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Southampton defender Tino Livramento staging his return from injury will be a “silver lining” for Ruben Selles, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest injury news on Livramento?

Livramento first arrived on the south coast back in August 2021 when he joined from Premier League rivals Chelsea, but he’s made just 32 appearances during that time as a result of being on the sidelines through injury.

In 2021/22, he missed 28 days of action with knee problems followed by his cruciate ligament rupture, which has kept him absent for almost a year to date, as per Transfermarkt. At the end of March, however, Selles confirmed during a press conference that the 20-year-old was making great progress and that he expects him to “join the team soon”.

The Athletic reports that the Blues negotiated a £38m buy-back clause as part of his Southampton deal, and it was claimed late last year that they were thinking about bringing him back, with journalist Pete O’Rourke stating that it’s a “never say never” situation, but his focus right now will surely be simply returning to the field and building up his match fitness and game time.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones couldn’t speak highly enough of Livramento and insisted that Southampton would be receiving great news when it’s confirmed that he is ready to pull his Saints shirt back on and stake his claim for a place in the first team. He said:

"I think it's definitely a silver lining to have Livramento coming back into the side now; he's a player that they will have missed for sure. We all know the qualities that he's got and what he's capable of."

Will Livramento's return be a positive for Southampton?

Livramento will certainly take a lot of time to gradually return to his old self after such a serious long-term injury, but having been dubbed a “threat” by pundit Noel Whelan, Southampton could be getting a massive boost when he does stage his comeback.

The Saints right-back was averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per top-flight game prior to his absence, via WhoScored, scoring one goal and notching two assists in his debut season (Transfermarkt). The £8k-p/w talent appears extremely reliable on the ball, having completed 507 of his 587 short passes, giving him a success rate of 86.4%.

Finally, Livramento can easily adapt to different formations where outside of his natural position, and we think this versatility makes him a wonderful option for the boss to have available at his disposal.

Tottenham Hotspur owners ENIC will look to sign James Maddison in the summer, regardless of who they appoint as manager at the end of the season, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Will Tottenham win the race for James Maddison?

With Maddison's contract set to expire at the end of next season, this summer will be the last opportunity Leicester City have to cash in on their star player, and there is growing interest in his signature, from a whole host of Premier League clubs.

Tottenham are said to have leapfrogged Newcastle United into pole position, although Liverpool are also interested in the midfielder, while Manchester City have been linked, so a bidding war could be on the cards in the summer.

Given that the Englishman is likely to have a number of top clubs to choose from, it could be vital for Spurs to finish in the top four, so they can offer him Champions League football next season, but they are currently sitting three points behind Manchester United and Newcastle.

As per a report from Football Insider, the Tottenham board are dead-set on signing the 26-year-old this summer, and they will not wait for the new manager's approval before sanctioning a deal.

The Lilywhites are among the favourites to sign the £50m-rated Leicester star, and they're not going to slow their pursuit while they are without a manager, as they do not want to risk losing their lead in the race for his signature.

A new creative midfielder was identified as a priority signing while Antonio Conte was at the club, and Spurs believe he could go on to be a superstar in the Premier League.

Should Tottenham sign James Maddison?

Tottenham are very keen on a new creative force in the midfielder, and the two-time England international ticks plenty of boxes, ranking in the 89th percentile for assists per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, averaging 0.35.

Having also averaged 0.46 non-penalty goals per 90, there is clear evidence that the maestro would be a real attacking threat for Spurs, particularly considering he has managed to perform at that level in a struggling Leicester side.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media earlier this season, Maddison would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, and they must now focus on securing Champions League football, in order to make sure they win the race for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told by Tony Cascarino to appoint Burnley boss Vincent Kompany after his ‘miraculous’ feats this season.

The Lowdown: Conte leaving?

As per reports in the last 24 hours, it is now widely expected that Spurs will part company with Antonio Conte before the end of this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign.

The Italian has been skating on thin ice over the last few weeks with sporting director Fabio Paratici having already drawn a shortlist of possible replacements.

Former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino is among the contenders to replace Conte, coming after his furious post–match rant at the weekend – where he took aim at both the board and squad.

He stated: 

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Tottenham told to make ‘brave’ Kompany call…

Speaking in a Q&A with The Times, pundit Cascarino claims Kompany, a Man City legend who has taken Burnley to the summit of Championship football, should be a contender to take over from Conte.

When asked who should replace the 51-year-old, he stated:

“In the past Tottenham have just made an obvious choice, picking managers with the best CVs, but it’s time for them to be brave, especially as Harry Kane may well depart, which would create a completely new dynamic at the club.

