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Keith Downie has now dropped some exciting Newcastle United transfer news involving Dan Burn.

The Lowdown: Bid made

As per Sky Sports journalist Downie, a bid of £8m from the St. James’ Park faithful has already been rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Burn, and it is expected that they will go in with another offer before the January transfer window shuts.

While they have signed Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, and Bruno Guimaraes looks set to join them on Tyneside, they have still not signed a central defender or a left-back, and so these are positions that still need filling as the clock ticks.

The Latest: Burn interested

According to Downie, Burn would be interested in a move to the Magpies before the deadline, as he is a Toon fan:

“Newcastle are expected to go back in for Brighton defender Dan Burn. 

“The St James’ Park club have had an initial offer in the region of £8m rejected for the 29-year-old. 

“Burn is a Newcastle fan and we’re told he’d be interested in a potential move back north.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The fact that Burn is a NUFC supporter and would be interested in a move back north is very exciting ahead of Transfer Deadline Day, as it means that should a fee with the Seagulls be agreed, personal terms and add-ons should not be a problem when negotiating his transfer.

Crucially, Burn is equally as comfortable at left-back as he is at centre-back, and so can add depth in both positions for Eddie Howe with no difficulties.

Nonetheless, he would be an upgrade on the Magpies boss’ current options, as he averages more tackles, interceptions and passes at a higher accuracy than Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles in the Premier League so far this term (WhoScored).

Even with an opening £8m bid rejected, this is a deal that should not cost too much given he is out of contract next year, and thus could potentially end up being a bargain.

In other news, find out which ‘amazing’ attacker alongside Eddie Nketiah Newcastle could sign here!

Liverpool remain interested in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma but a deal won’t happen in January, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Reds linked with Danjuma move

The Reds had a quiet summer transfer window and there may have been a feeling that an attacking signing was needed in order to add more depth in the final third.

Danjuma is one player who has been linked with a move to Anfield since then, having ended up staying put at Villarreal in the summer.

The 24-year-old has scored five goals and registered two assists in La Liga this season, making 10 starts in the division to date. He also found the net four times in six Champions League group stage appearances, making an impression in Europe’s premier club competition.

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The Latest: Romano provides Danjuma update

Taking to Twitter on Christmas Day, Romano provided an update on the situation, confirming that Liverpool still see him as a potential transfer target but quashing any prospects of a move in next month’s transfer window.

He tweeted: “Danjuma will not leave Villarreal in January. Liverpool are among top clubs monitoring him for the future but there are no talks for January – he’s staying.”

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The Verdict: Strong squad option

Danujma is the perfect type of signing that Liverpool should be looking to make moving forward – someone already performing at a high level but who could become even more of a force under Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman has been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Jonathan Woodgate following a two-year spell at Bournemouth, and two goals in five caps for Netherlands is a promising return.

Danjuma could come in and be a strong backup for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – at 24, he would also be a long-term signing, much in the same way that Liverpool’s African superstars were when they first came to Anfield.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have fumed at an update regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Aaron Hickey to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast that, after pulling out of the race for Everton left-back Lucas Digne, David Moyes has now turned his attention to younger options in the position this month, with the 19-year-old Bologna left-back being one of the 58-year-old’s targets.

Speaking about the Hammers’ interest in the Scotland U21 international, Ex said: “I’ve been told there’s another Scottish left-back that we may have an interest in, he currently plays for Bologna and is called Aaron Hickey.

“He was on the brink of joining Aston Villa, and Aston Villa are on the brink of signing Lucas Digne – the Everton left-back – who we were also showing a distant interest in. That interest stopped quite early on when we discovered his wage demands.

“I think Moyes is looking to get someone a bit younger with a bit more to prove, and someone who more fits the bill. So this Scottish left-back at Bologna… he’s a very good player with a lot of potential.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of potential Hickey quite clearly possesses, the news that West Ham are interested in a move for the 19-year-old this January is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 19 Serie A appearances in the current campaign, the £11.7m-rated left-back has helped his side keep five clean sheets and scored four goals, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 0.8 clearances and winning 62% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £16k-per-week defender who Daniel Stendel dubbed an “extraordinary talent” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Sinisa Mihajlovic’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

As such, with Ex claiming that Digne was demanding between £160k and £180k-per-week in order to make a move to West Ham, it would indeed appear that pulling out for the race for the 28-year-old in favour of a move for Hickey was a very wise move by the Hammers boss.

