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West Bromwich Albion are plotting a move to bring Trevoh Chalobah to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that West Brom are preparing a bid for the Chelsea midfielder in the coming weeks.

The report goes on to state that Thomas Tuchel’s side are prepared to part with the 22-year-old ahead of next season, with the former England U21 international having two years left to run on his current deal at Stamford Bridge.

Ismael would love him

Considering just how much potential Chalobah appears to possess, as well as the fact that West Brom are incredibly short of options in the middle of the park ahead of next season, the fact that Valerien Ismael is believed to be interested in a move for the defensive midfielder this summer hardly comes as surprising news.

Indeed, over his 29 Ligue 1 appearances while on loan at FC Lorient last season, the £3.15m-rated 22-year-old made an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and won 5.2 duels per game.

Chalobah also impressed in an attacking capacity for the French side, scoring two goals, registering two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes and taking 0.5 shots per league fixture.

These returns saw the man Mark Hudson claimed has “so much potential” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as Christophe Pelissier’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football, playing a key role in helping his side impressively avoid relegation from the division.

And, with Ismael currently only having Jake Livermore as an option as an out and out defensive midfielder, as well as just Romaine Sawyers and Alex Mowatt who can operate in central midfield, ahead of next season, the middle of the park is certainly an area in which the Frenchman will look to strengthen this summer.

As such, an Albion move for the £12k-per-week Chalobah appears to be a move that makes a great deal of sense for the Championship club, as well as the youngster being a talent it would seem very likely Ismael would love to get his hands on.

In other news: Get it done: Ismael must sanction £8m West Brom summer swoop for “excellent” 23 y/o

Rangers will have Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey available for their upcoming Old Firm Derby on 2 January, as well as their other fixtures in the meantime.

What’s the latest?

With the Africa Cup of Nations set to start on 9 January, there had been doubt that the Nigerian trio of Balogun, Aribo and Bassey would be available for the Glasgow derby at the start of 2022.

Rangers will travel to Parkhead in what will be Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first game against Celtic as the Light Blues’ manager.

The 46-year-old confirmed when speaking to the press this week that the trio would be available for the derby, stating: “Any players representing at the Africa Cup of Nations will be here for the Old Firm match before being released.”

Rangers fans will be buzzing

It will certainly come as a relief to Gers fans to have a bigger squad available than initially thought, particularly for a game of such magnitude.

Not only that, there are Premiership games against Dundee United, St Mirren and Aberdeen to come beforehand in what is set to be a busy festive period for Ban Bronckhorst’s side.

All three players affected could be crucial for Rangers, but the availability of Joe Aribo will be a particular boost. The 25-year-old has six goals and three assists to his name in the Scottish top flight so far this term, as well as featuring in all six of the Gers’ Europa League group stage matches.

Across domestic and European commitments, the 25-year-old has already racked up 30 appearances in 2021/22 for Rangers, achieving the squad’s second-highest WhoScored average performance rating for the season with 7.40.

As for Balogun and Bassey, the former has been absent from the squad in the Gers’ last five league outings, whilst the latter has started to find a regular spot in the team, starting the last ten games across the Premiership and Europa League.

Balogun has won more headers per game (4.5) than any of his team-mates this term, while Bassey has delivered some quietly impressive performances of late. Therefore, it will come as quite a boost for Rangers fans to learn that these two and Aribo should be available for the Celtic clash on 2 January.

In other news – Hagi 2.0: Van Bronckhorst chasing dream Rangers move for “innate talent” compared to Lionel Messi

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘moved’ to try and sign Paulo Dybala in the summer.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Dybala is out of contract in the summer, and so he is expected to leave Juventus at the end of the season as a free agent.

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Currently rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, whoever is able to sign him will be getting a real bargain on their hands – the Argentina star has scored eight times in 20 Serie A starts this season, racking up a huge 3.7 shots, 1.5 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game (Whoscored).

