In Focus: Southampton will only sell Van Dijk in January if the price is right

According to reports in The Mirror, Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has hinted that Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk could be sold during the January transfer window as “everybody has a price”.

What’s the word, then?

Soccer Football – Premier League – Southampton vs Newcastle United – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Britain – October 15, 2017 Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk in action with Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie as Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand looks on REUTERS/Eddie Keogh EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/leag

Well, The Mirror says that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been given the green light to make an offer for the £70m-rated Netherlands international, with Pellegrino unable to guarantee that the 26-year-old would be at St Mary’s at the end of January.

The Merseyside outfit were forced to issue a public apology after being accused of tapping the centre-back up earlier in the summer, but The Mirror says that Klopp still believes the Dutchman is the man to strengthen his team’s defence.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saints’ trip to Anfield on Saturday, Pellegrino explained the latest situation when questioned about Van Dijk.

What did he say?

According to The Mirror, the 43-year-old said: “I can’t control the market.

“You never know, because when we talk about money everybody has got a price.

“The budget is to sign players and the biggest teams have got money to try to sign players.”

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How has Van Dijk done this term?

Having initially been banished to train with the U23s after handing in a transfer request just days before the start of the Premier League season, the 26-year-old was forced to wait until the end of September to make his first appearance of the campaign as a substitute against Crystal Palace.

The fact that he had spent eight months on the sidelines with injury certainly showed in his first couple of appearances, but he is starting to get back to the player that has attracted so much interest from the top clubs in England.

He has started five consecutive top flight games for Saints, and he is likely to start again his potential future employers on Saturday.

Will Saints sell him in January?

It probably depends on what sort of impact he is having behind the scenes.

If the Dutchman is causing problems and bringing down the morale of the team then he could go, but if he is working hard they could keep him until the summer.

That said, every player does have his price and if Southampton received an offer of £70m, they would undoubtedly have to do that deal.

Pundit picks out West Ham United’s problem following latest defeat

David Moyes headed into his new job at West Ham United on the back of failed spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland.While it is still too early in the day to assess his stint with the Hammers, so far it is not quite going to plan.The Scotsman has overseen four Premier League games and none of them have ended in victories.In fact, the team have picked up just one point from a possible 12, and that was from a 1-1 draw with Leicester City at the London Stadium.On Sunday, West Ham had the unenviable task of taking on league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.Pep Guardiola’s side had been tested by Huddersfield Town and Southampton in their previous two games, and the Hammers put up their own fight as they went a goal up thanks to Angelo Ogbonna.However, Nicolas Otamendi managed to equalise before the hour mark and David Silva nabbed the winner for City with seven minutes left on the clock.Pundit and former Premier League footballer Stan Collymore believes that there are positive signs for West Ham, but they need to keep to a concrete plan on the pitch.

The East London outfit sit three points from safety after 15 games.

Southampton fans praise Ryan Bertrand after Bournemouth draw

Southampton came from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw against local rivals Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, and Saints fans were impressed with Ryan Bertrand’s performance.

The left-back has been one of the south coast outfit’s most consistent performers over the course of the last few seasons, but his displays earlier on in the campaign perhaps weren’t at the level that they had been at before after he was linked with a move away during the summer.

However, the 28-year-old was back to his best against the Cherries and he was a real threat from an attacking sense, and was unlucky not to pick up an assist when goalscorer Charlie Austin headed over the crossbar.

Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on his display via social media, and while one simply said “Bertrand looks happy”, another said he has “looked way, way better the last few games without Pep’s lovechild [Nathan Redmond] in front of him”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Land £3.6m-rated hero and Steven Gerrard will restore Rangers smiles at Ibrox indeed

The Rangers fans gathered around the Transfer Tavern are hopeful of their team progressing under new boss Steven Gerrard as he looks to emulate his brilliant playing days by being equally as good whilst managing. 

Having finished in 3rd place last season, Rangers were keen to make improvements straight away this summer, presented by the quick appointment of the Liverpool legend. Gerrard has already adjusted his team by recruiting some new players but having been playing in the Premier League for years, our punters feel that Rangers have to be eyeing Southampton midfielder Steven Davis, who is valued at £3.6 million on Transfermarkt.