“I think Vincent Kompany would be an excellent appointment after his miraculous feats at Burnley this season. He’s had little money but transformed them, adopting a new playing style.”

The Verdict: Good candidate?

The 36-year-old, barring his spell at Anderlecht before Burnley, has very little experience in terms of managing at this level.

However, Kompany is also a natural leader, with City boss Pep Guardiola even recently claiming that the Belgian is destined to coach his former team one day.

Burnley are currently dominating England’s second tier with a free-flowing, attack-minded style – scoring more goals and winning more games than any other side in the division.

They could even still become one of only a few Championship clubs to seize over 100 points in a single campaign – emphasising the incredible job he’s done at Turf Moor.

Of course, this would still be a bold move considering the big name managers available for hire right now.

Arsenal could see Reiss Nelson depart at the end of the campaign in a bid to secure himself some more regular first-team action.

How long does Reiss Nelson have left on his contract?

The 23-year-old did only return to north London in the summer having spent some time away on loan in the Netherlands with Feyenoord.

And his current deal with the Gunners is set to expire at the end of the current campaign although there have been reports of a potential extension.

It is believed the north London side are in talks with Saturday’s match-winner over the possibility of extending his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

However, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed that despite his love for the club, Nelson could look to leave in the coming months:

“He might sign from what I’m hearing and he does like it there, but he’s not going to get any guarantees over playing time. So don’t be surprised if he does move on.”

Will Reiss Nelson sign a new deal with Arsenal?

The youngster certainly has a big decision to make over the coming months with his development potentially on the line if he chooses to remain at Arsenal.

Nelson has proven his value under Mikel Arteta this season having scored some important goals to help the Gunners along the way as they look to lift the Premier League title.

However, the Englishman has not started a single Premier League game this season and has just 84 minutes of league action under his belt (via Transfermarkt).

It has to be noted that he has had ongoing injury issues which have sidelined him for large chunks of the 2022/23 campaign, but his opportunities, when fit, have been extremely limited.

Having said that, in the two games when he has featured for more than a brief cameo, Nelson has provided Arteta with three goals and two assists in the league. Which equates to a stunning goal involvement return of one every 17 minutes.

But with this in mind, it could open doors in the summer to potentially earn himself a move to a club that would be willing to offer him more regular football over the long term.

Although his record is mightily impressive, it is unsustainable if he was to be given regular action which may quickly see Arteta lose faith in the player.

If the Gunners are to get their hands on the league title then there would be no better way of bowing out, however, he may still feel as if he could earn himself a spot in the starting XI.

Tottenham Hotspur have quite an impressive academy set-up, with several players transitioning from young hopefuls to first-team stars over the years, and the north London hotbed is capable of producing many more talents in the near future…

Who is Spurs youngster Kallum Cesay?

Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Chelsea, several U23 starlets were involved in the senior training session at Hotspur Way, one of which being versatile gem Kallum Cesay, according to football.london.

He was one of four academy prospects to receive a high-five from striker Harry Kane, who is no doubt the shining example of the path to stardom that they could take at the club.

Primarily a right-back, Cesay is also capable of playing in defensive and central midfield, which could surely be a valuable asset to manager Antonio Conte or whoever is in charge heading into next season.

The 20-year-old has also featured for his national side, Sierra Leone, at senior level and scored a match-winning brace on his debut to beat the Republic of Congo 2-1 in March 2021.

How is Cesay getting on at Hotspur Way?

Standing at 6 foot 2, the youngster is quite the composing figure, which leads to some belief that his future may well lie as an anchorman or ball-winning midfielder, rather than out on the flanks.

Last season, he racked up 22 appearances for Spurs’ U21 side in the Premier League 2 and has since maintained his place in Wayne Burnett’s side by featuring in 17 games across the same competition, as well as the EFL Trophy.

An outing against Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth side earlier this month even saw Cesay provide an assist from defensive midfield, which further highlights his multi-faceted game.

Whilst Kane is the pinnacle of success for any Spurs youngster, a player like the versatile 20-year-old could well follow in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp as someone that has been in and out of the side for the last few years, even going out on loan to Norwich City in 2020/21.

The 22-year-old is a fine case of what could happen if you’ve got the quality and show some loyalty in the progression system around N17.

Cesay’s ability to play in a multitude of positions will certainly aid his case, especially with Conte currently light on midfield options, owing to long-term injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, whilst the wing-back roles have always been contentious since the Italian took the helm.

