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Not only did Aston Villa manage to pick up their first defeat under new manager Steven Gerrard in the 2-1 loss at Villa Park against Manchester City in midweek, but they were also dealt a blow when winger Leon Bailey was forced off the pitch with an injury.

Speaking after the match against Pep Guardiola’s side, Gerrard revealed that the thigh injury suffered by the Jamaican “doesn’t look good” and that it “looks like he will miss at least a couple of games.”

Opportunity knocks

With this in mind, it could be the perfect time for one other Villa attacker to finally get the chance to prove himself to Gerrard while Bailey is out injured is Anwar El Ghazi.

Since Gerrard was appointed at Villa, El Ghazi has only made two substitute appearances, the first of which coming in their 2-0 win over Brighton in Gerrard’s first game where he played just six minutes, followed by a 13-minute cameo in the win against Crystal Palace where he provided an assist.

Even though Gerrard chose to bring on Ashley Young for the injured Bailey in the game against City in midweek, leaving El Ghazi on the bench for the duration, the Englishman failed to have much of an attacking impact to try and claw a positive result from the match.

With this in mind and the fact that El Ghazi, who has been labelled in the past as “unstoppable” by former Villa teammate Alan Hutton, has as many goals as Bailey and Emi Buendia in the league at this point in the season, this could the Dutchman’s best opportunity to show to Gerrard that he should be in the starting XI more often.

Looking ahead to the future, with Villa set to take on Leicester City on Sunday afternoon for their next Premier League clash, Gerrard should definitely consider giving El Ghazi a chance to prove himself from the start rather than from the substitutes bench again to see if he can make a difference to the team.

If Gerrard does pick El Ghazi to start against the Foxes and he manages to deliver a solid performance, he could well find himself at the start of a regular run in the team, which would be great for the winger given how he’s only started four league games so far this season.

In other news: Villa handed double potential injury boost ahead of LCFC that’ll leave fans thrilled – opinion

Speaking in his press conference on Thursday, Patrick Vieira confirmed the news that Crystal Palace fans will have been dreading.

The Eagles manager revealed that talismanic duo Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise both picked up injuries on international duty.

What’s the latest?

The Ivory Coast forward missed out on facing his former international side England at Wembley after suffering a hamstring problem, whilst Olise withdrew from the France under-21 squad after suffering inflammation in his foot.

Neither have trained since their returns from international duty, but with their game against Arsenal set to be played on Monday night, Vieira is hopeful that both players could feature.

On Zaha’s status, the Crystal Palace boss said: “We will wait and see what happens. We have until Monday so hopefully he will get better, and he can have a couple of days of training with the team. We have to wait and see what will happen over the next couple of days.”

On Olise’s chances of featuring, Vieira added: “He just had an issue with his foot. Until he gets back from the French Under-21s, he is still in the treatment room as well. He is not ready to do some work outside.”

Palace fans face nervy wait

The absence of both players at such a crucial time in the season will come as a massive blow to Vieira and the Palace faithful. In Zaha and Olise, we are talking about the Eagles’ top scorer and leading assists provider respectively.

At just 20 years of age, the latter has been a shining light in what has been a revamped Palace side under Vieira this season. The French under-21 starlet has proven himself as the foremost creator in the squad, with his tally of seven big chances created placing him in the top 15 most creative players in the Premier League this season.

Take nothing away from Zaha, either. The Ivory Coast international has been a big influence in Vieira’s side this season, conjuring up a respectable total of ten goal contributions in England’s top flight, with nine goals and one assist to his name indicative of his potent threat in the final third.

While Palace fans will be gutted to hear that two such influential players are doubtful to feature against an in-form Arsenal side, they can take solace in Vieira’s assertion that the duo “still have a chance” of making it in time for the Monday night kick-off. A nervy 48 hours awaits for the Selhurst Park faithful.

In other news – Vieira struck gold on “massive” £31k-p/w Palace “tank” whose value has rocketed 200%

Raphinha’s talks with Leeds United over a new contract are progressing well, according to an update from reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Raphinha Leeds’ star man

The 25-year-old has enjoyed another hugely impressive season for the Whites, standing out as their star player, especially with other key figures often out injured.

