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West Ham United are sweating over the fitness of Aaron Cresswell heading into tonight’s Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion at the London Stadium…

What’s the latest?

The 31-year-old defender was forced off with a back injury in the 61st minute during the Irons’ 2-1 defeat to defending champions Manchester City on Sunday after he clattered into the post when making an impressive last-ditch goal-line clearance.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference manager David Moyes revealed that his trusty left-back was a doubt ahead of kick-off.

“We’ve got a doubt about Aaron Cresswell, but he’s been out today so we’re hopeful that he’s not too bad. We’ll see how he is,” he told reporters (via football.london).

Elsewhere, Claret and Hugh have claimed that Cresswell is facing a late fitness test this evening but the Scotsman will take no chances if he’s not good to go.

Would be a big miss

This would be a big, big miss for the Hammers as the long-serving star is one of Moyes’ most influential and key players. He contributes at either end of the pitch and will be needed to combat the threat of Tariq Lamptey.

Last season, he led the way in terms of creativity, recording eight assists, whilst averaging 1.6 key passes per outing, via WhoScored.

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An average of 1.1 tackles and 2.2 clearances per game this term suggests he’s doing his defensive duties rather efficiently and that makes him the best option to face the Seagulls’ arguably biggest dangerman.

Just last month, Cresswell’s form for West Ham in 2021/22 earned glowing praise from talkSPORT pundit and ex-Villa striker Tony Cascarino.

“Talk about unsung heroes; I think Cresswell has been brilliant for them at left-back this year. I thought as he gets older, his place would be in jeopardy – it’s not,” he said.

At the weekend, Lamptey was such a nuisance against Leeds United that Marcelo Bielsa had to sub his left-back, Junior Firpo, as he was walking a tight rope on a yellow card.

You’d imagine that if Moyes has to opt for the rarely-played Arthur Masuaku or one of Ben Johnson or Vladimir Coufal out of position, then it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

His potential absence tonight would be a bitter and gutting blow to the 58-year-old head coach, so he may well be hugely worried heading into kick-off this evening – even more so after recording back-to-back defeats.

AND in other news, Moyes must unleash West Ham’s £27m-rated “manager’s dream” today, he could haunt Brighton…

Crystal Palace have received a potentially significant injury boost over key defender Joachim Andersen after he picked up a thigh problem.

What’s the word?

The 25-year-old has quickly established himself as a key player for the Eagles following his arrival over the summer, starting 11 Premier League games in a row before his fitness struggle kept him out of the weekend’s defeat against Aston Villa.

However, Andersen was forced to watch on from the sidelines as Palace’s seven-game unbeaten run came to an end at Selhurst Park.

But The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam was able to provide a positive update over the centre-back’s condition, providing hope that he will be able to make his return to first-team action sooner rather than later.

Following Saturday’s result, he tweeted: “Andersen’s absence with a hamstring problem not thought to be serious was a significant contribution to this defeat”.

Woosnam then added in a separate tweet: “Palace hopeful that Andersen will be back soon from what is understood to be a minor issue.”

Patrick Vieira will be buzzing

News that the Denmark international is not expected to be consigned to the treatment table for an extensive period of time will leave Patrick Vieira buzzing with relief.

Andersen’s partnership with Marc Guehi in the heart of defence has been pivotal to the south London outfit’s success this season, and his underlying numbers indicate why.

As per WhoScored, Andersen has averaged 1.5 interceptions per league game throughout 2021/22, 2.9 clearances and a whopping 6.3 long balls, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

With the hectic festive schedule fast approaching, Vieira will be desperate to have his star defender back on the pitch as soon as possible, meaning Woosnam’s latest revelation will be warmly welcomed.

And, in other news…Palace “lining up” swoop for “complete” £12.6m-rated gem, Vieira surely buzzing

BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan has given his reaction to the latest reports on Newcastle United’s ongoing search for a new Director of Football (DoF).

The Lowdown: Emenalo rejects Newcastle

As per The Telegraph, Michael Emenalo – who was reportedly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s ‘top choice’ for the DoF role – turned down the position offered to him after he remained unconvinced that the St James’ Park club matched his ambitious plans for them.

It means that the search for a DoF continues on Tyneside as the January transfer window draws ever closer.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Whelan has since given his reaction to the news, claiming that it is a ‘massive blow’ for Newcastle that they have seemingly lost out on hiring Emenalo. He said:

“It’ll be really disappointing for Newcastle – no one likes rejection.

“They’ll have thought that they had put something on the table which could entice and tempt him to join.

“They will have wanted to fill that role as quickly as possible. Even more so when they have a massive window coming up.

“They have the manager through the door, now they need that second person in so they can put their heads together ahead of January.