The Latest: Newcastle move

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), both the St. James’ Park faithful and Arsenal have now ‘moved’ for Dybala, with his preference to move abroad from Italy.

However, they have not ‘gone beyond the show of interest’, but would have a chance of signing him from a financial perspective.

The Verdict: No-brainer

To get a player of Dybala’s quality for free is surely a no-brainer, perhaps regardless of whatever his potentially remarkable wage demands are.

Hailed as ‘world-class’ by former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson, the Argentina international has won as many as five Serie A titles with the Old Lady, as well as many other accolades (Transfermarkt).

He has over 200 combined goals and assists for club and country over the course of his career so far, and at 28 years of age, is still at the peak of his powers.

Nonetheless, bringing him in through the door on Tyneside would certainly send out a big message to the rest of the world that the Magpies mean business.

In other news, find out what three other strikers are on PIF’s shortlist here!

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has been reacting to Celtic’s interest in Derby County left-back Lee Buchanan, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Buchanan profiled; Taylor injury

Buchanan, who can also play as a centre-back, is out of contract with The Rams at the end of the season.

An England under-21 international, the 20-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation has been on the rise in the last 12 months, and he has made 13 appearances under Wayne Rooney this season.

Celtic have had their own left-back issues following Greg Taylor’s shoulder surgery in September. Since then, Ange Postecoglou has used Boli Bolingoli, Adam Montgomery and Josip Juranovic to fill the void left by Taylor, and it now seems as if Buchanan could be a possible signing.

The Latest: Celtic visit; Hutton reacts

According to reliable reporter Alan Nixon of The Sun, the Hoops could turn to Buchanan to solve their left-back issues. He claimed that Celtic have sent top scout Mick Doherty to watch the youngster in action – the first move in a possible winter window swoop.

Hutton, who regularly features as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider about the links to the Derby youngster. This is what he had to say, admitting that both Celtic and Glasgow rivals Rangers should be looking to take advantage of Derby’s financial struggles:

“There’s never a problem with looking for a bargain.

“If there’s an opportunity to take advantage of a club who are in a difficult situation, you look at the likes of Barcelona selling off their best players – Rangers and Celtic have to take it.

“They’ll be looking to pinch the best talent they can down south because it’s a small fee they will have to pay.”

The Verdict: Worth a low-risk gamble?

Celtic may hold an advantage over any English clubs who are interested in the full-back due to cross-border rules. The Hoops will be allowed to approach Buchanan in the New Year ahead of a possible pre-contract agreement, should his situation remain the same as now.

Another option is for Celtic to make an offer to the English Championship club with a view to an immediate deal, with Nixon reporting that Derby may sell in the next window.

You’d expect that the figure would be a cut-price one as well due to the 20-year-old’s contract situation, so signing a left-back who Rooney hailed as ‘incredible’ and who has been tipped for England could be a low-risk gamble worth taking from the Hoops’ hierarchy, especially given Celtic’s recent instability in that position.

In other news: Lost the ball 44 times, 16 duels lost, only 1 shot on goal: Celtic’s worst 3 performers against Livingston

West Ham United made it through to the semi-finals of the Europa League last night after beating Olympique Lyon 3-0 away from home.

The Hammers went in at halftime 2-0 up after coming through a barrage of Lyon attacks throughout the first period of their second-leg clash.

Three minutes into the second half, Jarrod Bowen found the back of the net to put David Moyes’ side 3-0 up with one foot in the semi-finals.

Having got through the game with a clean sheet and three goals scored, this was a magnificent night for the east London club, who deservedly made it through to the next stage of the tournament.

In terms of individual performances, one figure that stood out from the crowd in a West Ham shirt on this occasion was defender Craig Dawson.

With the French side having 17 attempts at goal in total, the centre-back had a lot to deal with throughout the night.

Labelled as a “set piece savant” by commentator Maximiliano Bretos, the 31-year-old put his side 1-0 up with a headed goal from a corner.

