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With Southampton having only managed to create five big chances in the Premier League so far this season, the joint-second lowest out of any team in the top flight, it’s safe to say Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have struggled to create goalscoring opportunities in the league.

However, it seems as though the club have their eye on signing a player who could help them in that regard.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet Fichajes that Southampton, alongside fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in signing Real Betis attacking-midfielder Rodri Sanchez.

Sanchez joined Betis’ youth academy from Deportivo’s youth academy back in the 2016 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.35m according to Transfermarkt, has worked his way through Betis’ youth levels before eventually making his senior debut in  November last year in a 5-2 defeat against Barcelona in La Liga.

Overall, Sanchez has made a total of 26 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side across all competitions in which he has managed to score two goals and provide two assists along the way, showing just how creative he can be on the pitch.

The missing piece

In terms of a potential move to Southampton, given the attacking talent Sanchez has shown for Betis in front of goal, he could well be an important player for the Saints. That’s judging by how they’ve only managed to score five goals in their opening seven league games of the season.

With his young age, there’s every possibility that Sanchez could well be Southampton’s next James Ward-Prowse given they occupy similar positions in the final third. Both can play out wide, while their awareness allows them to dictate play from central areas as well.

Speaking about his talent last term after he found the net, La Liga and Spanish football writer Andrew Miller said: “One of the real bright spots this season has been the emergence of Rodri in the Betis first team. Such a gifted young player and caps off an incredible effort with his first senior goal. Always brings a real injection of energy into the team.”

That final line is incredibly similar to Ward-Prowse, somebody who charges around the engine room with his imperious fitness.

However, it’s that lack of a creative spark that really makes Rodri such an attractive proposition. He makes 45.4 progressive carries of the ball per 90, meaning he’d get Southampton up the pitch quicker. That stat also ranks him second among those already at St Mary’s.

Furthermore, he has produced 3.47 shot-creating actions per 90, a statistic that outranks everyone at Hasenhuttl’s disposal.

Looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window, the Saints should definitely consider making a move for Sanchez to see if he can turn their season around from its current state. At the moment, they are devoid of creativity but that could change with the Betis star in their team.

However, with both Everton and Brighton supposedly interested in signing Sanchez as well, the Saints could have a fight on their hands to get him as both clubs are currently above Southampton in the league table.

In other news: Hasenhuttl could save Saints from relegation by signing “important” £7.2m-rated beast – opinion

Aston Villa and Leeds United are just two of the clubs who have contacted the agent of Marseille defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, and their update has had a number of fans talking on social media.

Both Villa and Leeds are looking to bolster their midfield ranks before the end of the month, with Villa also keen on Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur.

Kamara is also on Johan Lange’s list, though, and Villa, Leeds and Manchester United have all contacted the Frenchman’s agent ahead of a possible late swoop.

The Daily Mail believe that Marseille are willing to sell the 22-year-old for £10m before the end of the month due to the player being out of contract in the summer.

Kamara has made 146 appearances for the Ligue 1 side and is also capable of playing at centre-back when required.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared the update regarding Kamara on Twitter. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘interesting’.

“Who invited Leeds?”

Credit: @coutinho_szn

“£10m oh my god. When Gerrard comes calling we know what happens”

Credit: @MackenzieDeery

“Interesting…”

Credit: @CaptainScott87

“PAY I BEGGGGGGGGGGGGGG”

Credit: @Jamie_UTV

“Would be a massive bargain”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“£10m is an absolute steal. Has been playing midfield this season but he could still quite easily cover CB. Get all over it please Villa.”

Credit: @TEB3190

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt as Sky Sports reporter shares ‘quality’ news. 

Crystal Palace have just enjoyed the most exciting transfer window in their recent history, but one target who got away may give new manager Patrick Vieira some sleepless nights as the season unfolds.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have added the likes of Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Joachim Andersen to their ranks in recent weeks as they effectively overhauled their first-team squad.

However, they were also heavily linked with a €20 million (£17.1m) move for Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga on Deadline Day before Vieira decided against the deal following Edouard’s arrival, according to Football.London.

“Football.London understands that deal is now unlikely with Palace’s spending complete after signing Edouard…Patrick Vieira seems to think his side have enough forward players to compete and score goals this season,” the report read.

Crystal Palace fans may be concerned

Boga has cultivated a career full of promise and potential since leaving Chelsea for Sassuolo back in 2018. The former Rennes, Granada and Birmingham City loanee made a solid contribution during his maiden campaign in Serie A  before backing it up with 11 goals and four assists in his second.

