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Manchester City fans want to sign Dusan Vlahovic after it was revealed the Fiorentina striker’s contract talks with the Serie A club have collapsed.

The Citizens have so far had a relatively good start to the campaign – they are just two points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea after a momentous win over the Blues last weekend (Sky Sports).

However, results such as the 0-0 draw with Southampton indicate the Citizens are struggling to convert chances without a reliable centre-forward after failing to capture Harry Kane during the summer.

They were also linked with Vlahovic during the transfer window, but he ended up staying in Italy. As per Fabrizio Romano, the Serbia international’s contract talks have now fallen apart.

His current contract is set to run out in 2023, meaning Fiorentina could be open to selling him the next year rather than lose him for free the following term.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Vlahovic news

“January and we’ll win the Champions League.”

Credit: @jofer_ms

“Get him in!!”

Credit: @MCFCYoungboy

“January”

Credit: @shaunyb3000

“Get him in jan”

Credit: @_KawaiiKayky

“Yes. Sign him.”

Credit: @WayneJa01355301

“Sign him in January!”

Credit: @King_Kevin100

In other news, Man City fans have been reacting to this transfer news.

Exciting Wolves youngster Rayan Ait-Nouri is unlikely to leave Molineux in the near future, according to reliable journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Ai-Nouri linked with exit

Bruno Lage’s side have enjoyed a good start to the season and Ait-Nouri has shone at left-back, making eight Premier League starts and enjoying an average match rating of 7.12, according to WhoScored.

The 20-year-old’s performances have reportedly alerted other Premier League clubs, with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace both linked with January moves – the former of course will have no end of riches to splash in the upcoming transfer window, perhaps a concern for Wolves if they can sell the Frenchman on the KSA project.

Ait-Nouri’s current Wolves deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, however, putting his current employers in a very strong negotiating position.

The Latest: Hatfield gives key update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, perhaps with the length of that contract in mind, Hatfield provided a positive update from a Wanderers perspective, saying he doesn’t expect the youngster to move on any time soon:

“I’d be surprised if that happens. Wolves obviously signed Ait-Nouri because of his age and quality and Wolves will see him as a player that is going to improve with them.”

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The Verdict: Big player in the future

Ait-Nouri looks like a player with huge potential, so it would be a big blow to see him depart Molineux and potentially join a rival. The fans in the Black Country will certainly be chuffed with Hatfield’s verdict, given their criticism when the rumours of an exit broke earlier this week.

The Frenchman was superb up against Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah earlier this month – the Egyptian created Divock Origi’s late winner when the left-back had come off – and he has averaged an impressive 3.9 tackles per game in the league this season.

That is comfortably the most out of any Wolves player, which speaks volumes, and the hope is that he stays put for many years to come.

In other news, three Wolves players struggled in the win over Brighton. Find out who they are here.

Rangers have been hit with a fresh injury concern over Ibrox central midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the latest?

Gio van Bronckhorst has confirmed that the Wales international suffered a hamstring setback in the Scottish Cup win on Sunday.

The on-loan gem was forced off in the first half with the score at 0-0 as Scott Wright was pressed into action earlier than he may have expected, with the Gers going on to win 2-1 in extra time to make it to the final of the competition.

However, they could have to play in the showpiece clash without Ramsey if this knock rules him out for a number of weeks.

Journalist Phil Cadden quoted the head coach as saying: “He had a problem with his hamstring. It didn’t look really good. We will have to assess him, but of course it is a blow for us that he will be out. I don’t know for how long. We just have to assess him on Monday and see where he is.”

Van Bronckhorst will be infuriated

This is a huge blow for the Gers and van Bronckhorst will be furious with this latest injury issue for the midfielder as it has been an almost constant problem for him since arriving in January.

Ramsey has only started four matches in the Premiership and Europa League combined for the club as he has been dealing with his own fitness in recent months. The Juventus man has been unable to string a run of matches together and now looks set for another spell on the sidelines.

