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Celtic winger Jota is set to be missing for ‘a few weeks’ with a hamstring issue, Ange Postecoglou has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Jota’s form

Jota has been in brilliant form in recent months after settling into Parkhead life following a summer switch from Benfica.

The 22-year-old, who the Hoops have the option to sign permanently, has been involved in 14 goals in 18 appearances in green and white.

However, he went off injured against Hearts at the beginning of the month and missed the 3-0 win over Dundee United on Sunday.

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The Latest: Four-game absence?

As reported by John McGinley, Postecoglou – who has called Jota ‘outstanding’ – revealed prior to the win at Tannadice that the Portuguese winger will ‘miss a few weeks’ with his hamstring problem.

Should that prove to be two weeks, the 22-year-old could miss up to four games for the Hoops, including the League Cup final against Hibernian on December 19.

The Verdict: Injury issues continue…

Jota wasn’t the only absentee against Dundee United on Sunday. Anthony Ralston and Stephen Welsh also picked up injuries against Hearts and missed the game, while Christopher Jullien is still yet to feature under Postecoglou.

Giorgos Giakoumakis is out with a knee issue and youngster Karamoko Dembele has also been missing since pre-season, and even though Greg Taylor made a return on the weekend, Postecoglou can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries.

Hopefully the New Year will bring better luck on the injury front, but Postecoglou will be without Jota for a while and may have to rely on Mikey Johnston against Real Betis on Thursday.

In other news: Devlin claims Celtic may now seal move for 12-goal beast before 2022 training camp

Every now and then, a duo comes along that causes your mouth to water. Your palms will begin to sweat and the hairs will stand up on the back of your neck.

In terms of Everton, you can cast your minds back to the days of David Moyes and Tim Cahill or as recently to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Carlo Ancelotti.

Those pairings were scintillating but we could well see the return of Moyes in the near future.

Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright wants him to succeed Ancelotti at Goodison Park but they have other irons in the fire.

One manager who’s been touted with the vacancy is Brighton boss Graham Potter.

The 46-year-old is still an inexperienced coach but has made a name for himself in an eye-catching fashion.

He steered Ostersund from the fourth tier of Swedish football all the way to the top-flight and then into European football.

A move to the Championship followed as he joined Swansea before cutting his cloth in the Premier League with the Seagulls.

Heading to a bigger club would be just deserts for his impressive methods but like Moyes and Cahill all those years ago, he could help to forge another terrifying duo in Merseyside.

That’s because Everton have been linked to one of Potter’s stand out players at the Amex; Yves Bissouma.

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They reportedly made an enquiry to sign the £40m midfielder last month and are one of a number of clubs interested in securing his services.

Bissouma has come on leaps and bounds under the current Brighton manager, featuring for him on 62 occasions.

Potter has been vital in taking the 24-year-old’s game to the next level, quickly establishing himself as one of the most menacing midfielder’s in the Premier League.

Compared to Yaya Toure, only Luke Ayling (108) won more tackles in England’s top-flight than Bissouma (104) this season.

He prevailed in 2.9 challenges per match and produced 1.5 dribbles per game, displaying a frightening set of qualities that have bullied fellow midfielder’s all season long.

Described as “exceptional” by Gary Linekar, Bissouma has all the qualities to thrive in the middle of the park for Everton.

He can carry the ball, read the play and break up attacks on command. Adding him and Potter to the Everton ranks would be nothing short of a masterstroke from Farhad Moshiri and Marcel Brands.

AND in other news, Worse than Nuno: Moshiri risks more mediocrity if Everton hire “stubborn” 47 y/o boss…

Former England striker Kevin Phillips has hailed Diego Llorente as Leeds United’s ‘lynchpin’ moving forward.

The Whites snapped up the Spaniard for £18m from Real Sociedad last September, with big things expected of him from the off. Llorente has taken time to settle, however, with injury problems making his early months at Elland Road a struggle.

As time has passed, the 27-year-old has begun to make his mark, enjoying eight Premier League starts, including an impressive showing in the memorable 2-1 win away to Manchester City earlier this month.

