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Former Premier League defender Alan Hutton feels Dan James is struggling to adapt to what Marcelo Bielsa wants at Leeds United.

The Lowdown: James not off to best start

£16.2m-valued James (Transfermarkt) made the move to Elland Road from Manchester United during the summer transfer window, with the Whites finally capturing their man after almost doing so two years ago (via Wales Online).

The Wales international has not had the best of starts in Yorkshire however, failing to score and providing just one assist in nine outings in all competitions (Transfermarkt), while he has already been used in four different positions by Marcelo Bielsa, perhaps suggesting the Argentine hasn’t quite found what the Wales international is best at yet.

The Latest: Hutton questions James’ ability to adapt

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton, 36, believes James is failing to adapt to what his manager wants. He said:

“To be honest, I think it’s his all-round game.

“Let’s be honest, he’s still adapting to the style and what Bielsa wants from him. He was kind of stuck out on the left for a long period of time.

“Balls were going over his head and he was actually being asked to be a left-back at times. There was one he got caught out and Norwich had a really good opportunity from it.

“After that, Bielsa realised and put him through the middle, tried to utilise his pace.

“I think he’s still adapting to the way they play. It’s man-v-man covering, it can be hectic at times when you’re at the stadium when you’re actually watching it.

“These are things that he has to get used to. He has to get used to it quick because the expectation levels on him are obviously very high.”

The Verdict: Give him time

James was signed for a hefty £25m from the Red Devils (BBC) – only Rodrigo has ever cost Leeds more. As such, the expectations on the 23-year-old’s shoulders are heavier than they would be for most, especially given the Yorkshire outfit are currently 17th in the Premier League table.

It would appear the former Swansea City winger is struggling to match Bielsa’s defensive demands. He has averaged 0.6 tackles and 0.3 interceptions per game with his new club (via WhoScored). Raphinha for example, an attacking player just like James, has managed 1.4 and 0.6 respectively, which is the kind of standard the new boy must match if he wants to make an impact.

However, it is hard to make such a judgement after two months – he deserves more time than that.

In other news, Leeds want to sign this Championship star.

Southampton will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League this afternoon as they make the short trip down the south coast to take on Graham Potter’s high-flying Brighton.

Having ended a run of no win in six with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal, the Saints returned to their bad habits, losing 2-0 at lowly Burnley on Thursday evening.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are safe, but a top-half finish looked extremely possible a month ago with a place in the top ten come the end of the season now looking a tall task.

However, the Saints will leapfrog the Seagulls with a victory at the AMEX Stadium today, so, who should Hasenhuttl entrust to oversee victory on the south coast?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Southampton to line up in Sussex:

Saints XI: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, S. Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Adams, Broja.

Having played around with different formations of late, we expect Hasenhuttl to return to his favoured 4-2-2-2 set-up with the use of a back-five offering inconsistent results in the last two matches.

After an exceptional game against Arsenal and another bright display at Turf Moor, Fraser Forster keeps his place in between the sticks as expected.

However, there is a change in the defence as Mohamed Salisu returns to the starting lineup, having been dropped after the 6-0 defeat to Chelsea two weeks ago.

The Ghanaian is undoubtedly the Saints’ best defender but had been under par for a handful of games, hence Hasenhuttl proving to the 23-year-old that his place in the side isn’t guaranteed.

Jan Bednarek keeps his place whilst Yan Valery and Lyanco drop out to allow the change of formation.

The former has been developed into a centre-back this season having notoriously been a right-back but has a bad habit of proving unreliable when handed a run of games, with The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon labelling the £16k-per-week 23-year-old a “weak link” in the defence.

As expected, Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse continue their partnership in central midfield whilst Stuart Armstrong and Mohamed Elyounoussi will look to provide width and creativity against a solid Seagulls side that have conceded 40 goals in 33 matches.

The final change comes up front, with Che Adams making his return to the side, having been an unused substitute against Arsenal and coming off of the bench against Burnley.

The £18m-rated striker has netted eight goals this term and has looked his best when deployed alongside Armando Broja.

The two sides meet for a 2pm kick-off with just one point separating the south coast outfits.

AND in other news: Forget Broja: Ralph must unleash 17-y/o Saints prodigy who “leads the line very well”

An update has emerged on Glasgow giants Rangers’ interest in bringing John Souttar to Ibrox next month…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has taken over from where Steven Gerrard left off and may yet make a move for the defender in January.

