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West Bromwich Albion have been warned about allowing Sam Johnstone’s contract situation to roll into January.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with West Brom News, the former Albion centre-forward Kevin Phillips warned Valerien Ismael that not tying the 28-year-old down to a new deal before the start of the January transfer window would be disastrous for the club, as the goalkeeper would be free to talk to other teams about a potential move on a free at the end of the season.

Speaking about Johnstone’s future, Phillips said: “January comes around fast. It’s only three months away and you’re into January so before you know it, it’ll be on top of you. If you haven’t got it sorted then he can talk to people and behind the scenes, things will be happening.

“It’s a slight concern. You don’t want that going on when you want to challenge for promotion, you don’t want an upheaval for your main goalkeeper. You’d like to get that new deal done as quickly as you can as long as the player wants to stay and wants to get it done.

“From my experience, I’d want that done now so it doesn’t distract away from what they’re wanting to do.”

Ismael should be worried

With it being reported that Johnstone is waiting to see exactly how West Brom’s Championship campaign pans out before putting pen to paper on a new deal at The Hawthorns, the situation Phillips is warning the Baggies about appears to be a very real possibility, and is something that should have Ismael worried.

Indeed, it would be far from ideal for West Brom to be pushing for promotion in the second half of the season while arguably their most important player may be planning an escape route out of the club, as Johnstone’s attention would naturally not be 100% focused on doing all he can to help his side go on to secure a top-two spot in the league.

Furthermore, the uncertainty surrounding the £28k-per-week shot-stopper would also more than likely be playing on the Frenchman’s mind, as, if the 28-year-old has not signed a new deal by January, Ismael would undoubtedly be questioning whether or not the man Micah Richards dubbed an “exceptional” player is committed to the club, as well as beginning to think about who he could sign to replace the England international next summer.

These are all distractions that West Brom could do without in their push for an immediate return to the Premier League, leading us to believe that it would indeed be a very smart move to determine, one way or another, what Johnstone is planning to do with his future before the January transfer window kicks off.

In other news: Forget Grant: “First-class” West Brom ace who made just 6 passes stole the show vs QPR

In the early days of the 2022 January transfer window, Wolves have recalled Dion Sanderson and Ryan Giles from their loan deals, as well as securing a deal for midfielder Hayao Kawabe.

However, despite there still being a considerable amount of time left in the window, it appears that Wolves fans shouldn’t be holding their breath for many more incoming signings this month.

What’s the news?

In a recent article by Tim Spiers for The Athletic, comments from the club’s technical director Scott Sellars were shared about what their plans will be for the current transfer window which may not please a lot of fans at Molineux.

Sellars said: “It’s hard to predict what happens in any transfer window, but it’s certain that we won’t bring in a large number of new signings, and firstly we will focus on providing Bruno Lage with immediate back up at a time when all clubs are suffering with injuries and [virus] issues, and at the same time give opportunities to our young players who have been doing so well out on loan.

“We’d rather use the young players out on loan, and wait for our injured players to come back, than spend money on players who aren’t going to improve the squad we already have.

“If there’s someone who is going to enhance the squad and team, then of course we will explore the option and see if we can make it work.”

Fans may be furious

Taking this into account, it seems as though Sellars is trying to cover all aspects of what business Wolves could look to do in terms of transfer deals this month without trying to raise expectations or excitement among the fan base, but supporters may still be left furious over the prospect of a quiet month on the market.

Eighth in the Premier League table with 28 points on the board from 19 games, it has been a solid campaign so far for the Old Gold, especially with just 14 goals conceded in that time – only runaway leaders Manchester City have a better defensive record.

However, on the flip side, Wolves have only managed to score 13 league goals so far this season, fewer than the likes of Burnley, Newcastle United and Watford, who comprise three of the bottom four in the top flight.

With this in mind, if Wolves are to make any other new signings this month, it would be worth bringing in a player who could inject a bit of life to the attack, find the net on a regular basis and, as Sellars put it, “enhance the squad”.