Until Rangers know the extent of the damage it is impossible to gauge how long he will be out for action for. Hamstring injuries can range from days to months to recover from depending on the grade of the tear and this means that he could be back next week or it could be his season over and done with.

Losing him for any number of matches will be a huge blow as he has shown that he does have the quality to make a big impact when he does play. He has scored two goals in his three Premiership starts, including one against Celtic in the Old Firm, and has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.98 in the division.

Ramsey can score from midfield and has the experience in European competition that can be vital against RB Leipzig in the semi-finals of the Europa League. He has played for Arsenal and Juventus in Europe and this means that he knows what it takes to perform at that level, making his potential absence against the German side a sizeable concern for the head coach and that is another reason why he will be furious with this injury blow.

AND in other news, Forget Arfield: “Superb” £24k-p/w Rangers machine was “out of this world” today…

Aston Villa target Joe Gomez is ‘staying at Liverpool’, Pete O’Rourke has told Give Me Sport.

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote earlier this month that Gomez is a player Villa ‘like’.

The Englishman has found game time hard to come by at Anfield this season, with just 11 appearances (four starts) under his belt.

Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Gomez is valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt and his £75,000-per-week contract still has two and a half years to run.

The latest

O’Rourke has learned that Liverpool have absolutely no plans to offload Gomez at this stage.

“From what I’ve been told, Joe Gomez is staying at Liverpool, he won’t be going anywhere,” he told GMS when asked about the possibility of a deal by Johan Lange.

The verdict

Gomez would have been an excellent signing for Villa. In the words of Jurgen Klopp, he’s a ‘sensational’ player with ‘outstanding speed’.

He’s still only 24, so while he’s struggled for minutes this season, the Reds may well view him as part of their long-term plans. And, unless Liverpool’s stance changes, Villa need to move onto other targets.

After Axel Tuanzebe’s loan was cut short, they’ve been left with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause as their only senior centre-backs.

And Konsa’s recent injury shows how perilous that situation is. All of a sudden, Steven Gerrard may find himself with no experienced back-up.

In other news, fans react to links with this forward.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, the Magpies are confident of being able to agree a deal to sign the former Tottenham full-back next month.

The report claims that the player is keen on a return to England and is open to arriving at St James’ Park in the January window.

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will be delighted with this update from Waugh for several reasons. Firstly, it indicates that the player is interested in a move, which surely improves their chances of being able to sign him. This does not appear to be a situation where the club are desperately trying to convince him to join.

Supporters will also be buzzing that the club are confident of sealing a deal, as it suggests that they believe they can tempt Atletico into parting ways with the 31-year-old. This could duly allow them to bring him in early in the month instead of it dragging out through to deadline day, which means that he can potentially play a part in some of Newcastle’s Premier League games in January.

Finally, the Toon Army will surely be delighted as he could be a terrific addition to the squad. England manager Gareth Southgate once lauded the defender for his form in Spain since leaving his home country, saying: “What Kieran has, firstly, is hugely underestimated. People are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atlético Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good one-v-one to stop crosses and his talking is really good. There was always going to be changes to our back four and we felt that communication and organisation was an important part.”

Trippier averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.20 last season in La Liga. He made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, also chipping in with six assists.

This suggests that he could come in at Newcastle and offer a balance between defence and attack at right-back, bolstering Eddie Howe’s squad and possibly improving their chances of avoiding relegation.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Lewis: PIF can seal dream NUFC signing with £25m “monster” who can “win games”…

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According to The Daily Mail, Southampton are preparing to launch a £10 million offer for Genk right-back Joakim Maehle.

What’s the story?

Ralph Hasenhuttl is apparently lining up Maehle as a replacement for Cedric Soares and to provide cover for impressive youngster Yan Valery, as per The Dail Mail. 

Maehle has been in fine form so far this season. According to Transfermarkt’s statistics, the 21-year-old has racked up two goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in all competitions. 

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

By contrast – as per Transfermarkt’s stats – Cedric has registered just two goals and ten assists in his 119 games as a Southampton player to date.

