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West Ham United’s hopes of a top four finish were dented as they lost 3-2 to Leeds United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, just a week after beating the Whites 2-0 in the FA Cup.

Leeds winger Jack Harrison scored his first career hat-trick in East London as Marcelo Bielsa’s side showed resilience by taking the lead three times after Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals’ equalisers.

However, the defeat could prove to be a major blow in David Moyes’ side’s hopes of securing Champions League football this campaign with the Hammers still fourth but just two points ahead of fifth-place Arsenal who have two games in hand.

With winger Said Benrahma away on African Cup of Nations duty with Algeria, summer signing Nikola Vlasic is likely to be handed more game time by Moyes, with the Croatian handed a rare start against Leeds. However, the 24-year-old failed to take his opportunity.

According to SofaScore, the winger made just 24 touches, losing possession 12 times, meaning he lost the ball for every two touches he made. Vlasic’s creativity was certainly lacking too, failing to offer a single shot, accurate cross, key pass or successful dribble.

There was little offering in the defensive department too, with no tackles, interceptions or clearances with the Croat being withdrawn just after the hour mark. Overall, the wide man was rated 6.1/10 by SofaScore.

It will certainly disappoint Moyes that Vlasic was unable to take his opportunity after publicly stating that he will receive game time with the absence of Benrahma, particularly against a side who sit 15th in the Premier League table.

The Algerian has already scored eight goals and assisted four times in 28 appearances for the Irons this season, setting a high standard for the Croatian to match. Moreover, Jarred Bowen has been in impressive form of late with the goal against Leeds his ninth of the season.

Sunday’s appearance was just the 24-year-old’s fourth start in the Premier League for the Hammers, who has scored once and assisted twice in 19 appearances across all competitions since his move from CSKA Moscow last summer.

Vlasic has plenty to prove after making the decision to return to the English top-flight after a failed stint at Everton. Granted, he was much younger, but the winger made just 19 appearances for the Toffees, scoring twice and assisting once.

His spell in Russia was fruitful, scoring 33 goals and registering 21 assists in 108 appearances for CSKA Moscow; that’s the sort of form Moyes will be keen to see on display as soon as possible.

In other news: Moyes could finally replace Haller as West Ham plot bid for “complete” £13.5m-rated machine

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is sure to look towards his former club Rangers for potential new signings in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The former Liverpool skipper was appointed as Villa’s new manager following Dean Smith’s exit, and has presided over a superb turnaround in form, with their latest victory coming in the shape of a comeback win against Leicester in the Premier League.

Now, O’Rourke has suggested that with the January transfer window around the corner, Gerrard will be looking north of the border at some of his former players.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “He will definitely have his eyes on players from Rangers. These are players he knows, he can trust, he knows how they work, and they know how Gerrard works, so it would probably be attractive for them if they want to move to Aston Villa.”

Hitting the ground running under Gerrard

Given that Gerrard has taken over at Villa Park midway through the season – hardly the perfect time for any new manager given that they have no pre-season to work with the players – it’s absolutely imperative any business that does get done in January is able to hit the ground running.

Signing players who the new Villa boss has already worked with at Rangers would allow them to acclimatise far better and far quicker than anyone else, while the chances of that signing going horribly wrong also gets drastically reduced.

The last thing Gerrard needs is a Morgan Sanson-esque signing whereby they arrive as a complete newcomer to the Premier League and with no previous connection to the manager. Sanson has been a drastically poor signing, featuring on just 12 occasions following his arrival 11 months ago.

January signings always carry that element of risk, and Gerrard targeting players from Rangers would go a long way to neutralising that.

Villa fans will surely be excited by O’Rourke’s transfer claim.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing this French midfielder…

The January transfer window doesn’t open for another few days but Everton are already believed to be closing in on their first acquisition of the winter.

It’ll be timely for the Toffees who have struggled in recent months for form and with the fitness of their star players.

What’s the word?

Everton have been in discussions with Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev over the last week or so as they aim to bring full-back Vitalij Mykolenko to Goodison Park.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the defender is now on the verge of completing that move as the transfer journalist issued an exciting update on the progress of the deal on Boxing Day.

Commenting on Twitter, he said: “Vitalij Mykolenko has successfully completed his medical as new Everton player one week ago, no doubt. Paperworks are ready between clubs to announce the deal for the Ukrainian left-back.

“Here we go confirmed, statement expected soon.”

Fans buzzing

Mykolenko isn’t exactly a household name but his imminent arrival in Merseyside should no doubt leave Everton supporters delighted.