In other news: Shi heading for huge Wolves howler over “talented” £58k-p/w star, Lage would be fuming

West Ham United are in the hunt for Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, who claims that the Hammers are watchingÂthe defender – who is also subject to interest from Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus – ahead of a potential swoop this summer.

The 28-year-old would be available on a free transfer ahead of the expiration of his contract with the Bundesliga club at the end of the current campaign.

The East London outfit currently have just two fit senior centre-backs after first-choice Kurt Zouma sustained an ankle injury last weekend, which could rule the Frenchman out for the remainder of the campaign.

Issa Diop and Craig Dawson were excellent on Thursday night as the Irons remarkably beat Lyon 3-0 in the south of France to advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League, with the latter scoring the Hammers’ first goal.

However, both have been subject to inconsistency in claret and blue, particularly Diop – who has been criticised heavily at times this term, particularly after a poor performance in the FA Cup against National League North side Kidderminster Harriers – with Jack Rosser dubbing the Frenchman “shocking” in this fixture.

By signing Ginter, West Ham would certainly be bolstering their defence whilst it could also provide an opportunity to finally part ways with the £61k-per-week flop.

West Ham must sign Ginter

Although they’ve juggled four competitions excellently this term, particularly managing the new experience of European football, the east London side could certainly do with a bigger squad next season – especially if they are to compete in Europe once again.

However, the Irons’ defence has been a cause for concern at points this term, with Moyes’ side ranking joint 10th in the Premier League for clean sheets with seven in 32 matches, despite being sat in sixth place.

By landing Ginter, the Hammers would be adding quality as well as experience to their backline, something that will be vital if they are to continue progressing into a regular competitor in continental competition.

The Germany international is still a regular fixture in his country’s squads, having been part of the World Cup-winning side in 2014 whilst racking up 46 caps.

In terms of the current campaign, the 28-year-old has also been a regular for Gladbach, missing just three Bundesliga matches all season.

However, in general, it’s been a disappointing campaign for the North-Rhine outfit – who currently sit 11th in the German top flight with European football looking extremely unlikely next term.

The £21.6m-rated centre-back currently averages a whopping 80.2 touches per league game, whilst completing 84% of his passes and making 1.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and three clearances per game.

To put that into context, Diop’s league numbers are considerably worse in some areas. The 25-year-oldÂmakes almost half the amount of touches at 40.5, whilst making 0.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and 3.1 interceptions per fixture.

In fairness, the Frenchman’s passing is slightly better at 85%, but he also makes just 28.3 accurate passes a match compared to Ginter’s 56.2.

Although, something which could be a cause for concern is that the 28-year-old has, aside from Gladbach, only played for Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg – perhaps suggesting it would take him a while to adapt to the Premier League.

However, the centre-back has established himself as a quality defender in the German top-flight, with Germany legend Lothar Mätthaus even comparing Ginter to Sergio Ramos.

“Ginter has become a leader at the back, in a similar way to Ramos at Real,” Matthaus said to Sky Germany. “He doesn’t just give instructions to his teammates, but leads them as well. That’s what Ginter is doing really well at the moment. He reminds me of Ramos.”

There’s clear evidence that the German defender would be a quality addition to West Ham’s backline. Moreover, to secure the 28-year-old on a free transfer would be an excellent bargain with the deal being low risk.

AND in other news: Forget Rice: WHU’s £52k-p/w “set piece savant†with 67% duels won was “superb†vs Lyon

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left bemoaning some news that has emerged on Graeme Murty.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, Murty, who is the Head of Elite Academy Development, will now be leaving the club after five years.

He has played a leading role in the development of the Academy players over the years, as the Light Blues noted his success in leading their development squad in the Scottish Premiership Reserve League and managing their first steps into the UEFA Youth League back in 2019.

Murty also stepped up to first-team responsibilities at the request of the Board, as he third-place finish in the SPFL in the 2017/18 season, and got them to the semi-finals of the SFA Cup before losing out 4-0 to Celtic.

