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Southampton have a big chance to secure their second Premier League win of the season at the weekend with a home clash against Burnley next up for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side following on from their 1-0 win over Leeds United last week.

With eight league games played, the Saints have won one, drawn four and lost three, leaving them 15th in the table with seven points on the board.

Sean Dyche’s Clarets side head into the weekend clash at St Mary’s still looking for their first league win of the season, making it an important match for both teams.

Salisu should start v Burnley

One player who was involved in the victory over Leeds that we feel should be in the Saints’ starting XI to face Burnley is Mohammed Salisu, who has been described as “nasty” by Hasenhuttl in recent weeks in terms of competing in duels against opponents on the pitch.

The 22-year-old played the full 90 minutes against the Whites and made three tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, blocked one shot and won eight out of his 12 duels, ultimately earning himself an impressive overall match rating of 7.4/10 from SofaScore.

In addition to this, the £23k-per-week defender (according to Spotrac) has averaged 2.1 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game so far this season, showing how useful a defensive unit he has been for the Saints. Those figures indicate why he should be in the starting XI to face Burnley, as he could potentially bully their forward players with his no-nonsense nature.

Since joining the Saints in August 2020 from Real Valladolid for a reported fee of £10.8m, Salisu has made only 24 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Looking ahead to the Burnley match, though, we think he should definitely be in the starting XI and probably beyond that, particularly while fellow centre-back Jack Stephens is out recovering from the knee injury that he picked up during Southampton’s 0-0 draw against Manchester City last month.

In other news: Southampton could already have their next Gareth Bale in “quality” 17 y/o starlet

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘in talks’ to sign Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Botman alternative?

As per The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, the St. James’ Park faithful have now submitted an ‘improved’ offer to Lille to try and sign Sven Botman, who is their ‘top centre-back target’.

It is ‘unclear’ how they will respond, but he is ‘keen’ on a move to the North East.

However, Lille may wait until the summer before they decided on selling Botman, and so the Tyneside outfit may have to start looking at other centre-half targets as the days go on this month.

The Latest: Carlos talks

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the Magpies are now ‘in talks’ with Sevilla to sign Carlos, who are trying to persuade him to sign a new contract.

However, the central defender is ‘keen’ on the switch, but they may have to cough up £40m after their initial approach of £30m was turned back.

The Verdict: Get it done

Even though Botman is seven years younger, there is not much between them, and Carlos is actually averaging more tackles, blocks and passes at a higher success rate in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

Nicknamed ‘The Beast‘, the Brazilian loves to get stuck in, and he even rattled Lionel Messi in a draw between Sevilla and FC Barcelona last campaign because of how close to the edge he plays.

He seems exactly the type of personality that the Toon need for a relegation dogfight, and if he is up for the move, then Carlos could be a real shrewd signing.

Nonetheless, at 28 years of age, he is at his peak, and so now is the best time to get a deal done.

In other news, find out who NUFC have now started talks to sign here!

Tottenham currently have an exciting set of young players coming through and impressing at youth and senior level this season.

The likes of Dane Scarlett, Ollie Skipp and Japhet Tanganga are academy products who have had first-team involvements, whilst Ryan Sessegnon, Dejan Kulusevski and Christian Romero are all promising talents who have come in from elsewhere.

Whilst the current crop of prospects can get the supporters excited, some fans may look back and wonder what could have been with some of the targets Spurs have had in the past.

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One player the club had a major howler with was midfielder James Maddison in January 2016. Mauricio Pochettino was reportedly keen on a deal to sign the Englishman from Coventry City but ultimately missed out on him as Norwich City snapped him up.

At the time of the move, Transfemarkt valued him at a measly £450k as he was an up-and-coming prospect who had yet to prove himself at senior level.

He spent time out on loan at Coventry and Aberdeen before Daniel Farke handed him his first-team opportunity at Carrow Road. In the 2017/18 campaign, the midfielder thrived under the German coach as he scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions for the Canaries.

This earned him a transfer to Leicester in the summer of 2018. Since joining the Foxes, he has scored 41 goals and registered 29 assists in 164 outings, including 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions this term.