It’s safe to say the Toffees didn’t get their recruitment altogether spot on with Marcel Brands in charge of things alongside Farhad Moshiri but after his exit a few weeks ago, they have needed very little time to adjust to new methods.

It’s timely for several reasons. Not only have Benitez’s side won just once since September but they have suffered a number of injury problems and Lucas Digne has fallen out with the manager.

The Frenchman hasn’t been seen in the squad since the very first day of the month and with Mykolenko now arriving, it would be a surprise if we saw him in Everton colours again.

What’s pleasing for fans, however, is the swiftness with which Benitez and co have reacted to the situation.

After all, with the defender out of the reckoning for now, it leaves them with no out and out left-back in the squad.

The likes of Ben Godfrey and Fabian Delph have been used in that role throughout their careers but neither are long-term options.

That’s where Mykolenko comes into play. Importantly, he’s a particularly strong defender and has amassed some pretty consistent numbers for club and country.

According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old has registered 1.8 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game which demonstrates he’d be a wise addition.

With Digne being phased out, it makes even more sense to bring him in next month. The Goodison faithful should be elated as a result.

AND in other news, “Our understanding” – Boyland drops exciting EFC transfer update, fans surely buzzing…

Reliable Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has had his say on the Hoops’ reported move for Kawakasi Frontale left-back Reo Hatate.

The Lowdown: More Japanese talent?

Celtic have reaped the rewards this season after signing Kyogo Furuhashi for £4.86m over the summer, with the forward comfortably into double figures in front of goal in his first campaign in Glasgow.

Reports last month suggested that the Hoops are confident of bringing forward Daizen Maeda to the club in the New Year, and it seems as if Hatate could also now be moving to Scotland during the winter window.

According to Stephen McGowan of The Scottish Daily Mail (via 67 Hail Hail), Celtic are closing in on a move for Hatate, who can play in midfield or at left-back.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-16/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Devlin’s reaction

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic ahead of Celtic’s game with Aberdeen on Sunday.

Here at The Transfer Tavern, we asked Devlin if he has heard anything regarding the Hatate rumours. This is what he had to say in reply:

“Not heard anything myself, but the reports in Japan and here are both from credible people so I imagine they’re true. Will put something together on him either this upcoming week or week after depending on how work on features go.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move…

It appears as if the links are solid, and from the outside looking in, a swoop for Hatate appears to be an extremely clever one.

He is out of contract at the end of January, so if Celtic pay a fee for the versatile 24-year-old, you’d expect that it would be a minimal one. Hatate is also used to winning trophies with his current employers, picking up four honours over the last two years.

Celtic could do with another left-back with Greg Taylor out injured, and Hatate also be able to provide competition in midfield, with Ange Postecoglou relying on Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic when fit.

In other news: Celtic handed transfer message as ‘quick’ £20k-p/w beast admits he’s ‘open’ to Parkhead move

An exciting Newcastle United transfer update has emerged, regarding Lille centre-back Sven Botman…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Magpies are ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal and the Ligue 1 outfit could be tempted to cash in on him the January window.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle United exploring possibility of signing Sven Botman from Lille in Jan. #LOSC want to keep defender until summer but may consider sale if exceptional offer arrives. 21yo among leading #NUFC targets but would take big fee + salary.”

Excitement

Newcastle fans will surely be excited by this update as it shows the club are serious about going out and signing a top defender to bolster the squad.

Whether or not they will be able to get the deal done or not remains to be seen, but this update – at the very least – shows that PIF mean business and are prepared to pursue high-end players in January.

Botman falls under this category due to the nature of his performances for Lille in the last 18 months and the potential he still has. Last season, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.08 as they won the Ligue 1 title and he played in 37 of their 38 league matches.

This term, he has averaged a score of 6.93 in ten appearances while winning an impressive 68% of his duels and completing 86% of his passes. These statistics from the last two campaigns show that he has been a consistent performer at the back and been able to maintain a high level in the French top-flight, suggesting that he has the ability to come across to the Premier League and succeed if he can adjust to English football.

At the age of just 21, he also has plenty of room left for growth and development. He has time on his side to improve as a player and reach the very top of the game, having already achieved plenty before turning 22 – winning a league title and becoming a regular for Lille.

This is why Newcastle fans will be beaming with excitement that the club are targeting him. He could be a superb addition to Eddie Howe’s squad in the short-term, given his performances in France, and long-term, because of his potential. Thus, PIF must work hard to get a deal over the line in January.

AND in other news, PIF must seal NUFC deal for “unbelievable” £25m “warrior” who “plays like a soldier”…

Manchester City fans are delighted with the news they are interested in signing Toni Kroos, and they want the Citizens to capture the Germany international.

