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Everton boss Marco Silva told the Liverpool Echo he is hoping to keep Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma next season, and it seems that’d be the best move get his career back on track.

The Frenchman has played 23 of Everton’s 27 games this season in what’s been a very hit-and-miss campaign for the Toffees. However, Silva appears happy with the 24-year-old’s progression, saying: “I’m really happy with him, let’s see what we can do or not in the future.”

When playing for his parent club Chelsea against Manchester United in February 2016, Zouma suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament. Up until then, he played 23 games for the club that season and looked to be the best young defender in the Premier League, but he’s understandably struggled to reach those heights since returning from injury nearly 300 days later.

His loan spell at Everton has been his first major run of games since that injury and it’s been required to get that full match fitness back. Although Everton haven’t shone as some expected them to do this season, for Zouma personally, the season has been a success so far and it’s important he continues to play consistently.

This season was about getting back to regular football and next term he can really push on and show the league that his injury hasn’t had too much of a lasting impact on his career. It’s at that point he can earn his move back to a top-six club and no earlier, otherwise, he might find himself back to step one.

A return to Chelsea next year, or even a move to another club who already have established centre-backs will mean more time on the sideline and cameo appearances that won’t allow him the opportunity to regain his pre-injury stride. There’s also more chance of another injury if he isn’t playing regularly, and something similar to 2016 would put big clubs off in the future.

Zouma should stay at Everton next season and continue to build his career back up because, after all, he’s still 24-years-old and should be in no rush to the top.

Where do you think Kurt Zouma should play next season?

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have been handed yet another boost ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership Old Firm clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Scottish Daily Mail (via Ibrox News), who revealed that Fashion Sakala has fallen ill while on international duty with Zambia, and is now self-isolating as a result.

The report goes on to that this means the 25-year-old is now a doubt for the Old Firm meeting this Sunday, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst claiming that it is a “wait and see” scenario regarding the winger’s availability for the visit of Celtic.

Great news for Celtic

Considering just how impressive Sakala has been since his arrival at Ibrox last summer, the news that the forward looks set to miss Sunday’s potentially title-deciding Glasgow derby is undoubtedly great news for Postecoglou and Celtic.

Indeed, over his 24 Premiership appearances this season, the £3.6m-rated attacker has been in deadly form for Rangers, scoring seven goals, registering two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £10k-per-week winger average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Van Bronckhorst’s 11th-best player in the top flight of Scottish football this term.

As such, following the news that both Aaron Ramsey and Alfredo Morelos are both serious doubts for the Old Firm clash, should Sakala also be ruled out of contention this weekend, it would certainly provide Celtic with another huge boost to their chances of picking up all three points at Ibrox – with a Bhoys victory at the home of their rivals going an extremely long way to reclaiming their Premiership crown this season.

AND in other news: £10.5m and counting: £23.5k-p/w “monster” should have played his final game for Celtic

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

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of German international Robin Gosens…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Italy, the Magpies have agreed personal terms with the full-back and are now hoping to strike a deal with Atalanta for his services.

The report claims that the Toon are set to triple his current wages by handing him a €3m-per-season contract (£2.5m) at St. James’ Park.

Elation

This news will surely leave Howe feeling elated for several reasons. Firstly, it suggests that Newcastle are closing in on their third signing of the window with almost half of the month left to go.

PIF are working hard behind the scenes to improve the head coach’s squad and three signings with half of the window gone would be an impressive effort, considering Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood have both arrived on permanent deals.

There is no hiding away from the club’s need to strengthen their team further as the lack of quality in the group was exposed again on Saturday. They let a lead slip in a crucial relegation six-pointer against Watford as they were held to a 1-1 draw after Allan Saint-Maximin handed them the lead, with Joao Pedro equalising for the away side to leave the hosts 19th in the table.

Therefore, Howe will be buzzing for further additions to his team, particularly if one of them comes in the form of Gosens. The German international has been sensational in the Serie A in recent seasons, showing off his quality and versatility in Italy – playing at left-back, left-wing and in central midfield.