Maehle, then, potentially offers a great upgrade in terms of producing in the final third for the south coast club, making him an exciting potential replacement for the Euro 2016 winner.

More than a back-up option

Since Hasenhuttl’s arrival at St Mary’s Stadium, 19-year-old Valery has been entrusted with regular game time as the first team right-back. The French teenager has excelled in this role, and The Daily Mail state that Maehle’s arrival could simply be to provide cover for Valery.

However, considering the Denmark under-21 international looks set to cost Southampton £10 million, it would be surprising if Hasenhuttl only saw him as a back-up option for a teenager. Maehle himself will have designs on forcing his way into the Saints’ starting XI, and he certainly has the capacity to shine in the Premier League.

Valery will have to up his game even more in order to rise above Maehle in the pecking order.

West Ham United advanced into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a win over current title holders Manchester City at the London Stadium on Wednesday night.

And once again, it was another game in which young academy gem Ben Johnson started and another game that resulted in a clean sheet – very impressive considering the opposition.

It was the sixth time this campaign that the 21-year-old was involved in a David Moyes defensive masterclass, having also kept out the likes of Everton, Spurs, Man Utd and Genk.

The Scotsman’s usual first-choice Vladimir Coufal has been out through injury and he should be concerned with Johnson’s form as he’ll be a very hard man to drop whenever the 29-year-old returns.

After the match, Irons assistant Stuart Pearce waxed lyrical about the youngster. He said (via football.london):

“He’s a wonderful professional to deal with and work with.

“We’re very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us. Especially with the connection to this club with the Academy.

“And I think he’s just developing and getting better and better and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they’ll get so I am delighted for the boy.”

A lot of the credit for the clean sheet would’ve gone to Alphonse Areola, who was mightily impressive between the sticks. He was bombarded with 25 efforts on goal and earned SofaScore’s highest rating, an 8.7, for his troubles.

However, it was Johnson who arguably stole the show in east London as he shut down one of Pep Guardiola’s biggest threats in Raheem Sterling.

Also per SofaScore, the Chadwell Heath graduate won 100% of his duels, proving to be a rock against the regular England international, whilst he also led the match for clearances (five) and chipped in with a further tackle, interception and block.

He really put his body on the line to help steer the Hammers to victory, albeit in a penalty shootout.

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser also wrote glowingly about the young right-back in his post-game ratings column – earning a 7/10, he said: ‘Vital goal-saving tackle on Gundogan early on and energy down the right again showed why right-back injury crisis has been averted in recent weeks.’

Whilst it was Areola making the more evident impact in goal, it’s Johnson who deserves his fair share of plaudits. The 5 foot 9 beast, who earns a reported £19k-per-week, was the star of the show at the London Stadium on Wednesday night.

AND in other news, Moyes may have another Antonio in West Ham’s “hard-working” 17 y/o who “loves to score”…

ExWHUemplyoyee has dropped an update regarding West Ham United’s interest in bringing Jesse Lingard back to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on The West Ham Way, the club insider revealed that West Ham will start talks with the Manchester United forward regarding a move to East London in the coming weeks.

ExWHUemployee continued to state that the England international would be open to a move away from Old Trafford this winter, however, there is considerably more interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window than there was at the same time last year.

Speaking about the Hammers interest in the 28-year-old, the insider said:

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Lingard was during his loan spell at the club last season, the news that David Moyes and his side look set to open talks with the forward regarding a permanent move to the London Stadium this winter is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League appearances last season, the £19.8m-rated man scored nine goals, registered five assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £75k-per-week attacking midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as Moyes’ best performer in the top flight last time out, helping the Hammers to secure a rather remarkable sixth-place finish in the league.

As such, with West Ham aiming to go one better than qualifying for the Europa League with a top-four finish this time around, the signing of Lingard would very much appear to boost the club’s chances of going on and doing so, meaning the news that the Irons are planning to open negotiations with the 28-year-old in the coming weeks is undoubtedly good for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Forget Bowen: West Ham’s “fantastic” 5-tackle beast seized his “big chance” vs Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to finalise a move for winger Adama Traore, with the completion of the deal dependent on Wolves’ decision regarding the structure of the transfer fee, according to reports by football.london’s Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Traore not a regular starter

Despite having featured in 19 Premier League games this season, only 10 of these saw Traore in the starting XI, with the majority coming at the beginning of the campaign.