Raphinha has scored eight goals in 19 Premier League starts in 2021/22, consistently producing the goods in a campaign of struggle overall at Elland Road.

The Brazilian’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024 but Leeds are keen on tying him down beyond that amid interest from other clubs.

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The Latest: New contract incoming?

According to The Athletic’s Ornstein, publishing a report on the morning of transfer deadline day, talks are going well regarding the situation, with ‘positive steps’ made in recent times.

The journalist revealed: “Contract talks between Leeds and Raphinha have been on-going since the first half of this season and the club are understood to have made positive steps towards extending the deal he signed when he joined from Rennes in October 2020.”

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The Verdict: Huge positive for Whites

Keeping hold of Raphinha would feel like a huge moment for Leeds, considering the quality he possesses, already scoring twice in his first five caps for Brazil.

Not only would extending his stay be huge in terms of on-pitch matters – Danny Murphy has described the 25-year-old as a ‘wonderful’ player – it would also mean that clubs would likely have to submit an enormous bid to prise him away in the future.

In a scenario where Raphinha suddenly wanted to leave, Leeds would at least be safe in the knowledge that they would be financially strong after he exits, allowing top-quality signings to come in.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly ready to trigger one player’s release clause. Find out who it is here.

With three players added to their senior squad earlier in the current January transfer window, Aston Villa still have enough time to strengthen their side even further before the window closes.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to Villa in the past that journalist Ashley Preece revealed is “admired” by the Midlands club is Manchester United’s £10m valued attacking-midfielder Jesse Lingard.

Using Villa’s transfer swoop for Lucas Digne this month as an example, he was going through a rough patch at his previous club Everton after it was reported that he had a behind-the-scenes falling out with Rafa Benitez that arguably pushed the full-back out of the door which then led to what Christian Purslow described as an “opportunistic” move from Villa to sign the Frenchman.

Taking that into account, a move for Lingard could also be seen as an opportunistic deal that Villa could look to pounce on before the end of the month given his current situation at United with his deal set to run out at the end of the season after assurances over his playing time in this campaign have failed to come to fruition.

This term has made just nine appearances with no starts in the Premier League after a very successful loan spell with West Ham United last term where he scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 league appearances.

This highlights just how far down the pecking order he is at the Manchester club and why a move away to a club where he’d be more likely to get regular game time would be tempting for the England international, especially if he can discover the same sort of form.

From United’s point of view, potentially selling Lingard, who has been described as a “phenomenal” player in the past by Kevin Phillips, on a permanent transfer for a suitable fee could be more enticing for the club than letting him leave as a free agent in the summer if he doesn’t renew his contract.

This could then pave the way for Villa to continue their January spending with Johan Lange adding a player with a lot of Premier League experience such as Lingard to their squad and replicate a similar sort of deal that they made for Digne.

In other news: John Percy drops eye-opening Aston Villa transfer update that will thrill fans – opinion

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish believes that Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will make numerous outcasts train with the academy sides, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Derby demolition

The Hoops returned to the top of the Premiership on Wednesday night for the first time since August with a dominant win in the Old Firm derby.

Celtic scored three times in the first half, two of which came from January arrival Reo Hatate, ending a seven-game winless run against Rangers.

Three players who didn’t feature at Celtic Park were Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli, with the trio failing to seal moves away from the club in last month’s transfer window.

The Latest: McLeish’s comments

McLeish, who contributes as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider about the trio in a story released the morning after the derby win.

He expects all three to be demoted to Celtic’s academy sides due to the size of Postecoglou’s squad, saying:

“This is where, when you’ve got a massive squad, you have to separate a lot of the players, and I’m looking at the likes of Ajeti, Barkas and Bolingoli.

“They will probably be, and I can only imagine because we did this back in my day at Rangers, under the supervision of other coaches.

“Maybe one of the younger coaches learning his trade as well with the professionals who are not in the plans. He’ll join them in with the young players and stuff.

“You know players of that ilk would want to go and play senior level (football). They don’t really relish playing with the young ones.

“To be fair, most of them will give the young ones the respect while they’re training with them.

