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With the latest international break now underway, it seems a good time to reflect on Liverpool’s start to their 2021/22 campaign so far.

With 22 points on the board from 11 Premier League games, the Reds have won six, drawn four and lost one in the process, scoring 31 goals along the way, more than any other side in the league.

Outside of the league, Liverpool have also managed to win every Champions League and Carabao Cup games they’ve been involved in.

One player that has featured heavily for the Merseyside club so far this season and has been involved in a significant number of goals is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

With 12 appearances under his belt at this point in the season across the Premier League and Champions League, the defender has managed to provide seven assists and grabbed his first goal of the season with a brilliant free-kick in their recent 3-2 defeat against Liverpool.

In addition to this, it may not be a surprise to hear that Alexander-Arnold, who is currently valued at £67.5m according to Transfermarkt, has racked up an average of 3.3 key passes per game in the Premier League so far this season, highlighting how much of an attacking threat he is for Jurgen Klopp side.

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While Mohamed Salah will understandably be seen as Liverpool’s star man this season given how he’s managed to score 15 goals in 15 games across all competitions so far this season, we feel that Alexander-Arnold is definitely deserving of some praise for his efforts this term as well.

With pundit Rio Ferdinand describing Alexander-Arnold as a “fabulous footballer” after his display against Atletico Madrid at Anfield where he assisted both of Liverpool’s goals in the 2-0 win, it’s good to see that he is getting some recognition.

Despite his frightening attacking statistics, Alexander-Arnold has also played his part defensively for the team with an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.4 clearances and 1.9 interceptions per game in the league, which is higher than the average of clearances and interceptions he made in the league last season.

If the England international can keep delivering the same sort of performances that he has been doing in the campaign so far that have put him as Liverpool’s second-highest rated player in the league according to WhoScored with an overall rating of 7.7/10, throughout the rest of the campaign, then he could well give the club a great chance of securing the Premier League title.

In other news: FSG must secure Liverpool swoop for dream Salah heir in £144m-rated “golden boy” – opinion

With Dara O’Shea suffering a serious injury earlier in the season that will keep him out for the next few months and Kean Bryan suffering a season-ending blow recently, it’s safe to say West Brom will need as many defensive options as possible at their disposal for the time being.

With that in mind, it seems that the Midlands club could be set to lose one of their young defenders currently in their youth ranks.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by All Nigeria Soccer (via Birmingham Live) that Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Aston Villa and Southampton are interested in signing West Brom youth defender Kevin Joshua.

Despite only joining West Brom’s U23 side from Solihull Moors’ U19 side back in March for an undisclosed fee, the 19-year-old centre-back has played in six of their 11 league games, grabbing one assist in the process, showing how impressive he has been given the number of clubs reportedly eyeing up a transfer swoop for the youngster.

Ferguson 2.0

Even though Joshua hasn’t made an appearance for Valerien Ismael’s side this season, there is a possibility that Ismael could be forced into giving the teenager his senior debut for the Baggies given their defensive injury issues, and certainly if any of their other senior defenders get injured between now and the end of the season.

Therefore, it should now be one of Lai Guochuan’s top priorities to keep hold of Joshua and out of the clutches of the numerous clubs reportedly interested in signing him, which could be seen as a disaster if he were to leave the club so soon after joining them. That’s especially when you consider the way they lost a fellow defensive talent in Nathan Ferguson so controversially to the jaws of the Premier League.

Given his young age, there’s no reason why Joshua, who has been described as a player who is “aggressive, quick, and excellent on the ball,” by his agent Arfan Rehman when he joined the club, couldn’t go on to become a regular first-team figure at The Hawthorns in the future, giving the Midlands club even more reason to keep the defender in their ranks.

Moving forward, perhaps giving the teenager some first-team minutes could not only help Ismael’s side in the short term while O’Shea and Bryan are out injured but also in the long-term by proving that they feel Joshua will have a big part to play for the senior team. By doing so, they may also be able to avoid a repeat Ferguson scenario too.

In other news: 60% duels won: WBA’s “dangerous” £18k-p/w beast proved he can be Ismael’s main man – opinion

Southampton are currently in the middle of being both close to the top half of the table but also close enough to get entangled in a relegation battle, as they sit in 13th place in the Premier League right now.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be wanting to get much more comfortable in the Saints’ league campaign before Christmas as every point matters right now and every point earned takes them a step closer to a comfortable position with less pressure as the season goes on.

Southampton have the opportunity to pick up points on several occasions against teams in a similar position to themselves but also face Liverpool at Anfield this week and Arsenal at the Emirates in just over a fortnight. Both games will be testing for the side and they will be looking to break down their opponents early in the game.

