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An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips…

What’s the talk?

According to i News, the Magpies are considering a deal for the Anfield destroyer as they plot a number of defensive additions to improve their squad.

The report claims that he is high on their list of centre-back targets and the Reds are demanding £15m for his services.

Howey 2.0

Eddie Howe could find his own Steve Howey for Newcastle in a deal to sign Phillips from the Premier League giants this month.

Howey was a homegrown defender who played 160 times for the Magpies during his time at the club and 193 games in the Premier League overall in his career. Phillips could follow a similar career path, albeit without starting at Newcastle, as he is an English centre-back who has the quality to play regularly at the top level for a number of years.

The Liverpool man may even end up coming up short on the international front, just like Howey during his playing days. Despite playing week in, week out for the Toon, the 50-year-old ended his career with just four caps for England’s senior side.

Phillips has played 24 times for Liverpool’s first team but has not been called up to represent England at any age level. This suggests that, like Howey, he may be a player who is overlooked by his country despite his performances at club level.

Last season, the 24-year-old averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.29 in the Premier League, his match average of 5.6 successful aerial duels the joint-fifth highest in the entire division. This led to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp showering the centre-back with praise for his performances.

The German told Goal.com: “Nat Phillips is just an exceptional career so far, with all the things he did in the past and what he thought about and where he was and all these things. Now playing for Liverpool in the Champions League, Premier League, winning games, winning challenges.

“[He will have] probably the best heading statistics in the history of the Premier League I could imagine at least, it is unbelievable what the boy is doing there, and on top of that playing good football.”

This suggests that Phillips is capable of putting in top-class displays at the highest level, and that is why he could be Howe’s own Steve Howey, as the 24-year-old English destroyer could come in and be Newcastle’s go-to centre-back for the next decade if he remains consistent.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

West Ham United have been dealt a late fitness concern ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, David Moyes revealed that, after missing the midweek draw with Brighton & Hove Albion as a result of a back injury picked up against Manchester City, Aaron Cresswell resumed light training on Friday ahead of the London derby against Chelsea.

However, the 58-year-old went on to state that the left-back would be assessed this morning to determine whether or not he is fit to play a part against the Blues, with the Hammers boss stating: “Aaron Cresswell is back in training, he’s done a bit of light training, so we’ll have a look at that.”

Moyes will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Cresswell has been for West Ham so far this season, should the defender not be deemed fit enough for the crunch match against Chelsea this afternoon, Moyes would undoubtedly be gutted.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances so far this season, the £4.5m-rated man has helped his side keep three clean sheets, scored one goal and registered one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 key passes, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning 3.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the former England international average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as the Hammers’ fourth-best performer in the top flight.

As such, once again being without the defender, particularly in a fixture which could result in West Ham being completely cut adrift from the top three, would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to David Moyes and his side, who can send a clear message to the rest of the league that they really are a serious Champions League contender with a win against the current table-toppers.

In other news: Moyes must ruthlessly axe shocking West Ham liability vs Chelsea, he could get bullied

A Rangers transfer update has emerged on Ibrox midfielder Joe Aribo, regarding interest from south of the border.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Premier League side Southampton sent a scout to go and watch the Nigerian international in action against Dundee United at the weekend.

The report claims that the Saints already have a number of reports on him ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

This comes after claims emerged that he was not going to sign a new contract at Ibrox.

Season-defining

Gio van Bronckhorst is seemingly heading for his first big disaster at Ibrox with Southampton casting their eyes over Aribo amid his unclear future in Glasgow. It could be a nightmare for the head coach if the midfielder departs in January as his exit could be season-defining for the Gers.

Whilst Rangers are top of the table and enjoying a sublime run of form, things can change quickly in football and losing such a key player would surely be a major blow.

If Celtic win their game in hand then they are four points behind van Bronckhorst’s side and that is not an insurmountable gap with half of the season still to be played, which is why they cannot afford to lose Aribo.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa previously heaped praise on him, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

His form in the Premiership this season warrants such strong appraisal, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.16 so far this term. He is creating 1.7 chances per game and has chipped in with six goals from midfield, showing that he is capable of making a big impact in the final third and that he has the potential to be a game-changer and match-winner for the Gers.