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Phillips heaps praise on Llorente

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips – a scorer of 92 Premier League goals – lauded Llorente’s ability, seeing him as a key player for Leeds for the foreseeable future: He said:

“Llorente is a top-quality player. It is as simple as that. It is just about getting him regular game time. He seems to have got himself fit and now he is finding that consistency.

“Marcelo Bielsa knows a good player when he sees one. Yes, it has taken Llorente a while to settle but now he is putting in good performances consistently and he is the lynchpin for them at the back.

“When you look at that team, they are tough to play against. He is definitely a big part of that now.

“I am not surprised to hear Bielsa is going to build his team around him because you cannot keep quality down. When you get enough minutes, like he is doing now, the consistency comes with it.”

Transfer Tavern take

Llorente is fully deserving of the praise coming his way at the moment, going to show that patience is often required with new signings. As per WhoScored, he has the fourth-best tackling average, fifth-best interceptions average and joint-second best clearances average per game among Bielsa’s squad, consistently proving his worth to the team.

Settling at a new club is rarely easy, especially with fitness issues holding a player back, but the Leeds defender is now looking every bit a seven-cap Spain international.

While the likes of Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk are also strong options for Marcelo Bielsa, Llorente should be a guaranteed regular for the rest of this season and beyond.

In other news, a pundit has claimed that one Leeds player will be ‘disappointed’ at the moment. Find out who it is here.

Journalist Phil Hay believes that Dan James will lead the line for Leeds United in their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.

The Lowdown: James’ resurgence under Marsch

Jesse Marsch’s men face another crucial game in their top-flight survival battle as they head south to take on the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

James has been used regularly by the Leeds manager since the American replaced Marcelo Bielsa, admittedly not yet scoring under the 48-year-old but providing lots of endeavour and registering two assists.

The former Manchester United man has often been used centrally by Marsch in the absence of Patrick Bamford, and that could be the case again when Leeds take on Palace.

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The Latest: Hay makes team news claim

Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic leading up to kick-off, Hay has backed James to lead the line for Leeds at Selhurst Park, on what feels like a crucial night in the relegation tussle. The journalist wrote:

“My gut feeling is it will be James up front again this evening – but maybe Marsch will surprise us.”

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The Verdict: Big night for James

In truth, James has had a disappointing first season in a Leeds shirt, having become the club’s second-most expensive signing in history when he joined from their Mancunian rivals.

Four goals and four assists is still a reasonable effort in a struggling team, though, and it makes sense for him to continue in a central role on Monday night in the absence of Bamford.

If James could find the net decisively at Selhurst Park, it would be perhaps his biggest contribution yet in a Whites shirt as he looks to justify the £25m that Leeds paid for him last year.

In other news, Marsch is reportedly trying to bring one player to Leeds. Find out who it is here.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, Eric Abidal has lifted the lid on Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy’s failed coup for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong – with the former Catalan technical secretary revealing that Spurs ‘made good progress’ but were ultimately beaten.

De Jong, who was a highly sought after midfield prodigy at the time, with Manchester City, Paris-Saint Germain and Bayern Munich all chasing his signature at one stage, also attracted keen interest from Spurs.

Abidal exposes failed Levy coup for de Jong

Indeed, speaking to L’Equipe, Abidal has sent a Tottenham transfer message revealing Levy’s failed coup for de Jong – going on to say that Spurs ‘made good progress’ on the matter but his ‘dream’ was the Nou Camp.

“I was already following Frenkie before arriving at the club. We had to recruit for this position and that was our priority.

“Manchester City, Paris, Bayern and Tottenham made good progress on the matter. But we are Barca and we knew that his dream was to play for us. We therefore decided to attack and first contact Ajax, with whom Barca has always had good relations, then his representative.”

Transfer Tavern take

As this revelation emerges that Spurs were genuine contenders for de Jong, Lilywhites supporters may be wondering what might have been with the 23-year-old ace.

Lauded as an ‘extraordinary footballer’ by Catalans legend Xavi, speaking on the 2022 World Cup’s Instagram account, the Dutchman also attracted praise from none other than former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Quizzed on the midfielder by football.london back in 2019, Pochettino heralded the ‘fantastic’ de Jong as a key player for Ajax – going on to say he fully understood why Barca paid £65 million for his signature.

In other news: Tottenham could lose this talent, find out more here.

