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Leeds United winger Raphinha has been praised for his call to be substituted against West Ham United last weekend by injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

Raphinha has started the 2021/22 campaign in sizzling form with three Premier League goals in six games, half of the tally from his debut top-flight season in England already.

The Brazilian winger picked up a hip injury in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United two weeks ago and was a doubt for the defeat to David Moyes’ side last Saturday, but he lasted 70 minutes and opened the scoring with a brilliant left-footed strike.

Following the game, Bielsa claimed that the 24-year-old made it known it was becoming difficult to continue and the Leeds manager duly replaced him with Tyler Roberts.

The Latest: Right call

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Dinnery has insisted that Raphinha made the right decision to alert the Leeds backroom staff that he wasn’t right to continue.

He said of the White winger: “It’s the right thing to do, absolutely. If you aren’t feeling 100 per cent, do you push on and risk potentially suffering a more serious setback?

“Or do you do the sensible thing and flag that to the medical team and ask to be removed.

“We know Raphinha had problems going into the Newcastle game. There were question marks about whether he would be involved at all.

“He had missed large parts of training due to what Marcelo Bielsa referred to as a ‘hip issue’.

“if he isn’t getting those sessions in on the training pitch, fatigue could be a factor.”

The Verdict: Important for Leeds

With Leeds in the relegation zone in the Premier League and one of five teams without a win in the top flight, having Raphinha fit will be vital for their upcoming games against Watford, Southampton and Wolves.

Last season, the winger created 12 big chances and completed 21.1 passes (72%) and 1.9 dribbles per game in his first season in England (Sofascore), highlighting the importance of his contribution and availability to Bielsa.

If Leeds are to exit their current rut, they will need Raphinha to keep hitting the heights that he has done so far at Elland Road. Dinnery is right to praise the 24-year-old for admitting that he had to come off last week, as playing on could have further aggravated the injury and possibly being ruled out for a lengthy spell.

In other news: Dinnery made a less than encouraging claim about one of Raphinha’s Elland Road team-mates

Former Premier League footballer Dean Windass believes that Harvey Elliott is so talented and will be at Liverpool for a long time.

Elliott joined the Reds in 2019 after his youth contract at Fulham expired. Last season Elliott headed out on loan to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and was in good form, scoring seven goals and providing a further 12 in all competitions.

The 18-year-old featured for Blackburn off either wing and after a good season has returned to Liverpool and has been part of the club’s first-team pre-season fixtures, featuring most recently in the club’s 1-1 draw with Athletic Club where he played 84 minutes.

Windass was full of praise for the youngster, telling Football FanCast: “I think the lad’s so talented and listen, at the end of the day I’ve always said when you play with good players you become a better player yourself. 

“He will be at Liverpool for a long, long time, they won’t want to sell him, they will want to develop him, they’ll want to monitor him, they’ll want to get as many games under his belt as they can.”

Elliott signed a new long-term contract this summer with Liverpool, with manager Jurgen Klopp telling the Metro: “We have obviously a new midfielder in our squad with Harvey Elliott.”

Liverpool got their Premier League campaign underway today when they travelled to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City, and will be hoping to improve on last season’s third-placed finish in their title defence campaign.

An injury update has emerged on Rangers beast Ryan Jack, ahead of their semi-final clash with Hibernian on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports, the Gers could be tempted to hand the midfielder his first start after returning from his long-term injury.

The report claims that he is now ‘fit-again’ after coming off the bench against Ross County on the other side of the international break.

Delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this news as Jack could now be a viable option to start in the coming weeks and months. Whilst he may not immediately come into the XI against Hibernian, it is exciting for supporters to know that he can if needed as he has the potential to be a key player for the club.

He showed his class last season with a string of impressive performances in the middle of the park, and thus, it could be a big boost for Gio van Bronckhorst to have him fully fit.

The Dutchman officially starts his job on Monday and he will be able to make his own assessment of Jack on the training pitch during the week, instead of having to manage his injury situation with the physios.

Back in 2019, ex-Gers boss Steven Gerrard heaped praise on Jack for setting an example with his application in training and in matches. He said:

“Ryan is an example for the rest of the squad because he never drops his standards, whether it’s a training session or a game.

“He knits everything together, he drives the team on, he demands from everyone else around him.”

Last season, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 as he impressed in the midfield. He completed 90% of his passes and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game as he controlled games and remained consistent, as shown by his average score.

This shows that van Bronckhorst has been handed a big boost with the midfielder returning to fitness in time for his arrival at the club. If he can reproduce his form from the 2020/21 campaign then he could be an excellent option for the ex-Feyenoord coach to call upon, which is why fans will undoubtedly be delighted with this update on his injury situation.