“There’s no way you can train a squad with eight or nine you don’t consider as first or second choice.”

The Verdict: Still time…

Even though the transfer window is now shut in Scotland, that doesn’t mean Ajeti, Barkas and Bolingoli are stuck with the Hoops until the summer.

That’s because multiple countries across the world can still complete their winter business in February, including Turkey, with the window closing in five days.

Both Barkas and Bolingoli have been linked with moves to Turkey over the past 12 months, so perhaps that could be a possibility over the coming days rather than McLeish’s prediction of them being banished to training with Celtic’s reserves.

In other news – 20 duels won, 13 successful tackles, 77 completed passes: These were Celtic’s 3 best players v Rangers 

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Franck Kessie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim by Italian journalist Sandro Sabatini, who revealed when speaking to Radio Radio (via CalcioMercato) that in a fresh twist to the story, AC Milan would be willing to part with the midfielder this month, should the Serie A side receive an offer in the region of €10m (£8.5m).

Previous reports had claimed that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici were preparing a lucrative offer for the Ivory Coast international on a pre-contract ahead of a potential switch to north London this summer, however, following Sabatini’s recent update, it would appear there is actually a deal to be done for the 25-year-old this January.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in Kessie, Sabatini said: “Milan, from what I understand, if they receive a reasonable offer for Kessie’s remaining four months, they will sell [him]. €10m? Yes, and Tottenham can buy [him] for €10m.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering Tottenham’s distinct lack of creativity in the middle of the park so far this season, the news that Kessie would be available to sign for as little as £8.5m in the current transfer window is news that is sure to have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, in the current Premier League campaign, Tottenham’s central midfielders have scored just three goals, registered two assists and created a mere four big chances between them – with centre-back Eric Dier having created more big chances than any of Conte’s current options in the middle of the park.

As such, it is evident that the 52-year-old manager is in rather desperate need of a creative influence in his midfield ranks, something that the arrival of Kessie would undoubtedly bring an abundance of.

Indeed, over his 37 Serie A appearances last season, the £25m-rated man scored a whopping 13 goals, provided four assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £69k-per-week midfielder earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as AC Milan’s third-best player in the top flight of Italian football last time out.

So, should Spurs indeed be able to secure the services of Kessie for the second half of the current campaign, it would undoubtedly provide Conte’s chances of securing a top-four finish with a significant boost.

And, for a reported fee of just £8.5m, it would very much appear as if the 25-year-old’s signing is one that Tottenham would easily be able to afford – leading us to believe that the 52-capped international could well be pulling on the white of Spurs before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

In other news: Spurs can finally replace Eriksen with “incredible” £5m beast dubbed “one of the best”

Sky Sports have relayed news live on TV regarding Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic and his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Matic’s Old Trafford career

Matic made the move to United back in 2017 from Chelsea in a deal worth over £40m. Since then, the holding midfielder has gone on to make more than 180 appearances for the Red Devils, with 27 of those coming this season.

His current contract still has over 12 months left to run, however, Matic has now announced that he will leave the club over the coming months.

The Latest: Sky Sports relay on-air news

United shared the news on their official website, with Sky Sports News sharing the update live on TV.

They labelled it as ‘significant if you support Man Utd’, describing the midfielder as ‘the first out of the door’ at Old Trafford.

The Verdict: First of many?

Erik ten Hag looks set to come in to replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer and may well have plenty of key decisions to make on a number of players.

United have five players who will be out of contract at the end of June, including Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s future is also in doubt.

Matic’s departure could prove to be the first of many in a major Old Trafford shake-up under Ten Hag, and a new defensive midfielder could now be a priority heading into the summer.

In other news: ‘Expected’ – Fabrizio Romano drops first blow for Ten Hag at Man Utd with appointment ‘imminent’. 

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City fans have been left buzzing as some news emerges on Gabriel Jesus and his future at Eastlands.

The Brazilian has become a regular under Pep Guardiola this season, shining in a new role on the right hand side of City’s forward line.

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Jesus, grabbing more assists than any Sky Blues player in the Premier League over 2021/2022 so far, has been rejuvenated and arguably one of City’s most improved players.

