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According to journalist Mark McAdam, Villarreal have had a bid turned down for Southampton transfer target Arnaut Danjuma.

The Lowdown: Saints eye Danjuma

The Saints have been linked with a move for the Dutchman (Hampshire Live), who currently plays for Bournemouth in the Championship.

However, Southampton are yet to make a concrete move for the 24-year-old, and they have now been beaten to the first approach.

The Latest: Danjuma bid rejected

As tweeted by McAdam, Europa League winners Villarreal made a €15m (£12.8m) bid for the Netherlands international.

However, that offer was turned down by the Cherries.

The Verdict: Hasenhuttl must make his move

Danjuma was one of the Championship’s best players in 2020/21. He was named in the division’s Team of the Season (Sky Sports) after scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt), while he was labelled “exceptional” by his manager Jonathan Woodgate towards the end of last term (The Official EFL Podcast).

He is a player who could be an inspired signing for Southampton, but only if they make their move. Villarreal have already made their interest in the winger clear by presenting an offer to Bournemouth, so if Ralph Hasenhuttl and co really want to capture the winger, they must do the same before it is too late.

In other news, many Southampton fans want this man to leave the club.

West Ham United manager David Moyes is still interested in signing Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in this month’s January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The England international of course joined the London side on loan in January of last year, and was then kept by United during the summer.

But now, according to The Evening Standard, Moyes remains keen on exploring a potential January deal for Lingard, who despite his impressive campaign with the Hammers last year, has struggled to break into the United side this season.

Fans will be buzzing

After joining West Ham back in the January transfer window on a short-term loan, Lingard racked up an incredible nine goals and four assists in just his first ten Premier League games for the club – it was no surprise then that he was lauded as being “absolutely phenomenal”.

What marks Lingard out as a real threat is his timing of his runs, and it’s something Michael Carrick has previously raved about.

The United coach said: “He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

His performances with the Hammers showcased the kind of impact the £75k-a-week earning star can have when he’s on song and the confidence is flowing through his veins.

With West Ham still very much in the mix for a Champions League spot this season, adding that extra sprinkling of goals and dynamism in Lingard could well prove to be the difference-maker when it comes to those big moments and big games.

The £18m-rated star could enjoy another sparkling stint at the London Stadium were West Ham to make a move, and fans would surely be buzzing with seeing him back.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also interested in another Premier League star…

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.

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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

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

A finance expert has now dropped an exciting Everton revelation involving Farhad Moshiri and the Bramley Moore stadium project.

The Lowdown: American interest

As per The Daily Mail, the Goodison Park faithful have now attracted interest from American bidders willing to pay £350m to buy them.

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Moshiri is looking for outside investment to help fund the Bramley Moore project, after investing more than £500m in the Merseyside club since his arrival.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, finance expert Kieran Maguire has now given his reaction to the reported interest, revealing that Moshiri thinks that the Bramley Moore project will ‘turn things around financially’:

“If the £350m means Moshiri writing off his debt then they would be getting it at a discount.

“Moshiri effectively bought them for £175m. Since then, he has added to the club by lending it large sums of money.

“He would end up having to take cut in terms of the total he has invested into Everton. A lot will depend on how he feels on a long-term basis.

“The noises I’ve heard from Everton are that he is committed and believes the Bramley Moore project will turn things around financially.

“That will coincide with things improving on the pitch as well because the more resources you have coming in, the more you can spend on new signings.

“As far as new owners would be concerned, they’d have to fund the stadium. So, it’s £350m plus the £400m to £500m that the stadium is going to cost.“

The Verdict: Exciting

Given the concern for the Toffees in terms of the losses recorded in their financial accounts, the fact that the Bramley Moore project could ‘turn things around financially’ is certainly exciting.

Of course, new investment would help with that, whether that is Moshiri continuing to show his commitment or the American businessmen coming in.

The stadium is going to cost a lot of money in itself, but the Blues would hope that the money generated from its initial construction would surpass that, and so they could find themselves in a better financial position, while the supporters get to enjoy the new stadium.

Nonetheless, the club need a boost after what has happened to them on the pitch this season, and the new stadium should go some way in providing that.

In other news, find out which ‘real leader’ has now emerged as an EFC target here!