Davis is an extremely memorable name around Rangers, having played in Scotland for over 200 games before moving to St Marys Stadium in 2012. The midfielder is Southampton’s captain but at the age of 33, his last years in football could be spent helping the Gers to another Premiership title as they bid to get one over on the dominant Celtic.

Steven Davis suffered with injury for the last few months of the season, a big factor in why Southampton so dearly struggled to win a number of games, although their survival was made sure on the final day. Steven Gerrard will be keen to bring in a big name to control the midfield and take Rangers forward to bigger and better things.

Davis will know what Rangers means to the fans and with only 1 year left on his current Southampton contract, a move now could be brilliant for Rangers.

Thoughts… Let us know!

Iago Falque could be Leicester’s dream replacement for Riyad Mahrez

Leicester City were forced to wave goodbye to Riyad Mahrez earlier this week as the electric Algerian completed a £60 million switch to Manchester City, putting a welcome end to months of speculation in the process.

The transfer of Mahrez to Man City had a feeling of inevitability about it for quite some time, so the Leicester supporters will be pleased that the club can finally move on and build for the future without him.

In the aftermath of the mega-money deal, Claude Puel’s immediate focus should concern his search for a quality replacement and, according to a recent report from Italian media outlet TuttoSport(via 90min), Leicester’s manager already has his eye on one of Serie A’s most talented wide players, namely Iago Falque.

Leicester’s 28-year-old target has become something of a journeyman in European football throughout his career, but he now plays his trade at Torino in Serie A where he really enjoyed himself last season.

After beginning his career in Barcelona’s youth academy, Falque has since moved to Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Roma to name only a handful of clubs he has played for, but it seems has finally settled in Turin.

Like Mahrez, Falque is a left-footed player who prefers to cut-inside from the right-wing onto his favoured foot, and his quality in this regard makes him an ideal candidate to fill the void left by the Algeria international.

With a brilliant record of 14 goals and 10 assists from 40 appearances last season, there’s no doubt that Falque possesses a decisive end-product in the final-third which would enable Leicester to maintain their potency next season – even in the absence of Mahrez.

Although a right-sided role is the one which Falque is most naturally suited to, he is also capable of playing in a number ten role behind the striker, which could prove to be a useful weapon for Puel to exploit next season.

The extent of Torino’s asking price is unclear at this stage, but with Leicester’s sale of Mahrez in mind they are likely to up their demands accordingly.

Understandably, the Foxes will be cautious to spend their recently accumulated funds wisely in the market but, based on both Falque’s playing style and record in Serie A last season, their latest target appears well-placed to step into Mahrez’s shoes at the King Power.

Leicester City fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Mike Ashley could put Newcastle in jeopardy with next transfer target

As of yet, Mike Ashley’s wallet is yet to make an appearance this summer. 

The Newcastle owner has refused to release much money to Rafa Benitez this year and so far has only brought in Keney on loan, Ki Sung-yeung on a free transfer and Martin Dubravka on a £3.6 million permanent transfer following his loan spell last year.

Furthermore, the Newcastle boss has been told that the club will need to sell before they can buy. With that in mind, the Daily Mail is reporting that Newcastle are targeting Everton flop, Nikola Vlasic.

The deal will not be permanent however as the club is only looking at a loan deal.

The Breakdown

The Everton winger fell out of favour with Sam Allardyce last season and could well be available on a temporary deal much to the delight of Mike Ashley.

The forward joined Everton last season in a deal worth around £10 million but despite showing some flashes of potential, Vlasic has been pretty poor so far. Moreover, with Ademola Lookman back from his loan spell and Yannick Bolasie returning from injury, it seems Vlasic’s chances of playing are unlikely.

In Newcastle’s case, the club is obviously going down the route of spending very little. The forward only managed two goals in 19 games for Everton last year and would seem a pretty underwhelming signing for the Toon.

A loan for Vlasic isn’t going to wow the fans or indeed impress Benitez. He may be cheap but Newcastle should be looking elsewhere to add to their forward line.

Thoughts Newcastle fans? 

Leeds should offer Jonathan Williams a chance to get back on track

Jonathan Williams’ career has stalled in recent seasons. The lack of consistency that comes with a string of separate loan spells looks to have taken its toll, and now there seems to be no future for him with Crystal Palace.

Transfermarkt value Williams at £900k, though with him entering the final year of his current contract at Selhust Park, it is likely that the Eagles would accept less in exchange for the playmaker.