In the 2020/21 campaign, he produced an outstanding 11 goals and six assists in 30 starts, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.19. Whilst contributing in the final third, he almost made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, showing that he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

This suggests that he could come in and improve Newcastle both in attack and in defence, with his ability to defend his own goal and cause problems for defenders in attack. Therefore, he could be a superb signing for the Toon and that is why Howe will be elated with the club agreeing terms with him and now pushing to make him their third signing of the window.

AND in other news, PIF plotting Newcastle offer for “perfect” £22.5m dynamo, he’d be a major upgrade…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

They have left it late but with just a few days remaining, it appears as if Spurs are finally about to land a new player for manager Antonio Conte.

According to Italian newspaper Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness), an agreement has been reached with Fiorentina over a move for midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who is currently away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The Lilywhites are expected to pay a €1.5m (£1.25m) loan fee with a €15m (£13.5m) option to buy in the summer. It’s thought that the Moroccan international is happy to join the north London outfit with Conte waiting for him to be confirmed in the coming days.

Conte wants him

Earlier this month, football.london reported that Conte wanted signings in three key roles – wing-back, striker and in central midfield – and Amrabat has recently emerged as a key target for the Italian as a result.

Matt Law of the Telegraph believes that Conte is a big fan of the Viola star and has even requested sporting director Fabio Paratici to sign him before the end of the month.

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He will be absolutely delighted to see this one edge closer to completion and whilst some supporters around N17 will be underwhelmed by this arrival, there’s plenty of factors pointing towards this being pretty decent business.

The 25-year-old has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 as they make the quarter-finals of AFCON.

Conte has lacked a presence in engine room that can link defence to the attack, one that can drive the ball forward and he’ll get that in Amrabat.

Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 Serie A campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options as Oliver Skipp leads the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg isn’t too far behind on 62.2%. Tanguy Ndombele sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

The Frenchman has been linked with an exit to Paris Saint-Germain, so it could be a case of one-in, one-out.

If Conte wants him, then he should be backed. The 52-year-old must be very excited as the club close in on their first January arrival.

AND in other news, “Tottenham are..”: Fabrizio Romano delivers huge transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Writing for Eurosport, journalist and transfer ‘insider’ Dean Jones has just made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker chase…

David Moyes’ near year-long search for a new striker following the departure of club-record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax has been well documented.

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The Scotsman, revealing his desperation to sign one over the summer window, confirmed that bids were also made last January but to no avail as the transfer quest continues.

West Ham have been linked to signing a host of new forwards in January, most recently Adam Hlozek and Divock Origi, but it appears another option may be on the cards as news emerges on a ‘big name’ in Barbosa.

The Latest: Insider shares Barbosa update…

According to insider Jones, writing for Eurosport, Barbosa is interesting West Ham, and by extension Moyes, ahead of January and it is believed Flamengo’s star frontman could now become available to them on loan.

West Ham are apparently exploring options to sign forwards on short term deals as Barbosa becomes a candidate, with the Brazilian himself open to leaving as he looks set to weigh up offers next month.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing the 25-year-old on a temporary deal would certainly be a mega bit of business by the club and recruitment chief Rob Newman.

Indeed, the Hammers could feasibly bypass his £23.4 million estimated valuation (Transfermarkt) and sign a prolific striker who’s scored 29 goals in total over 2021.

The 17-cap Brazil international has also raved over West Ham before, stating he ‘really enjoyed’ watching them last season, whilst also admitting he is a ‘big fan’ of Premier League football (The Sun).

Given West Ham’s need for a Michail Antonio-alternative and Barbosa’s love for the English game, this could well be a match made in heaven.

In other news: West Ham set for Kretinsky backing as insider shares major behind-scenes development, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up a transfer move to sign Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: Centre-back wanted

As Spurs have been linked with moves for the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Antonio Rudiger and Kim Min-jae over the last few days, it is clear that Antonio Conte would like to bring in a new centre-back.