One player who will be hoping to get his chance to make an impact in not only these more challenging fixtures, but the rest of the season in general, is Nathan Tella.

The 22-year-old was tipped to be a Saints regular, but for some reason has been out of favour in Hasenhuttl’s set up for the starting line up this season.

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The manager opened about the youngster’s lack of opportunity to play in the team regularly this season but praised the “energetic” player;

“I am actually a little bit disappointed that I cannot give him more chances to play,”

“The games that we are playing at the moment are not so perfect for him, I think.

“I must say that, in the number ten position, he has a lot of good qualities. He is very energetic and he has a really good ability against the ball, running back and sprinting back.”

Southampton lost to bottom of the league, Norwich, last weekend which should have been, on paper, an easy win for the Saints, especially with the Canaries’ current record and lack of team consistency.

Alas, they beat the south coast side 2-1, and Hasenhuttl’s men went away with zero points to add to their attempt to push away from relegation conversations.

Tella’s energy and hunger for minutes, however, could be a boost to the Austrian’s current starting XI, especially ahead of Ibrahima Diallo who was used out of position on the right last time out.

Not only is that a reason to unleash him, but it will also enable the youngster to gain experience and confidence in the Premier League that could come extremely handy to the side in the latter stages of the season if they find themselves in trouble at that point.

In other news: Jack Stephens injury boost ahead of Anfield clash

It’s difficult to envisage Celtic shelling out £10million to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers permanently, journalist Stephen McGowan says. 

The lowdown

Centre-back Carter-Vickers is currently on a season-long loan from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

He’s started 10 of Celtic’s 15 SPFL matches to date and all five of their Europa League fixtures.

According to WhoScored, he’s been the Hoops’ fifth-best performer in the league so far.

But Record Sport claim they will have to shell out an eight-figure sum to make the loan permanent.

That would break Celtic’s transfer record, which currently stands at the £9.27million they paid for Odsonne Edouard back in 2018/19.

The latest

McGowan, The Scottish Daily Mail’s chief football writer, says Carter-Vickers would be a ‘quality’ long-term addition, but he doesn’t expect Celtic to meet Spurs’ demands.

“I maybe just wonder if a Carter-Vickers and a Jota, just those couple of pieces of quality they should prioritise rather than in gambling on the Ismaila Soro-type settings,” he said on Clyde One Superscoreboard, via Celts Are Here.

“But £10m? Again, I repeat, I don’t know if that figure’s accurate or not. I really don’t.

“I think that’s a bit rich, and I couldn’t really see Celtic paying that anyway.”

The verdict

Carter-Vickers is ‘doing really well’ at Parkhead and has established himself as a ‘key player’, Paddy Kenny says.

But will Celtic be willing to break records to keep him? They did turn a near-£14million profit transfer-wise in the summer, and they’ve paid big money for defenders before: Christopher Jullien cost them £7.2million in 2019.

And there’s also a possibility that Spurs struggle to offload Carter-Vickers for the stated price tag and agree to compromise. Indeed, Danny Mills has told the Hoops to make an effort to ‘renegotiate’.

Perhaps there is a deal to be done.

In other news, is this a statement of intent from Celtic?

Newcastle United are now set to battle with former manager Rafa Benitez, now at Everton, to sign Gini Wijnaldum on loan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Gini’s journey

It seems like an age since Wijnaldum rocked up at St. James’ Park, in a season where he contributed a very impressive 11 goals and five assists from midfield, as he played in every single game of the North East club’s 2015/16 Premier League term (Transfermarkt).

Unfortunately, they were relegated at the end of that campaign, prompting the Netherlands international to leave for Liverpool, where he enjoyed so much success.

Dubbed as being ‘absolutely sensational’ by Tyneside legend Alan Shearer when he was Anfield back in 2018, Wijnaldum was a regular in a Reds side which eventually won both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, further showing his credentials.

Nonetheless, he moved to PSG in the summer, and may already be looking for a way out of France…

The Latest: Wijnaldum battle

As per 90min, the Magpies are one of a number of teams to have now been approached by PSG in order to try and take Wijnaldum on loan next month, following their interest in the 31-year-old.

However, Benitez is set to battle with them in order to secure his signature, while Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City and Aston Villa are also not against the idea of snapping him up.

Any club who takes him on would have to pay a ‘significant portion’ of his hefty £300,000-per-week wages though, which could prove to be a stumbling block.

The Verdict: Do it

Wijnaldum would certainly be a popular addition among the Toon Army, given the albeit brief success that he had with them before.

