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Leeds United are ready to pick up former midfielder Ronaldo Vieira in the January transfer window, Clubdoria46 report.

The Lowdown: Bags packed…

The Whites are in desperate need of midfield additions this month, with Victor Orta hoping to bring both a defensive and attacking midfielder to Yorkshire over the coming weeks.

One player who has been linked is Vieira, with reports towards the end of 2021 going as far as to say the 23-year-old is ‘ready to return home’ with his bags packed.

Vieira has made just 44 appearances for Sampdoria since joining from Leeds in 2018 and is yet to feature in 2021/22 due to injury.

The Latest: Leeds ready…

Clubdoria46, a local outlet in Genoa, claim that Leeds are ready to sign Vieira this month after he returned to the bench following his injury-hit campaign.

The Premier League reportedly ‘tempts’ Vieira, and it seems a Sampdoria exit could be on the cards following the emergence of youngster Gerard Yepes.

The Verdict: A start…

Leeds could really do with getting bodies in the door with time ticking – they currently have just three fit central midfielders – so perhaps bringing Vieira back to the club could be a shrewd first step.

Reports have claimed Marcelo Bielsa can only sign players on loan this month, so a temporary move for a player he knows well might be of interest, especially with Vieira seemingly over his injury woes and returning to Sampdoria’s matchday squad in 2022.

Orta may well look to include an option to buy for Vieira if possible, and if he can replicate the form that earned him a £6.39m move to Italy, then it could be a smart piece of business.

In other news: ‘My understanding’ – Journalist drops big update on Leeds interest in ‘incredible’ midfielder. 

Having loaned out players such as Wesley, Anwar El Ghazi, Keinan Davis and Jaden Philogene-Bidace this month, Aston Villa have not been shy when it comes to moving players out of the club who they feel would be better off away from Villa Park for the time being.

With 10 days left until the January transfer window closes, it seems as though there could be another Villa player set to leave the club on a temporary basis in an effort to get some regular game-time.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for the Birmingham Mail from Villa journalist Ashley Preece, comments from Steven Gerrard were relayed regarding Trezeguet’s current situation at the Midlands club.

The Villa manager said: “He could find [game time] challenging here so we’ll be respectful to him and we’ll see what lands from now until the end of the window.”

Preece then added: “There’s every chance now that Trezeguet, once he’s back from the Africa Cup of Nations, will find himself a loan move knowing minutes will be hard to come by in Gerrard’s favoured 4-3-2-1 system.”

Fans will be delighted

Villa signed the Egyptian back in 2019 from Turkish club Kasimpasa in a deal worth a reported fee of £8.75m.

Since then, the 27-year-old has made 64 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, with nine goals and five assists along the way.

After recovering from a knee injury which kept him out of action for almost eight months last year, Trezeguet has only played 10 minutes under Gerrard this season, which came during their 2-1 defeat against Brentford earlier this month.

Given his lack of minutes under the 41-year-old and his lack of regular goals and assists since his arrival at Villa Park, perhaps moving Trezeguet on this month, either on loan or permanently if a suitable offer comes through the door, would be beneficial for all parties.

It could please a lot of Villa fans if the Egyptian left and duly gave some of the squad’s younger talents such as Jacob Ramsey or Carney Chukwuemeka a bigger chance of receiving game-time throughout the remainder of the season.

In other news: Lange could finally replace Grealish with Villa swoop for “unique” £18m-rated beast

Rangers are heading into the final days of the transfer window and have completed two incomings at the time of writing.

They have signed James Sands on an 18-month loan from New York City FC and John Souttar on a pre-contract deal from Hearts to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad this month and in the summer.

However, the Gers do not appear to be finished for the January transfer window just yet, as they are still being linked with potential signings.

Pena 2.0

One player who has been linked with a switch to Ibrox is winger Brian Ocampo. The Nacional attacker is reportedly one of a number of players the club are eyeing up.