Rangers fans on Murty departure

These Gers bemoaned his departure as it was shared on Twitter, with one RFC supporter even going as far as to claim that they were ‘gutted’:

“Gutted to see him go as he stood up when we needed some one to. An absolute gent and wish him all the best. Once a Bear, always a Bear”

Credit: @j4ff41989

“Booooo, farewell Graeme, absolute legend”

Credit: @mrmajestic8

“I must be having a nightmare”

Credit: @Zaleski_

“Nooooo… the man who stepped up when asked, thank you for your service”

Credit: @andyleighton14

“That’s heart-breaking”

Credit: @jonesie_72

“Heartbroken”

Credit: @patersonty1690

In other news, find out what Academy news had Gers buzzing here!

West Ham United remain interested in a deal to bring Layvin Kurzawa to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side remain in the race for the Paris Saint-Germain left-back this month, although the 29-year-old is not believed to be near the top of the 58-year-old’s list of targets in the current market.

The report goes on to state that the likes of Lazio, Inter Milan and Napoli are all also interested in a move for the France international, while Chelsea are believed to have rejected the chance to sign the former AS Monaco defender.

He’d be a huge upgrade

While Kurzawa may not be high on Moyes’ list of priorities in the January window, with the Irons manager prioritising the signing of a centre-back and centre-forward this month, considering the experience and ability the signing of the 29-year-old would bring to the left of the Hammers’ backline, it would appear highly advisable for the boss to indeed make a move for the PSG defender this month.

While it is true that the £8.1m-rated man has struggled to hold down a starting spot in the PSG side in recent seasons, he has nevertheless demonstrated previously that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can be an extremely useful player for a side challenging at the top of the league table.

Indeed, over his 19 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign following a £22.5m move from AS Monaco back in 2015, the £89k-per-week left-back scored four goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

The defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position that season, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 3.3 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 43.4 passes and winning 7.2 duels per fixture – with a success rate of 62%.

These returns saw the player who labelled himself as a little “crazy” earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.49, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the entirety of the French top-flight that year.

As such, should Moyes be able to help Kurzawa refind this form following a potential switch to West Ham this winter, the 29-year-old would not only appear to be a huge upgrade on Arthur Masuaku, but he could well push the Hammers’ first-choice left-back, Aaron Cresswell, for his starting spot at the London Stadium.

In other news: Moyes must now launch WHU bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” as key transfer twist emerges

As per SofaScore, Tottenham Hotspur trio Ben Davies, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso struggled for Nuno Espirito’s Santo’s side as we analyse the number’s from their 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Burnley.

Spurs edge into quarter-finals…

Lucas Moura bagged the eventual winner as Spurs edged into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday evening, easing some pressure off the under-fire Nuno following a regrettable week of action.

Defeats to both Vitesse and bitter London rivals West Ham had attracted heavy fire but the Lilywhites’ victory against Burnley ensures they remain fighting on all fronts for now.

Here, we take a take a statistical look at Tottenham’s three worst players from the night with the trio of Davies, Bergwijn and Lo Celso sticking out in particular.

Giving away the ball 50 times, losing 19 duels and spurning one big chance in total, it’s safe to say they didn’t enjoy the best outings.

Steven Bergwijn: 6.4/10

The Dutchman had been one of the Spurs players actually looking revitalised under Nuno at the start of the season, attracting praise from the Portuguese in particular as a ‘very talented’ and ‘unique’ asset.

However, since returning from his injury lay-off, you could make an argument that he hasn’t hit those same heights and it showed against the Clarets last night.

Coming in as Tottenham’s worst player on the night to start and play the majority of the game, being hauled off after 66 minutes, Bergwijn was handed a 6.4/10 match rating having lost possession 17 times whilst losing half of his duels and three in total (SofaScore).

Giovani Lo Celso: 6.7/10

Lo Celso is one player who has attracted criticism over the beginning of 2021/2022 and it’s safe to say his performance was once again in question last night.

The 25-year-old hasn’t evolved into that Christian Eriksen-type creative figure badly needed by Spurs and Nuno with Lo Celso’s numbers, again, hardly worthy of celebration.