The tricky forward’s productivity dropped slightly throughout 2020/21, though, after he bagged four goals and provided two assists in 27 Serie A appearances, but his overall game was more impressive than the numbers suggest.

Boga completed 3.2 dribbles per game last season, far more than any of his Sassuolo teammates achieved and also successfully dribbled past 91 opponents, the third-highest number in the Italian top division.

With Palace set to be without their most prolific dribbler Eberechi Eze until the new year through injury, and with their fourth-most fruitful dribbler Andros Townsend joining Everton, the arrival of Boga would certainly have eased the blow of their absence.

Although Palace found the back of the net twice to salvage a 2-2 draw against West Ham United last time out, Conor Gallagher’s goals were the first strikes of Vieira’s four-match reign.

Therefore, despite Edouard’s arrival, the decision to turn down the opportunity to sign a proven goalscorer and creator such as Boga is a choice that Vieira may come to regret in the weeks and months ahead.

The lack of replacement for Townsend has left the south London outfit without a natural right-winger in the first-team squad, something which could prove to be problematic for the Eagles this season, possibly leaving the club’s supporters with some serious concerns.

And, in other news…The Athletic drop CPFC transfer claim on £15m dud, Parish dodged a bullet 

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy insists that the club simply must not make a move to sign Phil Jones from Manchester United this summer.

The club have been linked with a potential swoop to sign the central defender in a deal that may not cost them a single penny, per 90min.

The report stated that United are willing to let Jones go for nothing should they receive an adequate proposal from an interested club.

Newcastle, of course, have already signed Joe Willock from Arsenal this summer but manager Steve Bruce is said to be a fan of Jones, believing that he has plenty to offer at the highest level still.

He is surplus to requirements at United and did not play for the club at all in the 2020/21 campaign.

Jones only played twice in 2019/20 too, and Kennedy has doubts over the central defender’s suitability to the Magpies in this transfer window.

Asked if he would avoid a move for Jones, Kennedy replied: “Personally, yes. I just think there’s too many question marks about Phil Jones.”

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It seemed bad when Tottenham lost Harry Kane to injury just before Hueng-Min Son left for international duty. Then came the cherry on top of a disastrous month for the North London side: in the closing minutes of a dramatic victory at Fulham, Dele Alli joined the list of injured Spurs stars when he suffered a hamstring strain that’s to set keep the England international out until March.

But Tottenham are still competing in three major competitions this season following Thursday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea. Sitting third in the Premier League, Spurs also remain in the FA Cup and will meet Crystal Place on Sunday, and next month are set for a two-leg Champions League Round of 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

A packed schedule now faces Mauricio Pochettino and his heavily depleted squad, with some difficult decisions to make. As injuries cut into Tottenham’s star power and depth, their ability to remain contenders across several competitions has diminished and the club should look to prioritise various fronts for the rest of their season.

Sitting nine points back from Liverpool in the Premier League, the title is out of reach for Spurs. A friendly league schedule up through to a meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will allow Tottenham to remain in the top four as Manchester United and Arsenal continue to apply pressure from behind, but a lukewarm performance at Craven Cottage showed this Tottenham squad are not potent enough to contend without Kane. From here on out, maintaining the pace and earning a Champions League spot should be the primary goal.

Given Kane’s history of speedy recoveries, Spurs could receive a boost in the Champions League ahead of their second leg in Germany on March 5th if the England captain pulls off another one. But with quick turnarounds before and after each leg, this diminished Tottenham side may find itself drained for their European commitments. The North Londoners put on a valiant effort away at Barcelona in December to get through to the Round of 16, but with a weakened attack they will struggle to blast past the Bundesliga side.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…

Spurs have not taken home a trophy since their League Cup title in 2008, and their best remaining shot to end the drought in 2019 now remains in domestic competition. Tottenham suffered defeat via penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup but their FA Cup hopes are still alive, with the Fourth Round trip to Selhurst Park up next.

Given the drawn out nature of the tournament, it’s possible that Tottenham could find themselves much healthier come the latter stages and able to field essentially their strongest starting XI. Just as easily though, Palace could pull off the kind of emphatic performance against high-quality opposition that has littered their season, especially against this weakened Spurs team.

But a domestic trophy would come as a validating mark of success for Tottenham and that should be the club’s priority. It’s been more than 10 years since that last trophy, and it’s time for Spurs and Pochettino to finally bring one home.

With Ange Postecoglou undoubtedly being desperate for his Celtic side to finally pick up their first points of the season away from Parkhead on Sunday, the 56-year-old will have been delighted to see the Bhoys just about scrape a 2-1 win over Aberdeen.