Van Bronckhorst must avoid a deal for Ocampo, as he could run the risk of repeating the Carlos Pena disaster for the Gers. Whilst there is no indication that the 22-year-old has the same off-field issues as the Mexican, his on-pitch performances could be where the issue lies, and Rangers fans would be fuming if this rumour comes to fruition.

Football Transfers dubbed Pena as one of the biggest flops in the Light Blues’ history and cited his displays on the pitch as one of the reasons behind that classification. He scored four goals in 12 Premiership matches for the club, but that respectable – albeit short – record does not paint the full picture.

Pedro Caixinha hinted that the Mexican was struggling with the intensity of Scottish football, where he did not have as much time on the ball as in his homeland.

The ex-Gers boss said of Pena: “I think he’s at 60 per cent of his capabilities, the way I know him. But I think the first step for everyone to progress is knowing that you need to progress.

“It’s when you’re looking to add something and you say ‘Ok, I agree. Let’s work on it’. We are working. It’s a question of time. In terms of fitness, I can tell you, there is nothing he has to improve.

“Football is not all about fitness, football is about decisions. And we are preparing Carlos to make quick decisions when he is restricted in time and space.

“When he has time and space, he performs his football. He just needs to adapt when he doesn’t have time and space – and that’s nothing to do with fitness.”

In the Primera Division in 2021, Ocampo has played 14 matches and registered zero goals and two assists as a winger, which means that he has just two goal contributions in his latest league campaign. He only has eight goals in 98 games overall for Nacional, which does not suggest that he would be a promising addition to the Gers’ squad.

Ocampo has never played outside of his native Uruguay, and adapting to a new division on a different continent could be difficult, particularly with his end product being inconsistent at best. Rangers would be bringing in a player with no experience of European football and a lack of quality in the final third, which could lead to him struggling in the Premiership – much like Pena did – and leaving fans frustrated.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst must avoid a deal for the 22-year-old and look elsewhere in the market for a new recruit on the right wing, as the Ibrox faithful would be fuming if they sign a player who is unable to perform at the club. The Dutchman and Ross Wilson still have time to identity alternatives, with nine days left in the transfer window.

AND in other news, “He is the one”: Journo delivers big Rangers transfer claim that’ll get fans excited…

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car as the January transfer window draws nearer to its close.

What’s the story?

It’s been a slow start to the window for David Moyes’ side, with the Hammers struggling to make any inroads in terms of any incomings, but that appears to be coming to an end very soon.

According to French publication L’Équipe du Soir, Caleta-Car should be on his way to the London Stadium shortly, and that while fellow Premier League sides Wolves and Newcastle were interested in him, it’s West Ham who have won the race for him.

First major signing for West Ham

With the injury struggles the Hammers have had this season, particularly in defence, the addition of an experienced defender like Caleta-Car is welcome news for West Ham fans.

The 25-year-old has been a regular for Marseille in recent seasons, but he has been in and out of the side this term, with Jorge Sampaoli seemingly favouring Arsenal loanee William Saliba as the right-sided central defender.

Despite the lack of game-time, Caleta-Car has shown the kind of imposing centre-back that he is, winning a monstrous 74% of his total duels in Ligue 1 this year, and winning 75% of those contested in the air – exactly the kind of return that Moyes will surely love.

Indeed, former Liverpool defender and Caleta-Car’s Croatia teammate Dejan Lovren has tipped the centre-back to shine in the Premier League, claiming: “He is physically very strong, stronger than other players. He will explode in a few years and become even stronger.”

The 20-cap star would be a fine addition to the West Ham defence for the second half of this season.

Meanwhile, West Ham have made their “first offer” for this Ligue 1 striker…

Glasgow Rangers could be forced to sell Joe Aribo in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Pete O’Rourke, with the journalist revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, should the central midfielder fail to sign a new deal at Ibrox, Rangers may well have to cash in on the 25-year-old at the end of the season.