However, the report does claim that English Championship side Blackburn Rovers have opened pre-contract talks with the 25-year-old, whose deal is up at the end of the season.

Ibrox could be rocking

Van Bronckhorst must ensure that Rangers can get a deal over the line for Souttar in January, as he could get Ibrox rocking by bringing him to the Scottish champions.

He is a proven Premiership performer who also has time on his side and he could be a phenomenal addition to the Gers’ squad. Supporters would surely love to see him playing for the Light Blues in the second half of the campaign and for many more seasons to come, and the announcement of his name on his debut could get fans excited if he does arrive at Ibrox to bolster the squad.

This season, he has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.43 for Hearts across 18 starts. He has made 4.4 clearances per game and won a whopping 71% of his duels overall, showing that he has been consistently brilliant in his defending.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein previously lauded the Scot, saying: “I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

Along with his statistics from 2021/22, this shows why Souttar could be a fantastic player for Rangers, whilst he still has room to grow and improve at the age of 25. He could be the club’s first-choice centre-back for years to come and signing him in January could be a masterclass by Van Bronckhorst.

However, it will take some effort now to avoid losing out to Blackburn in the transfer race as they have already entered talks, which means that Ross Wilson and the Dutchman must get to work immediately to give themselves a chance of landing the Hearts defender.

AND in other news, GvB can finally axe the new “Alex Rae” from Rangers by signing £4m “conductor” in Jan…

Celtic are facing a major injury blow over Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of their Scottish Premiership clash against Hibernian on Monday…

What’s the story?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Japan international did not train with the rest of Ange Postecoglou’s side and now faces a race to be fit for the clash at Parkhead.

Ange will be gutted

With a whopping 16 goals in his 26 games for the club, it’s fair to say Furuhashi has well and truly hit the ground running, with Kevin Campbell waxing lyrical about just how well he has adjusted to life at Celtic.

He said: “Wow, what a phenomenal impact he is having on that football club. When a player has confidence he can produce goals like that.

“Let’s be honest, he has been the difference for Celtic this season. They are a different team when he plays. They need him fit and available every week. He can carry the team and that is what he has done. He has been nothing short of awesome since he has signed. You have to give Postecoglou credit.”

It’s not just for his on the pitch actions where Furuhashi seems to have endeared himself with the Celtic supporters.

Frank McAvennie said: “He really is a breath of fresh air. The boy can’t put a foot wrong. You see things like him picking up litter off the pitch when he’s coming off.

“When he was injured he was sat in with the fans as well. That’s so good to see. It’s like he’s in love with the club already and you can’t buy that. He is so enthusiastic, it’s no wonder people have taken to him.”

It’s exactly why Postecoglou and the club’s fans will be devastated to be without the Japan international for Monday’s game.

Meanwhile, Anthony Joseph has dropped a transfer update…

Tottenham Hotspur could yet move for a centre-back on deadline day…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are closing in on the double swoop for Juventus duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski but it appears they may not be done just yet with hours left to go in the window.

That’s according to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who delivered an exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT today. He said:

“At centre-back, I believe – effectively – we could see a rabbit out of the hat. But that could hinge on outgoings.”

Much-needed addition

Spurs manager Antonio Conte is adding some solid depth to his Spurs squad in the aforementioned signings  – the Uruguay international adds a better option in the engine room with club-record flop Tanguy Ndombele on his way out, whilst the Swede offers a hugely versatile presence in the attack.

However, that isn’t enough if he’s to truly get the north London outfit back in the top four. The Italian head coach has already worked his magic, losing only one league game since his arrival in November, so just imagine what he could do with a couple more additions.

It’s thought that he requested signings in three priority positions, whilst there has always been suggestions of a desire to bolster his backline, where the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have struggled to look the part in recent months.

Spurs have been linked to a number of options in the role, including Conte’s ex-Inter beast Stefan de Vrij, Milan’s arch-rival captain Alessio Romagnoli and sensationally, Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, who sporting director Fabio Paratici has signed before.

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All three would be outstanding additions to Spurs’ squad but time is running out if they are to secure any one of them, if not any other central defender.