Averaging the joint-third most shots per 90 out of City’s squad in that time (WhoScored), the 24-year-old is a consistent threat, leaving little wonder some news has emerged on what sporting director Txiki Begiristain could now offer the player.

According to 90min, the club are now preparing to offer Jesus a new deal and are ready to open talks with his entourage over fresh terms.

His current contract has 18 months left to run and it is believed that City are now lining up a move to tie him down for the foreseeable future.

City fans buzz…

Given how much the South American ace has thrived under Guardiola in a new role out wide, it’s little wonder City supporters are buzzing at this news.

City value Jesus at up to €65 million (£55m) and that should only increase with these consistent performances – especially considering he’s still fairly young.

Amassing over half a century of international caps for Brazil already, the striker’s quality is obvious, with many fans very keen to see him extend his stay at Eastlands.

Find all of their best reactions down below:

“Ah yes, finally getting our priorities straight “

Credit: @BFordiniho

“Excellent news and well deserved”

Credit: @MillerMattu

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HAPPEN”

Credit: @gabbyjesus_9

“One of our big game players, get it done asap”

Credit: @10jackyG

“Great news, love Gabby.”

Credit: @JustKiam

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @MosesOnduso5

“I begggg this happens”

Credit: @gabbyjesus_9

In other news: ‘Let’s goooo’, ‘Coming home’, ‘I beg’…Sky’s news on Haaland has many Man City fans excited, find out more here.

Newcastle United have made an enquiry for Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett.

That’s according to 90min, and their update has had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

Targett has been a regular for Steven Gerrard in recent months, missing just two games under the Villa boss. The 26-year-old signed a new Villa Park contract last year through to 2025 but could now be second choice following Lucas Digne’s arrival.

Targett dropped to the bench against Manchester United last weekend for Digne to make his debut after his move from Everton, and it seems as if Newcastle are keen on the Englishman as a result.

90min revealed on Wednesday that the Magpies have approached Villa over a possible move for Targett, who could now be available to leave the Midlands.

Villa fans react

Both The AVFC Faithful and Total Villa shared the news regarding Targett on Twitter. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one wanting Allan Saint-Maximin in any deal.

“I’ll drive him up to Scotland myself”

Credit: @BenevolentBarry

“Saint-Max swap deal”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“No way does Targett get sold. You don’t solve a problem then unsolve it immediately. Summer may be a different matter”

Credit: @TheHolte1874

“Crazy to sell him as we can’t just have Ash. Matt is great backup and would hope he wants to fight for his place rather than go elsewhere!”

Credit: @k1eranw

“No. Targett is ahead of Young on the pecking order for LB by a long shot. It would be silly for him to be sold.”

Credit: @AvfcUncut

“We want a squad now. So he has to stay unless he wants to go.”

Credit: @ch1992_ch

In other news: ‘Give them what they want’ – Many Villa fans flock to transfer update on potential ‘superstar’. 

Everton are prioritising the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window next month, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Centre-back issues

The Blues are in a hugely disappointing run of form and it hasn’t been helped by a number of injuries in the centre of defence.

Yerry Mina is the most high-profile current absentee in that area of the pitch, but while Michael Keane has made 17 Premier League starts this season, Mason Holgate (five) is next up in terms of starts, with Ben Godfrey (14) often playing at full-back.

It highlights the need for a new centre-back to come in next month, and it appears as though that could happen.

The Latest: Journalist makes transfer claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke claimed that Rafael Benitez is eyeing up a central defender in January to help revive Everton’s fortunes.

He outlined: “I know Everton and Newcastle are both in the market for centre-halves in January. That’s the key position that they want to fill in the January transfer window.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

While the thought of relegation for Everton still seems unfathomable, they must make sure their current situation doesn’t get a whole lot worse.

They look weak at centre-back, conceding 29 goals in 17 league games in 2021/22, so the need for reinforcements is plain to see.

Bringing in an experienced head who can fill in alongside Keane, or in a back three, could help to plug the leak at the back and steer Everton away from the drop zone.

In other news, some Everton fans fuming after a revelation emerged. Read more here.