The Citizens have made a good start to the season under Pep Guardiola. They are currently third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Chelsea (Sky Sports), and have won all three of their matches in the Champions League group stages (mancity.com).

City are well-known for having a whole host of midfielders and, according to El Nacional, they are now interested in signing another talented technician.

They say the Citizens are looking to take £27m-valued Kroos (Transfermarkt) to the Etihad Stadium – the 31-year-old is one of the most decorated players in world football, having won the World Cup and numerous Champions League and domestic league titles.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one fan calling it ‘interesting’…

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kroos news below

“Yes , 2 year contract,him x kdb in midfield is angelic”

Credit: @FlyStraight8

“Ngl dream signing, idc who he benches”

Credit: @mcfcdavid_27

“Well if we aren’t paying a penny then I don’t mind he would do bits here”

Credit: @RyanAsk66514735

“interesting”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“i aren’t ready for this man”

Credit: @JRxch01

“The De bruyne X Kroos Combination that’s surely illegal”

Credit: @CanceloMerchant

In other news, Man City fans are far from happy with this Manchester United news.

Eddie Howe is reportedly now targeting three of his former players to sign for Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy January

That promises to be a busy month for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium as they look to bring in some new faces to help them fight off relegation from the Premier League.

They have been linked with January moves for the likes of Ross Barkley, Dean Henderson and Lorenzo Insigne in recent days, suggesting that Howe could have a major squad overhaul on his hands.

The Latest: Familiar faces

As per 90min, Howe is now ‘considering’ making some of his former players at Bournemouth his ‘top transfer targets’ in the winter window.

The newly-appointed Newcastle manager has been ‘promised funds’ by the new owners, and Nathan Ake, Jefferson Lerma and Lloyd Kelly are three names among his ‘main targets’.

Howe spent a combined total of £63m on the trio when he was at the Vitality Stadium, and Lerma remains his record signing at £25m.

The Verdict: All in!

Newcastle need all of the help that they can get in order to avoid the drop, and bringing in Ake, Lerma and Kelly would certainly strengthen a number of different areas on the pitch.

Howe will know how to get the best out of them, and given that they have played under him in the Premier League before, they all know what it takes to survive in the top flight.

Lerma and Kelly, who are both still at Bournemouth, should be hungry enough to step up a division and give it another go, while Ake is now playing at the highest level with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, so all three seem well capable of contributing to a run which could see the Magpies escape the relegation zone.

In other news, find out whose agent ‘continues to have contacts’ with NUFC over a potential transfer

While West Bromwich Albion have started life under Valerien Ismael well, with the Baggies having lost just one of their 11 Championship fixtures under the Frenchman, there have nevertheless been questions raised regarding Albion’s lack of an out and out goalscorer.

Indeed, while Ismael did secure the services of Norwich City centre-forward Jordan Hugill on a season-long loan deal this summer, the 29-year-old is yet to find the back of the net over his seven second-tier appearances for the club.

That’s something that has caused West Brom problems at times, none more so than when the Baggies failed to win three consecutive fixtures against Millwall, Derby County and Preston North End – with Albion scoring just two goals in these games.

As such, it would appear likely that Ismael is already starting to consider entering the January market for further additions up top, however, perhaps the 46-year-old could find a solution to his problem much closer to home.

Lukaku 2.0

West Brom have developed something of a reputation for developing promising young players in recent years, with the likes of Aston Villa’s Louie Barry and Crystal Palace’s Nathan Ferguson both being graduates of the Baggies academy.

However, unfortunately for the Championship side, they have often been unable to keep hold of their most exciting prospects, with many leaving The Hawthorns on free transfers, while others have been picked up by Premier League teams for a relative snip.

And, it would now appear as if West Brom have yet another diamond on their hands, this time in the shape of 17-year-old Reyes Cleary – who is already reported to be attracting the interest of Borussia Dortmund as well as many others.

Indeed, it is not difficult to see why there is significant interest in the teenager, as, over his four U18 Premier League appearances for Albion this season, Cleary has scored a brace in each fixture – which just so happen to have been against Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.

The teenager has also bagged two goals over two appearances for the Baggies’ U23 side, taking his total haul so far this season to ten goals – in addition to one assist – in just six games.

Furthermore, it is not only transfer interest that Cleary is attracting, but also extremely high praise, with West Brom’s U18 coach Peter Gilbert dubbing the striker a “powerful” player who is an “excellent” finisher – while the youngster has also been compared to former Baggies loanee and current Chelsea star, Romelu Lukaku.

