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With Valerien Ismael fielding a strong West Bromwich Albion side in Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup clash against Brighton, it is clear that the 46-year-old was hoping to secure something of an upset against Graham Potters’ Seagulls.

However, despite taking the lead through Callum Robinson’s strike shortly after half-time, all hope of securing a Premier League scalp at The Hawthorns vanished in a matter of minutes – two, to be exact – as Albion’s stand-in centre-back Cedric Kipre received two bookings in the space of just 120 seconds.

Indeed, Jakub Moder pulled the visitors level with just nine minutes of normal time remaining – ensuring that the fixture would go to extra time – before Neal Maupay completed the turnaround on 98 minutes. Ismael’s hope of a top-flight scalp was an opportunity very much missed, with the match finishing 2-1 to Brighton.

While it was undoubtedly the 25-year-old’s dismissal which turned the tide in the game, the £900k-rated defender’s overall performance today demonstrated exactly why Ismael is reportedly open to parting with the former Ivory Coast under-23 international this month.

Fewer touches than Button

Indeed, over his 69 minutes on the pitch, the £14k-per-week defender had just 34 touches of the ball – 16 fewer than David Button between the West Brom sticks – completed just 18 of his 25 passes (a success rate of just 72%) and lost possession of the ball nine times.

These returns saw the defender receive a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.0, the lowest of any Albion player to feature this afternoon. The Athletic’s Steve Madeley also dubbed Kipre “daft” for giving “the ref a decision to make” regarding his second yellow card.

As such, while West Brom are currently short of options at centre-back – with Semi Ajayi away at the African Cup of Nations and Dara O’Shea not yet back from injury – Ismael must nevertheless do all he can to axe the 25-year-old before the month is up. His display against Brighton is only the latest time Kipre has cost Albion dearly, and we believe that the defender must surely have played his final game for the club.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops 4-word transfer update which will leave West Brom fans furious

An update has emerged on Newcastle United, regarding their pursuit of Burnley striker Chris Wood…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the Clarets did not expect the Magpies to stump up the cash to activate his release clause.

He initially Tweeted: “Also hearing as per @JPercyTelegraph that Chris Wood is travelling to the North East tonight for a medical. Newcastle have met his Burnley release clause, which is thought to be in the region of £20m.”

The reporter then added: “Burnley were aware of Chris Wood’s release clause but didn’t think Newcastle would trigger it. They thought it was too high. Clarets angry that Wood would leave to a relegation rival. His Burnley contract was up next year.”

Delight

This update from Downie will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted as it perfectly illustrates the muscle they now have in the transfer market. Long gone are the days of refusing to pay loan fees and missing out on signings because of it.

PIF are making serious moves and putting their money where their mouth is, as shown by Burnley’s surprise at this deal for the striker. That is why fans will be over the moon as it shows that their club is making strides off the pitch in order to change their fortunes around on it.

The supporters will also be buzzing as it means that Wood is poised to arrive to bolster the squad. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and could provide a lift to the squad on the pitch in the second half of the campaign.

He has previously been compared to Magpies legend Alan Shearer, with former Leeds man Ben Parker saying of a goal he scored for the Whites:

“It was a fantastic header. He’s kind of like Sheareresque and I don’t think there are many strikers in the division, especially in the Championship, even going to the Premier League, who would have scored with that header.”

Wood has scored 10+ goals in each of the past four seasons leading up to the 2021/22 campaign. This shows that he knows how to find the back of the net at this level and could be a key asset for Howe in the coming months as they attempt to work their way out of the relegation zone, which is why fans will be buzzing with the deal overall.

AND in other news, “Still trying”: Keith Downie issues five-word NUFC claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Everton fans are fuming with a claim from Fabrizio Romano about the potential appointment of Vitor Pereira as the club’s new manager.

According to a tweet from the reliable journalist, the 53-year-old will arrive in England today to meet with the Toffees’ board. The meeting will discuss his contract, staff and further details which will be needed for the club to arrive at a final decision.

Pereira was most recently manager at Turkish side Fenerbahce, but his spell in charge was short-lived as he lasted just six months and 25 matches at the Istanbul club.

He has achieved success at club level, though, having won a number of trophies during his time as a manager. Between 2011 and 2013 at Porto, he won the Primeira Liga and Portuguese Super Cup twice each, and more recently he won the league and Chinese Super Cup whilst in charge of Shanghai SIPG. A domestic double with Olympiakos in Greece is on his CV, too.