The experience and winning mentality that he has gained since then at both Liverpool and PSG would also be vital to Eddie Howe’s squad, as they aim to get themselves out of the relegation zone by the end of the season.

Nonetheless, he has shown his quality before, and so would be a shrewd addition to the middle of the park.

In other news, find out which ‘warrior’ NUFC are now targeting here!

New Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has been settling into life at Old Trafford and will have been spending his time trying to find solutions to the problems which have been ongoing at the club over the last few years.

United currently sit sixth in the league, with only two wins from their last five in the division, a rate which will need to be improved upon if they want to be in contention for a Champions League spot at the end of the season.

Rangnick has already displayed heavy rotation during his two games in charge so far, which will give the German a fair idea of which areas need work and where he can add quality in the upcoming transfer window.

One area of the United team which has been constantly criticised and heavily reported upon is the midfield.

The lack of a trustworthy defensive midfielder has been a constant theme in this Red Devils side, but it’s a problem to which Rangnick may already have the solution with a player he has coached in the past.

Tyler Adams, who currently plays for RB Leipzig, has been speculated to be in for a move to Old Trafford in January to help the 63-year-old establish a good start in his interim reign as Manchester United manager.

Rangnick, who worked with Adams at Leipzig when he was doubling up duties as first team coach and sporting director, called the 22-year-old “unbelievable” and compared him to Joshua Kimmich.

“Like Joshua, Tyler has an unbelievable will to win. He wants to win every match and every training game. He wants to improve and listens. He’s never satisfied. The sky is the limit,” the United boss told Bundesliga.com.

The Red Devils’ hunt for a new defensive midfielder has been long-awaited and it was thought that this would’ve happened in the summer under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. For whatever reason, the position was not strengthened, but now Rangnick could bring in the perfect man for the job with the £18m-rated American gem.

It may just be the missing piece which could take Manchester United back to where they belong, inside the top four, especially when combining Adams experience in defensive midfield with Bruno Fernandes’ creative flair. Together they could be quite the force and build a working partnership which glues together the defence and the forward line perfectly.

Out of holding midfielder, which means he could offer United a lot of experience in the role. Also, after working with Rangnick, he should not struggle to understand the German’s vision and ways of working, comfortably integrating into the team.

Rangnick should work fast to secure the signing of the 20-year-old, ensuring that the Red Devils can go into the second half of the season full of confidence, with strong options in every position.

In other news: This Man Utd player has been linked with a move to Spain

So far this season, Sunderland have managed to win 13 of their 21 played league games, drawing three and losing five, earning them 42 points and placing them in third place in the league table.

With Sunderland having had a number of injury issues to deal with for the past few weeks with the likes of Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin, Denver Hume, Aiden McGeady and Luke O’Nien all out, this shows how well manager Lee Johnson and the available players he’s had at his disposal have done lately.

Having gone unbeaten in their five previous league games, it seems as though the Sunderland fans could have something to be excited about and look forward to during the upcoming January transfer window that could help Johnson’s side make their final push for promotion.

On the subject of the January market, Johnson had this to say on the matter over the weekend.

He said: “Our aim will be to come out of the January transfer window better than we went into it. There’s always a natural evolution of any squad. I think we will be able to recruit – I expect us to be able to recruit. Nobody has told me any different.”

Taking this into account, it certainly sounds that Johnson will be looking to strengthen his squad in January as the Black Cats aim to finally win promotion back to the Championship after spending the previous three seasons in League One.

Given their injury issues, particularly in the defensive areas, perhaps this should be where the Wearside club look to add in the winter to make sure they don’t miss out on promotion.

With this in mind, January could provide Kyril Louis-Dreyfus with a great chance of giving Johnson exactly what he needs to get Sunderland through to the end of the season and in with a chance of securing their place in the Championship for next season.

In addition to any potential new players coming in, Sunderland also have the option of recalling some of their players currently loaned out elsewhere such as Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes, which could also give Johnson some extra options in his squad to get them over the line to promotion.

In other news: Big blow: Sunderland dealt yet another injury setback that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur could form a frightening frontline amid interest in Adama Traore this January…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit have once again been linked with a move for the powerful Wolverhampton Wanderers winger ahead of next month’s transfer window.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is a huge fan of the Spain international and the club could be set to revisit their interest in signing him.

‘The speed-king was identified as a target while Nuno [Santo] was in charge during the summer, but Spurs only made an offer to take him on loan. Conte is also a fan of the player and would no doubt see a similar bid as a waste of time. He will want Levy to commit to the kind of offer that might make Wolves think,’ he wrote.