This shows why his exit would create a gigantic hole in the Rangers side and could weaken their chances of sealing another title success. He is playing a major role in the club’s Premiership form with his consistent quality in midfield and, therefore, losing him could give their Old Firm rivals a potential advantage in the title race – making any potential move to the Premier League a disaster for the Gers.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must do their utmost to ensure that he is at the club until next summer at least. If they allow him to leave at the end of the campaign then it will give them until the summer to find a replacement for him, instead of rushing around in January.

AND in other news, “He’s not going to” – Huge Rangers claim made that’ll have GVB and fans running scared…

Everton will be hoping to end a four-game winless run when the Premier League resumes this weekend, but they’re set to face a tricky test in the shape of reigning champions Manchester City.

Rafa Benitez’s charges have already experienced a season of two halves in the opening weeks of 2021/22, losing just one of their opening seven top-flight fixtures before picking up a single point from a possible 12.

A draw against Tottenham Hotspur last time out halted a streak of three consecutive losses, but a much-needed win will be hard to come by when they visit the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The two sides faced off three times in all competitions last season after they were pitted against each other in the FA Cup, with the Citizens comfortably winning all three encounters with an aggregate score of 10-1.

One player who started every game in the one-sided trilogy was Gabriel Jesus, and the £90,000-per-week beast played a pivotal part in the Manchester side’s success, grabbing a goal and an assist against the Toffees.

His 14th-minute strike in the 5-0 thrashing in the last game of the season extended his impressive record against Everton, taking his tally to eight strikes in nine appearances when lining up to take on the Blues.

For context, only 12 players have scored more against the Toffees than Jesus in the entire club’s history.

With City’s plethora of attacking options cutting opposition’s defences open at will this term, Benitez faces a near-impossible task of keeping the likes of Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva at bay, but perhaps it’s Jesus who he should be most concerned about.

This season, the 24-year-old has almost been exclusively used out wide rather than in his typical centre-forward position, making him more elusive and harder to mark.

Jesus’ unwavering work ethic also makes him a nightmare for full-backs and opponents looking to push forward, an attribute that Pep Guardiola holds in high regard.

“He is exceptional and he has a key role for us for many years and been a big part of the huge success we’ve had every season,” the Spanish tactician remarked.

“Sergio was injured and played a few games last season. Always when Sergio was fit he was an important part of the team. He was incredibly recognised by me.

“He was a proper striker and Gabriel is a proper striker.

Football has a quirky habit of repeating itself and producing patterns over a number of years, and Everton are going to have to be on their best form to prevent Jesus from becoming their new nemesis.

And, in other news…EFC may repeat Iwobi disaster by signing “lacklustre” £140k-p/w dud, Brands must avoid

Everton will be hoping to end a five-game winless run when they take on Brentford in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The Toffees were hapless in their 3-0 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Manchester City last time out, failing to land a glove on Pep Guardiola’s charges throughout the 90 minutes. In fact, Everton managed just 23% possession, one shot on target and one corner in that game as City strolled to a comfortable three points.

Rafarl Benitez will point to his extensive injury list as a major factor in his team’s drop-off in form and performance levels in recent weeks, and things only got worse at the Etihad Stadium.

Winger Demarai Gray was forced off in the 17th minute after picking up a problem with his abductor muscle, paving the way for Alex Iwobi to make his 10th top-flight appearance of the season.

However, the Nigeria international was unable to influence proceedings once more against the Cityzens, putting in another disappointing display. Following his arrival off the bench, the 25-year-old had just 37 touches of the ball – seven fewer than Jordan Pickford – and failed to produce a single shot or key pass, as per SofaScore.

Since arriving on Merseyside for a whopping £34m back in 2019, Iwobi has found the back of the net on just six occasions in his 76 appearances, a record which has often frustrated numerous Everton supporters.

Therefore, Benitez must make the brave decision to keep faith with 20-year-old Anthony Gordon over the more experienced Iwobi.

Although the Everton academy graduate is yet to provide a single goal or assist this term, his performances have been improving of late, and Benitez has been full of praise for the hard-working winger.