It will now be interesting to see how long it takes for him to make his first start and whether or not van Bronckhorst takes a liking to his style of play.

AND in other news, Rangers must unleash £15k-p/w “threat” for Gio vs Hibs, he’s a game-changer…

Newcastle United are reportedly now in pole position to sign Aaron Ramsey in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

Given that the St. James’ Park faithful have been linked recently with moves for the likes of Axel Witsel, Seko Fofana and Philippe Coutinho, it is clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are looking to bring in midfield players for Eddie Howe.

The squad needs a boost in quality to give them the best chance of surviving come the end of the season, and the new riches should at least be able to attract some decent players to the North East to help them in their current predicament.

The Latest: Ramsey eyed

As per Juve Live, the Tyneside outfit are now in pole position to sign Ramsey in January, as Juventus ‘insist’ that he returns to the Premier League.

The Old Lady wants to sign Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach, and so if they are able to snap him up, they would then allow Ramsey to leave.

The Verdict: Howe masterclass?

Howe has already revealed how he wants his team to play, a progressive style with a philosophy of having good technicians who can play long and short passes (The Athletic), and Ramsey would fit his style perfectly.

Welsh footballing legend Ian Rush claimed that Howe ‘would love’ Ramsey in his side, and that he would ‘fit his style down to a tee’ (The Chronicle).

A true maestro capable of goals and assists from the middle of the park, he has already shown what he can do in the Premier League, notching up 40 strikes and 51 assists in 262 games across 11 consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

Wales teammate Joe Allen claims that Ramsey can still be ‘world-class’ on his day, and if he is up for a move to the Magpies, he can shine the top flight alight once more.

In other news, find out who NUFC are ‘on the prowl’ to sign here!

An update has emerged on Southampton striker Danny Ings, regarding Tottenham’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Dean Jones of Eurosport, Tottenham are preparing to make their opening offer for Southampton number nine Danny Ings.

Spurs are said to have made him a priority target and are now on the cusp of submitting their first bid for his services. However, they are planning to offer below Southampton’s £20m valuation before negotiating with them further.

Fans would be livid

Martin Semmens must avoid a Southampton nightmare by rejecting Tottenham’s offer for Ings. He cannot allow the club’s star forward to leave the club, especially for a fee that is said to be below the £20m valuation set by the Saints this summer.

Speaking of which, the £20m fee mentioned in this report is a concerning one.

Southampton reportedly paid £20m to sign Ings on a permanent deal from Liverpool and has been prolific over the past two seasons. He has scored 34 goals since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, which shows that he can find the back of the net consistently at Premier League level – a rare commodity.

Therefore, his value should have increased because he has proven himself at the top level.

His contract is up at the end of next season, but the cost of being relegated far exceeds the £20m loss Southampton would seemingly take if they allow him to leave on a free transfer.

A report in 2018 explained that relegation can cost a club at least £50m, which emphasises the point that £20m is too cheap to sell your best goalscorer. Losing his goals could increase the chances of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side going down, simply because the fewer goals you score the fewer points you are likely to rack up.

Former Premier League forward Clinton Morrison once called Ings “first-class” and compared him to Spurs legend Robbie Keane.

He said:

“Yes, I would say Danny Ings is top-four quality, most definitely. The season he’s had at Southampton, if you put him in one of the teams at the top four, he’d easily score goals like that.

“I used to play with a striker who used to play like Danny Ings – Robbie Keane.

“I look at the way Ings plays at the moment, his movement is first class and I used to say to Robbie Keane, ‘how do you get in behind defenders when you’re not rapid?’ His movement was first-class and Danny Ings is like that.”

So, why should Southampton sell a player who is top-four quality and has proven that with his goal record for £20m, let alone under £20m?

Semmens must avoid making a major error with Ings this summer by either upping his price tag or doing everything he can to keep hold of the England international.

AND in other news, Semmens could find Mane 2.0 in £35m “exceptional talent”, Saints fans would adore him…

A fresh twist has emerged in the future of Chuks Aneke, regarding his current contract situation at Charlton.

What’s the talk?

Charlton boss Nigel Adkins has revealed that Chuks Aneke wants to sign a contract extension to remain at The Valley next season. Aneke is out of contract at the end of the month and Charlton are currently locked in discussions with the forward over a new deal.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that Aneke was gunning for a move to a Championship club on a free transfer, with Middlesbrough, QPR and Reading among those said to be interested in signing him.