Many Everton fans fume at Pereira rumours

Toffees news page Everton Blue Army shared Romano’s claim on their Twitter feed, and the news was met with a strong reaction by the club’s supporters.

Many Everton fans flocked to the comments to share their disgust with the “frightening” potential appointment of Pereira, with some doubts possibly stemming from his abortive recent spell at Fenerbahce. Here’s what some Toffees supporters had to say:

“Another one sacked within 6 months. Great”

Credit: @Lawemannen

“Oh dear oh dear”

Credit: @prospartangamer

“Peterborough away, here we come”

Credit: @efc1978

“This club is run by people who have NO idea about football.”

Credit: @DoEfc

“Start worrying, sacked in the Turkish league, the hierarchy of this club is frightening, we are going down!”

Credit: @Joel_1878

“And there we have it….. confirmed relegation to the Championship.”

Credit: @DAH1878

In other news: ‘Absolutely cursed’, ‘Pain’ – Loads of Everton fans fume as club shares ‘depressing’ update

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has dropped a fresh twist in Everton’s hunt for a new manager…

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that former Porto boss Vitor Pereira was the man leading the race to replace Rafa Benitez on a permanent basis, but it now appears that Frank Lampard has once again come into consideration following a significant development.

Writing initially on Twitter, Ornstein said: “Amid a mixed reaction reaction to reports of Vitor Pereira’s potential appointment as Everton boss, understand a final decision has yet to be made by #EFC owner Farhad Moshiri and Frank Lampard is still very much in contention for the job.”

Fans will be buzzing

The fact that Toffees fans took to protesting about Pereira’s potential appointment as the club’s new manager speaks volumes about just how much they disagreed with Moshiri’s first choice.

Ornstein’s update that the reaction to Pereira’s possible hiring has seemingly impacted the decision to appoint him is sure to be a major relief to Everton fans, while revealing Lampard is still “very much in contention” is a double boost.

And on Twitter, a move for Lampard was backed by The Telegraph’s Matt Law, who said: “Sure I’ll get stick on Twitter for this but surely Lampard is the obvious choice for Everton. Fans seem to want him, track record in English football, can communicate ideas quickly + make instant impact. Not only proved he can use youth but has also made good transfer decisions

“Qualifying for and managing in the CL, also getting to an FA Cup final, seems plenty qualified for the Everton job to me. Yes, Chelsea were ninth when they had sacked him after 19 games, but they had been in top 3 for first 11 games of that season.”

Lampard’s time with Chelsea and Derby has seen him pick up valuable experience in English football, and quite crucially, a real mix between competing at the very top end of the pyramid with the Blues, and leading a side in the play-offs down in the Championship.

As Law himself says, Everton “fans seem to want him”, and it’s exactly why Ornstein’s news on this mini manager saga is sure to delight them.

Meanwhile, Everton have made an enquiry for this European star…

Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino is ‘desperate’ to stay at Anfield beyond the January transfer deadline, as per Goal’s Neil Jones. 

Minamino’s prospects in L4 may have taken a further hit with the signing of £37m attacker Luis Diaz from FC Porto. The Japanese forward is yet to start a Premier League game this season, and now he faces more big-money competition.

Reports after Diaz’s arrival suggested that Liverpool would listen to offers for Minamino and Divock Origi in the final days of the window.

However, the former seems to have no interest in moving elsewhere, and Jones wrote on his Facebook page that the Reds have rebuffed ‘initial interest’ from AS Monaco and Leeds United in any case.

Minamino has played a key role in Liverpool’s run to the final of the Carabao Cup, scoring four goals in their five matches in the competition, including a late equaliser to force a penalty shoot-out against Leicester City in the quarter-finals.

Fan feed Anfield Watch relayed Jones’ claim, and here’s how these Reds supporters reacted.

These Liverpool fans delighted by Minamino news

“Yes Taki!”

Credit: @DJDazza84

“Yess”

Credit: @ai_leo_hi

“Carabao Salah, let’s go!!”

Credit: @phylosiothical

“Redemption season still on!!”

Credit: @hassan_ahmed99

“Yes my boi!!!!”

Credit: @zsangboi

“Yasss I was worried”

Credit: @TeslaP100D1

In other news, there’s been a big update on the future of this Reds youngster

Speaking live on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), reporter Rob Dorsett has shared some ‘huge news’ out of West Bromwich Albion involving Steve Bruce.

The Lowdown: Ismael sacked…

After eight months in charge, former Baggies boss Valerien Ismael was given his marching orders, with The Daily Mail claiming that he had lost the faith of West Brom’s playing staff in recent weeks.