Indeed, in a game that was far from a classic, a first-half Kyogo Furuhashi strike coupled with an 84th minute Jota goal was enough to cancel out Lewis Ferguson’s second-half equaliser for the Dons, with the Hoops leaving Pittodrie with a much needed three points.

However, while both goalscorers turned in highly impressive performances in the fixture – with Furuhashi and Jota receiving a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 and 7.2 respectively – the display of 19-year-old left-back, Adam Montgomery, will also have delighted both Postecoglou and fans of the club alike.

Two key passes

Despite the fact the appearance was his first-ever start in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster put in a truly commanding display over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch against Aberdeen.

Indeed, the £135k-rated man excelled at the back, making one clearance, one interception and winning six of his nine duels against Stephen Glass’ side.

The teenager who Kieran Tierney dubbed a “good talent” also impressed in an attacking capacity, registering the assist for Jota’s late winner and making two key passes, as well as completing two crosses and three of his four attempted dribbles.

These returns saw the 19-year-old receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.3, ranking the defender as the second-best player, from either side, to feature in the match – running the show for Celtic.

Indeed, the Scotland U21 international’s performance will have come as a huge boost to Postecoglou, as the manager looks set to be without the services of first-choice left-back Greg Taylor for a number of months due to injury.

However, following Montgomery’s performance on Sunday, the 56-year-old will now surely be convinced that the youngster is capable of filling in for the stricken defender, and perhaps even good enough to challenge for a starting spot in the side.

In other news: Forget Bitton: £16k-p/w Celtic “problem” who made just 1 pass failed Ange vs Aberdeen

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch, regarding interest from another English side…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Germany, via Fussball Transfers, Tottenham have now joined the race for his services alongside the Magpies.

The report claims that he will see out his contract in Germany before joining a new club next summer as a free agent.

Sissoko 2.0

Eddie Howe must ensure that Newcastle are able to beat Spurs to his signature as he could be the club’s new midfield beast moving forward.

The Austrian could finally be the heir to Moussa Sissoko’s throne in the middle of the park, with the Magpies failing to sign an effective enforcer since he left the club. Both players stand at 6 foot 1, 1.87m, and are able to put a shift in across the park at both ends of the pitch.

Sissoko managed one goal and seven assists in his final Premier League campaign for Newcastle, whilst averaging 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game. His height also allowed him to win 1.5 aerial battles per game, which helped the side in terms of defending long balls and set-pieces.

Last season in the Bundesliga, Grillitsch chipped in with two goals and one assist, averaging 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game. He won 1.2 aerial battles per game, which has shot up to 1.5 this term, showing that he can also have an impact in the air.

German coach Julian Nagelsmann was previously effusive in his praise of the range midfielder, saying:

“In my opinion, Flo Grillitsch is one of the best six in the Bundesliga who is already a little under the radar. At least you rarely read anything about him.

“He still has a few construction sites, he knows that, I’ve told him that often enough. But he is an extraordinary footballer and has an incredible ability to determine the rhythm of the game.”

Newcastle’s current defensive midfielder, Isaac Hayden, is averaging a dreadful WhoScored rating of 6.44 in the Premier League. Grillitsch, meanwhile, is averaging a score of 6.98 in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim – suggesting that he could be a sizeable upgrade on the ex-Arsenal man if he is able to adapt to English football.

It is now down to Howe to work with Nick Hammond to get a deal over the line for the midfield machine as the ex-Bournemouth boss could unearth Sissoko 2.0 for the Magpies and solve their issues in midfield.

AND in other news, Move over Ashworth: NUFC must consider “irate” DoF whose “behaviour’s been a disgrace”…

Pundit Paddy Kenny has been reacting to an update regarding Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Summer exit?

Saint-Maximin has been a regular for the Magpies this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

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The 25-year-old has been deployed as a left-winger under Eddie Howe and has contributed to eight Premier League goals.

However, according to The Daily Mail, his days at St. James’ Park could be numbered. They believe that Newcastle are ready to sell the French forward over the coming months and would accept a bid in the region of £50m.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Talking to FI following the update on Saint-Maximin, Kenny labelled £50m as ‘crazy money’ and admitted he’d be ‘surprised’ if the Magpies didn’t accept an offer in that region, should one arrive.

“£50million, that’s crazy money.

“For a man who has scored five goals this season? For an attacking player, it’s not good numbers.

“I know Newcastle don’t need to £50million but if that offer was on the table, they would take it.

“You can invest that in a player who will provide more goals and assists.

“I would be surprised if Newcastle didn’t accept an offer like that.

“There are quality players out there who you could get for £50million who will get you more goals than that.

“I know he’s good to watch but you need results in this business and that is a lot of money to turn down.”