Adkins has now confirmed that Aneke and the other players in talks with the club have told him that they would like to stay at Charlton beyond the end of the month. He told London News Online:

“We released three [players] and the others I wanted to stay at the football club.

“They have all said to me they want to stay, which is a big thing.”

“They and their agents are in negotiation with Steve Gallen, who is representing our football club in those negotiations and our budget.”

After a win over Wigan in March, former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer hailed the forward. He told London News Online:

“He was immense up there again today. He’s unplayable, on his day he’s unplayable. The only disappointing thing, if I’m him, is that he didn’t score more.

“To have that hunger and that aggression in the box, that hunger to score every time you get a chance. He could have had four today if he really wanted it but he got one and it’s won us the game. I’m really pleased for him, I thought he’s done really well.”

Fans will be relieved

Charlton fans will be relieved by this news as it was previously looking likely that Aneke would be departing the club this summer.

The aforementioned report made it sound as though Aneke was certain to leave Charlton and was pushing for a move to the second tier but Adkins’ comments appear to provide a twist to the tale with the forward keen to remain at the League One outfit.

Therefore, fans should be buzzing by this news and may be able to stop worrying about him leaving on a free transfer next month.

Aneke is a crucial player for Charlton after playing a key role in their 2020/21 League One campaign, albeit as the club just missed out on a play-off place. The former Arsenal man was Charlton’s top goalscorer with 15 League One strikes to his name, showing that he was their main source for goals, highlighting that his exit would be a massive blow.

The £5.4k-per-week star provided more than just his goalscoring. He averaged 3.4 aerial battles won per game, despite coming off the bench 27 times, which shows that he was a useful outlet for Charlton if they wanted to hit the ball long to alleviate pressure.

Aneke could hold the ball up and allow his teammates to come up the pitch and push higher up on the opposition to prevent themselves from getting boxed in. Therefore, Aneke staying at Charlton could be a gigantic boost for the club and fans will be delighted by this update from Adkins.

AND in other news, Get it done: Charlton must seal deal for “talented” £3k-p/w ace, Adkins would love it…

Leicester City have made a solid start to the new season, picking up six points from a possible nine in the Premier League after seeing off Manchester City in the Community Shield.

The Foxes are aiming to finally break into the top four this term following consecutive fifth-place finishes, and several high-profile acquisitions over the summer will certainly help them in their mission to do just that.

However, some of their regular stars have so far struggled to live up to their usual lofty heights in the opening weeks, with the likes of Caglar Soyuncu and Ayoze Perez making high-profile mistakes.

It’s arguably another one of Rodgers’ first-team gems who endured the worst August of the lot, though.

As per SofaScore, Harvey Barnes earned a rating of just 6.27 out of 10, the second-lowest amongst his Leicester colleagues. When examining the £60,000-per-week speed demons underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he has accrued such a poor rating.

After starting all three of the Foxes opening top-flight games against Wolves, West Ham United and Norwich City, Barnes has failed to score or assist a single goal. The 23-year-old has also made just 13.7 accurate passes per game on average (41 in total), highlighting his lack of involvement in proceedings. [SofaScore]

He has also recorded just 0.3 shots on target, 0.3 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game, while failing to create a single big chance for his teammates. [SofaScore]

In fairness to Barnes, he is currently returning from a serious knee injury which ended his 2020/21 season back in March and forced him to miss Euro 2020 over the summer, but he will be expecting to put in some much-improved performances following the current international break.

In other news… Report sheds light on Leicester’s deadline day development, Rodgers will be gutted 

Celtic have received an official bid for talisman Odsonne Edouard from Rubin Kazan, whilst Everton have also registered an interest in his services [Sky Sports].

The Lowdown: Celtic wary of potential outgoings as window nears an end

With only a few days until the transfer window slams to a close, Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will be under no illusions that he could still lose star players between now and next week as his summer rebuild enters its final stages.

Of course, speculation around key men has dominated much of the narrative at Parkhead, with nervousness over the futures of influential figures such as Ryan Christie [Scotsman].

Celtic could now be braced for a potential bidding war, with Edouard once again in the headlines.

The Latest: Rubin Kazan submit £15.4 million offer

Rubin Kazan are said to have formalised an offer of £15.4 million for 6 foot 2 ace, whose contract at Parkhead is due to expire next summer [Sky Sports].

The Russian giants are looking to pay the fee in instalments, starting with an initial £8.5 million payment followed by two blocks of £3.4 million.

Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux are willing to match the sum, whilst Everton have are also keeping a keen eye on his situation.