His assistant Adam Murray has also departed The Hawthorns as the Championship promotion-chasers now commence their search for Ismael’s replacement.

This comes as West Brom drop off the pace in their battle to secure promotion back to the Premier League, with Sky Sports now sharing ‘huge news’ on the club’s quest for a new manager.

The Latest: Sky drop ‘huge’ Bruce news…

As per the reliable broadcaster, Albion are now in advanced talks to appoint Bruce as their new boss as Dorsett shares ‘huge news’ out of the club on Wednesday evening.

“I can tell you, I’ve been told from senior sources that Steve Bruce is in advanced negotiations with West Bromwich Albion right now to potentially take over as their new head coach,” he explained on live TV.

“I think Albion probably wanted to keep this news quiet, but it’s huge news and it has leaked to me, what huge news that would be if Steve Bruce decided to step back into football management now.”

The Verdict: Right candidate?

While the 61-year-old has averaged a pretty tame 1.36 points per game over his career as a coach, overseeing almost as many losses as victories recorded (Transfermarkt), his record of achieving promotion is one plus point to this potential appointment.

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph highlighted how Bruce has earned more promotions from England’s second tier under his belt than any other manager, adding that it is ‘understandable’ why West Brom are interested (Twitter).

If the Baggies confirm this appointment today, the rest of 2021/22 will certainly be interesting.

Aston Villa make their return to Premier League action on Wednesday night when they take on Leeds United at Villa Park.

Steven Gerrard’s side come into the game off the back of a 1-o victory away at Goodison Park against Everton before the mini break, and will be hoping to continue this resurgence under their new manager.

And while Villa fans will no doubt be hoping to see more out of January signing Philippe Coutinho, who marked his debut for the club by scoring and setting up one against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago, it’s Emi Buendia who could be the biggest danger to Leeds tonight.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Gerrard congratulated Buendia on the club’s player of the month award for January and hailed the Argentine for the way he has progressed.

He said: “We believe he’s had a fantastic month (in January). All the players needed time to adapt to us and the way we want to play. The good thing for Emi is we believe this style, shape and what we’re trying to do is tailormade for him and his own style. We feel it’s a really good match.

“He’s seen that early on and we’ve had real buy-in from him. He’s a tenacious little character and player, he’s got amazing talent and he’s got stronger and stronger with each training session.”

The 25-year-old was superb last season for Norwich, playing in between the lines to good effect and showing the kind of eye for a pass which saw him finish as the Championship’s leading assists provider with 16 last term.

And while his performances this campaign at Villa Park has hardly set the world alight – he’s managed just two goals all year – there have been very promising signs to say the least in these past few weeks since Gerrard’s arrival as the club’s new manager.

He of course scored the winner last time out against Everton, while he also picked up an assist in the defeat to Brentford, and will be hoping that a clash against Leeds, who play a very open style of football, is his opportunity to shine.

Indeed, as per Whoscored, out of players who have made more than five starts in the Premier League this season for Villa, Buendia ranks second among his teammates for shots per game, second for key passes, and top for dribbles – exactly the kind of attacking intent that could really catch Leeds out.

While much of the hype might surround Coutinho following his January arrival, it’s Buendia who appears to be coming to the fore.

Meanwhile, Lange could repeat a transfer mistake with this star…

Everton have had their fair share of injury problems this season, which has had a huge impact on the team in terms of inconsistent performances, and now the side have found themselves struggling for safety in the league, just four points off the relegation zone.

The club have a number of tough fixtures ahead of them, with a clash against the league Champions, Manchester City coming up this weekend at Goodison Park, in a game that will be the biggest tactical challenge Lampard has faced in his short tenure as the Toffees boss so far, with the Manchester club losing fewer games than Everton have even won this season so far.

The three-time Premier League title winner turned coach, has developed a winning mentality over his years of success as a player at Chelsea, and will not want to lose to Pep Guardiola’s side at the weekend, and will likely feel like he has a point to prove that he can inject that winning focus into his team from the sideline too.

With that being said, Lampard will be thrilled that Abdoulaye Doucoure has returned from injury after he was sidelined against Aston Villa early into the new year, and has not been available to play since the ex-Derby manager joined the club on Deadline Day last month.

Doucoure, who Carlos Ancelotti claimed was the “complete midfielder”, has been one of the most consistent and effective midfielders in the team this season for Everton, scoring two goals and assisting his teammates four times in 18 appearances so far.

