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Newcastle United are looking into a potential January deal for Lille centre-back Sven Botman, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

21-year-old Botman was ‘heavily linked’ with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in January 2020 and has admirers at a host of top clubs.

He’s described the Premier League as a ‘beautiful competition’ with an appealing style of football, so it would perhaps be no surprise to see his next move take him to England.

The Dutchman has also compared himself to Sergio Ramos and said he adopts a ‘killing attitude’ on the pitch.

The latest

‘Newcastle United exploring [the] possibility of signing’ Botman during the mid-season window, The Athletic’s David Ornstein says.

He’s ‘among [the] leading NUFC targets’, but it will take an ‘exceptional’ offer in the region of £40million to recruit him in the winter.

Lille don’t want to lose him midway through their European campaign, and they’re also expecting further offers in the summer.

He only earns £18,000 per week at present, but Botman would allegedly be near ‘the summit’ of Newcastle’s earning list if he moved to St James’ Park.

While the pursuit is ‘driven by the head of recruitment Steve Nickson’, manager Eddie Howe apparently approves of the 6 foot 4 colossus.

The verdict

Botman could be described as a ball-playing centre-half. Among positional peers in the top five leagues, he ranks in the 78th percentile for passes attempted, and the 80th for progressive passes (via FBRef).

In addition to helping Howe’s side build attacks though, he could shore them up defensively too. Last season, he was virtually ever-present in a Lille side that beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title while conceding just 23 goals.

Given the calibre of player, and of competition for his signature, this would be a real statement signing for the Magpies.

In other news, this PL defender has also been tipped to join NUFC.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte could be without one of his key first-team stars this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

Spurs welcome Newcastle United to north London as both teams return to Premier League action following the international break, and the Italian will be hoping to maintain ground in the race for a top-four finish.

But ahead of kick-off, some worrying news has emerged as Sergio Reguilon could be a surprise absentee after pulling up in training on Thursday, as revealed by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold.

‘football.london understands that Sergio Reguilon pulled up in training on Thursday with a problem and had to leave the session,’ he wrote.

Huge blow

Whilst not in the best of form, the absence of the Spanish wing-back would still be something of a major blow to Conte and the Spurs squad, especially as this game will be too soon for his alternative, Ryan Sessegnon, to return.

“The good news is that [Oliver] Skippy and Sessegnon are very close to being back with the team, to having training sessions with us. They are not yet ready for the game against Newcastle, but they are improving,” the Italian revealed in his pre-game press conference.

The prospect of playing the Magpies without an out-and-out left wing-back is certainly cause for concern, even more so given the fact that Conte’s system relies so heavily on attacking influence in the role.

Reguilon is amongst Spurs’ most creative options, averaging 1.3 key passes per game, a feat only bettered by frontline duo Heung-min Son (two) and Dejan Kulusevski (1.7), as per WhoScored.

Elsewhere, the former Real Madrid dynamo has been a key influence defensively too, where he has registered an average of 1.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game; numbers that exceed that of Sessegnon.

If unavailable, it leaves Conte with little options.

Matt Doherty could switch across to the other flank, something he has done only three times across his last 50 competitive appearances in all competitions, whilst there could be a change in formation that sees Ben Davies deployed in his natural left-back role amongst a back four, rather than three.

That’s something the Italian has done just once since being appointed as Nuno Santo’s successor, resulting in a 2-0 defeat to his former club, Chelsea.

Without Reguilon, Conte will be handed a late dilemma over team selection and that will surely leave him absolutely gutted, if not fuming as injuries show no sign of easing up at Hotspur Way.

AND in other news, Forget Davies: Conte must start £27m-rated Spurs “beast” today, it could be game-changing…

Despite having an average squad age of 26.4, three of Wolves’ five oldest senior players are defenders.

One of those is 30-year-old centre-back Willy Boly, who along with being one of the squad’s oldest current players also has a rather worrying injury record over recent months and years. It was also recently revealed by Old Gold manager Bruno Lage that the Ivorian has suffered a muscular injury.

With this in mind, a potential dip into the transfer market during the upcoming January window could be on the cards for the Midlands club.

Recently, journalist Luke Hatfield said that he thinks Wolves could be “keen to revive their interest” in Lille defender Sven Botman in January if a deal can be done after being linked with him during the previous summer transfer window.

Since joining the French club from Ajax’s under-21 side back in the 2020 summer transfer window, the 21-year-old has gone on to make 59 appearances for Lille across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and one assist along the way.

Furthermore, the 6 foot 3 Botman has proved himself to be a solid defensive unit for Lille by averaging 4.4 clearances per game and winning 68% of duels in Ligue 1 this season.

Labelled as a potential “leader” on the pitch by former Lille manager Christophe Galtier, the 21-year-old could not only fix Lage’s short-term issue of Boly being out injured for the time being. The Dutchman could also prove himself to be a suitable long-term replacement for the likes of Boly and Romain Saiss given his young age.