The Spaniard described Gordon as an “important player for Everton in the future” just last week, but in the current circumstances, the £4.5m-rated gem could be crucial for the Toffees in the present day.

In other news… Imagine him and DCL: Everton could seal dream transfer in “complete” £70m “machine” 

Many Wolves fans have been left slamming the display of Joao Moutinho in their game away at Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The central midfield player got off to a bad start straight away, getting himself a yellow card within the first few minutes of the match, before Hwang Hee-Chan spared his blushes by grabbing an early goal for the visitors at Elland Road.

The Molineux faithful were particularly critical of Moutinho’s deliveries from set pieces, and his woeful pass accuracy of just 62 per cent is poor for a player of such tremendous technical ability.

Nonetheless, the Portugal international is an experienced player, and so he will now be looking to improve on this performance in the Midlands club’s next fixture, should Bruno Lage decide to throw him in the starting eleven again.

Wolves fans on Moutinho

These WWFC supporters were left slamming his performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he was ‘woeful’:

“How the hell is Moutinho still on set pieces? Ridiculous”

Credit: @Jim96925627

“Moutinho is having a HOWLER”

Credit: @__Grav

“Donk and Moutinho cannot cope”

Credit: @mitchdavis_1

“Defending well winning the ball well, it’s the passing for me, we are constantly giving it away, Donk has been woeful as well as Joao. Leeds have so much space behind their full backs since the goal we have stopped looking to get the ball in behind”

Credit: @mark_spruce

“Moutinho booked inside first 5, told ya he’s too slow”

Credit: @Si999888999

“Why he has started with Moutinho and Dendoncker I will never know?”

Credit: @cpj93070

In other news, find out what transfer claim has Wanderers excited here!

According to Calciomercato, Antonio Conte does not want to move to Tottenham Hotspur as Daniel Levy will not fund a restructuring of the squad.

The Lowdown: Nuno sacked

After Spurs’ latest defeat, a 3-0 loss at home to Manchester United, Nuno Espirito Santo’s time at the club was brought to an end this morning as his dismissal was confirmed.

As such, the rumours linking managers to the vacant Spurs managerial role have well and truly started, and Conte has been mentioned as a potential suitor.

The Latest: Conte against Tottenham move

However, according to Calciomercato, it now seems that the Italian is not keen to move to Spurs.

The report claimed that he is seeking a restructuring of the squad, something which Levy does not want. Conte is said to be only interested in a move to Man United as a result if he is forced to take on a job which is constrained by budgets.

The Verdict: Work needed

Of course, Nuno should have performed better with this current Spurs squad. Valued at £627.3m by Transfermarkt and possessing the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, both of whom are prolific goalscorers at Premier League level, there is no excuse for how incohesive and lacklustre the Lilywhites have looked at times this season.

Having said that, there are still a number of areas where the squad must be improved if they are to compete higher up the table – a much-criticised defence springs to mind – and if a top-quality manager is to come in, he will surely want to put his own stamp on the squad. Levy may be taking his usual hardline stance, but missing out on a man of Conte’s experience and trophy-winning nous due to his own intransigence could come back to haunt him.

In other news, Spurs would like to sign this up-and-coming centre-half

Aston Villa are ‘in the queue’ to sign wantaway Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah in January, according to Ekrem Konur. 

The lowdown

Nketiah has yet to make the matchday squad for a Premier League game this season, having picked up an ankle injury just before the campaign started.

His only first-team minutes have come in the Carabao Cup clash with AFC Wimbledon, a game in which he scored.

Last season, the England Under-21 international was limited to just four Premier League starts.

Significantly, his contract is up come the end of the season and, according to a report from David Ornstein in August, ‘there is no sign’ of a forthcoming extension.

Arsenal may, therefore, be under pressure to sell their £14.4million-rated asset in January amid the risk of losing him for free.

The latest

Nketiah ‘plans to leave’ The Emirates at the turn of the year because he ‘wants regular first team football’, Konur says.

Villa can expect to face competition from newly-promoted Brentford and from Leeds United, where Nketiah had a spell on loan during the 2019/20 season.