He ranked in as Tottenham’s second-worst performer behind Bergwijn, again having started and played the majority against Burnley.

While he did make two key passes in the final third, Lo Celso also spurned a big chance to get on the scoresheet – giving away possession 16 times and losing the vast majority of his duels, seven out of nine to be exact (SofaScore).

 Ben Davies: 6.8/10

The best of the worst, Davies still didn’t particularly enjoy a great evening against Sean Dyche’s men and it would have done little to silence his critics.

The Wales international, being ranked a 6.8/10 and playing the whole game for Tottenham, was dribbled past twice on that flank and lost nine of his duels.

As well as this, Davies gave away the ball 17 times and recorded no accurate long balls or crosses from out wide (SofaScore).

In other news: Talks ongoing…Sky Sports journalist makes exciting Spurs transfer claim involving ‘phenomenal’ star, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Cheltenham Town on Saturday after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser.

The Owls seemed to have done enough to take all three points after Cheyenne Dunkley and a Matty Blair own goal turned things around for the visitors, but Blair redeemed himself by grabbing a goal at the right end for a share of the spoils for the Robins.

The result means it is now four draws in a row for Wednesday, with a number of their fans discussing Moore’s change at the interval.

The Owls manager set his team up in a 3-4-1-2 system against Cheltenham and brought off defender Jack Hunt for centre-forward Florian Kamberi at the interval. That saw regular forward Callum Paterson filling in at right wing-back, according to Yorkshire Live’s Dom Howson, with many Wednesday supporters not exactly thrilled over the tactical switch.

Moore admitted after the game that Hunt was fine and that he wanted to make an attacking change for the start of the second half.

Wednesday fans react

Here is what these Wednesday fans had to say in reply to Howson’s tweet regarding the half-time substitution, with a number of supporters unimpressed at Moore moving players out of position as they blasted the already under-fire manager.

“Paterson to what…???!!??? Don’t want to jump on bandwagons but, I’m sorry, Darren’s done.”

Credit: @NeonBrown10

“What a joke of a formation. I don’t understand why we consistently play people out of position, it’s becoming a joke”

Credit: @RichOverett

“Surely not? When in doubt move someone else out of position?”

Credit: @PeterBu1981

“Bizarre”

Credit: @AnOwlTweets

“Wow”

Credit: @gaz_s6

“he’s lost the plot..”

Credit: @chrisday3107

A number of Rangers supporters have been reacting in delighted fashion to a key update ahead of the Europa League clash with Lyon next week.

Steven Gerrard’s team open up their Europa League group stage account with the visit of the Ligue 1 giants next Thursday, in what promises to be a real test of the Gers’ credentials.

A key update has emerged ahead of the game, however, with three Lyon players set to miss out after representing their countries during the international break.

According to journalist Robin Bairner on Twitter, the Scottish Government has not given permission for Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Kadewere to take part in the match, having played in ‘high-risk’ countries during the international break.

It is an undoubted boost for Rangers, especially because Paqueta – arguably Lyon’s key man – will miss out.

The Brazilian playmaker has scored four times already this season for club and country, and is the man who links midfield and attack for the Groupama Stadium outfit.

Rangers fans love pre-Lyon update

These Gers fans took to Twitter to react to the news, with many joking that they are big fans of the current Scottish leadership…

“Always liked the SNP”

Credit: @StuPollock1

“Brilliant from Sturgeon always been a big fan of her work”

Credit: @Bjc1999_

“The SNP will do ANYTHING to get the Blue Vote”

Credit: @R11Loading

“This might be the first time I ever say this but cheers @theSNP”

Credit: @Fahdy824

“SNP – Scottish National Protestants helping Scotland’s premier club in Europe”

Credit: @jaket1872

“The establishment is back baby!”

Credit: @AndTheNew55

In other news, one Rangers player is set for a spell on the sidelines. Find out who it is here.

With four Premier League games played and three won under Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur have had a fairly successful run of results under the Italian.