Taking all this into account, working out a deal in January to bring Botman to Molineux in January should be at the top of Fosun’s priority list to help the club strengthen their squad with a player who has admitted to having dreams of playing in the Premier League at some stage in his career.

However, with the defender also being previously linked with a number of other Premier League clubs in the past, Wolves could have some competition for his signature if those reported suitors also see an opportunity to sign him in January.

In other news: One man is edging closer to a significant deal with the club

With three new players through the door during the current January transfer window, Aston Villa could be set to miss out on a big opportunity to strengthen their squad even further before the end of the month.

What’s the news?

After being mentioned with a move to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria, it seems as though the Midlands club could be set to miss out on signing the Swiss international after journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared a post on his official Twitter page with the latest details regarding the midfielder.

In the tail off to his update about the midfielder, Romano uttered the dreaded five-word update: “Premier League move seems unlikely.”

He then went on to suggest that Bayern Munich and Dortmund were pushing to sign him.

Fans will be gutted

Since joining Monchengladbach back in the 2017 summer transfer window, the 25-year-old has gone on to make a total of  146 appearances for the club across all competitions with five of those appearances coming in the Champions League last season, showing the sort of top-level experience the midfield maestro has under his belt and why he would be a useful asset in Gerrard’s squad.

With all of that in mind and the fact that Gerrard apparently wants to add a midfielder to his squad before the end of the month, Zakaria could be a valid and cheap option for Villa to sign after they reportedly had a bid of £25m rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion for Yves Bissouma.

Thus, if Zakaria does end up moving to Bayern or Dortmund this month for the relatively low transfer fee Romano speaks of, it would surely be disappointing for the Villa fans to see their club not do all they can to bring him to Villa Park.

That’s especially when you consider how active they have been in the transfer window so far and how capable they have been when it comes to spending money on new players.

Consequently, the Villans would then have to make sure they bring a different midfielder in before the window closes to give Gerrard the best possible chance of ending his first season in charge of Villa as strongly as he can.

In other news: Talks ongoing: Sky Sports journo drops big Villa update on live TV, fans surely elated – opinion

Many Liverpool fans voiced their frustration with Jordan Henderson during the Premier League clash with Leicester City on Tuesday night. 

Liverpool were looking to return to winning ways after their six-game streak was halted by a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on 19 December.

Leicester, meanwhile, were facing a title contender for the second time in three days, having lost 6-3 at league leaders Manchester City on Boxing Day.

Henderson’s Leicester struggle

Henderson returned to the starting line-up after missing the Spurs draw through illness.

Jurgen Klopp selected him alongside Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his three-man midfield.

He took on three shots from range in the first half of the match, but all three of them missed the target.

The Reds skipper also misplaced 13 of the 47 passes he attempted, meaning his accuracy was only 72 per cent.

Here’s what a selection of supporters on Twitter made of the 31-year-old’s display at The King Power Stadium, as he was eventually withdrawn for Roberto Firmino while the Reds fell six points behind Manchester City…

These Liverpool fans lay into Henderson

“Henderson has been abysmal”

Credit: @Liverpxxl

“Every week I shed another tear at the fact that we extended henderson’s contract”

Credit: @RHLFC7

“Henderson can’t keep getting away with these performances”

Credit: @kwaku_tvb

“Henderson disasterclass and mane awful”

Credit: @kop_for_ever

“Love watching Henderson sky volleys into the 30th row”

Credit: @commenterlfc

“Get Henderson off immediately and terminate his contract. Awful awful player, who gave this imbecile an extension?”

Credit: @LaVillanelle

In other news, fans mocked this Mohamed Salah claim.

Marina Granovskaia is Chelsea’s transfer chief, and she’s largely taken over the mantle from Michael Emenalo at Stamford Bridge. Typically, she’s involved in everything from contractual renewals to big money signings to handling incoming transfer offers.

She’s had a big role to play, then, in the future of Callum Hudson-Odoi. Indeed, according to the Telegraph, she has informed Bayern Munich that Chelsea’s talented teenager is not for sale – which is a huge decision. The Blues have, as a result, turned down millions of pounds in an effort to give a young player a chance.

Throughout her tenure, she’s made some huge decisions, like bringing in Maurizio Sarri and playing a part in the signing dozens of players, but it’s her decision on Hudson-Odoi that could end up being her crowning achievement at Stamford Bridge.

In the past, this isn’t a decision that Chelsea would have taken. The Blues have regularly been willing to cash in on young players in favour of bringing in more established names, and for a while, it looked like this would go down the same path.

However, Granovskaia has taken a different path, and if it works out, it could be huge for the club. If Hudson-Odoi is able to make an impact in the Chelsea first team, not only will her decision be vindicated, but it could also open the door for Chelsea’s other young players to force their way into the team. After all, if Hudson-Odoi is rated so highly and has proven his worth; why can’t they?