“It is huge, a massive blow. That jigsaw piece still needs to be fit in. It needs to be done quickly so they can get to work.”

The Verdict: A blow indeed

Given that he was reportedly their top choice, it is indeed a blow that Newcastle have seemingly missed out on hiring Emenalo.

African football specialist Tunde Adelakun has previously hailed the Nigerian’s ‘wealth of knowledge, exposure and experience’ as he helped to grow the game in Africa, also citting Emenalo’s role in the two Premier League titles and Champions League triumph that Chelsea enjoyed when he was part of the backroom team in west London.

Emenalo is also said to be a fan of Eddie Howe, so the two could have worked well together in finding the right players to bring into Newcastle in January.

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Magpies will now have to look at other candidates for the role, and ideally they need to bring someone in before the transfer window opens in what is a crucial period in their season as they look to avoid relegation.

In other news, this NUFC target is poised to leave his current club

According to a report by Football Insider, it is looking increasingly likely that Tottenham Hotspur will be forced into a ‘crazy’ schedule in the New Year.

The Lowdown: Tottenham fixtures piling up

Tottenham have been heavily affected by the increased spread of the global pandemic. After Spurs stated that eight players had tested positive for the virus, the club’s Europa Conference League match against Rennes was called off. This was followed by the postponement of the Lilywhites’ away fixture to Brighton on Sunday.

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This has meant that Spurs’ fixtures are starting to pile up, and fans will surely wonder when they’re going to be played. This was exacerbated by the postponement of Spurs’ match against Burnley, which was set to take place at Turf Moor towards the end of November, which was called off due to heavy snowfall.

The Latest: Spurs could play heavy fixture list in 2022

As the outbreak at Hotspur Way led to the Premier League calling off Spurs’ fixture against Brighton, Antonio Conte’s men now have two games in hand on the majority of the league.

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs insider John Wenham has claimed that playing out the heavy fixture list out in 2022 is the only way forward.

He said: “It’s a really difficult one, all of this is such a blow. I think we will end up playing three games in a week on a few occasions.

“You are looking at a Tuesday, Thursday then Sunday game all in the same week. That’s just to get rid of the backlog we already have before you think about other games that might be called off.

“Other clubs are having… issues so it’s not out of the question other teams might have games called off that will affect us.

“We are so busy already but I don’t see another way around it. It will be a crazy schedule.

“It will be a challenge but hopefully it will be after January so we may have a stronger squad to deal with that congestion.”

The Verdict: Conte needs additions in January

With the current schedule already looking hectic, it does not seem possible that Spurs will be able to fit in these fixtures anywhere else, besides in the New Year. This means that it will be crucial for Conte and Paratici to bring in a few signings in the January transfer window in order to bolster the playing squad.

Spurs have been linked with a plethora of players this season, with much of the attention centered around Fiorentina striker Dušan Vlahović. However, fans may want to see a greater number of fresh faces in January, especially if the squad continues to decimated with injuries, illness or a fixture backlog.

In other news: “Top, top player” – Paul Robinson delighted as Spurs eye ‘underrated’ beast; Conte is a big fan too

The January transfer window is just around the corner and Rangers manager Gio van Bronckhorst will have an opportunity to bring in players of his own for the first time.

It will be an interesting month for players coming in and out of Ibrox as the Gers have a number of issues when it comes to expiring contracts.

Leon Balogun, Connor Goldson, Scott Arfield and Steve Davis are among those set to leave for nothing next summer, whilst Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Joe Aribo are just a few of those out of contract in 2023.

Looming nightmare

Van Bronckhorst is facing the prospect of losing his two first-choice goalkeepers in 2022 as Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin are both on the list of players whose deals expire next summer. The former turns 40 in January and the latter will be 35 come the start of next season, which suggests that the timing could be right to bring in a younger shot-stopper.

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are currently eyeing up West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. They could strike a pre-contract deal for the England international in January that would see him arrive at Ibrox for nothing before the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Van Bronckhorst must ensure that a deal is done for the 28-year-old as the club will be in a nightmare situation if they get to next summer with McGregor and McLaughlin leaving without a replacement lined up.

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards previously hailed the shot-stopper’s character, saying:

“I’m delighted Sam Johnstone has been rewarded for his outstanding season with West Brom.

“Sam was a team-mate of mine at Aston Villa and one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet, a wonderful professional who got a proper grounding at Manchester United.

This suggests that the gem has the personality to fit in with what Rangers should be wanting from their players off the pitch. Richards’ comments indicate that he would not cause the club any trouble with his behaviour on or off the field, which could make him a reliable figure inside and outside of the dressing room.