The £22.5m-rated midfielder offers both offensive and defensive attributes that Lampard can deploy in his team against Manchester City, winning the majority of his duels (51%), successful in the majority of his dribbles (55%) and making 2.1 tackles per game on average, as recorded by SofaScore.

Lampard has already said himself that he wasn’t happy with how the midfield played against Southampton in the defeat last weekend, with the manager taking to his post-match interview to reflect on changes and confirm the potential of Doucoure’s return.

The Toffees manager said:

“Doucoure might be close to being fit for the game, and that will give me different midfield options. We weren’t good enough in midfield today. That’s the job for us in the week to get right.”

As a result of the blunt admission on the problems Lampard feels the team had last weekend, we expect him to make significant changes against Manchester City and the return of Doucoure could be one that hugely benefits the team in the tough games ahead in the last months of the season.

In other news: Moshiri made a huge mistake letting Rodriguez go

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Campbell of Sky Sports has made a Tottenham Hotspur exit claim involving Harry Kane and Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Red Devils eye move…

According to ESPN in the last week, Antonio Conte’s star striker is very much on the radar of United and could well be targeted this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This comes after their cross-town rivals Manchester City failed with their own attempts to prise Daniel Levy’s star asset away from north London last year. Indeed, the Sky Blues allegedly lodged bids in excess of £100m but even those offers ultimately couldn’t sway Tottenham’s chairman.

As per the American broadcast giant, the Red Devils may now take a turn to swoop for Kane, with the report and journalist Mark Ogden adding ‘especially’ if Mauricio Pochettino is appointed at Old Trafford.

The Latest: Campbell makes ‘interesting’ claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, former Arsenal striker Campbell believes that Kane going to United is a possibility, saying ‘watch this space’.

He explained: “I can see it happening. It wouldn’t surprise me, put it that way.

“We are watching Harry Kane do the business for Spurs again. I can’t help but think he would be doing that for City every week if they had pulled the trigger. It is crazy.

“Look, Kane is England captain and he is a great striker. He is a top-class goalscorer. He is always going to be linked with a move, especially after what happened last summer. It will be interesting to see what happens this summer.

“Spurs have been alright of late but let’s be honest, no love has been lost between Kane and Daniel Levy. I think it will be a case of watch this space.”

The Verdict: Possible?

The 28-year-old still has until 2024 to see out his Spurs contract, by which time he’ll be over 30 and into the twilight phase of his career, potentially making this summer make-or-break for Kane to seal a big move.

As City turn their attention to signing Borussia Dortmund star Erling Braut Haaland, United could feasibly be one of the only few clubs remaining who could afford Levy’s sky-high £100m+ valuation for the England captain.

As for Kane’s personal stance, sources suggest that he has a great relationship with Conte but, as things stand, it is unclear whether he will push for a summer switch or commit to Spurs (ESPN).

Tottenham’s progress under the Italian in the next few months is likely to be a big factor, and with the likes of United eyeing a move for their star striker, ending this season on a high will be pivotal.

In other news: ‘Worrying’ – Insider shares what ‘in the know’ source is ‘reporting’ at Tottenham, find out more here.

Paddy Kenny has given his reaction to some news that he has now heard from Mehrdad Ghodoussi at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Staying at SJP

In an interview with The Athletic last week, Magpies co-owner Ghodoussi revealed the North East club will be staying at St James’ Park, instead of building a new stadium.

They will also be looking to expand the ground beyond its current capacity, as they continue to build for the long-term project.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Kenny has now given his reaction to the news, and the 43-year-old was nothing short of delighted:

“It’s a brilliant move, there is so much tradition there.

“Newcastle fans are really passionate fans, they sell out every week. I’ve played there before it’s amazing.

“The place has been electric since the takeover and you can only think that will continue.

“Expanding is a good idea. It’s almost the next stage of their development as a club.

“It’s always full so I’m sure Newcastle would have no problem filling an 80,000 seater.

“It’s a great stadium to go to now so imagine the noise if there are 80,000 in there, that will be special.“

The Verdict: Another step

The expansion of the stadium is another step towards fulfilling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s ambitions of becoming a real powerhouse in English football, and then eventually on the world stage.

It is a great gesture as well to stay at St. James’ Park, a ground that the Toon Army have become attached to as their home, which they will now hope can become a fortress over the next few years.

Nonetheless, increasing the capacity will also attract more fans to the games, not just locally, but from around the world as well if they are successful, which will only help the Tyneside outfit build further.

In other news, find out what big transfer update has now emerged from NUFC here!