West Brom’s correspondent for The Athletic, Steve Madeley, shared a story on Valerien Ismael’s midfield options on Monday.

And a number of West Brom fans were quick to react to his Twitter post as a result.

The Baggies ran out 3-0 winners against Bristol City on Saturday but were without central midfield regulars Jake Livermore and Alex Mowatt.

Livermore was suspended and Mowatt injured, which meant Ismael used Robert Snodgrass and Jayson Molumby. The pair impressed against The Robins, with Ismael labelling Snodgrass as man of the match.

Madeley looked into the possibility of Snodgrass and Molumby starting alongside each other again when West Brom travel to promotion rivals Fulham this weekend.

He labelled the idea of Albion going into a game without Livermore and Mowatt as ‘unthinkable’ prior to the weekend.

However, it now feels as if that might happen after the positive displays from Snodgrass and Molumby.

Baggies fans react

This is what these West Brom supporters had to say in reply to Madeley, with many hoping Livermore doesn’t return to the side.

“Livermore’s suspension was the best thing that could have happened. He doesn’t offer anything and can’t pass. Mowatt would relish playing with Molumby/Snoddy next to him.”

Credit: @Jackk_Ross

“Was only unthinkable if you hadn’t got eyes. The fact that this pairing only happened by chance and not by choice is somewhat baffling and maybe even scary.”

Credit: @wezzaboing74

“About time Livermore is phased out of the starting XI. All he does is fall to his knees when other players score. How got like 10 games for England is completely beyond me”

Credit: @JoelDMendez

“Only unthinkable to fans who don’t understand football. Its been obvious all season Livermore doesn’t offer anywhere near enough in a 2 man midfield. The fact he is constantly diving in is enough to demonstrate that.”

Credit: @AdKido44

“Always look better without Livermore”

Credit: @Jaywba1982

“I don’t know what Livermore brings to the side and can’t tell you what sort of player he is, about time he was dislodged from the side”

Credit: @RyanPGlasgow

Ashley Preece picked out John McGinn as one of Aston Villa’s worst players in their disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Villa humbled at Arsenal

Dean Smith’s men were hoping to bounce back from their shock 3-2 loss at home to Wolves last time around, but things didn’t pan out that way.

Villa were deservedly beaten at the Emirates on Friday evening, being comprehensively outplayed by a more energetic Gunners side.

The Latest: McGinn performance slammed

It was a game that saw many Villa players underperform and McGinn was undoubtedly one of them, losing the midfield battle and not covering himself in glory for two of the goals.

On Twitter after the game, Preece claimed that the Scot was ‘miles off the pace’ against Arsenal, and in his player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, he further outlined his struggles, giving him a measly three-out-of-10 score:

“At fault for two of Arsenal’s three goals here. The first he allowed Partey to get ahead of him from the corner before he passed straight to Smith Rowe under no pressure whatsoever.

“A real off-night for the Scot who, before this one, said he was in the best form of his career. Booked for lashing out at Lokonga as frustrations boiled over.”

The Verdict: Rare off-night

It is hard to feel too angry with McGinn, considering what a consistent performer he has been for Villa for a number of years, scoring 15 goals and registering 20 assists in 119 appearances.

As Preece alludes to, it was rare off-night for the midfielder, completing just 76 per cent of his passes and losing possession 15 times (Sofascore), and the hope is that he returns to his best for the visit of West Ham next Sunday.

The pressure is mounting on Smith after two bitterly disappointing results in a row – they have lost their last three matches – so the clash with the Hammers is a vital one.

In other news, some Villa fans slammed another player’s performance against Arsenal. Find out who it is here.

The new Premier League campaign is already three games old and Leicester City have made a solid, if not spectacular, start.

A tally of six points from a possible nine is a respectable total for Brendan Rodgers’ charges, although their performances at times have left a lot to be desired.

Victories over Manchester City in the Community Shield and Wolves in their top-flight curtain-raiser were followed by a humiliating 4-1 defeat by West Ham United.

Despite the Foxes bouncing back well via a narrow win over newly-promoted Norwich City, several members of Rodgers’ first-team squad need to step their game up following the international break.

One of those who has significantly underperformed for the Midlands outfit is Caglar Soyuncu.