The youngster will undoubtedly be a much cheaper option for the club – as well as one who could well turn out to have a higher ceiling than Digne.

In other news: “We do like..”: Ex drops big transfer update on WHU-linked beast, Moyes would love him

With Everton having racked up a mixed bag of results in the Premier League so far this season with five wins, three draws and seven defeats, they have the opportunity to do some business in the upcoming January transfer window to help revitalise the squad and get them on track for the second half of the campaign.

One bit of business which could be done at Goodison Park in January could see one of their current players wave goodbye to the club before any potential new signings walk through the door.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Everton journalist Phil Kirkbride in the Liverpool Echo, Toffees manager Rafael Benitez is seemingly keen to offload players in January, including Cenk Tosun.

Everton secured the signing of the Turkey centre-forward back in the 2018 January transfer window from Turkish club Besiktas in a deal worth a reported fee of £27m. Since then, he has had a loan spell at fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, as well as a temporary return to Istanbul last season.

Overall, the 30-year-old has made 59 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists along the way.

Even though he has been injured for a significant period this season, Tosun has only played six minutes (in one game) in the six matches in which he has featured in Everton’s senior squad in the Premier League in 2021/22.

This suggests to us that he is not regarded fondly by Benitez, even though the Toffees have had Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for quite a while.

With this in mind and the manager seemingly preferring Salomon Rondon, who has played in 10 league games without scoring for Everton so far this season, it’s not surprising to hear that the Spaniard would be willing to move Tosun on from the club in January.

Moving forward, if Everton receive an offer to take him off their hands on a permanent basis for a suitable transfer fee, this could be the best option for all parties if he’s able to get regular playing time elsewhere and the Toffees are able to get his £69k-per-week wages off their books.

Getting Tosun out the door could be a significant step in Benitez revitalising Everton’s stagnant season, especially if it helps to finance a new signing next month.

In other news: Moshiri risks further Everton fury as links emerge on “complete” £110k-p/w machine

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Johnny Kenny to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Scotland, who claim that both Ange Postecoglou’s side and Hibernian are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Sligo Rovers centre-forward ahead of a potential swoop this winter.

However, the report goes on to state that the 18-year-old was in attendance at Hibs’ 1-0 win over Dundee on Tuesday evening, something that would appear to suggest that the Edinburgh side are currently in the driving seat in the race for the youngster’s signature.

Imagine him & Moffat

Considering just how much potential Kenny quite clearly possesses, it is not difficult to see why Postecoglou is reported to be interested in a move for the forward this winter.

Indeed, over his 32 Premier Division appearances for Sligo Rovers this season, the £68k-rated man scored 11 goals and provided his teammates with two assists, returns which have earned the teenager a considerable amount of praise.

Speaking about the Ireland U19 international’s potential, Brendan Tuohy – the player’s former coach – said: “He knew what he wanted, he wanted to be the best that he could be. He worked very hard. Even when we weren’t training you would know well that Johnny was doing more on his own. He was living for it… he had that hunger, dedication. He was very committed, and he didn’t like losing. He had that hunger for success.”

As such, it would appear as if Kenny is a player who perfectly fits the characteristics Postecoglou likes in a signing, and, when taking into account the fact he is still just 18 years of age, the youngster is also a player who the 56-year-old manager could very much mould into a top-level talent.

And, with Celtic already possessing a number of extremely exciting youth prospects at present, none more so than Owen Moffat, the signing of Kenny this winter would only appear to make the future of the club brighter – leading us to believe that the Bhoys must do all they can to land the Sligo Rovers star in January.

In other news: Forget Abada: Celtic gem who won 67% duels proved he’s now someone “Ange can’t ignore”

Aston Villa have a new manager at the helm after the club’s hierarchy decided to replace Dean Smith with Steven Gerrard following a run of five consecutive defeats.

The Villans lost talisman Jack Grealish over the summer but replaced him with a plethora of attacking talent in Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Emi Buendia.

However, Smith proved unable to get the best out of his new-look side and was relieved of his duties with the Midlands outfit sitting in 16th position in the Premier League table and just two points above the relegation zone.

And while the arrival of Gerrard was a surprise to many, the former Rangers boss will bring a new wave of hope and optimism to Villa Park following his impressive exploits north of the border.

Figuring out which system extracts the best from his current squad will be the first task in hand for the 41-year-old, and with the likes of Ings and Douglas Luiz coming back to full fitness imminently, he should have plenty of options to choose from.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast thinks Gerrard’s best XI looks like, with three changes from the side that started Smith’s last game in charge against Southampton…

It would be a huge shock to see the former England international line up with anyone other than Emiliano Martinez in between the sticks after an extremely impressive 18 months with Villa.