The Verdict: Keep?

A £50m move away would make him Newcastle’s most expensive departure of all time, surpassing the £36.9m fee Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll.

However, Saint-Maximin appears to be a key player for the Magpies, with Howe admitting in the week that he has a ‘great relationship’ with the attacker, adding that he ‘has a long-term future at the club’.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £28.8m, so the best of Saint-Maximin could yet be to come, possibly making him a key player to build a team around in an attacking sense.

In other news: ‘At the moment’ – Transfer insider says NUFC ace will only be a ‘rotation’ player next season. 

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, Spurs midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is impressing the club’s staff with his fitness in one of the more surprising developments to come out of Hotspur Way…

What’s been said?

In the past, the Frenchman’s fitness has certainly come into question as he has struggled to truly cement a regular spot in the starting XI under all four of his previous managers, permanent and temporary.

Jose Mourinho once launched a scathing attack on his commitment and physical health, whilst Arsenal and France legend Emmanuel Petit pondered to The Sun in March 2020: “Is he overweight? He looks a little bit. But his body language does not help him. He needs to improve physically.”

However, that looks to have changed substantially.

‘While there have been previous qualms about Ndombele’s fitness, football.london understands that this season Ndombele is considered by the sports science staff to be in the best physical condition of his time at the club,’ wrote Gold.

Massive boost

Ndombele could prove to be quite the key figure for Antonio Conte in the coming weeks and months as the Italian desperately needs a creative solution in the final third.

Spurs rank last for average number of shots per game (10.1) in the entire top-flight and their last shot on target came nearly four hours ago – a worrying trend heading into a big clash with Leeds United next weekend.

As per Gold in his report, no player covered more distance in the win over Newcastle United last month, not to mention his all-important equaliser at St James’ Park whilst playing in the hole.

The fact that the 24-year-old appears to be in the best physical condition since his arrival in N17 will come as a major boost as his new boss demands peak physique and commitment on the training pitch, having banned things like ketchup and butter in the canteen, and that’ll only bolster his claims to start in the no.10 role more often.

Elsewhere, only Lucas Moura (three) is averaging more dribbles per game than Ndombele (1.5), which suggests he’s a big influence in driving the ball forward for the team.

The former Lyon dynamo also leads the way for progressive carries towards the opposition’s goal, averaging 10.2 per 90 minutes, via FBref, which further highlights the need for him in the attacking third.

Once deemed “unplayable” by ex-teammate Joe Hart, this latest development is sure to leave many supporters thrilled by the prospect of their club-record £55m man thriving under Conte.

In fact, many have already reacted glowingly in response to Gold’s report – as relayed by This is Futbol this week.

A fit and firing Ndombele could well hold the keys to a more successful Spurs this season. If he is indeed in his best condition ever, then that is hugely positive news.

AND in other news, Paratici plotting Spurs swoop for “explosive” £31.5m-rated gem, Conte badly needs him…

Flocking to Twitter, Manchester City fans have expressed mixed feelings over an update in the Dusan Vlahovic saga.

A whole host of Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in securing the services of the Serbia international, including the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. However, it is reported that if Vlahovic were to move to an English side, it would be to either Chelsea or Manchester City.

The 21-year-old has been in breath-taking form this season, scoring 16 goals in 20 league games for Fiorentina, and he has also netted seven times in 14 games for his country.

The 6 foot 3 youngster also bagged 21 Serie A goals last term, seemingly getting stronger with each passing campaign.

Man City fans react to Vlahovic news

The report from TuttoMercatoWeb (shared by Sport Witness and City Xtra) claims that only four clubs could sign the striker this summer – Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Flocking to Twitter, lots of Manchester City fans have expressed a variety of reactions in response to the news shared by City Xtra, that explains how Vlahovic would only accept City or Chelsea if he were to choose to move to the Premier League.

Here’s what some of them had to say, with some preferring a move for Erling Haaland…

“LETS DO IT MAN CITY”

Credit: @DeBlueLou

“Haaland should be the main target but Vlahovic ain’t bad too”

Credit: @fodenszn78

“I’ve accepted defeat: Haaland is [unfortunately] joining Real Madrid. That means we’ve got to be all-over Vlahovic this summer”

Credit: @RealTalkMCFC

“Bring him to the Etihad”

Credit: @MtMcfc

“Vlahovic is my first choice striker in the summer. And that’s including Haaland. In the long run, I think Vlahovic would benefit this team more”

Credit: @Bum2879

“We better at least try to get him”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“I really want him but he does not fit our system I think we will go to Kane again unfortunately”Credit: @iJoca21