Southampton have been linked with Peter Olayinka and Daryl Dike ahead of the summer window but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Peter Olayinka

According to Premier League.cz, Southampton, Brighton and Aston Villa are all interested in signing the Slavia Prague forward this summer, with the Czech side expected to demand between £6m-£7m for his services.

The Nigerian forward, who features in a wide target man role for Slavia Prague but can also play through the middle, was one of the top performers for Slavia in their impressive run to the Europa League quarter-finals last season, as he contributed three goals and two assists in 11 appearances, averaging a solid 6.92 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also managed six goals and three assists in 24 appearances in the Fortuna Liga, which suggests that he could be a threat for Hasenhuttl’s side next season, especially from an aerial point of view, which is something that the Saints arguably lack in their attack.

Daryl Dike

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton are one of a number of Premier League sides monitoring the Orlando City striker after his superb performance on loan at Barnsley in the Championship last season.

The 21-year-old would contribute a superb nine goals in 21 appearances to help Valerian Ismael’s side secure a playoff finish, so it is no surprise that plenty of Premier League clubs were quick to take notice.

His performances with the Yorkshire side earned him the praise of experienced manager Neil Warnock, who said:

“I think they’ve probably got the best striker in the division in Dike. It’s said they’ve got a £17m buyout, so I would imagine if they go up, they’ll be buying him because he’s been unbelievable when I look at his clips. He scores goals, he’s big, strong and young. He’s got every attribute really.”

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Who would be better?

Although Dike’s buyout clause means that he would probably be the more expensive option, he is more of a natural striker than Olayinka and has age on his side.

The USA international looks to have a huge amount of potential, whilst Olayinka may have already hit his peak in the Czech league, so Dike could prove to be a great investment for the future by Southampton.

Therefore, Saints vice-chairman Martin Semmens should forget about Olayinka this summer and instead focus on signing Dike for Hasenhuttl’s side. He scored more this term, has a higher ceiling and is already acclimatised to English football.

This is a no brainer for the Saints hierarchy.

And, in other news… Southampton could repeat Armstrong masterclass with swoop for “outstanding” beast

Gabby Agbonlahor has dropped a big Newcastle United transfer claim about Conor Hourihane.

The Lowdown: Hourihane impresses

Hourinhane certainly impressed while on loan at Swansea City in the EFL Championship in the 2020/21 season.

The Republic of Ireland international scored no fewer than five goals and made a further two assists from midfield in 19 games in total in the division (Transfermarkt), helping them to the play-off final, in where they lost out to Brentford for a place in the Premier League.

The Latest: Hourihane to Newcastle?

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for both Aston Villa and the England national team, has claimed that the St. James’ Park faithful ‘would love’ to have Hourihane in their team for the new term:

“I think he’ll definitely have offers.

“It depends what he wants to do. I think he’ll come back for pre-season, speak with the manager and take it from there.

“If he was to leave, he’d definitely have offers and there would be Premier League clubs after him.

“You look at the likes of Brentford, Newcastle. Steve Bruce knows him well. You look at Norwich, Watford, the teams that have come up. They would love to have him in their team.

“He won’t be short of offers. I just hope he gets the move that’s right for him.”

The Verdict: Sign him

Hourihane would certainly be a smart signing by the North East club, given that he would likely not cost too much money being 30 years of age and on the fringes at Villa after being sent out on loan.

His performances while at the Swans should not be ignored, as Steve Cooper, who is a highly-rated manager and who has recently been reported as the favourite for the vacant job at Crystal Palace, described him as ‘excellent’ after one of those displays back in January.

Bruce would also know how to get the best out of him, as the central midfielder played in 76 matches under the Geordie at Villa Park across three consecutive campaigns, scoring an impressive 14 times and supplying a further eight assists (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, signing Hourihane would be a shrewd piece of business by the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out what Mike Ashley has told the takeover consortium about arbitration here!

A number of Liverpool supporters have been praising Thiago’s latest performance for Spain, with the midfielder impressing for his country.

The 29-year-old was a hugely exciting arrival from Bayern Munich last September, having won the Champions League in 2019/20 and been one of the best midfielders in Europe.