Ex-Baggies boss Sam Allardyce dubbed him “one of the best” last season in the Premier League and he has continued his form in the Championship this term. He has saved 70% of the shots against him whilst conceding just 0.68 goals per game for the Baggies.

McGregor, meanwhile, has saved 74.2% of the shots against him in the Premiership and 63.6% in the Europa League whilst letting in 0.75 and 0.80 goals per game respectively in the two competitions. This suggests that there may not be too much of a difference in ability between the two players, although it is impossible to gauge the exact difference in quality between their respective divisions.

What Johnstone does have over the Gers veteran, however, is that he is 11 years younger than the Scot. That means that Rangers could bring him in to be their first-choice shot-stopper for many years to come, with his arrival avoiding a nightmare scenario for van Bronckhorst.

AND in other news, Big boost: Boxing Day selection update emerges that’ll leave Rangers fans buzzing…

Wolves and Bruno Lage have made no secret of their intentions in the transfer window, and have been linked with numerous players over the last few months, with a midfielder now making it onto the list of speculated transfer targets potentially making a move to the Molineux.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Wolves are reported to be amongst many clubs trying to secure the signature of Huddersfield Town midfielder, Lewis O’Brien.

Wolves are suggested to be one of five clubs interested in the 23-year-old Championship player, who has put in a number of impressive performances this season, that has aroused interest from top-flight clubs.

The report states that the Terriers value the midfielder at £15m, and with Leeds United allegedly already putting in a £13m bid, Wolves will need to work fast to secure a deal if they are indeed interested.

Replacement for Dendoncker?

O’Brien has been a wonderful player in recent campaigns, leading to praise by many, including Huddersfield head coach, Carlos Corberan, who hailed him  “very special.”

He has scored two goals and bagged one assist, with a clear appetite for attempting to score from his midfield position with 20 shots on goal in 24 appearances this season.

With his praise and statistics in mind, he could be an ideal replacement for one of Lage’s midfield titans.

Leander Dendoncker has failed to impress this season so far with former Wolves midfielder, Dave Edwards, claiming “he hasn’t hit the levels” at Wolves this season so far.

“I also think they need another midfielder. Neves and Moutinho are very technical and Dendoncker is a little bit different, but he’s not hit the levels to make Wolves a better team.”

Other than Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, the 26-year-old is the only real central midfield option but doesn’t offer anything in the way of creativity going forward, with no goals and one big chance missed already this season, as much as he delivers in his defensive attributes, lacking consistency in his performances.

Wolves could really do with adding a more creative midfielder to their team, to take the pressure off Dendoncker having to cover for his more creative midfield peers Moutinho and Neves, with creativity a weakened attribute in the defensive midfielder’s game.

The Huddersfield Town star could be the perfect solution to Lage’s problem with his lack of depth in midfield, and would really take the pressure off if there was a potential injury threat that could hinder the progress of the team in the second half of the season.

After all, he has registered one key pass and 2.8 tackles per game this term, far more than the man he could replace.

Wolves’ Belgium international, for instance, has registered 0.4 key passes and 1.4 tackles a match. With that in mind, Jeff Shi and co simply has to swoop for O’Brien.

In other news: Jose Sa hailed as Premier League signing of the season so far

Many Everton fans have been buzzing over some transfer news which has emerged regarding Vitaliy Mykolenko.

As per the club’s official website, they have now confirmed the signing of the player from Dynamo Kiev for an ‘undisclosed fee’, and he has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at the Merseyside club until the end of June 2026.

The Ukraine international becomes the Toffees’ first signing of the January transfer window after impressing with both club and country over recent years.

Mykolenko brings with him a lot of promise, having already won four trophies in his career at just 22 years of age, while he has registered three assists from left-back in the Ukrainian top flight and played in the Champions League this season (Transfermarkt).

Of course, this will only fuel the speculation surrounding the future of Lucas Digne, but a lot of Everton supporters are just excited for now that a new face is coming through the door.

Everton fans on Mykolenko transfer news

These Toffees fans buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that it is a ‘great’ start to the month:

“YESSS”

Credit: @EFCOliver7

“HE’S MAGIC YOU KNOW”

Credit: @WhitesideKp

“Yessssssss”

Credit: @Callum14655523

“Moooorning!”

Credit: @ToffeeMc1878

“Great to get business done early, welcome!”

Credit: @TacticallyEv

“New Year. New you Everton. I like it! Happy New Year.”

Credit: @EFCLynne

In other news, these training images have had many Evertonians gushing

According to a Tottenham Hotspur source, speaking to Football Insider, a development has come to light in transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s chase to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Rudiger move…

As the Italian managing director reportedly eyes ‘quality players at zero cost’ for Spurs boss Antonio Conte, it is believed that London rival centre-half Rudiger is firmly on the agenda.