O’Rourke goes on to suggest that this would be the case as the reigning Premiership champions will want to receive a transfer fee that reflects the Nigeria international’s value to the club – as his current contract in Glasgow is due to expire in the summer of 2023.

Speaking about Aribo’s future, the journalist said: “Rangers will be keen to protect their assets, and if he’s not going to sign a new deal, they might have to sell him in the summer.”

Van Bronckhorst would be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the Rangers side Aribo has become since his £300k move to Ibrox back in 2019, should the club fail to agree a new deal with the midfielder in the next few months, and subsequently be forced to sell the 25-year-old this summer, it is an outcome that would undoubtedly leave Giovanni van Bronckhorst fuming.

Indeed, the £9m-rated man played a pivotal role in Gers’ title-winning campaign over his 31 Premiership appearances last season, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.2 key passes, 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 5.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the midfielder who Steven Gerrard dubbed a “dynamic” player earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as the joint 16th-best player in the entity of the Scottish top flight last time out.

The £14k-per-week dynamo has continued this fine form over his 22 league outings in the current campaign, having already bagged six goals, registered four assists and created six big chances for his teammates, with these metrics seeing the former Charlton Athletic prodigy average a SofaScore match rating of 7.14.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Aribo is an incredibly important part of Van Bronckhorst’s first-team setup at Ibrox, meaning his forced sale this summer would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to both the 47-year-old manager and his side – regardless of the transfer fee received from the midfielder’s departure.

In other news: “Have priority”: Fabrizio Romano drops key Rangers claim that’ll leave fans elated

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Bournemouth beast Lloyd Kelly…

What’s the talk?

According to the Sunday Mirror, via TEAMtalk, the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign the central defender at the end of the season.

The report claims that they will make a move for him if the Cherries fail in their bid to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Forget Clark

Ciaran Clark was recently axed from the club’s 25-man top-flight squad for the rest of the season and Eddie Howe must replace him in the summer by securing a deal to sign Kelly, who he previously signed for Bournemouth.

The Irish Magpies defender has been abysmal this season and it is time to forget about him and start thinking about the heroes of tomorrow. Clark averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.29 in the first half of the campaign, showing that he is far from good enough at this level.

Kelly, meanwhile, has been catching the eye in the Championship. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.06 in the second-tier, helping his side to keep an impressive 12 clean sheets in 22 starts.

Ex-Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate previously lauded the central defender, saying:

“He’s got talent. He’s got a lot of attributes which Premier League teams look at. But he needs to be consistent week in, week out now.

“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’.”

These comments suggest that he has the physical qualities to make the step up to the top-flight, whilst his aforementioned statistics in the Championship show that he is now delivering consistent performances. He is showing that he can be a quality defender week-in-week-out in the second tier and Howe must now secure a deal to bring him to Tyneside.

Kelly could be an excellent addition to the side if he is able to adapt to top-flight football and has plenty of room for further development at the age of 23. He could, therefore, be a signing for the here and now and for the future with his potential to improve.

AND in other news, PIF masterclass: Craig Hope delivers exciting NUFC claim that’ll leave Howe delighted…

Despite having got his season off to an impressive start, scoring two goals and registering three assists over his first seven appearances in Celtic’s 2021/22 campaign, a knee injury halted James Forrest’s progress under the management of Ange Postecoglou, with the winger remaining sidelined until October as a result of his knock.

Since then, the £5.4m-rated forward has struggled to get fully back up to speed, suffering a further injury setback in December, as well as directly contributing to just one goal over his 17 most recent outings for the Bhoys.

Indeed, over his 14 appearances in the Premiership this season, the £19k-per-week Scotland international has averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.67, ranking him as the Hoops’ sixth-worst performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

And, with Forrest entering the final 12 months of his current contract at Parkhead this summer, should the 30-year-old fail to impress the Greek-Australian manager over the remainder of the season, it is not an unimaginable scenario that Postecoglou could look to move the winger on at the end of the campaign – with the Scot already looking to be way down in the 56-year-old’s pecking order out wide.