The Newham-born prodigy has previously been lauded as a “really promising prospect” whose “prospects and development have gone through the roof” by Football Insider’s John Wenham.

As such, it could be Cesay who could emerge as the next Skipp at Tottenham, with signs of him being in first-team training a very positive step in him doing so.

AND in other news, Paratici eyeing 6 ft 4 “monster” in Spurs summer swoop, he’s a bargain Son successor…

West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca will be targeting a return from injury in ‘two or three weeks’ according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Scamacca injured

Scamacca suffered a knee injury in the 2-2 draw against Leeds United in early January, and although he initially returned off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has now missed the last three games in all competitions.

Dinnery recently told Football Insider that the injury could be a sign that the Italian is ‘struggling to adapt’ to the Premier League, and the injury expert has now provided another update.

The Latest: Dinnery’s update

Again speaking to Football Insider about the injury, Dinnery explained that West Ham are using injections to accelerate the 24-year-old’s healing, saying: ““It’s a plasma treatment that concentrates the player’s platelets and injects them into the site area.

“It’s used to accelerate the healing and to quicken the body’s response.

“So that’s why West Ham decided on that particular method.

“Moyes is fairly hopeful that it will help the injury become less severe with those injections.

“But, as with any injury or setback, there are no guarantees that it will return Scamacca to full fitness straight away.

“Realistically, he’ll be targeting a return to the starting lineup in two or three weeks.“

The Verdict: Needed back

The Hammers have managed to turn their form around in the absence of the 6 foot 5 colossus, winning three of their last five games in all competitions, but back-up striker Michail Antonio has scored just once, in the 2-0 victory at Derby County in the FA Cup.

As such, David Moyes could do with a more reliable goalscorer, and while Scamacca has not been overly clinical since arriving at the London Stadium for £35.5m, he was just starting to find his feet, scoring a screamer against Leeds in his final game before injury.

The ‘wonderful’ forward, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, is averaging 0.4 goals per 90 minutes in all competitions, the highest amount of any player in the West Ham squad, impressive considering this is his first season in England, and he could go on to be even better if he can shake off his latest injury issue.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery wants to make three more additions to his squad before Tuesday’s deadline. 

The Lowdown: Ins and outs

Villa Park officials have already brought in two players for the Spaniard in Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran. The club have spent around €30m on the pair, however, Emery has lost the services of Danny Ings and Frederic Guilbert, with the former moving to West Ham in a deal worth €12m.

Cameron Archer and Morgan Sanson have also been loaned out, while Jan Bednarek has been recalled by parent club Southampton.

The Latest: More to arrive?

Villa reporter John Townley shared a story for Birmingham Live on Wednesday, looking at speculation over a potential move for Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech.

He said that the Morocco international could be a target and that Emery wants a new striker, winger and midfielder in before the end of the month, although the club will remain patient to secure their top targets.

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The Verdict: Exciting…

It could well be a frantic final few days for NSWE and Johan Lange, with Emery seemingly wanting multiple more players through the door. This claim may excite some Villa supporters, and you could argue that strengthening in the final third should be a priority.

Duran has come in for Ings, however, the teenager and Ollie Watkins are the only centre-forward options available to Emery, so another versatile forward would be of use in the second half of the season.

Ings was also the club’s top scorer before leaving for London and with Duran fairly inexperienced, replacing the goals they lost in the Englishman could be vital.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Khephren Thuram over the last few weeks and now an update from a reliable source has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Liverpool have held talks over signing the Nice midfielder this month.

Talbot tweeted: “Exc: Told Atalanta will refuse to sell reported Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners this window. Aiming for Europa and have already sold off Ruslan Malinovskyi to Marseille. Hear been talks between Reds and Khephren Thuram of Nice – and Kouadio Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach tho.”

Ward can get Anfield rocking

Jurgen Klopp will be feeling the pressure after a disappointing start for Liverpool in their 2022/23 campaign, with the side not only being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City but also falling behind in the Premier League too.

The Reds are currently sixth in the league table ahead of their clash with Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend and despite being a constant threat for the title challenge in previous campaigns are now 16 points behind leaders Arsenal as they head into the second half of the season.

The January transfer window offers a golden opportunity to strengthen the squad in their weakest positions to spark an ambitious effort to climb back up the table and in contention for at the very least a Champions League qualification position inside the top four.

One of the most critiqued areas of the pitch for Liverpool this season has been the midfield with the Anfield faithful simply crying out for reinforcements to be captured in order to get their beloved club back on track and competing for trophies.