Ahead of the South American shot-stopper will likely be a rather familiar back four too.

Although Manchester United loanee Axel Tuanzebe has been filling in at centre-back of late, Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash should complete the defensive unit on a regular basis.

Gerrard predominantly opted to play a 4-3-3 formation during his time in Scotland, and we expect him to do the same following his move to Villa.

Therefore, an engine room made up of Luiz, John McGinn and Buendia is likely to feature on a regular basis, with Gerrard also favouring the guile and creativity of an attack-minded player in the centre of the pitch, meaning the £11.7m-rated dud Anwar El Ghazi will drop to the bench.

In attack, the former Liverpool legend may be tempted to make a bold move regarding Ollie Watkins. The 25-year-old made his name as a right-winger, and he could find himself back out wide to accommodate Danny Ings, with Bailey taking up residency on the opposite flank.

And, in other news…Lange could seal dream AVFC deal with “fantastic” £5.4m-rated ace, Gerrard “loves him” 

Leeds United are now facing a stern transfer battle to sign Basel striker Arthur Cabral amid a recent update.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing the £13.5m-rated star, and there was a significant development surrounding his future at Basel.

Italian publication Corriere dello Sport claimed that Cabral has called off talks with Basel over a potential new contract, with his existing deal with the Swiss club coming to an end in less than two years time.

And now, UOL claim that a number of other sides have been alerted to the striker’s performances, and that Leeds now face competition from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Porto, Southampton and Fiorentina.

Fans would love him

One of the big concerns for Leeds fans this season has of course surrounded their worrying lack of depth up front, especially with Patrick Bamford being out injured for a number of weeks now.

The England international was their chief goal-scorer last term with 17 in the Premier League alone, and his injury this season has seen the Whites’ offensive threat take a real hit – they’ve scored just 11 goals in 11 top-flight games thus far.

In Cabral, those striking worries would be eased considerably.

FocusonLeeds said of the 6 foot 1 centre-forward: “His ability to find space and shoot with power and accuracy is really impressive. He really comes alive in the box and a calmness about him when in goal scoring positions. At 6ft 1 he also provides an aerial threat with 6 off his 18 goals coming from headers.

“Arthur isn’t overly quick in terms of his speed however, he also isn’t slow. Due to his movement in and around the box, he still finds himself in shooting positions a lot. If you combine this with his dribbling ability and quick feet, this helps him work room to gets shots off at goal.”

Indeed, earlier this season, the “relentless” Cabral made a piece of history, becoming the first player in the history of the Swiss Super League to score nine goals in the first seven games, surpassing the record of Christian Gimenez back in 2003/2004.

The man with 72 goals over his entire club career thus far would provide exceptional cover to Bamford while he’s out, and provide genuine competition for him when he’s back too.

Given the kind of prolific striker that he is, Leeds fans would surely love him at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally sell this first-team star…

Tottenham Hotspur sit top of Group G on goal difference as they return to UEFA Europa Conference League action later this evening.

Nuno Santo and his side will be looking to make it four straight wins in all competitions when they head to the Netherlands to face Vitesse at the GelreDome.

The Portuguese is expected to ring the changes, keeping in mind their Premier League clash with West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, so not all of Spurs’ first-team stars will make the trip.

One player who shouldn’t travel is centre-back Cristian Romero, who narrowly made it back from South America to face Newcastle United at the weekend.

He started and played the full 90 minutes as the Lilywhites defeated the Magpies 3-2 at St James’ Park but you could tell that his preparation for the match was far from ideal, thus he should remain in England and be rested for tonight’s encounter.

During the match, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick described the 23-year-old defender as “unsurprisingly very shaky”, whilst football.london’s Alasdair Gold made note of his blunder for the home side to open the scoring.

Romero was beaten far too easily by Callum Wilson just minutes into the game and he never really recovered, not that it was his fault for his selection.

Just a couple of days earlier, he featured for Argentina in their win over Peru in Buenos Aires, he then had to fly back on a private jet along with Spurs’ other three players who had been on international duty in the continent, only just making it back on Saturday – one day earlier.

Meanwhile, as per SofaScore, the £31.5m-rated colossus was dribbled past three times, the second-most in the match, whilst he also lost possession 13 times and made just 49 of his 60 passing attempts, only proving that he was sloppy and a little sluggish on the afternoon.