Although he has only been capped once by England, Gareth Southgate previously hailed the magician’s “world-class” set-pieces and he has showcased his ability from dead balls for Brendan Rodgers, with six direct free-kick goals in the Premier League to date.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt now value him at a whopping £45m. This illustrates the phenomenal rise over the years from his time at Coventry, Norwich and, now, Leicester. He has come on leaps and bounds as he has proven himself in the Premier League and is continuing to flourish in the present day.

This shows that Mauricio Pochettino had a major howler by missing out on him in January 2016, as Norwich and Leicester have gone on to profit from his immense talent on the pitch since then.

The size of their blunder can increase as he continues to develop in the top-flight. At the age of 25, he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve and hone his skills, proving that Spurs were wrong to opt against a deal to sign him six years ago.

AND in other news, Conte can now axe “truly hilarious” £42k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £33m “difference maker”

Crystal Palace confirmed on Saturday morning that youngster Adler Nascimento has signed professional terms with the club.

As to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been reacting to the off-field news on social media.

Nascimento arrived at the club’s academy ranks over the summer from Championship side Peterborough United, where he made his professional debut at the age of 16 last May.

The Eagles reportedly forked out an initial £531,000 for his services, with the Portuguese teenager already making nine appearances for Palace’s under-18 side this season.

Nascimento has seemingly done enough to catch the eye in those games, despite starting on only three occasions, and he has penned professional terms at Selhurst Park.

Palace fans react

The Eagles’ official Twitter channel retweeted the club’s academy post regarding Nascimento’s contract on Saturday.

Here is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘class news’ and another calling him an ‘absolute beast’.

“Bout time”

Credit: @James_cpfc06

“We must rate him big time”

Credit: @liamb0117

“This guy on Football Manager is an absolute beast”

Credit: @Wheddsta

“Class news but wouldn’t been worried if he didn’t after signing for £500k ”

Credit: @CPFC_Cal

“Well done”

Credit: @keithwhitfieldk

“That’s class”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

In other news: ‘Outrage’ – Many Crystal Palace fans react to club’s ‘pathetic’ update

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into tonight’s Old Firm clash knowing that a win against their Glasgow rivals will take them to the top of the Premiership table for the first time this season.

However, with the 56-year-old still having a number of players unavailable due to injury, international duty and suspension, the Greek-Australian coach will once again face a number of tough decisions when putting together his starting XI this evening.

So, how many changes will Postecoglou make to the side that started the 1-0 win over Dundee United last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Rangers, along with the latest team and injury news…

With the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Tom Rogic, David Turnbull and Yosuke Ideguchi being unavailable for the Old Firm clash, while Nir Bitton is suspended following his sending off against the Tangerines, we predict that Postecoglou will make three changes to the side that lined up in the 1-0 win at Parkhead last weekend.

The first of these alterations comes in the back four, with Josip Juranovic taking the place of 23-year-old Liam Scales at left-back – as, despite Greg Taylor being a natural choice in the position, the Croatia international who Marko Sapit dubbed an “intelligent” player has easily outperformed the 24-year-old so far this season.

The second change comes in the middle of the park, with the suspended Nir Bitton dropping out of the XI, and being replaced by the £6.75m-rated Callum McGregor – who Postecoglou recently revealed is in contention for a surprise return to first-team action following his speedy recovery from a facial injury.

The third and final change comes in the front three, with the 27-year-old Giorgos Giakoumakis having to make do with a spot on the bench after his stinker against Dundee United – with Liel Abada taking his spot leading the Bhoys attack, James Forrest switching over to the right flank and the “unbelievable” Jota making a return to the starting XI on the left.

In other news: Ange must brutally axe £8.2k-p/w “phenomenon” tonight, he could cost Celtic the title

Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to substitute Pablo Zabaleta for Ryan Fredericks at half-time on Friday evening could finally be the sign that the manager has more faith in Fredericks than the 34-year-old.

Zabaleta was poor in closing down Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon last time out at the London Stadium and the right-back was largely at fault for the Whites opening the scoring as early as the third minute.

