds injury update. Read more here.

A number of Sunderland fans have hit out at winger Lynden Gooch for his display in the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening.

Gooch earned a first league start since September to make his 11th appearance of the season in all competitions. However, he couldn’t help the Black Cats suffer a third straight League One defeat.

The USA international failed to spot Theo Corbeanu unmarked out wide in the early stages and reacted too late as the Owls man opened the scoring at Hillsborough.

As per Sofa Score, Gooch, who was withdrawn after 72 minutes, failed to have a single shot on goal, lost the ball on 13 occasions and lost seven of his 12 duels.

It was a night to forget for all of Lee Johnson’s men, but these Sunderland supporters singled out Gooch for criticism.

Sunderland fans react

This is what some had to say about the 25-year-old, with one labelling him as ‘abysmal’, whereas another called him ‘Wednesday’s man of the match’.

“Can he be sold?”

Credit: @brownh1989

“GOOCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRAGGED OFF DURING THE FIRST HALF… ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL…”

Credit: @Casual7Observer

“Sheffield Wednesday’s man of the match so far: Lynden Gooch”

Credit: @AdamJamesRoper

“Gooch is a complete waste of a shirt. To the point he actually makes us worse. O’Brien can’t do anything quickly, Doyle all over the place at the back. Too many passengers.”

Credit: @Powell_Matthew

“Gooch is abysmal. He should not be coming out for the second half…its like playing with 10”

Credit: @Muggins1025

“That first half was an embarrassment. I don’t think I ever want to see Lyndon Gooch in a Sunderland shirt ever again. Couple others too!”

Credit: @e_sunderland

Taking to Twitter, sharing his news on the major links to Jesse Lingard over this last 24 hours, 90min reporter Toby Cudworth has subtly dropped another Adam Hlozek claim.

The Lowdown: West Ham in Hlozek hunt…

Links to the exciting Czech Republic international have been prevalent since just after the end of summer’s eventful transfer window.

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Indeed, as explained by the West Ham correspondent back in September, the Irons were still very much keeping tabs on Hlozek even after the window’s closure.

Manager David Moyes once again failed to bring in a back-up striker for Michail Antonio and all eyes will be on whether he can finally break the mould in January.

Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s now confirmed 27% minority stake in West Ham has only accelerated reports of a swoop for Hlozek with 90min reporting in mid-week that they are currently preparing a bid.

The Latest: Cudworth drops another promising Hlozek claim…

Taking to Twitter amid all of the Lingard hysteria, with the Man United ace even dropping a subtle West Ham transfer hint on Instagram (via talkSPORT), Cudworth has gone slightly against the grain as he also makes a Hlozek claim.

He understands that while West Ham’s interest in Lingard ‘remains’, he isn’t ‘necessarily the priority’, whilst interest in Hlozek is ‘very real’ and could present ‘a better long-term option’ – explaining on Twitter:

“#WHUFC & Jesse Lingard as I understand it:

Certain to leave Man Utd

West Ham interest remains

He’s not necessarily the priority

Hlozek interest v real and a better long-term option

Barca, Atleti & Milan options abroad for Lingz”

The Verdict: Double swoop?

The Evening Standard recently reported that Kretinsky’s new-found investment will see Moyes get backed in the transfer market, so much so that they could bring in a striker, new defender and Lingard.

Bearing this in mind, is it too much to ask for both Hlozek and the England international?

Both men would bolster Moyes’ options to no end, with the former lauded as an ‘extraordinary’ player by agent Pavel Paska whilst he also managed an impressive 15 goals and eight assists in just 19 Fortuna Liga appearances over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt).

Lingard, meanwhile, enjoyed a sensational loan spell at the London Stadium last year and was heralded as the best Premier League player on current form back in April (Adrian Durham to talkSPORT).

In terms of the finances, some sources believe that the playmaker could leave Old Trafford for as little as £10 million in January due to his contract situation as United risk losing him for nothing next summer (The Sun).

Hlozek, meanwhile, is the subject of a potential loan with an obligation to buy bid according to 90min, an arguably more-than affordable move for West Ham depending on the end price tag.

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘Get in’, ‘What a day’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘great news’ has many West Ham fans talking, find out more here.

Everton are set for a battle to keep hold of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin over the coming months after Real Madrid reportedly entered the race for his signature.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 24-year-old has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal in recent weeks as they search for Alexandre Lacazette’s successor.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Los Blancos are also now reportedly eager to secure Calvert-Lewin’s services as former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti plots a reunion with the forward.

The report stated: “Arsenal is not alone in the footsteps of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 24-year-old Everton striker is also liked by Ancelotti’s Real Madrid.”

It will take a substantial fee to prise the England international away from Goodison Park, though, after he signed a contract extension until 2025 just last year, so a substantial payday could be on the horizon for the Blues.

Hammer blow inbound?

Calvert-Lewin enjoyed the most productive season of his career under Ancelotti last term, finishing as Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals, so reports of a potential exit will surely have the club’s supporters feeling incredibly worried.