At 24-years-old, the attacking midfielder really could do with finding a permanent new club and ending this series of loan spells that has seen him ply his trade with Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, MK Dons, and Sunderland, all in the past 3 seasons.

Williams has struggled to maintain any kind of form in this period, and as such has faded out of the Wales international set up.

At this stage in his career, there is still time for the Palace man to get back on track, he just needs a new club to take a punt on him. 

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds would be smart to make themselves that club.

The Breakdown

If Bielsa were to bring Williams to Elland Road for a bargain price, then he’ll have acquired an excellent squad option who’ll be desperate to prove his worth at Championship level.

With the likes of Mateusz Klich and Eunan O’Kane struggling to cope with the standard of the second tier, there would be a window of opportunity for Williams to force his way into the first team at Leeds.

Bielsa’s midfield lacks creativity, and the Welshman’s inventiveness could go a long way towards getting the best out of the likes of Kemar Roofe and Samu Saiz.

The decision to offer Williams a lifeline now is certainly a gamble, albeit a fairly low cost one. It could also prove to be a transfer masterstroke down the line though, if Leeds do decide to roll the dice.

Arsenal look set to miss out on La Liga midfielder – Arsenal fans won’t be happy

Arsenal’s transfer business has been brilliant this summer but Emery could still be in the market for one or two more additions before the window shuts. 

Recently, the club has been linked with a move for a winger and another holding midfielder.

One holding midfielder the club have been linked with is French World Cup winner, Steven Nzonzi. Italian news outlet Calciomercato is now reporting that Nzonzi is considering snubbing Arsenal’s interest and instead opting to join Roma.

The Breakdown

The Gunners had been favourites to sign the midfielder who had worked with Emery at Sevilla. The tall midfielder fell out of favour at the Spanish club last season following and had a sub-par campaign considering how good he was in his first two years at the club.

While Emery has brought in Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi in the same role, Arsenal could well do with Nzonzi’s defensive awareness and ability to recycle the ball.

He may not be as mobile Torreira, Nzonzi reads the game incredibly well and is very adept at receiving the ball in tight areas and finding his teammate with a pass under pressure.

Nzonzi is seemingly keen on a move to the club, his £36 million release clause is slightly steep, especially for a team that isn’t in dire of another midfielder. Any deal would’ve meant that Arsenal needed to sell before they could buy.

Although the race for Nzonzi isn’t over, if he joins Roma it would be a slight blow to Arsenal’s plans.

Thoughts Arsenal fans?

Newcastle United fans debate move for PSG youngster N’Soki

Every day Newcastle United seem to be linked to a new player, but the same story remains – the club are lacking cash to spend.

Owner Mike Ashley failed to deliver on his promise of funds last summer, and it appears to be happening again.

Manager Rafael Benitez has publicly aired his frustrations at the lack of money and lack of knowledge over what is going on behind the scenes.

Newcastle have managed to get some deals over the line, though, including Ki-Sung yueng, Kenedy, Fabian Schar and Yoshinori Muto.

According to Sky Sports Transfer Center (August 2, 15:29), Stanley N’Soki is the next person of interest for the Magpies.

The report states that the club have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain regarding a possible £7m deal for the 19-year-old Frenchman.

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The teenager predominantly plays as a centre-back, but he can also switch to left-back or play as a defensive midfielder.

Newcastle are believed to be in the market for a left-sided defender, but some fans have been left confused by the pursuit of N’Soki.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie posted the news on Twitter.

Everton fans desperate for Andre Gomes deal

According to the Daily Mail, Everton are still interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, and will attempt to bring the Portuguese to Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.

Everton were slow starters in this summer’s transfer window, but the Toffees are expected to sign at least two more players before Thursday’s 5pm deadline.

Gomes has been strongly linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer, but it was thought that Manchester United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur were all ahead of Everton when it came to the 25-year-old.

However, according to the Daily Mail, Everton are making a late play for Gomes, who has struggled at Barcelona since a move from Valencia in the summer of 2016.

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Gomes has made 78 appearances for Barcelona over the last two seasons despite his struggles, and there is no question that the midfielder is a talent.

Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands has work to do in order to complete a deal for Gomes, but the club’s supporters are desperate for the move to take place.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Everton fans can be seen below:

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