The Hammers recovered well to win the match 3-1 in the end but Sessegnon was quite easily able to put a low pass behind Zabaleta, which Ryan Babel calmly pounced on and put away to give Fulham an early lead.

Fredericks, who started West Ham’s previous two league games against Liverpool and Crystal Palace looked much more composed and organised at the back in the second-half, making it difficult for the likes of Sessegnon to find space on the wing.

The 26-year-old showed in the matches against the Reds and the Eagles that he is well and truly capable of handling the pressures of the Premier League and looked very comfortable at right-back.

The victory over Fulham was West Ham’s first in five league matches and it certainly boosted their chances of making a strong finish to the league.

Pellegrini should continue with Fredericks as a regular starter for the remainder of the season and use Zabaleta as a substitute when needed.

The former Manchester City man’s experience can undoubtedly not be questioned but given Frederick’s good showings of late, he might be of higher value when used from the bench in critical times.

Fredericks showed against Crystal Palace that he is a modern day right-back, who is capable of attacking down the flank with pace, while making quick recoveries in defence when needed.

Fredericks, who is valued at £3.6 million (by Transfermarkt), will definitely add to the East London club’s lethal attacking threat.

A number of Wolves supporters are delighted after Jonny was pictured in training as he continues to work his way back from a serious injury.

Bruno Lage’s side are currently in the middle of the final international break of the year, with the players off representing their respective countries.

Wolves lost 2-0 at Crystal Palace last weekend, bringing an end to a positive run of form, but the hope is that they get back on track when the players reconvene next week for the visit of West Ham to Molineux.

One player who continues to work hard on his injury recovery is Jonny, with the 27-year-old suffering cruciate ligament damage back in April.

On Thursday, Wolves’ official Twitter channel posted a photo of the Spanish defender doing fitness work outside on the training pitch, suggesting that his return is edging closer.

Wolves fans react to Jonny latest

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to show their appreciation for the 27-year-old as he nears a long-awaited return to action, with one supporter describing the pictorial update as “lovely”.

“Amazed and happy by this picture. Technology eh “

Credit: @flipflo36521997

“Another Don back on grass”

Credit: @SmithyWolves

“Lovely. Thing is with Jonny he can easily play right-back too so very good depth for right-back and left-back when he’s back”

Credit: @Alfiewwfc_

“Let’s go!”

Credit: @MrR1g4t

“This is the content we like to see”

Credit: @PortuWolves

“Yes, come on”

Credit: @JonMoss89615310

In other news, some Wolves fans have been gushing over this contract news. Read more here.

A huge Rangers transfer update has emerged from an insider on winger Ianis Hagi, following recent speculation over his future at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

The forward’s famous father, Gheorghe Hagi, has claimed that his son will be remaining in Glasgow despite the reported interest in his signature.

Romanian journalist Emanuel Rosu quotes him as giving this eight-word update: “He’s staying with Rangers, he loves it there”

Galatasaray and Premier League side Aston Villa have both been touted with an interest in the wide man with the January transfer window on the verge of opening.

Ecstatic

Rangers fans will surely be ecstatic with this news as it suggests that the Romania international will be going nowhere anytime soon.

Supporters may have been worrying about what could be about to come next month due to the speculation surrounding his name at the moment, but his dad, who clearly has inside knowledge on Rangers and his child, has now allayed those fears.

He may not be getting the goals and assists to catch the eye this season but his overall performances have been excellent. Hagi has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.15 in the Premiership, despite having one goal and zero assists, which shows that he is performing well without getting the rewards he possibly deserves.

Former Gers boss Steven Gerrard once heaped praise on the attacker, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

Last season, he produced seven goals and 11 assists in just 23 league starts, whilst averaging a score of 7.02. This suggests that his all-around play has improved in the current campaign but he has lost his magic touch when it comes to the final action to score or create a goal.

If he can maintain his current high standards and recover his contributions in the final third from last term then he could be a phenomenal player for the club. That is why fans will be ecstatic with the prospect of him remaining in Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad, as it will give the Dutchman more time to extract the best from the young talent.