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This comes amid the German’s precarious contract situation at Stamford Bridge with Rudiger free to leave for nothing at the end of 2021/2022 as things stand.

Foreign clubs hold an advantage in the race for Chelsea’s star man given they can formally agree pre-contract moves in January but Paratici and Spurs are still contending.

In an update, Football Insider have shared the latest from their N17 sources.

The Latest: Paratici calling…

According to their information, Spurs chief Paratici is ‘calling every day’ as he keeps in constant contact with Rudiger’s camp over a move.

He is apparently a ‘top target’ with Tottenham ‘working on agreeing a deal’ this month and it believed that Paratici is heading the club’s attempt.

The site also reiterate that he is backed by chairman Daniel Levy who is willing to pay Rudiger ‘huge’ wages to tempt him into a move across London.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Out of all Tottenham’s centre-back targets, the 28-year-old is certainly up there as a real potential coup and landing him for Conte would be a stroke of genius – especially for no transfer fee.

It will be difficult considering the Lilywhites are one of Chelsea’s main capital rivals and the presence of overseas suitors in the race complicates matters further.

However, if Spurs can navigate these stumbling blocks, there is little denying he would strengthen Conte’s options to no end – with pundit Rio Ferdinand calling Rudiger an ‘animal’ and comparing him to Man City star Ruben Dias (FIVE via The Metro).

Meanwhile, another former England international in Paul Robinson certainly believes Spurs should move – telling Football Insider the international’s capture would be a ‘big signing’ and a ‘big statement’.

In other news: Paratici also sets sights on brand new target as Conte tells Spurs to sign 81-cap ‘monster’, find out more here.

Tottenham are monitoring Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson ahead of a possible summer swoop.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, with a number of Red Devils supporters reacting to the update on social media.

Henderson, on £120,000-a-week at Old Trafford, is under contract until 2025 but has told interim boss Ralf Rangnick over his wish to leave the club in search of regular game time.

The 24-year-old has made just two appearances in all competitions this season, with David de Gea re-establishing himself as first choice.

Rangnick informed Henderson he would rather keep him until the end of the campaign, with Spurs now keeping an eye on his situation ahead of the summer.

Antonio Conte’s side have Hugo Lloris out of contract at the end of June and possibly view Henderson as a long-term successor to the Frenchman, with current back-up option Pierluigi Gollini far from impressive.

United fans react

@utdreport shared the news regarding Tottenham and Henderson on Twitter. This is what these United fans had to say in reply, with many pointing to Antonio Conte’s affection for Red Devils players after he signed the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez at Inter…

“What a huge mistake we’re making”

Credit: @buche21

“Conte at it again with Manchester United players”

Credit: @YoFavWe_irdoUTD

“I’ll genuinely lose that little affection I still had for the club if we sell Henderson and keep De Gea”

Credit: @gashmufcv2

“God forbid selling a very good keeper to a new rival”

Credit: @3DHombreezle

“If Conte really wanted our players why couldn’t he wait a little and take the mufc job himself.”

Credit: @Mufc_Rayh

“Conte knows ball”

Credit: @TrickyTeun

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Surely not?’ – Many MUFC fans fume as ‘mad’ news emerges. 

Leeds United and Arsenal are interested in signing exciting Club Brugge attacker Noa Lang, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Lang continues to shine

The 22-year-old is arguably one of the Netherlands’ brightest young talents at the moment and he continues to catch the eye in Belgium.

Lang has scored six goals and registered 10 assists in the Jupiler Pro League this season, taking his overall tally to 25 goals and 22 assists in 67 appearances for his current club.

Leeds have been linked with a move for the attacking midfielder in the past and it appears as though their interest remains.

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The Latest: Leeds keen on Noa Lang

According to Het Belang van Limburg [via Sport Witness], the Whites and Arsenal are keen on signing Lang, and both clubs ‘certainly sound like music to his ears’.

Brugge are believed to be ‘getting ready’ for the youngster’s departure, with a summer exit expected.

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The Verdict: Fantastic potential signing

Lang is an exciting talent whose aforementioned end product speaks for itself, so he could be a significant summer signing for Leeds, particularly with goals in short supply, partly due to 2020/21 top scorer Patrick Bamford suffering an injury-hit campaign this time around.

He has been hailed as a ‘phenomenon’ by journalist Peter Vandenbempt, further highlighting his ability, and he could fill the void left by Raphinha should the in-demand Brazilian leave Elland Road.

Lang’s current Brugge deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025, so a hefty fee may be required, but his long-term potential makes him a no-brainer to bring in.

In other news, a journalist has made this crucial Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.