Furthermore, with an extremely exciting youth prospect appearing to be on the cusp of regularly breaking into the Bhoys first-team squad, Postecoglou could well have already unearthed Celtic’s new Forrest – in the form of Owen Moffat.

Celtic’s next Forrest

Indeed, having been handed his Celtic debut by the Bhoys head coach back in December, the 20-year-old winger has since gone on to make a further two appearances for the Hoops, with Postecoglou himself stating his surprise at Moffat’s rapid rise to the first team.

Speaking after the forward’s surprise introduction in the Scottish League Cup final, the 56-year-old said: “That’s football life. Life is about opportunity. Not just being in the right place at the right time, but also being ready for it.

“Moff probably wasn’t in the calculations two weeks ago, but we just had so many injuries and we brought him into training and he has looked bright. We brought him on the other night and he looked good. That, to me, is a lesson for every player out there. You have to be ready for that opportunity.”
However, while the speed of his inclusion in the senior squad was perhaps surprising, the reasoning behind Moffat getting the nod is rather more clear, as the forward has been in remarkable form for Tommy McIntyre’s B team side this season, bagging 13 goals in the Scottish Lowland League – making him the reserve side’s top scorer.
Club captain Callum McGregor also appears to have been impressed with the talent the youngster possesses, stating of Moffat after the 20-year-old got himself on the scoresheet in pre-season: “A mention for young Moffat – his attitude has been first class.
“I remember watching him at the end of last season, training on the astro himself. Every day they would do finishing and I remember thinking: ‘He’s got a finish on him.’ I wasn’t surprised when the ball dropped and he half-volleyed it into the net.”
As such, should Forrest’s time at Celtic indeed be coming to an end, Postecoglou could well have already found a ready-made replacement for the 96-goal winger in the shape of Moffat.
In other news: £5m wasted: Ange must finally axe “arrogant” £15k-p/w Celtic “rogue” as update breaks

West Ham United have confirmed the contract extension of Keenan Appiah-Forson.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on the West Ham website, the club revealed that the defensive midfielder, who has been at the club from the age of 14, has put pen to paper on a new deal which runs until the summer of 2023 – with the Hammers holding the option of a further year.

Speaking about the 20-year-old’s new contract, the Irons U23s lead coach Mark Robson said: “Keenan is fully deserving of this new deal. Since I’ve come in, he has been excellent. His energy levels are unbelievable and every single day, I’m amazed by how he just keeps going.

“He’s a real pleasure to work with. I can honestly say, in the few months that I’ve been here, there’s been some real improvement in him and in his game. He’s a really good lad who gives everything he’s got in every game and every training session.

“His work ethic, I have to say, is as good as anybody I’ve seen in this league at U23 level. He has a real desire to work hard, and he is a shining example for any young player at this level. All the lads and all the staff love him and we’re all really hopeful that he keeps on progressing. He comes into training with a smile every single day and he’s a pleasure to work with.”

Moyes can save millions with Appiah-Forson

Despite his diminutive stature – standing at just 5’9 tall – Appiah-Forson is a tough-tackling, highly-energetic and defensively-minded midfielder, although, he has also proven that he is more than capable of chipping in for his side in both an attacking and creative capacity, too.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League 2 appearances for Robson’s U23 side so far this season, the £270k-rated youngster has scored one goal and registered two assists, as well as bagging a further goal over his three appearances in the Papa John’s Trophy.

As such, considering his style of play, it is easy to see why Terry Westley drew comparisons between the 20-year-old and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, as well as why the former West Ham academy manager stated his belief that Appiah-Forson could be the next big thing to come through the Hammers’ academy, with Westley stating of the academy prospect:

“Keenan’s small but he’s such a tough boy. He’s similar to N’Golo Kante in terms of his work ethic because he’s so difficult to mark. Keenan has a lot of potential and it’s great that young players are getting an opportunity at West Ham under David Moyes. Keenan could be next.”