The verdict

It certainly looks as if Nketiah will be leaving the Gunners, but it’s hard to see Villa being his next destination.

If he wants to be playing week-in, week-out, then he surely won’t go to a club where he’ll be behind two other strikers – Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins – in the pecking order.

Perhaps Villa should look in-house if they want to bolster the first team’s attacking ranks. Cameron Archer has been particularly impressive.

In other news, fans flocked to this update on Leon Bailey.  

Flocking to Twitter, these Sheffield Wednesday fans were left less than impressed with the performance of defender Chey Dunkley as their side succumbed to a 1-1 draw away to Cambridge United.

Darren Moore’s side, looking to get back into contention for a Championship promotion spot, haven’t exactly got off to the best start this season and currently lie ninth in League One.

Indeed, they sit eight points off second and an automatic qualification spot with Sunderland also holding a game in hand over The Owls.

If Wednesday are to regain their English second tier status, a swift turnaround is surely needed, with some supporters feeling Dunkley was one of the main culprits to blame from their side’s draw at the Abbey Stadium.

Despite racking up a 7/10 rating on SofaScore, the 29-year-old also lost possession 14 times and won just two out of his five ground duels up against Cambridge last night.

Taking this into account, some Wednesday fans feel he certainly didn’t have his best night overall.

Find all of their verdicts on Dunkley’s display down below.

Wednesday fans hammer Dunkley display…

“#swfc drop down to 9th in

table after tonight’s 80 minutes drab performance. Came alive in last 10 but overall poor. Glad to finally come back from losing to gain a point. We need Hutchinson back ASAP. Dunkley was a liability at times.”

Credit: @VitalWednesday

“Awful. Players look like they’ve never met. No idea of the style or system. Dunkley is terrible. Moore isn’t a football manager. Awful.”

Credit: @EndeavourFP

“Wing, Johnson, dunkley not good enough, just to name a few”

Credit: @Coa17Jor

“I’ve genuinely seen U10s pass and control a ball better than Dunkley, Iorfa, Patterson, Wing and Johnson. How can they be so poor as pros??? I mean Dunkley and Iorfa can barely kick a balk straight and keep it in play!”

Credit: @RocketOwl1986

“Iorfa & Dunkley… not a patch on Hutchinson. Both donkeys who can’t even play the ball out the back.”

Credit: @bensaavage

“Just gonna say: Defence needs sorting. Either Hutch or Gibson when back fit need to replace Dunkley. Donkey of a player Relieved to get a point from a debut goal from FIZZ. top class player. On to the next. P.S – demand Moore to be sacked all you like – it ain’t gonna happen.”

Credit: @BreeseCallum

Fulham manager Marco Silva has dropped an injury update ahead of the Cottagers’ upcoming Championship clash.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by West London Sport, the Fulham boss revealed that he will once again be unable to call upon Fabio Carvalho on Wednesday evening, as the 19-year-old is still yet to recover from a toe injury which has now ruled him out of five Championship fixtures.

The 44-year-old also claimed that Tom Cairney is back in fitness training with the first-team squad, and could be in line for a return to action after the upcoming international break.

Speaking about the current condition of the midfielders, Silva said: “Tom is running outside on the pitch and improving his physical condition, but not involved in the training sessions, and we hope to integrate him better after the international break.

“If I can have Tom and Fabio available for this position [central midfield] we will be stronger, that’s for sure.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Carvalho has been for Fulham so far this season, as well as the fact that the Cottagers have won just one of the four fixtures the attacking midfielder has been sidelined for, the news that the 19-year-old looks set remain unavailable for the visit of Swansea City is sure to have left fans gutted.

Indeed, over his five Championship appearances this term, the £225k-rated man has scored three goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making 2.2 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Silva himself dubbed a “quality” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.30, ranking him as Fulham’s joint-third best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the continued absence of the former England U18 international is sure to dent the club’s chances of picking up a positive result against Swansea, as well as being a major blow for Silva.

In other news: “Quality” £30k-p/w Fulham dud who lost 75% duels badly failed Silva vs Bristol City