The Verdict: Conflicting emotions for the Celtic support

Currently at risk of losing the Frenchman for nothing next year, securing some sort of fee for Edouard may make business sense for Celtic.

Despite this, the 23-year-old has started 2021/22 in commendable style, fashioning five goal contributions in ten appearances; three goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

His impact in the new term has been larger than the sum of three goals would suggest, as Edouard has turned in an average match rating of 7.71/10 in this timeframe [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘magnificent’ by former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, letting go of Edouard would be a financially prosperous move, but would no doubt weaken the Hoops’ Scottish Premiership title charge [Glasgow Live].

In other news, Celtic could be about to land an Edouard replacement. Find out more here.

It’s been a truly bizarre, indeed almost nightmarish, season for Matty Longstaff at Newcastle United.

Described as “talented” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the 21-year-old showed in that stunning goalscoring performance against Manchester United in October 2019 that he has the ability to be a top-drawer player for the Magpies.

Speaking after that game, Arsenal icon Martin Keown declared: “The young lad should be knocking on Steve Bruce’s door and saying ‘Why didn’t you play me sooner?’ It was almost to say to the boss, ‘Hey, look at me, you have overlooked me for too long.’

“It was like a Paul Scholes…I know that’s big praise and they are big boots for him to copy, but him and his brother – Carrick, Scholes…you know, they did very well. And this is an important ingredient now in this Newcastle team, yes they were more disciplined but those two definitely won them the game.”

However, after putting pen to paper on a new deal last summer, things have gone horribly south for the younger Longstaff, playing just five games in the Premier League all season and not featuring at all since mid-January.

It has raised a few eyebrows to put it mildly, not least from the rest of the Newcastle squad apparently. The Athletic’s Chris Waugh revealed: “Steve Bruce, the head coach, has simply opted to exclude the academy graduate, much to the bemusement of team-mates and the player himself.

“There have been some suggestions that his naivety at Premier League level is part of the reason, yet that does not tally with the decision to field Longstaff against three of the very best sides in the division over the Christmas period.

“This season really needed to be one during which Longstaff was given opportunities. The club, Bruce and the player all recognised that. So, if those chances were not going to arrive on Tyneside, then surely a loan deal would have been in the player’s best interests.”

However, with the final day of the Premier League season now here, surely Bruce has no excuse but to give the £4.5m-rated Longstaff the chance to shine.

After being promised genuine first-team opportunities this term, there’s no questioning that the 21-year-old will be frustrated, maybe even livid, at being cast aside for the majority of the season – not least considering how badly the Magpies were struggling prior to the March international break.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-steve-bruce-premier-league-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-st-james-park-joelinton-shelvey-max-aarons” title=”Read the latest Newcastle transfer rumours and news!”]

The clash against Fulham later this afternoon should offer him an overdue chance to taste first team football.

Meanwhile, Luke Edwards has dropped an exciting Newcastle United update…

Manchester City currently have the best defensive record in the Premier League with 21 goals conceded in 33 league games.

One figure, in particular, that has contributed a lot to that impressive feat is defender, Aymeric Laporte.

Signed from Athletic Bilbao back in the 2018 January transfer window, the centre-back has made 148 appearances in total for the Manchester club.

With 28 league appearances to his name in this campaign, only three other outfield players have racked up more minutes than the Spaniard.

In terms of what he’s delivered for the team, only Joao Cancelo (2363) has completed more passes in the entire league than Laporte (2355), showing just how much of the ball gets passed around through the centre-back.

From a defensive point of view, the 27-year-old has racked up 14 tackles, 125 pressures, 19 blocks, 29 interceptions and 64 clearances, highlighting how involved and capable he is when required to defend.

Even though Pep Guardiola’s side have some massive games left to play in the Premier League and Champions League before the summer transfer window opens, it seems the club could be in the mix to replicate the same sort of masterclass they made with Laporte.

According to reports in Spain, City have joined their rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

Labelled as having an “extraordinary talent to construct the play” by former Villarreal player and coach Javi Calleja, Torres has the second-highest number of passes at the club during this current La Liga campaign.

This shows the similarities between him and his fellow countryman Laporte in terms of being particularly useful when it comes to passing the ball out from the back.

Also, with 11 tackles, 168 pressures, 39 interceptions and 103 clearances under his belt in La Liga this season, the £45m-rated 25-year-old can also hold his own in terms of defending his goal.

Moving forward, should Guardiola feel the need to strengthen what is already a strong defence, adding Torres to their ranks could be the best option as someone that can fit the bill of how the game is played at the Etihad Stadium.

In other news: Contact made: Man City in talks for “sensational” £150m signing, Pep would love him