His impressive performances for the Merseyside club drew eye-catching praise from his former manager, who even compared him to former AC Milan legend Filippo Inzaghi.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s show ‘Between the Lines’, which airs on BT Sport’s YouTube channel, Ancelotti said: “Calvert-Lewin is improving a lot. I don’t want to say ‘has improved’, he is improving because I think he didn’t reach his best level in my opinion.

“I don’t see Inzaghi in him because he has a different structure and different characteristics. Calvert-Lewin is faster. Calvert-Lewin is better with the head. Calvert-Lewin is stronger than him. If Inzaghi listens to this he will kill me!

“But I have to say, Inzaghi in the box was the best striker that I ever had. I think this is natural instinct. He can be dangerous like Inzaghi in the box, for sure. He is faster than any defender, he jumps higher than any defender.

“It is a question of movement and details. He has to be focused, and he is. He is focused in the box,” Ancelotti concluded.

Under new boss Rafa Benitez, Calvert-Lewin began the current campaign in a similarly emphatic fashion, scoring in each of his opening three top-flight encounters in 2021/22. However, a fractured toe has sidelined the forward ever since.

His departure would be a hammer blow and an almighty setback in Benitez’s future plans for the Toffees, and the Spaniard will be hoping that the 6 foot 2 gem stays put for the foreseeable future. His goals are simply too important to lose.

In other news… Brands must sanction Everton swoop for “incredible” £19.8m-rated gem, Benitez needs him 

Celtic have been dealt a potential injury blow regarding central midfielder Tom Rogic.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Scottish Sun, Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou revealed that the 28-year-old, who was withdrawn in the first half of Celtic’s 3-1 win over Hibernian on Wednesday evening, appears to have pulled his hamstring.

He went on to state that he will have to wait and see how the Australia international recovers in the coming days as to whether or not Rogic will be available for selection for the visit of Livingston on Saturday.

On the midfielder’s injury, the 56-year-old Bhoys manager said: “Tom did feel something in his hamstring. It’s wait and see. We’ll just assess it. He was outstanding in the first half. His ability to find space is second to none.

“We had three quick boys up front, technically good, and he was key to getting the best out of them. He’s played a lot for us but, hopefully, he’s OK. I’m not that good, I’m not really sure, he said it didn’t feel too bad.”

Major blow

Considering just how impressive Rogic has been for Celtic so far this season, in addition to the fact that Postecoglou has already had to deal with something of an injury crisis at Parkhead during the opening stages of his reign as the Hoops manager, should the 28-year-old be ruled out for any length of time, it will undoubtedly leave fans very worried.

Indeed, over his 11 Scottish Premiership fixtures this term, the £1.35m-rated man has scored one goal, registered two assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £16k-per-week midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 6.97, with the Australian making up one-third of Celtic’s impressive midfield trio alongside David Turnbull and Callum McGregor – who have each been influential in the Bhoys’ ongoing run of five consecutive victories in all competitions.

As such, with two massive Europa League ties coming up for Celtic in November, should Rogic’s injury rule him out of action for these two clashes, it will certainly come as a major blow to Postecoglou – at a time when things finally appeared to be looking on the up at Parkhead.

In other news: “Important” £20k-p/w Celtic beast who had 9 clearances proved Ange right on Wednesday

As West Ham United gear up to take on Leeds United at Elland Road this afternoon, it appears manager David Moyes has now been dealt an injury blow to one of his players.

The Lowdown: West Ham aiming high…

It has been a solid start to the new campaign by West Ham overall who only just lost their first Premier League game of the season last weekend at home to Manchester United.

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Suffering just one defeat in five, Moyes has overseen impressive victories against the likes of Newcastle United and Leicester City.

As well as this, West Ham routinely breezed past Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in their opening Europa League group stage encounter recently and also saw off Man United in the Carabao Cup round of 32.

Looking to maintain this impressive run, the last thing Moyes once is the emergence of early injury issues, and it appears he has been dealt one before the Leeds clash today.

The Latest: Fredericks absence emerges…

As confirmed by the Irons boss, it appears West Ham have suffered an injury blow surrounding defender Ryan Fredericks.

The Englishman picked up a knock in midweek during their Carabao cup trip to Old Trafford and took to social media revealing it was a ‘small injury’.

While it was unclear whether he could feature in Yorkshire today, Moyes has now confirmed he is unavailable in a blow for West Ham.

“He felt his groin where he had an injury prior to it before,” he explained to the press (via football.london).

“So he’s being assessed at the moment, he won’t be fit for this game, but we’re hoping that it’s not too serious but we’ll know more after the results and tests probably at the start of next week.”

The Verdict: Blow for West Ham…

The 28-year-old, while often second fiddle to fan favourite Vladimir Coufal, does have his uses coming off the bench against a tough team like Leeds.

Lauded as someone who can be ‘such an extra threat’ on top of West Ham’s attacking players (Sam Delaney, U Irons Podcast via This is Futbol), having Fredericks as a marauding and pacey overlap option to trouble Marcelo Bielsa’s men would have been useful.

Alas, Moyes will have to cope without him as an extra option as the Scotsman aims to keep West Ham’s fine form going.

In other news: ‘I’ve heard’…Insider drops ‘boardroom level’ claim in possible boost for West Ham and Moyes, find out more here.