However, it was his work defending his own goal where the Englishman really stole the show.

With just 32 touches of the ball in total, the defender made four clearances, six blocks and one interception, showing just how vital he was for the Hammers in keeping Lyon out of their goal.

He also managed to win 67% of the duels he was involved in, highlighting how much of a tough opponent he was for the opposition players.

This display ultimately earned the veteran an impressive overall match rating of 8.5/10 for his efforts, making him the highest-rated Hammers player on the day according to SofaScore.

Having picked up a higher rating than fellow goalscorers Bowen and Declan Rice, this shows just how solid he was at the top and bottom of the pitch and that he was a massive reason why the team have gone through.

The 52k-per-week centre-back’s display caught the attention of West Ham journalist Roshane Thomas who described Dawson’s performance as “superb.”

Moving forward, with the east London club now set to take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals, they will need their defensive powerhouse to be just as impressive next time out as he was in midweek if they want to reach the final.

In other news: Moyes can form “dangerous” duo as GSB plot bid for £25m gem who could “explode” at WHU

There appears to be ‘growing confidence’ that Leeds United could beat a number of top clubs to the signing of Espanyol youngster Mateo Joseph Fernandez.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Fernandez move

The Whites may potentially be looking at January reinforcements and one player they have been linked with is 17-year-old Fernandez.

The striker is yet to make a senior appearance for Espanyol but he is considered an exciting prospect with a bright future ahead of him.

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The Latest: January move incoming?

According to The Daily Mail, the signing of Fernandez could be edging closer, with Leeds confident that a January move will come to fruition.

The Whites are believed to be fighting off interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona, highlighting the attacker’s potential.

Fernandez reportedly has a £1.2million release clause in his contract that lasts until next summer, giving clubs the opportunity to sign him on the cheap.

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The Verdict: One for the future

While Fernandez wouldn’t arrive as an immediate first-team squad member for Leeds, he is someone who could be viewed as a long-term project, along with the likes of Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt.

It is vital that the Whites plans for life long beyond Marcelo Bielsa, ensuring they don’t stand still and instead continue to cement their place as a reestablished Premier League outfit.

In other news, one Leeds player has ‘a lot to improve’, according to a pundit. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League footballer Dean Windass could see James Ward-Prowse going to Aston Villa, but says Southampton won’t want to lose him.

Villa have already signed Danny Ings from the Saints this summer and there has been plenty of speculation that they are interested in midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

Sky Sports reported last month that Southampton had rejected Aston Villa’s £25m offer for the player and that the south coast outfit have no interest in selling him.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Windass could see the transfer happening but also understands that Southampton won’t want to lose him, saying: “Another situation where Southampton won’t want to lose him, he’s the captain.

“I can see that happening obviously with the funds they get for Jack, he could be the one that can come in. [He’s] not a similar player to Jack but obviously similar quality in the sense he can get you goals from free-kicks. His wide free-kicks – he puts them on the money every now and then.”

Ward-Prowse featured in every Premier League game for Southampton last season and also in the clubs six cup matches (5 FA Cup and 1 EFL Cup), scoring nine goals and creating a further seven.

Both Villa and Southampton have looked to strengthen their sides this summer, with both making five new signings each. With under a month to go in the transfer window, will Ward-Prowse be the sixth Villa signing or will the Saints stand firm and keep hold of their captain for the upcoming season?

With Sunderland currently sitting in sixth place in the League One table, Lee Johnson’s side have conceded a total of 22 goals in 17 games, more than any other side above them in the table.

This could have something to do with the fact that the Black Cats currently have a number of injured defensive players such as Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin and Denver Hume out of action, leaving Johnson having to play the likes of Carl Winchester and Luke O’Nien in the full-back positions in recent matches.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is on the horizon, one player that the Wearside club should be looking to bring in to help ease their injury crisis is Eric Lichaj.