He should remain in Nuno’s first-choice XI, however, he could probably do with sitting this one out in order to be fresh for this weekend’s London derby.

This decision could be hugely beneficial heading into Sunday.

AND in other news, £27m-rated “freak of a talent” facing fight to save Spurs career amid latest Nuno call…

It may only be ten Premier League games into Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace tenure, but it appears to be a match made in heaven for both club and manager.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman wasn’t the capital club’s No.1 candidate in the summer either. Both Lucien Favre and Nuno Espirito Santo came close to succeeding Roy Hodgson in the Selhurst Park dugout before deciding against it.

But some things are just meant to be. Vieira was next in line on the Palace hierarchy’s wishlist, and he’s shown himself to be a worthy appointment from the moment he arrived in south London.

A rebuilding job awaited the Frenchman when he arrived back in July, with eight new arrivals offsetting the nine first-team departures over the summer transfer window.

Overhauling Hodgson’s pragmatic setup meant completely reimagining the makeup of Palace’s squad, a daunting prospect for any manager, let alone one who had never taken charge of a Premier League game before.

However, Vieira has excelled in his duties both on and off the pitch. Only Will Hughes hasn’t had a significant impact upon proceedings to date, but the talented 26-year-old’s day will surely come.

And Vieira’s impressive work off the pitch has now been lauded by reliable journalist Tom Barclay, who revealed the ex-Nice tactician played a pivotal part in convincing Joachim Andersen to sign for Palace.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “When it comes to some of the signings they made this summer, Joachim Andersen being a prime example, a player who was well-liked by lots of clubs. I know Fulham got relegated, but he impressed a lot last season, and I think he had other options.

“And, I’m told that his conversation with Vieira was a real big factor in him deciding to commit his best years to Crystal Palace. He clearly was won over by him.”

With every passing week, Steve Parish’s decision to hire Vieira looks ever more like a masterclass from the Palace chairman, and a large section of the club’s supporters would surely agree.

Famous victories over Tottenham Hotspur and reigning English champions Manchester City have already been secured this season, meaning 2021/22 is shaping up to be a memorable campaign.

The Eagles fanbase will also be elated to learn that Vieira is capable of convincing exciting talents to commit their future to the club, giving them hope that a prosperous new era has only just begun in south London.

And, in other news…Palace receive potential injury boost ahead of Wolves, Vieira will be delighted 

Tom Barclay has suggested that Ralph Hasenhuttl could change the position of one of his Southampton players.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Tom Barclay has suggested that Southampton could utilise summer signing Tino Livramento as a winger in the Premier League, citing his experience for England at under-21 level.

He told GiveMeSport:

“I did the game at MK Dons, the win against Kosovo, which was Lee Carsley’s first game in charge last month. And Livramento didn’t start, Max Aarons did because he’s the most experienced player in that squad, and clearly Carsley likes him a lot.

“But when Livramento did come on, he came on at right-wing rather right-back and they played together. So that would suggest that he has the ability to do that, and probably be quite impressive.”

Bold call

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl could now solve a big problem by making a bold call over Livramento’s position. By moving him forward into a wide attacking role, the Austrian could bring Romain Perraud in at left-back, play Kyle Walker-Peters in his natural position and replace one of his struggling forwards.

Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Mo Elyounoussi have managed one goal and zero assists between them in six Premier League games this season. This suggests that the wide positions are a problematic area for Hasenhuttl, one he could want to solve in the coming weeks, which is why moving Livramento there could be a masterstroke.

The ex-Leipzig coach lauded the full-back as a fantastic player earlier this month, praising how he has adapted to the physical side of the game. He said:

“He shows every week how strong he is and when you play against such players like these you have to be good and one against one he is.

“He never stays, he is always going and that’s what I want from him. Physically he is a good guy, a good height for a full-back, a fantastic player. But keep it calm – don’t talk too much about him!”

This shows that he has the physical strength to play at the top end of the pitch and take attackers on, whilst his 2.5 key passes and dribbles combined per game show that he has the quality on the ball to make an impact.

He has proven in the early parts of this season that he has the ability to create chances and dribble past opponents, which could help him thrive in an attacking role.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl could solve his issues out wide whilst offering more game time to Perraud and Walker-Peters by making this bold call.

AND in other news, Ralph masterclass: Saints beast has seen value soar 317% since arriving at St. Mary’s…