Considering Ismael’s reputation for involving up and coming talents in his first-team squad, in addition to Hugill’s distinct lack of goals, it would seem a wise move for the Frenchman to begin exposing Cleary to senior football before potentially dipping into the transfer market this winter – as the teenager could well go on to save Albion millions in transfer fees.

In other news: “In talks” – Journo drops fresh West Brom claim on £30k-p/w beast, Ismael must act

With their first Premier League win of the season now under their belts with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United last weekend, Southampton are back in action on Saturday with a home clash against Burnley on the horizon.

In his latest press conference ahead of their match against Sean Dyche’s side, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed that defender Jack Stephens is the only player unavailable for the game at the weekend with Che Adams returning after missing out last weekend.

On the chalkboard

Taking this into account, one player that we feel should be in the starting XI against Burnley is left-back Romain Perraud.

Perraud started the match against Leeds last time out where he proved highly dependable.

He managed to make three tackles, one clearance and one interception as he was victorious from six out of nine defensive duels he was involved in. Also taking a shot at goal too, his performance ultimately earned him a strong overall match rating of 7.2/10 according to SofaScore.

This shows that the full-back repaid the faith that Hasenhuttl showed in the full-back after being an unused substitute in their two league games before the Leeds victory against Wolves and Chelsea which both ended in defeats for the Saints.

Southampton signed the Frenchman during the summer transfer window from French club Stade Brest on a four-year deal. Since arriving at the club, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, has made just six appearances for the south-coast side across all competitions, having yet to fully cement himself as a regular starter for the team.

Despite this, the defender has still managed to rack up an average of 1.8 tackles per game, 1.4 clearances per game and 1.2 interceptions per game, proving himself to be a useful defensive figure for the Saints.

Described as a “unique” individual by GFFN writer Adam Write in an interview with Football FanCast, he clearly has the ability to make a real difference at St Mary’s.

Moving forward, whether Hasenhuttl sticks with Perraud in his starting XI or not, this next match is still a good opportunity for Southampton to get another three points on the board to get away from the likes of Burnley towards the bottom of the league table. We feel the player in question would definitely help them do that.

In other news: Saints handed huge injury boost ahead of Burnley, Ralph now has a big decision to make – opinion

Crystal Palace are reportedly amongst a host of Premier League clubs lining up a move for Reading midfielder John Swift in the January window.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World,  the Eagles are one of four top-flight clubs interested in securing the highly-rated 26-year-old’s services after the Royals incurred an impending points deduction.

Swift has entered the final year of his current contract with Reading, but the Championship outfit were hoping a promotion push would be enough to convince their prized asset to put pen to paper on a new deal.

However, with them in discussions with the EFL over a points deduction, climbing out of English football’s second-tier now appears a tall order, meaning Swift could depart over the winter window.

The report states that: “Football League World can reveal a Premier League quartet of Burnley, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Norwich City are all keen on trying to get a deal sorted in the winter window before potentially getting him on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.

“It just remains to be seen, then, if Reading try to sell him in the January with that in mind to at least get some kind of fee.”

Crystal Palace can repeat Michael Olise masterclass

Swift rose through the ranks of boyhood club Chelsea before becoming frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities after he made just one senior appearance for the senior side.

A string of loan spells at Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Brentford led to the Stamford Bridge outfit offering the academy graduate a new contract back in 2016, but he rejected it in order to get regular game time at Reading.

His brave decision earned praise from England boss Gareth Southgate – who worked closely with Swift during his time in charge of the Under-21s – saying he was right to cut ties with the capital club.

“John has done himself a favour leaving Chelsea,” said the national team manager, who was speaking to journalism students at a visit to the University of Derby five years ago (as relayed by BershireLive). “He’s got a great future ahead of him.”

Since arriving at the Madejski Stadium, Swift has become one of the Championship’s star performers, bagging 30 goals and laying on a further 30 assists in 173 appearances for Reading.

And he’s elevated his game to new heights this term. In just nine outings for Veljko Paunovic’s charges, the 5ft 9 dynamo has notched seven goals and provided a staggering five assists, highlighting his top-class potential.

If Palace are able to fend off the competition for Swift’s services, then he will be the second Reading star to move to south London in recent times after Michael Olise joined the Eagles over the summer.

The duo will add some star quality to Patrick Vieira’s squad should they be reunited at Selhurst Park, marking another masterclass in the transfer market for

And, in other news…Imagine him and Gallagher: Parish must seal Palace move for “perfect” £16.2m-rated gem