If the Lilywhites can land Conte a new colossus late on in the January transfer window, then both he and the fanbase will surely be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Spurs eye club-record swoop BEFORE deadline, it’s Conte’s dream signing…

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Kurt Zouma returns from his one-match suspension for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park on Sunday and could take his place in the starting XI, but he may have an unexpected issue to deal with.

On the chalkboard

The Chelsea loanee missed the 3-0 win against Cardiff City in Wales on Tuesday night as a result of his dismissal against Watford earlier this month, but the 24-year-old is available again for the massive derby clash with the Premier League title hopefuls.

While Phil Jagielka came in and kept a clean sheet against the Bluebirds alongside Michael Keane with Yerry Mina on the substitutes’ bench, it is the partnership between Zouma and Keane that has seemingly become Marco Silva’s preferred one.

Should the Frenchman get the nod at the weekend he may well have thought he would be competing against either Roberto Firmino or Mo Salah, but instead it could be Sadio Mane.

Tough opponent

Not many would have predicted that Jurgen Klopp would start the Senegal international through the middle against Watford on Wednesday in Firmino’s absence through injury, given the German had Salah, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi to choose from.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

However, that is exactly what he did and the former Southampton man impressed in the centre, scoring two goals in the opening 20 minutes of the 5-0 success against the Hornets.

Mane has the pace and sheer unpredictability that perhaps someone like Firmino doesn’t, and even if the Brazilian is back it is the African star that could keep the spot he excelled in during the week, considering he can also play behind the striker or out wide.

That isn’t good news for Zouma, as even though he can be relatively quick when he wants to be he may not have the mobility to deal with the twists and turns of the 26-year-old.

Liverpool are set to complete the signing of highly-rated Celtic midfielder Ben Doak, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

According to their sources, now that the Reds have agreed the signing of Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho, they are close to agreeing on a deal for the Celtic teenager who has already been pictured holding a Liverpool shirt.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

The 16-year old is set to sign an initial three-year deal with Liverpool paying around £600k in compensation to the Scottish club. It’s understood that to begin with he will play for the club’s development side.

More exciting than Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho has lit up the Championship this season, with 14 goal contributions in 29 appearances, so we know an awful lot about how good he is.

However, the fact we know less about Doak, and that Liverpool are signing the youngster for such a fee for his age, makes this one more exciting and intriguing.

He has already made two senior appearances for the Hoops, one of which was as a late substitute in an Old Firm game which shows just how highly thought of he is in Scotland.

Where he has excelled is at youth level for his country. Doak has made six appearances for Scotland U17’s scoring four times, which included a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout against Georgia last month.

He’s been described in glowing terms as a “generational” talent by Bhoys Analytics and will be looking to the likes of his fellow countryman Andy Robertson when judging how successful a move to Anfield can be.

Doak rejected a professional contract from Celtic to move south of the border and sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Whilst this may seem like a bold decision, it’s not every day that you get offered the chance to sign for one of the best teams in Europe.

He is a wide player with the ability to play on the wing and in the full-back position, adding a further string to his bow, with Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou describing him as a “fantastic kid” who is “composed” for his age.

It was reported by The Athletic that Leeds were also interested in signing the teenager but Liverpool managed to seal the deal first.

Overall it’s an extremely exciting signing, he may not feature in the first team straight away but with a lot of clubs interested, he must be special. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on how he progresses through a Liverpool set-up that is known for developing great players.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool gem who won just 16.6% duels let his side down

Crystal Palace will be without midfielder James McArthur for a further six weeks, according to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam.

Scans revealed that the 34-year-old had suffered a torn hamstring in the victory over Wolves at the beginning of this month, and having sat out the 3-3 draw with Burnley last weekend, he could now miss Palace’s next nine Premier League matches.

If the timeline is accurate, he could be in line to return for the Eagles’ trip to their arch-rivals Brighton on 14 January.

How big a blow is McArthur’s absence?

Prior to the injury, McArthur had started every Premier League game under new Eagles boss Patrick Vieira.

If you go by WhoScored’s rankings, he’d been Palace’s third-best player behind Conor Gallagher and Christian Benteke. The Scotsman was averaging 2.4 accurate long balls (fourth in the club’s ranks), 2.3 tackles (third) and 1.2 interceptions (fourth) per 90 minutes, highlighting his importance to the team and how big a loss he will be during a busy period of the season.

