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West Ham United are in need of defensive reinforcements quickly with the season just a mere two weeks away, and fresh reports may have opened to door for that to happen…

What’s the word?

According to Cadena SER, reported Irons target Samuel Umtiti could have his contract cancelled at Barcelona as they look to shift him from the wage bill this summer.

It’s claimed that no club has come forward with an offer for the 26-year-old but it remains to be seen how likely this is given he has a contract until 2023.

The Hammers were linked with interest back in July by Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness). Umtiti is now valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt.

Fills a need, for free?

David Moyes could do with another centre-back if West Ham are to avoid another relegation battle this season with the futures of Winston Reid and Fabian Balbuena up in the air; Angelo Ogbonna isn’t getting any younger at 32 and Issa Diop could miss the opener through injury.

Splashing in excess of £25m on Umtiti wouldn’t be a wise move whatsoever, but if he becomes available for free, then it’ll make the world of difference.

It means the club’s hierarchy will only have to fork out on his wages, which are currently reported to be around £210k-per-week but given his injury troubles, he may well have to accept a lower amount if he’s to be given an opportunity.

The 26-year-old played 19 times this season and averaged 2.4 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and an impressive 92.4% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Ex-Barca defender Eric Abidal once claimed that Umtiti was “a world-class player” whilst current teammate Sergio Busquets lauded him as someone with “great potential”.

The World Cup winner has always been a player that has read the game well but injuries have hindered his playing time severely, so perhaps a move elsewhere is exactly what he needs to become revitalised.

He’d help fill a crucial need at the London Stadium, but it’s only worth it if he becomes available for free.

AND in other news, West Ham signing “special” £16m star could help bring the best out of Haller…

Glasgow Rangers have had some wonderful players down the years, but arguably none have been quite as good as Brian Laudrup.

The Denmark international had already had an illustrious career by the time he rocked up at Ibrox in 1994 for £2.5m, having appeared for the likes of AC Milan and Bayern Munich and having won the 1992 European Championships with Denmark. Across four years with the 54-time Scottish champions, Laudrup wrote himself into the club’s history books, scoring over 30 goals in more than 100 Scottish Premiership matches, and lighting up the whole of Scottish football along the way.

It appears he still has an affinity with the club as well. On Instagram, he shared a photo of himself with one of his old shirts with the caption: “Rumours say the no.11 is still vacant.”

This was shared on Twitter, and it has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters – as you can imagine, there have been plenty of comments that he could still do a job. They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best reactions below.

Let us know what you think!

Arsenal’s return to Premier League action did not go as planned as a decent first 20 minutes was ruined by a mistake late in the first half and then a red card in the second from David Luiz which saw the Gunners lose 3-0 to Manchester City.

However there is no time to think about what could have been as they face Brighton at the AMEX next, in what is a must win for both sides. Arsenal need to start picking up victories if they want to make the top six by the end of the season, whilst Brighton have not won a fixture since the 28th December, and this has caused them to drop firmly into the relegation battle, via BBC Sport.

Here is the Transfer Tavern predicted Arsenal starting XI, which sees Mikel Arteta make three changes for the fixture.

Arteta will be forced into changing his back four, as Pablo Mari is reportedly out for the rest of the season after limping off in the first half at the Etihad. With Sokratis injured and Luiz suspended, it looks like Rob Holding will be brought in to pair up with Shkodran Mustafi. Tierney and Bellerin both looked to have a decent game up until the red card, and should keep their places for the fixture.

Again Arsenal will be forced into a change at centre-midfield, as Granit Xhaka pulled up in the first half like Mari and is not available. Guendouzi looked sharp and earned praise from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville and he will probably be partnered by Dani Ceballos who replaced Xhaka in Manchester.

Mesut Ozil was not even on the bench for the match against City, however in a game in which Arsenal will need to win, they need a creative spark in midfield and the German’s 2.1 key passes per game is the best in the whole squad, so he could be the one who links up the midfield to attack and helps find the eye for goal.

Nketiah earned the best rating out of the whole Arsenal squad (6.8) and deserves to keep his spot in the side over Alexandre Lacazette, who can be a great super sub if needed.

Gunners fans, would this be a good starting eleven? Comment below!

Despite arriving in a big-money deal from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, Naby Keita has struggled to make a genuine impression at Liverpool.

The Guinea international has played 51 times for the Reds, scoring just six times and providing only two assists, and this year has been a particularly difficult one.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The midfielder has played just 18 matches across all competitions this season, with only nine of those coming in the Premier League – injuries playing a big part in stopping Jurgen Klopp from playing him more.

And Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the former Leipzig ace, and some of them have tipped him to eventually come good at Anfield.

One Liverpool fan even suggested that if his former teammate at Leipzig, Timo Werner, joined, then their link-up could be something to watch out for at Anfield.

At only 25, Keita still has plenty of time on his side to turn things around on Merseyside.