And, with club legend Mark Noble retiring at the end of the current campaign, Alex Kral having so far failed to impress during his season-long loan spell at the London Stadium and Declan Rice being linked with a big-money move away from East London, it would appear extremely likely that David Moyes will be in need of central midfield reinforcements this summer.

However, before splashing the cash on an established option in the middle of the park, perhaps it would be wise for the 58-year-old manager to take a closer look at Appiah-Forson over the remainder of the season, as, should the 20-year-old prove that he is ready for a more regular spot in the Hammers first-team, he would not only save the club millions of pounds in transfer fees, but he could very well go on to become Noble’s heir in central midfield.

In other news: Moyes could finally axe his £75k-p/w West Ham flop by signing 40-assist “goal threat”

Alan Hutton has now given his reaction to the news that Filip Helander is back in the Glasgow Rangers team ahead of their big UEFA Europa League clash.

The Lowdown: Welcome return

Helander came back into the side earlier this month in a 3-0 win away at Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup, in which he managed to find the back of the net, before featuring in the 1-1 draw against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend (Transfermarkt).

The Sweden international had been out of action since the middle of left out of the squad following his injury.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Ibrox right-back and Rangers TV pundit Hutton has now given his reaction to the news of Helander’s return to the first team:

“When you see Helander, especially with his performances on European nights, his quality really came to the fore on those evenings.

“To have him back I think is massive because you need somebody with his experience.

“Bassey, as good as he has done, I’m not sure he is ready for that sort of level yet. Especially playing in a sort of foreign position.

“I know he can play there but ideally he’d play left-back.

“I think it’s a timely return for Helander. Hopefully, he is fit enough and well enough he can slot in there, go for it and all his injury worries are behind him.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Although Helander will not be able to play in their Europa League campaign, having him back for the rest of the SPFL fixtures will be a big boost for the Teddy Bears.

The central defender ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average clearances, blocks, tackles and pass success per game so far in the division (WhoScored), and must try and stay fit from now until the end of the term.

With the draw at the weekend, the Light Blues have now lost more ground on Celtic in the race for the title, and Helander being fit and a mainstay in the side may well be key if they are to lift the trophy again.

In other news, find out who is a ‘ready-made’ Connor Goldson replacement here!

Leeds United could potentially sign Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Minamino enjoying a productive season

The Japan international may not be a key figure at Anfield currently, with world-class names keeping him out of the starting line-up, but he is still having a good season.

However, Minamino has chipped in with an impressive tally of nine goals in all competitions, playing an important role in Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup.

Leeds have been linked with a move for the 27-year-old in the recent past and it may be a rumour which continues to circulate.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds backed to make move for Minamino

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that Jesse Marsch’s arrival at Elland Road could increase the chances of Minamino coming to Leeds, with the duo having previously worked together.

The journalist said: “Yeah, I still think it’s a position that Leeds need to strengthen. They’ve been so badly hit by Patrick Bamford’s absences this season through injury; they haven’t got much up there. Jesse Marsch knows all about him from his time at RB Salzburg.”

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The Verdict: Ideal summer signing

Minamino may not have been a huge success at Liverpool so far but he has shown his class sporadically and would be a shrewd summer addition at Leeds.

The fact that he and Marsch worked together at Red Bull Salzburg means that the Whites’ new manager is aware of his qualities, with Jurgen Klopp also hailing the 27-year-old as ‘exceptional’ after his match-winning double against Norwich in the FA Cup last week.

Minamino’s versatility means he could thrive in a number 10 role, out wide or even leading the line. He could therefore be invaluable to squad depth, not to mention bringing undisputed quality in attacking areas.

Seventeen goals in 37 caps for Japan is also an impressive return, and if Liverpool are willing to part ways this summer, a move to Leeds could suit all parties.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a key Leeds injury update. Read more here.