AND in other news, GVB heading for his first big disaster at Ibrox, it may be season-defining for Rangers…

Leeds United could revive their interest in Club Brugge’s Noa Lang, Leeds Live’s Joshua Hobbs writes. 

The lowdown

Victor Orta, Leeds’ director of football, reportedly carried out ‘a lot of analysis’ on Lang, only for former manager Marcelo Bielsa to turn down the suggested move.

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The Argentine apparently had concerns about Lang’s contribution off the ball.

Lang, who’s predominantly a left winger but can also play centre forward, has made 42 appearances this season.

He ranks joint-fourth in Club Brugge’s scoring charts with nine, and sits fourth in the Jupiler Pro League assist table with 11.

The Dutchman still has more than three years remaining on his contract and is valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Hobbs notes that Jesse Marsch, Bielsa’s successor, has moved away from Bielsa’s man-to-man defensive system and prefers to defend as a unit, and that could make Lang’s supposed shortcomings less of an issue.

He also believes that the 22-year-old, ‘excellent in compacted spaces’, would be well suited in Marsch’s ‘narrow system’.

The move is now ‘more likely’, particularly with Raphinha potentially set to leave Elland Road this summer.

Signing Lang could be part of Leeds’ plan to replace the Brazilian.

The verdict

If Leeds fans are concerned that Lang has only been delivering in a relatively weak league – the Belgian top-flight is the 13th-best in Europe – then they need only look to his displays in the Champions League.

For example, Lang won the Player of the Match award when Club Brugge drew 1-1 with French giants Paris Saint-Germain in September and looked, journalist Zach Lowy noted, ‘like prime Neymar’.

But what about those defensive concerns?

Well it’s true that Lang doesn’t press a huge amount – only 12.81 times per 90 minutes (placing in him just the 16th percentile) – but his numbers for tackles (1.54), interceptions (1.02) and blocks (1.2) are all closer to the average. There’s certainly enough there for Marsch to work with.

In other news, this Leeds transfer target struggled at the weekend.

An update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst’s plans for the future of the number one position at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are one of the teams plotting a swoop for a player in the second division of English football.

It’s thought that Rangers want to sign England stopper Sam Johnstone when the window opens in a few months’ time.

The report claims that they are looking at potential replacements for 40-year-old shot-stopper Allan McGregor and have identified the West Brom man as a player who could come in.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and a number of Premier League sides are set to battle the Glasgow giants for his signature. The Daily Mail state that Tottenham, Newcastle, West Ham and Southampton are all eyeing the Baggies star up.

Bargain

Van Bronckhorst is plotting a swoop for the 29-year-old and Ross Wilson must ensure that he can get this deal over the line as it would be a bargain signing for the Gers.

He is available for £0 in the summer because of his contractual situation at The Hawthorns, with his £18k-per-week wages being the only issue for Rangers. Nine of the current squad are reportedly on as much per week or more than the ex-Manchester Unite man, which suggests that the club can afford his wages.

The shot-stopper would be a bargain addition as he has proven his quality south of the border. Steve Bruce, who managed him at Aston Villa, previously showered Johnstone with praise. He said:

“We all knew he was a top class goalkeeper and he’s looking the part now.

“He’s a diamond – first in, last out. He’s a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn. A big pat on the back to my coach, Walshy, too. He’s worked hard with him and has always said to me ‘take him, he’s the best young goalkeeper in the country’.”

Micah Richards once dubbed the monster as being “exceptional” on Match of the Day and his form in the Premier League for the Baggies backed that up. In the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.01 across 37 matches, making zero errors directly leading to goals and saving 69% of the shots against him.

McGregor, meanwhile, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.80 in the Premiership. He has saved 68% of the shots on target against him and made three errors directly leading to goals, which suggests that he is more prone to making mistakes than the Englishman.

Therefore, bringing Johnstone in would improve the Rangers XI as he is more reliable between the sticks and he has proven his quality at the top level. He is also 11 years younger than McGregor and this means that he could be the Gers number one for many, many, years to come.

AND in other news, GvB can save Rangers millions with “brave” 48-goal teen who’s “clinical and calm”…