It hasn’t been a dream start to life at Liverpool for Thiago yet, though, with a long injury layoff curtailing his progress during the autumn and winter.

Not only that, but the Spaniard has also been playing for a Reds side with no confidence and with central midfielders often playing at centre-back.

Despite a slightly underwhelming first year on Merseyside, there is no denying that Thiago is a wonderful footballer, though.

On Sunday night, the midfielder was introduced as a substitute in Spain’s 2-1 win away to Georgia, as the international break continues.

He produced an eye-catching cameo from the bench, helping turn the match around and outlining his quality on the ball (36 passes completed in 35 minutes) and reminding Liverpool fans what they can expect when he is on top form.

His performance suggests that he could be primed to have a big impact once Jurgen Klopp and his players reconvene later this week, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Arsenal.

Liverpool fans hail Thiago’s display

Here’s how some Reds fans reacted on Twitter to Thiago’s latest performance, with one Kopite describing it as “brilliant”.

“Thiago has been gorgeous since he came on for Spain. He’s genuinely a joy to watch. Gary Neville has an awful lot to answer for when it comes to people galaxy braining their analysis of him.”

Credit: @ryan3levis

“Thiago on and Spain equalized”

Credit: @scousantara

“Brilliant”

Credit: @smart044

“Wonderful player”

‘Credit: @frankfrance12

“It’s meaningless really, but it’s nice as a Liverpool fan to see Thiago come on and be the player that the Spanish national team – a footballing heavyweight – look to funnel their attack through and let be their general”

Credit: @NotoriousJOS

“He’s unreal! So happy we have him!”

Credit: @ThisMerv

In other news, Liverpool are ‘convinced’ about the future of one key player – read more about it here.

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Gareth Bale needs to prove himself for the remainder of the season if he is to earn a stay at the club.

Bale struggled for minutes under manager Jose Mourinho, making just six starts in the Premier League. He is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt.

He was restored to the team by interim head coach Ryan Mason against Southampton and scored in the 2-1 win, before netting a hat-trick in Spurs’ 4-0 home thrashing of Sheffield United.

But he was on the bench against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final as Spurs lost 1-0, and Roberts thinks that he now has a bigger opportunity to seal another move this summer.

It has been widely reported that Spurs have an option to extend his loan stay at the club, and Roberts thinks that the Wales international now has a handful of games to prove himself.

Spurs face Leeds United, Wolves, Aston Villa and Leicester City before the end of the season as they bid to force their way back into contention to qualify for Europe.

Speaking to FFC, Roberts was asked if Bale will stay and said: “I would think there’s now half a chance. But I think Gareth now has to prove himself in the next few games.

“If not, the club are not going to pay £300,000, £250,000 a week to him, when you’re sitting on the bench. You’ve got to be out on that pitch and hopefully he’s over all of his injuries now.”

Anwar El-Ghazi has come under fire from some Aston Villa fans for his performance in the first half of their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United.

Villa were looking to get off the mark for the new season after falling to a 3-2 defeat away to newly-promoted Watford on the opening day.

El-Ghazi started on the left-hand side of the Villa frontline, with summer signing Leon Bailey sidelined after picking up a minor hamstring injury in training.

Two new arrivals completed the attacking trio, Danny Ings lining-up through the middle and Emiliano Buendia starting on the right-hand side.

El-Ghazi’s first-half performance in numbers

He touched the ball only 11 times over the 45 minutes – fewer than the home side’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (13).

The Dutchman completed only five passes, lost possession three times and was also caught offside once.

It was a quiet first half for the hosts generally, with Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman largely a spectator as he watched four attempts fly off target.

Villa fans tear into El-Ghazi

“JJ Ramsey the only one trying here. Buendia and El Ghazi (especially) ghosting this game”

Credit: @Villa4life1990

“Hi @ASRomaEN you still interested in el ghazi?”

Credit: @AVFC_Aston

“El Ghazi is such a championship winger. His production is so average”

Credit: @chrishutton7

“El Ghazi, kills the attack everytime”

Credit: @JordAVFCx

“El ghazi starting has really done my head in”

Credit: @Jasonmoss1995

“Same old El Ghazi, not a brain cell in sight”

Credit: @JaskiMat

In other news, a journalist has predicted this man will leave on loan.