The Lilywhites slumped to an embarrassing 2-1 loss at the hands of NS Mura in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening, and the Italian probably cannot wait for the January transfer window to come any sooner as he looks to bolster his defence.

The Latest: Bremer eyed

As per TUTTOmercatoWEB, Tottenham and AC Milan are now eyeing Bremer ahead of a potential move.

Torino could be tempted to sell him for €25m (£21.1m) if he does not sign a new deal, and they are awaiting responses from agents on what he is going to do.

The Verdict: Sign

Standing at 6 foot 2, Bremer could be the dominating centre-half that Tottenham need, and his 7.6 duels won per game in Serie A so far this season certainly suggests as such.

The Brazilian has made more than twice as many interceptions (four) as Spurs defenders Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Eric Dier (WhoScored) in their respective domestic leagues, and he also boasts two goals and one assist from the back, suggesting that he would give them a boost in both penalty areas.

Once dubbed ‘incredible’ by former Torino manager Davide Nicola, Bremer is still just 24 years of age, so his best years should still be ahead of him.

Interestingly, he shares the same agency as Spurs duo Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli, so there could be some inside work done to try and lure him to Hotspur Way.

In other news, Conte reportedly wants to sell this Tottenham ace

Liverpool have been mentioned in the same breath as some phenomenal players of late.

Of course, the Reds are currently in danger of losing Mohamed Salah but the likes of Alexander Isak and Serge Gnabry have been tipped to potentially fill the offensive void.

What’s the word?

Well, the club have now been touted with possibly making a swoop for a certain Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman has been linked with Liverpool before but now there are fresh rumours suggesting a move could be on the cards.

That’s according to reports who suggest a club is ‘moving in the shadows’ to sign the elite PSG star.

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It’s then claimed that it isn’t Barcelona but it could be title rivals Manchester City or Liverpool who are plotting a bid.

Mbappe isn’t currently rated at a whopping £144m by Transfermarkt but can be signed for nothing in the summer with his contract in the French capital expiring in a few months’ time.

Even better than Salah?

Mbappe needs absolutely no introduction.

Described as a “phenomenon” by Noel le Graet, French Football Federation President and as “another Thierry Henry” by Arsene Wenger, he is a player capable of starring on the biggest of stages and in the most eclectic of cauldrons in world football.

Time and time again we see the France international demolishing teams and if Liverpool can pen Salah to fresh terms, as well as signing Mbappe it would be special.

That said, it is evident that the latter possesses even more potential than their frightening Egyptian forward.

Salah is a classic late bloomer but as we can see from the Liverpool target’s 28 goals and 20 assists this season, he can certainly be classified in the same generational bracket.

What’s staggering is that despite the 23-year-old’s young age, he has still found the net on 160 occasions for PSG.

A tally of 26 goals for his country is also fine evidence of the mesmerising talent Mbappe has in his locker and should he join Liverpool, he may just dislodge Salah and become an even bigger hero in Merseyside.

Wouldn’t that be something?

AND in other news, Source: Liverpool now reach agreement to sign 42-goal “demon”, he’s their new Jota…

Manchester United are yet to make a signing during this transfer window, but have been in the spotlight as it was revealed last week that as many as 17 players are rumoured to want a move away from the club and now talks have opened to offload a player.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United have opened talks with AC Milan about their interest in signing Eric Bailly on loan this January.

The Italian transfer insider tweeted:

“Eric Bailly future will be decided soon. AC Milan are interested in him as potential new centre back on loan, talks opened – no final decision has been made yet.

“Manchester United are waiting for further direct contacts with AC Milan in the coming hours/days.”

The £87k-per-week gem was named as one of the players rumoured to be looking for an exit from Old Trafford, so with that being said, there could be a mid-season departure on the cards.