But with niggling injuries continuing to disrupt his ability to play in a consistent run of games, there will be major questions as to whether Klopp can continue to persist with him or whether they should just simply cut their losses.

Judging by the reaction of some of these Liverpool fans, Keita deserves a second chance.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Liverpool have a difficult few weeks ahead of them, and they could soon be victims of their own success.

After winning the Champions League last year, they will take part in the Club World Cup in Qatar later on this month. That will be one of at least nine matches before 2020, and that could become 10 should they prevail in that semi-final in the Middle East. Not only that, they will be forced to play two matches in 24 hours. Jurgen Klopp and co will be stretched like they never have been before.

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It seems that some members of the squad are relishing the busy period, though. Andrew Robertson certainly is, as he explained ahead of the Reds’ Champions League fixture against Napoli in midweek. He said: “I think for us when we look at it, it is sort of a compliment because we look back on it and it shows you the reason we have all of these fixtures is because we’ve been successful.

“If you ask me if I would swap my Champions League winner’s medal for less fixtures, absolutely not. For me, the fixtures are credit to us because of our success. That’s something that we’ve got to look at and we’ve got to take the positives.”

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

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This, of course, is not a situation that the club’s players would have expected to find themselves in before the campaign started. Now, though, just like the Scotland international said, they should be looking forward to the matches that are approaching. This is what footballers should be dreaming of – the ability to play week-in, week-out in games that really matter. As the former Hull City left-back says, it is a compliment to their success in recent times.

Not only that, this is a chance for the Reds to go down in history. Given the way they have performed this season, there is no reason why they can’t prevail in both the Club World Cup and in the League Cup semi-finals. And winning a competition so early in the season could galvanise the players for the rest of the campaign, giving them that extra edge they need. The league title, which they haven’t won in 30 years, is the main objective it seems this term. An overall victory in Qatar could give them the extra belief they need to do that.

When you are winning as Liverpool are at the moment, you just want to keep playing. Any time off can take you out of your stride. Robertson, therefore, has hit the nail on the head.

In other news, one 24-year-old says he had Sadio Mane in his pocket the last time the two met.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Bromwich Albion return to league action this weekend as they host Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon.

The Championship has been off for two weeks due to the international break but now it’s back as we enter a very hectic festive period, where Slaven Bilic’s men will be looking to enter the New Year still atop the league’s summit.

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This weekend presents a very difficult test for a couple of reasons, the Owls are chasing promotion too even despite their EFL charge, and the Baggies will be without two of their most influential players – captain Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers.

Both will serve a one-match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards this season, leaving the Croatian chief with a tough decision on who will replace them.

On the Chalkboard

Sawyers, who returned to his boyhood club in the summer, has played every single minute of every single Championship game this campaign so his presence is sure to be harshly felt considering the Midlands club have lost just once to date.

This is reinforced when delving into his numbers for the season – the 28-year-old has a 91.8% passing accuracy rate while averaging a huge 69.9 passes per game, which is the most of any non-defender in the division, via WhoScored.

The midfield department at the Hawthorns is probably the weakest of all positions, but there is one man, in particular, that is an ideal like-for-like replacement, at least for this sole game.

Filip Krovinovic is usually a number ten, but having lost his place to Matheus Pereira, he may find life as a number eight in the engine room of midfield.

He certainly possesses similar qualities having joined on loan from Primeira Liga giants Benfica – across his career to date, the Croatian playmaker averages a passing success rate of 88.1%, which stands him in good stead for this role.

The Express & Star claim the 24-year-old stunned during pre-season with an impressive range of passing while his manager believes he has the ability to get supporters off their seats.

This certainly the £4.5m-rated midfielder (Transfermarkt valuation) seem like the perfect replacement for a short-term fix, and who knows, if he impresses, then he could well regain his starting spot back.

He’ll be hungry to do so.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Santi Cazorla has insisted that Arsenal can thrive under Unai Emery while speaking about his former club to The Independent.

What did he say?

Cazorla, who won Arsenal’s Player of the Year for the 2006/07 season, was discussing the fortunes of his former club which he has come to “miss everything about”.

The Spaniard played a total of 180 games for the Gunners, scoring 29 goals and adding 45 assists throughout his career in red and white.

Now, looking at the club from the outside in, having moved to Villarreal in 2018, Santi Cazorla has insisted they can thrive under their current manager, as reported by The Independent.

“Unai Emery is a good coach and it’s a very good team, I watch them play often, but he needs time, it’s a new generation and it’s very difficult to compete against teams like Man City and Liverpool.

“It’s difficult to know [why the club has stalled]. They have the players, they have the fans, the stadium, they have everything to do it but they have to believe it.”

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Overcoming struggles

This message comes while Arsenal are enduring a run of five games without a win in all competitions, which includes draws against Crystal Palace and Vitoria de Guimaraes.