After being linked with a move for the full-back during the previous summer transfer window after leaving Turkish club Faith Karagumruk in January, it seems as though the club could be forced into securing the defender’s signature in this upcoming window on a free transfer as a result of their current injury worries.

The 33-year-old, who is currently valued at £450k according to Transfermarkt, has a total of 345 senior club appearances under his belt throughout his career, with 257 of them coming in the Championship, showing how much experience he has that he could offer Sunderland if he joins in January.

Despite predominantly playing as a right-back, Lichaj, who was previously described as “phenomenal” by Nigel Adkins during his time at Hull City, has also played a decent number of games in the left-back position, highlighting his versatility that could be a big help for Sunderland if they still have defensive injuries in the full-back positions heading into the New Year.

On that evidence, signing Lichaj on a free transfer should be at the top of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ priority list. With injuries aplenty, he could help the team push towards promotion by the end of the season.

In other news: Johnson must ruthlessly axe “unique” lightweight tonight, he could cost SAFC dearly – opinion

An update has emerged regarding the make-up of new Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst’s backroom staff at Ibrox as he aims to bounce back from the Gers’ crippling defeat last weekend…

What’s the talk?

According to Gazet van Antwerpen, via Sport Witness, the Dutchman is hoping to complete a deal to land Royal Antwerp talent coordinator Zeb Jacobs in the coming days.

The report claims that there is a concrete interest from Rangers in the 26-year-old, who currently works on youth development with the Belgian outfit, and they are looking to finalise a move ‘soon’.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that van Bronckhorst wants to place an emphasis on youth development at Ibrox. Jacobs is said to have impressed Gers chiefs with his work in Belgium – developing young players and helping them progress into the first team.

This means that he could come in and help to bridge the gap between the academy and the senior team. Whether that means he will come in and directly work with the starting XI with a specific focus on the younger players or in the academy helping the stars of tomorrow push on to reach van Bronckhorst’s side remains to be seen, but it is good news either way for supporters who want to see the next ‘one of their own’ play at Ibrox.

Nathan Patterson is currently part of the first-team set-up and playing a backup role to James Tavernier at right-back and Jacobs’ arrival could potentially help him kick on and nail down a starting berth.

The likes of Juan Alegria, Aaron Cervantes and Tony Weston could also benefit as they attempt to make the leap from academy football to making their Scottish Premiership debuts.

This is why the Ibrox faithful will be buzzing with this news as it could see a number of young players make their way at Rangers, should Jacobs have the desired impact upon his arrival.

They will also be delighted with van Bronckhorst wanting to make this a priority as it shows that he is willing to offer chances to younger players and will not rely on senior heads to get him out of every situation.

It is now down to Ross Wilson and the Dutchman to ensure that they can iron out a deal with Antwerp in the coming days to bring him to Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gio could save Wilson millions with Rangers beast who is a “winner and warrior”…

Graham Roberts has exclusively told Football FanCast that Hugo Lloris needs to extend his contract or leave this summer.

The Frenchman has about to embark on his tenth season in north London since signing from Lyon back in 2012.

However, the World Cup winner, who was ever-present for the first time in his Premier League career in 2020-2021, has entered the final 12 months of his deal and can therefore leave for nothing in 2022.

Nuno Espirito Santo has already reacted quickly and seemingly put plans in place for Lloris’ eventful departure by signing Pierluigi Gollini on loan from Atalanta.

Gollini, who would already appear to have moved ahead of Joe Hart in the pecking order, has been signed to become Lloris’ successor from next summer once he finally leaves, but Roberts doesn’t think Tottenham should miss out on a transfer fee for Lloris.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“If he doesn’t sign a contract, he has to go because we don’t want to lose him for nothing.”

Asked whether there’s a possibility Lloris could leave this summer, Roberts added:

“Maybe. If he doesn’t sign a contract, you don’t want to play a goalkeeper that at the end of the season is going to walk out.”