Earlier this month, it was suggested that Wolves would accept a bid as low as £18m for the 25-year-old, as per ESPN.

Imagine him and Son

Not only would Traore be a perfect fit for Conte’s wing-back system in N17 but he could give Spurs another standout option in the final third, one that would send fear into many a Premier League defence.

He’s capable of playing as a winger, more centrally as an inside-forward and at wing-back, so there is plenty of room for the Italian to fit him into the team.

Traore has long been a nuisance in the top-flight and alongside a player like Heung-min Son, Conte could have a frightening duo to play in behind Harry Kane.

As he did last season, the Wolves star leads the division for dribbles per game (4.7). Of course, his end product has always been brought into question but Kane and Son are there to take up the brunt of the goalscoring duties.

He’s still averaging 1.1 key passes per game, proving to be quite the creative option, too.

Aside from his ball-carrying ability, Traore is also built like a brick wall and his physicality is another reason why so many full-backs struggle to combat him.

Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster” to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, whilst Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable.”

On the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal a move for Traore, especially for as little as £18m, in January.

AND in other news, Spurs can sign their next Mousa Dembele in “devastating” £26m-rated machine who won’t cost a penny…

Aston Villa and Leicester City have approached Rangers over midfielder Joe Aribo, according to Fichajes.net, with the clubs hoping to complete a deal before he plays another game at Ibrox.

The lowdown

25-year-old Aribo is in the final 18 months of his £14,000-per-week contract at Ibrox.

The midfield maestro, who can also play on the right, joined Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic in 2019 and has gone to make 123 appearances for the club.

He’s now valued at £5.85million by Transfermarkt, a figure that’s soared since the summer of 2020.

The latest

The report claims Steven Gerrard has ‘expressly requested’ the signing of Aribo as he looks to reunite with the player in the Midlands.

Leicester are at a ‘disadvantage’, but their midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is a ‘great friend’ of Aribo and will try and convince his countryman to pick The Foxes.

Both clubs have ‘already contacted’ Rangers but if they’re to do a deal in January, it’ll most likely have to be before Aribo ‘concentrates’ on the Africa Cup of Nations.

UK-based players are expected to link up with the Nigeria squad on Monday, January 3, meaning Aribo has played his last game for the Light Blues if one of the buyers get their wish.

The verdict

Could Aribo have played his last game for Rangers? Well, if Villa and Leicester are wary of losing out to each other, they may well try to fast-track the deal in the next week.

While they would be furnished with the funds to replace him, losing Aribo would undoubtedly be a big blow to Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

He’s started 19 out of a possible 20 Premiership matches and ranks as their second-highest performer according to WhoScored metrics, behind only James Tavernier.

Aribo, who’s scored six goals and provided three assists in the SPFL, has been hailed as a ‘gem’ and the ‘best player in the league’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, so the club must ensure they bank a huge profit if they opt to cash in.

In other news, Rangers have been linked with this Spanish sensation.

Everton advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup after a 3-2 win in extra time away at Championship outfit Hull City thanks to goals from Demarai Gray, Andre Gomes and Andros Townsend.

The Toffees had gone behind after 45 seconds, however, Rafa Benitez’s side rallied and eventually shook off the resilient Tigers to progress in the competition.

The task at hand shouldn’t have been as tricky as it eventually proved to be for the Premier League side, particularly with manager Benitez opting to make just four changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Brighton in the league last weekend.

The 61-year-old had plenty of his regulars on show in East Yorkshire, with some not living up to the required standard. One of those was centre-back Michael Keane who had a disappointing evening at the MKM Stadium.

Keane failed to make a single tackle during the 120 minutes that he was on the pitch, a shambolic statement really when you consider the fact that the Englishman is a defender.

Moreover, the fact that the centre-back was playing against a side who, with respect, are 19th in the Championship table.

Furthermore, the 28-year-old lost possession 19 times and didn’t manage to block a single shot whilst also managing three interceptions.

The £65k-per-week defender has been a regular since Rafa Benitez took over at Everton last summer, having not missed a single minute of Premier League action so far this campaign.

It could be argued that the Englishman’s presence is a catalyst for the Merseyside club’s underwhelming first half of the season with the Toffees currently in 15th place in the Premier League. After all, he was dubbed “sloppy” for his involvement in the concession of a goal earlier this term by Sport Witness journalist Sean Lunt.

With the January transfer window open, it is unknown how Everton’s squad will look come the end of the month and more performances similar to that of Saturday evenings may cause Benitez to ponder the idea of adding a centre-back to his ranks that could provide Keane with more competition.

In other news, Everton have been linked with this well-known forward…