Fans will be fuming

The announcement from Romano has been met with a furious response from fans of the Red Devils, with many tweeting their criticism of the potential move for the defender.

Some fans used the opportunity to scathe Manchester United defender and captain, Harry Maguire, with one fan tweeting in reply to Romano:

“Imagine selling Bailly and keeping Maguire… This club is truly finished.” Another replied: “What do you do when you’re short in a certain position? You sell a player who plays in that exact position. My club.”

Bailly hasn’t been given the opportunity to make an impact on the side this season so far, with only seven appearances in all competitions, so it is no wonder that talks have opened for a move for the 27-year-old defender, as he has spoken out in the past about his desire to play more football and be a starter in the team.

Ralf Rangnick must make the right decision on Bailly’s future, especially going into the rest of the season where he sits in a vulnerable position in the league, currently seven points adrift of a Champions League spot in fourth place.

The club is also still involved in the FA Cup and the Champions League round of 16 knockouts this season, and will need to maintain experience and availability of players to see out the season with a much better outlook and position than the one they are currently in.

Although he’s very rarely played this term, Bailly can potentially offer this in his position which he has been a part of for five years at Old Trafford.

With so much football left to play this term, letting valued members of the team leave would be a puzzling first step in the transfer window from the club’s German interim manager. It would also be an eventuality that leaves a number of supporters at Old Trafford rather confused and angry at the transfer policy from upstairs once again.

They haven’t got things right in the past and they are hardly heading in the right direction this winter either.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals Rangnick’s stance on Zakaria

Having won their first league game of the season at the 15th attempt against Burnley last Saturday, Newcastle will be looking to form a winning habit going into the festive period as they travel to a Leicester City side who were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday.

The Magpies are three points off safety with a game in hand on 17th-placed Watford after the Hornets’ 2-1 defeat to Brentford on Friday night. They will also be facing a Foxes side who might be low on confidence, having won just one of their last six league outings as well as their elimination from the Europa League after a 3-2 defeat to Napoli.

Furthermore, Brendan Rodgers’ side have shipped 13 goals in their last six matches in all competitions and will be without a handful of key players after a viral outbreak at the East Midlands club, making it the ideal opportunity for Newcastle’s frontline to pounce and add to the Magpies’ tally of 17 goals in the Premier League.

It has also been reported that winger Ryan Fraser has overcome a hamstring issue after missing the win over Burnley. Miguel Almiron was the man to step in for the Scotsman that day, so there is no reason why the Paraguayan should lose his place after a performance which went down a treat with many  members of the Toon Army.

On the chalkboard

It is fair to say that the 27-year-old has been underwhelming since joining Newcastle from Atlanta United in January 2019 for a then-club record fee of around £20m. A return of 13 goals and five assists in 105 appearances is rather tepid, but there is certainly an opportunity for Almiron to get into the Newcastle team now, with Eddie Howe still in the early stages of his tenure at St James’ Park.

Against Burnley, the £74k-p/w attacking midfielder had an 82% passing accuracy, as well as making three tackles and successfully completing 100% of his dribbles (per SofaScore). It was a solid performance and a decent foundation to build upon in an attempt to be a regular starter under the former Bournemouth boss, who has said of the Paraguayan: “When you give someone an opportunity you want them to take it and I thought Miggy did that. His energy is very infectious and I thought his work rate from a defensive perspective was very good. Also he had really good moments going forward.

Like Almiron, the aforementioned Fraser is yet to score for the Magpies this season. However, the Scotland winger hasn’t been particularly impressive of late, with SofaScore rating the performance in his last game, a 1-1 stalemate with Norwich City, at a lowly 6.4/10.

None of United’s wide men have been particularly impressive this season, which is why Almiron is certainly within a shout of getting a frequent run in the team. The Paraguayan just needs to take whatever opportunities come his way.

In other news – Paid £5m, now worth £3.15m: Ashley had a Newcastle transfer howler with this dud who’s “out of his depth”