In fact, the Merseyside giants are losing the majority of their duels (52.5%), as well as losing possession of the ball 158.1 times and conceding 1.3 goals per game in the Premier League this season, which is much worse than last season with only 0.7 goals conceded and a duel success rate of 49.1%.

As a result, the signing of Thuram – who has a transfer valuation of  €20m (£17m)- could be a solution that gets the Kop bouncing again, with the talented ace undoubtedly possessing the tools to improve the ferocity and composure of the team in the centre of the pitch.

When comparing the 21-year-old – hailed “hard-working” by Nice’s technical director Gilles Grimandi –  to Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Harvey Elliott over this season alone, he has outperformed his three positional peers at Liverpool in many attributes.

That includes assists (2), pass completion rate (86.7%), tackles won (13), interceptions (13), tackles won vs dribblers (47.4%) and aerial duels won (7).

With that being said, the signing of Thuram could instantly improve the quality of play in midfield for Liverpool, with the youngster bringing better passing, tenacity and a greater reading of the play based on the numbers above.

Thus, if Julian Ward could seal a deal in January it could just be the addition that gets Anfield rocking again over the second half of the season. Indeed, the acquisition of a new central midfielder is an absolute must.

Crystal Palace’s midfield is an ongoing issue which ‘needs to be fixed’ after the 3-0 defeat at home to Fulham, according to journalist Matt Woosnam.

The Lowdown: Bad day for Crystal Palace

The Eagles returned to Premier League action on Boxing Day, welcoming the Cottagers to Selhurst Park, but they suffered an awful afternoon at the office.

Palace found themselves reduced to nine men after Tyrick Mitchell and James Tomkins were both sent off, and the visitors eased their way to a 3-0 win.

It was a game which once again highlighted some of the flaws in Patrick Vieira’s squad, and with the January transfer window on the horizon, new additions could be required.

The Latest: Woosnam wants midfield ‘fixed’

In a Q&A for The Athletic after the game, Woosnam pinpointed the midfield as a problem area at Palace currently, with reinforcements required in his view.

The reporter stated:

“The squad has no leadership on the pitch. That’s not entirely Vieira’s fault. The players recruited are done through the recruitment team, albeit with some input from the manager. It’s clear the midfield needs to be fixed, without that player to replace Gallagher’s or McArthur’s tenacity there’s not enough there. Sure there’s alternatives to the current preferred midfield but they’re not game changers.”

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The Verdict: January signings needed

Woosnam is spot-on in his assessment, with Palace’s midfield a shadow of what it was last season when Conor Gallagher proved to be such an influential loan signing from Chelsea, posting the highest WhoScored rating at Selhurst Park and scoring eight league goals.

The statistics from this term don’t make for great reading. As per WhoScored, only three goals have come from the Eagles’ midfield, while Vieira’s side ranked 14th in the Premier League for possession and tackles made and 17th for shots taken.

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It appears that there is now a dearth of genuine quality in that area and it is essential that Vieira is able to bring in at least one new midfield signing – ideally someone in the “game changers” category that Woosnam mentioned.

Failing to sign a midfielder next month could have the potential to put Palace in trouble during the second half of the season, and while they are still six points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand, it might not take much to find themselves in a battle to avoid the drop if yesterday’s performance is repeated in the weeks ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Lille star and Arsenal target Jonathan David, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs transfer planning?

The Lilywhites find themselves chasing Champions League qualification for a second-successive campaign but manager Antonio Conte may need to be backed again in the transfer market to make this a reality.

Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table, Spurs’ form before the 2022 World Cup endured a patchy spot, with the north Londoners losing three of their final five league matches.

In that time, they conceded 11 goals, potentially highlighting some vulnerability and the need to strengthen their ranks further.

Conte also has just Harry Kane as his natural senior striking option, but a recent claim has suggested that Spurs may want to change that.

The Latest: Spurs eye David move…

Italian sources state that Conte’s side hold a real interest in signing Canada international David amid his impressive season in Ligue 1.

This information comes from Calciomercato, who report that Tottenham are ‘very interested’ in signing the 22-year-old – but they’re not alone.

Arch rivals Arsenal are also hot on his trail and it is believed that a ‘heated north London derby could arise’ for David’s signature.

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The Verdict: Make the move?

In terms of back up for Kane, the French top flight forward possesses undeniable quality.

He’s bagged a quite brilliant nine goals and three assists in just 15 league starts this season, backing Iain Hume’s verdict that he is a ‘world class’ player.

However, with the presence of Arsenal, a potential auction could arise for David’s signature and any inflated price demands could thwart Conte’s attempts to bring him to N17.

This may well be one to keep an eye on heading into January.