The Turkey international gifted the Hammers possession leading directly to one of their goals before hauling Pierre Lees-Melou down in the 18-yard box to gift Norwich a penalty at Carrow Road.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old received an average match rating of just 6.50 out of 10 for his three Premier League appearances, the 14th lowest amongst his teammates.

And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why. Soyuncu has lost possession a whopping 39 times in just 270 minutes of action, won just 50% of his duels and made one error leading directly to a goal.

The former Freiburg defender was also underwhelming when in possession, producing only 0.7 dribbles per game and pulling off only 32% of his attempted long passes.

With Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans out injured and Jannik Vestergaard settling into his new surroundings, Soyuncu was the senior centre-back for Rodgers throughout August.

However, his sub-par performances let the Northern Irish tactician down and both will be expected an upturn in form when the league season resumes next weekend.

And, in other news…Dreadful £60k-p/w Leicester man who made just 41 passes endured a torrid August 

West Ham United must sanction a move for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the upcoming January transfer window, ending David Moyes’ injury crisis.

The Hammers are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table after a hugely impressive start to the season, but extensive fitness woes across the backline are threatening to unravel their hard work.

First-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with an ACL problem, while Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson are also set for extensive spells on the sidelines.

That leaves just Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the capital club’s only fit central defenders, meaning the winter window could prove pivotal in their future success.

According to 90min’s Toby Cudworth, West Ham’s hierarchy are assessing a raft of options as Moyes looks for the right candidate to slot into his impressive starting lineup.

One of those being watched is reportedly 23-year-old Kelly, who has put in a string of eye-catching performances for the Cherries throughout 2021/22.

He’s what West Ham are missing

After arriving on the south coast from boyhood club Bristol City back in 2019, the youngster initially struggled to settle, failing to produce his best form as Bournemouth were relegated from the top-flight.

However, he’s gone from strength to strength over the last 18 months, playing a pivotal part as the Vitality Stadium outfit reached the play-offs last term, earning the praise of former manager Jonathan Woodgate.

“He’s got talent. He’s got a lot of attributes that Premier League teams look at. But he needs to be consistent week in, week out now,” he said before lauding Kelly’s natural pace.

“At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City). I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him.

“It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’,” he concluded.

And the £9m-rated ace has taken his game to new heights this time around. As per WhoScored, Kelly has averaged 3.2 aerial duels won per league game, a whopping 5.2 clearances and 5.5 long balls while averaging 73.8 passes per game.

Those figures place him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates, illustrating his top-class potential.

Therefore, it’s clear that Kelly is exactly the sort of player that West Ham are missing in their first-team squad at this moment in time due to their injury woes, and Moyes must push the club’s hierarchy to secure his services in January.

And, in other news…Newman could seal dream West Ham deal with “outstanding” £21m “superstar”

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would ‘definitely suit’ West Ham, Kevin Campbell has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

ExWHUEmployee revealed in July that West Ham were considering a possible loan move for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

According to The Athletic, the Hammers have expressed a particularly strong interest in Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard following his 2020/21 loan spell, but the player has told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he wants to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could be an alternative to the 28-year-old. The Liverpool man was limited to just two Premier League starts last season, making a further 11 substitute appearances (via WhoScored).

He has been dogged by injuries since his arrival at Anfield back in 2017, missing a total of 74 matches, while West Ham are already said to be in talks with the Reds over a move for his team-mate Divock Origi.

The latest

Campbell has urged West Ham to pursue the move and thinks that Oxlade-Chamberlain may well be surplus to requirements at Liverpool.

“He’s the type of player that would definitely suit West Ham,” the former Everton striker told Football Insider.

“I’m not saying he’s a goalscorer in the same vein as Jesse Lingard but his game is speed. That’s huge in his game and he’s not playing at Liverpool.

“When you don’t play, there is always that risk you get sold or are forced to move on. He’d be a huge signing for West Ham.”

The verdict

On the face of it, this would be similar to the Lingard deal – a loan move for an out-of-favour English attacker at a Champions League club. The hope would then be that Oxlade-Chamberlain regains his stride in similar fashion to the Manchester United ace.

The 27-year-old is an exceptionally versatile player, capable of playing in central midfield, attacking midfield and on either flank.

However, would Liverpool allow another midfielder to leave given that Georginio Wijnaldum’s departure has already thinned out their squad?

The other news, fans raved over this display in Sunday’s friendly.