Woosnam revealed the news on his personal Twitter profile, and here’s what these Palace supporters had to say, with one describing it as a “devastating” blow to the team.

Crystal Palace lament McArthur injury

“Jimmy Mac will be a huge miss as we don’t have another player with his engine that can cover so much ground”

Credit: @cpfc_jw19

“6 weeks! Oh dear we are really going to miss him”

Credit: @StephenRodin1

“We better start scoring even more then. Cos we’ll be shipping em in now!”

Credit: @ic_lewis

“Devastating news, he has been our rock”

Credit: @rickyj555

“Absolutely gutted, why is it always us”

Credit: @joe_cpfc_01

“Didn’t need this on a Tuesday morning”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

In other news, a journalist weighs in on Palace’s links with this Premier League forward.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have urged the club to sign Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, after news emerged linking him with a move to the Irons.

David Moyes’ options at centre-back were depleted by the season-ending injury sustained by Angelo Ogbonna, as the defender suffered a cruciate ligament rupture at the start of November.

When Kurt Zouma suffered a hamstring injury in early December, the Hammers were left with just two senior centre-backs available for selection – Craig Dawson and Issa Diop.

Although Zouma has now returned, it is clear the Irons need to seek reinforcements in that position.

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West Ham fans react to the Caleta-Car news

Sky Sports have claimed that West Ham want to sign Caleta-Car on a loan deal with an option to buy, although Marseille only want to let the defender leave on a permanent deal worth £17million.

Independent Hammers site West Ham News & Views shared the news on Twitter. This sparked a number of Irons fans to reply in the comments, with many urging the club to go through with the deal.

It is perhaps no surprise fans are excited, as the Croatia international is noted for his ability to break lines with his passing and his excellent recovery pace.

Here’s what they had to say, as one supporter called a potential £17m deal a ‘bargain’…

“MAKE IT HAPPEN, I’LL BE KNEE-SLIDING ACROSS MY CARPET”

Credit: @whudex6

“£17m is a bargain for him”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“We are on the brink of a masterstroke. If you want fans on side then just get the deal done. Pass it on Dave x”

Credit: @_WestHamReport

“Should get the deal done tbh if true”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“I’d rather spend £2 Mil more & get Caleta-Car than £15 Mil Nat Phillips”

Credit: @RugbyLad86

“That’s nothing in today’s market. Get it done.”

Credit: @WestHam_SW

In other news: Fans gutted by ExWHUemployee’s Brereton Diaz update

Even though Liverpool have managed to keep a clean sheet in all of their three previous games across all competitions against Arsenal, FC Porto and Southampton, the Reds have managed to concede more goals in the league than Chelsea and Manchester City.

With the upcoming January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though the club could be in danger of losing one of their defensive players after Football Insider reported that West Ham United are interested in making a move to sign Nat Phillips.

Even though Phillips has only made two senior appearances for Liverpool so far this season, the club should have no plans to allow the defender to join West Ham in January.

Given how he ended up as Liverpool’s second-highest rated player in the Premier League last season with an overall performance rating of 7.29/10 according to WhoScored, Phillips certainly proved himself to everyone at the Merseyside club that he is more than capable of playing for them at a high level.

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In addition to his impressive overall performances in the league last season, the central defender also managed to rack up an average of 4.8 clearances per game, 1.3 tackles per game and 1.2 interceptions per game, highlighting his defensive talents.

Labelled as a “monster” for his efforts in the team last season by Klopp, it’s a shame that Phillips, who is currently valued at £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, has not been given the opportunity to shine once again this time out.

As a result of his impressive season, Liverpool offered the 24-year-old a long-term deal that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

Taking this into account, it would seem rather silly for the Reds to let Phillips go in January after giving him a renewed contract just a few months ago.

With this in mind, it could be in everyone’s best interest if Jurgen Klopp starts to give Phillips some regular game time to make it clear that he is a valued member of the squad that has what it takes to be a long-term option for them in the future.

Furthermore, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now at the age of 30, Klopp could save Liverpool millions by unleashing Phillips once again. Cementing his place in the team could swerve Michael Edwards and co from hunting European shores for a pricey replacement.

In other news: Edwards must seal Klopp’s dream Liverpool deal in “electric” £20m “bulldozer” – opinion