It is also a time where Emery is under severe pressure, with plenty of fans, and even some former players, claiming it is time for the Spaniard to go.

However, it seems as though the former Sevilla boss will be staying firmly put, which angered fans, so he will likely be thankful for the support of a popular figure like Cazorla.

With fans now able to put high levels of pressure on figures at Arsenal, Emery can use all the support available to him.

Arsenal’s next four Premier League games come against Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Norwich City and West Ham United, who are all in the bottom half of the table, so this is arguably Emery’s best possible chance to turn things around.

Despite Arsenal currently experiencing their worst start to a league season for over 30 years, a tweet from the club celebrating former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann’s birthday has proven to be a source of some positivity amongst a number of fans; despite the difficult predicament that Unai Emery’s side currently find themselves in.

Lehmann, who made 148 Premier League appearances for the Gunners across a five-year spell, won the league title and the FA Cup during his time in north London – accolades that the club’s fanbase could seemingly only dream of under the current regime and with Emery in charge of the side.

Although Lehmann’s time with the club and the present-day display a clear disparity, there can be no doubting that these fans were quick to celebrate their former man’s birthday.

Following an official club tweet, here are some of the best reactions to Arsenal’s birthday post for their former shot-stopper.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Back in the glory days under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, Southampton were a well-oiled attacking machine with some star names terrifying the opposition on a weekly basis.

The St Mary’s faithful were treated to the likes of Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Graziano Pelle and others, all of whom have since moved on to pastures new.

Nowadays, the Saints are a stale outfit in terms of their attacking ability.

Under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, Southampton have scored the third-least goals in the Premier League with just ten in 11 games.

This is partly down to the former RB Leipzig boss being too defensive with his team selections, opting for a five-man or three-man backline with wing-backs on eight occasions so far this term, in systems that can only accommodate two forwards when combined with playing three central midfielders.

So, how can the Austrian make his side more expansive going forward? Here are two ways…

Switch to 4-3-3

Looking at this lineup on paper, you would struggle to see this XI suffer relegation.

Hasenhuttl has actually used a 4-3-3 system once in the league this season – in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea – although he quickly threw that idea in the bin and hasn’t revisited it since, which was perhaps a hasty decision given the Blues’ quality.

With Moussa Djenepo, Danny Ings and either Nathan Redmond or Sofiane Boufal in attack, as well as a midfield three of Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, there is a decent blend of defensive awareness and attacking inventiveness throughout the six of them.

Trust the 4-2-2-2

The 4-2-2-2 formation is something that Hasenhuttl has used on four occasions this season, with his side winning two and drawing one of those matches.

Transfermarkt states that it is the Austrian’s preferred formation, so why doesn’t he just stick with it?

Of course, it would need one minor tweak as James Ward-Prowse – a man who we detailed as potentially being a casualty of the system – lacks the pace required to play on the right wing, but other than that, Hasenhuttl should place his trust in this formation.

Strangely, he hasn’t used it since the 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth – the only loss suffered using this system so far this season.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers are considering a move for Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, or ‘Gabriel’ for short, as they seek defensive reinforcements following an injury to Willy Boly.

He could well be the perfect option for Nuno Santo, but it will come at a cost to one of their long-term aims.

What’s the word?

The report suggests that Wolves have taken a look at the 21-year-old on multiple occasions this season with a club scout recently attending Lille’s 3-0 win over Bordeaux and he could well be back to watch over the Brazilian this weekend when they head to Marseille.

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Gabriel has started seven matches in Ligue 1 this term, helping contribute to his team reaching third position.

Nuno’s need for a centre-back was apparent going into the season with Birmingham Live claiming that the Portuguese boss already wants to bring one in during the January transfer window.

Now that Boly has picked up a severe long-term injury, this is sure to only ramp up over the next couple of months.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Gabriel is described as almost a like-for-like replacement for the 28-year-old as the same report calls the Brazil U20 international ‘physically strong’ and ‘comfortable on the ball,’ which is precisely the profile a Wolves defender needs.

Now that the club are desperate for reinforcements at the back, they will have to put their ambition to start building squad players from within on a temporary hold, meaning Max Kilman may have to wait longer for his opportunity.

The 6 foot 3 centre-back has won an average of 3.5 aerial duels per game while also registering a passing accuracy of 84.3%, which only goes to show that he would be a perfect fit in Nuno’s system.

Check out a hilarious review of Wolves’ new ‘Mexico’ kit in the video below…

Wolves’ ownership have made it clear in the past that they would like to see more youngsters progress into the limelight, and that’s been evident in their financial backing of the academy in recent times, but only Morgan Gibbs-White has truly cemented a spot amongst the first-team.

Therefore, plumping for the Lille colossus will only hinder that goal, but it may well be something they have to do in the short-term due to Boly’s injury as it has left them in the lurch for the foreseeable future.