The Spain international has never been known for his clinical nature in the final third, yet it seems that his end product is proving to be even more of an issue this season than before. The 25-year-old has scored just once in the league this term, breaking his duck on Saturday against Southampton, and more shockingly has failed to produce a single assist from a playmaking position on the wing.

As a result, Bruno Lage seems to prefer other options on the right-hand side, opting to utilise Traore’s lightning speed in the final 20 minutes to run tired defenders ragged in search of a late goal.

The Latest: Spurs want to make Traore deal happen

According to Gold for football.london, Spurs remain keen on the signing of Traore during the January window. However, the move ‘all depends on’ whether Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici can come to an agreement with Wolves over the structure of the fee.

Tottenham would prefer a loan deal with an obligation to buy, as this would free up funds which could be used to pursue additional signings in the current window. However, Wolves were resistant to that idea last summer, as they preferred a deal where they would receive the transfer fee sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Circumstances may make the deal more accessible

Despite the summer’s outcome, it remains to be seen whether Wolves’ stance has softened. Given that Traore is not a regular starter under Lage, and with his contract set to expire in 18 months’ time, it begs the question whether the Midlands club will choose to cash in whilst his value is high.

With Antonio Conte looking for a new right wing-back, Spurs could ramp up their pursuit of the Spaniard, with the hope that the former Inter boss may be able to spark Traore’s previous ‘unplayable’ Premier League form, as Jurgen Klopp called it.

We’re now into the final two weeks of the transfer window, so the clock is ticking if Tottenham want to secure the 25-year-old’s services this month.

In other news: Paratici now incredibly keen to sign ‘formidable talent’ for Spurs; Pochettino called him ‘wonderful’

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks is attracting increasing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Star, who claim that both Southampton and Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the England international ahead of a potential move for the midfielder at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that Tottenham are prepared to listen to any sensible offers for the 26-year-old this summer, as Antonio Conte does not view the academy graduate as part of his long-term plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while it is also said that, despite being a boyhood Spurs fan, Winks would welcome the chance of becoming a first-team regular elsewhere.

Conte must axe winks

Considering just how little Winks has featured since Conte’s arrival in north London last November, in addition to the fact that the midfielder is one of the higher-earners in the Italian’s squad, it would appear a wise move for the 52-year-old to move the Englishman on this summer.

Indeed, despite the fact that Winks’ fellow central midfielder, Oliver Skipp, has been sidelined since January due to injury, the £15.3m-rated 26-year-old has started just eight Premier League fixtures under the management of Conte, having played a total of just 137 minutes of league football since the back to back defeats against Southampton and Wolves in February.

Furthermore, the £91k-per-week man – who Tottenham placed a £40m price tag on last summer – has been criticised for his lack of urgency in the middle of the park, none more so than by former Spurs defender Graham Roberts, who dubbed Winks “Mr Conservative.”

In an interview with Football Transfer Tavern last year, Roberts said of the 10-time capped international: “When Harry Winks got in the team years ago, it’s not the same Harry Winks now. He’s Mr Conservative.

“I’m watching games with people and they say: ‘Harry Winks had 347 passes of the ball today.’ I say: ‘Well, how many went forward?’ It’s always back to the centre-half or square to a centre-half or square to another midfield player. He never ever looks forward.”

As such, should Southampton and Palace indeed be considering a move for the 26-year-old at the end of the current campaign, Conte simply must cash in on the midfielder while the interest is there, as the hefty wages of the player who Tony Cascarino claimed is “casting shadows” at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be easily be put to much better use by the Italian this summer.

AND in other news: Bid made: Spurs move for “special” £42m-rated “talent”, he “can be as good as Ronaldo”