In addition to this, Spurs have only conceded one goal in those four league games since Conte came in after conceding 16 in their opening 10 league games of the season under Nuno Espirito Santo’s short-lived guidance.

Even though they’ve not been leaking many goals under Conte, it seems as though the 52-year-old and Tottenham’s current sporting director Fabio Paratici have their eyes on signing a player in the upcoming January transfer window who could strengthen the Lilywhites’ defence even further.

According to Corriere di Puglia e Lucania (via Sport Witness) Spurs are eyeing up a move to sign Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic next month and are apparently “ready to enter in negotiations” for the player.

With current Spurs defender Cristian Romero sustaining a serious hamstring injury playing for Argentina in last month’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil and not expected to be available again until some point in the new year, the signing of Milenkovic could be a masterstroke from Paratici, adding real quality depth and ensuring they are well-stocked upon Romero’s return.

Since joining Fiorentina back in the 2017 summer transfer window from FK Partizan Belgrade, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 149 appearances for the Serie A side across all competitions, chipping in with 13 goals and one assist along the way.

Having drawn comparisons in the past to former Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic by former Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic, Milenkovic has shown this season how much of a defensive unit he is.

In the 14 Serie A games he’s appeared in for Fiorentina so far this season, Milenkovic has managed to rack up an average of 2.9 clearances per game, 1.9 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions as well as winning 66% of the duels he’s been involved in.

To put those numbers into perspective, Romero boasts 2.4 clearances, 2.3 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per Premier League outing, suggesting the Serbia star is right up there alongside Spurs’ summer signing.

With all of this in mind, it could be a great move for Spurs to add Milenkovic to their squad in January to add a bit more strength and depth to Conte’s squad at the back, which would be useful considering Spurs have played with three at the back with two wing-backs in the games that Conte has been in charge.

In other news: Harry Kane linked with another move away

Leicester City are one of three Premier League clubs to have been linked with a move for Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun (as relayed by the Leicester Mercury), Coutinho has been ‘offered’ to Wolves and West Ham United as well as the Foxes, with the player’s agent Kia Joorabchian in talks with the trio over a possible loan deal.

The report claims Coutinho will be available on a temporary basis, and that the loan club are expected to pay at least 60 percent of his wages, while Barca will fund the remaining 40 percent of his £21m-per-year salary.

It’s believed that the Catalan giants want an answer from potential suitors by this coming Friday as the club’s hierarchy are desperate to cut their expenses due to their dire financial situation.

Brendan Rodgers would love him

Coutinho cultivated a reputation as one of football’s best playmakers while working under Brendan Rodgers during their time together at Liverpool.

They came close to winning the Premier League title together in 2013/14, and the Brazil international continue to move from strength to strength following Rodgers’ departure.

In a previous interview, Reds striker Roberto Firmino lauded his compatriot and former teammate, saying: “He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

Coutinho’s impressive performances on Merseyside earned him a £142m move to the Camp Nou in January 2018, with Liverpool receiving a British record fee for the South American.

However, the creative talent has been unable to replicate his form at Anfield for Barca and found himself loaned out to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 campaign.

He enjoyed a relatively successful 12-month stint with the Bundesliga giants, scoring 11 goals and providing nine assists in 38 appearances as Bayern won the treble, but the bad luck continued for Coutinho upon his return to Spain.

A serious knee injury ended his campaign in December after just 14 uninspiring outings, and Ronald Koeman’s charges are now desperate to offload Coutinho from their wage bill.

On his day, he’s a top-class operator, capable of playing for the world’s best teams, but unfortunately for him, those days have been few and far between since he left English shores three-and-a-half years ago.

Having said that, though, Rodgers would surely welcome a reunion with one of his former stars. With James Maddison’s future still up in the air and Dennis Praet reportedly eager to move on, signing Coutinho on loan could be a risk-free way of ensuring Leicester continue to progress.

If Maddison does end up joining Arsenal, then bringing in the £27m-rated Brazilian magician could ensure Rodgers still has someone who can be a chief creator for the side.

And, in other news…Sky Sports reveal intriguing transfer update which could leave Leicester fans gutted