Of course, it could all go poorly. If he has a poor second-half of the season, Chelsea will live to regret not taking the money and running.

That’s a risk, though it had to be taken, and the results could be huge.

Forget the sackings and the hirings. This is a decision that could have huge consequences for years to come – and it could be a defining 6 months for Granovskaia as a result.

Thoughts?

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will be looking for back-to-back wins as his side face Leicester in the Premier League today.

The Magpies beat Burnley 1-0 away at St. James’ Park last weekend, picking up their first win of the league season to move off the bottom of the table.

They now have an opportunity to draw level on points with 17th-placed Watford if they beat the Foxes at the King Power.

How many changes will he make? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side, with Federico Fernandez, Jacob Murphy and Isaac Hayden coming in.

Firstly, Fabian Schar could come out for Fernandez to start at centre-back alongside captain Jamaal Lascelles at the back. The £40k-per-week Swiss beast was shocking against Burnley last weekend and should now be axed from the XI.

Fernandez has won 63% of his duels this season and averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.77 when called upon by the Magpies. Therefore, he could be a reliable option to come in and steady the ship at the back after Schar’s worrying display.

In midfield, Hayden could replace Joe Willock to add some extra steel to the middle of the park. Against Burnley, the 22-year-old lost five of his seven duels and was dribbled past twice as he also missed one ‘big’ chance, although he did create three chances.

However, his lack of strength off the ball is a cause for concern and he could struggle against Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi if they are able to get the better of him in individual battles. Therefore, bringing in a natural defensive midfielder in Hayden could be a shrewd call by the head coach.

Finally, we are predicting that Jacob Murphy will come in on the right side of the midfield to replace Miguel Almiron. As per SofaScore, he lost eight of his 13 duels against Burnley and failed to create a single chance for his teammates, whilst being dribbled past twice.

Although FFC published an article urging him to be unleashed against the Foxes, Howe may want to go with Murphy ahead of Manquillo to offer more protection against Harvey Barnes.

The ex-Norwich man has won 57% of his duels this season for the Magpies and is capable of playing at right-back and right-midfield. This means that he could offer a balance between defence and attack to help the side combat Leicester’s strengths whilst also holding a threat going forward on the counter attack.

AND in other news, “Seriously interested”: Romano drops fresh NUFC transfer claim which fans will love…

According to a report by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna (relayed by Sport Witness), West Ham and Newcastle have ‘made an approach’ for Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, and both sides ‘could make an offer’ for the player.

The Lowdown: Badiashile a hot prospect

Badiashile has taken Ligue 1 by storm, as he has secured himself as one of the hottest young prospects in the country. The 20-year-old centre-back has made 12 appearances for Monaco this season, and this total would have been even greater if it weren’t for a hamstring injury which kept him out for the second half of November and early December.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The France U21 has also played a part in the club’s Europa League campaign, having played in the home and away fixtures against Real Sociedad and PSV Eindhoven. Impressively, he leads the side in defensive clearances made in the competition, averaging a mammoth five per game.

The Latest: Irons have ‘made an approach’ for Badiashile

According to a report by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna (via Sport Witness), West Ham have joined Newcastle in having ‘made an approach’ for the Frenchman, who have contacted Monaco and the player’s representatives directly.

As a result, it is said that both Premier League clubs ‘could make an offer’ for the 20-year-old in the January window.

Aouna has previously reported that the Magpies and the Hammers were ‘both interested’ in securing the youngster’s signature. At that point, it was claimed that the Irons ‘should’ make an offer, whilst Newcastle were waiting to assess the situation, due to the pursuits of Sven Botman and Diego Carlos. However now, it seems the two English clubs are set to go toe-to-toe for the player.

The Verdict: A phenomenal signing for the next decade

Unfortunately, the youngster has recently picked up another injury, potentially ruling him out for at least a month (NUFC 360), so this would definitely be a signing for the long-term.

Despite being just 20 years old, Badiashile has already received vast interest from big clubs across Europe. In the summer of 2020, former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was supposedly keeping a close eye on the youngster. He was even compared with current Manchester United defender Raphael Varane, with that report detailing Zidane’s keen eye for talent and affection for Badiashile.

Monaco Vice President Oleg Petrov has also previously expressed how the player was considered ‘bankable’, due to his ‘great talent’ and potential to play for ‘one of the best clubs’ in the world.

This international attention clearly illustrates Badiashile’s quality and outstanding promise as a youngster. Therefore, if West Ham can beat Newcastle to the player’s signature, this could prove to be a phenomenal signing for years to come.

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

The Lowdown: Wolves impress at the back

Bruno Lage’s side are enjoying an increasingly impressive season, sitting eighth in the Premier League table after 20 matches.

Wolves’ success has been built on an excellent defence, with the go-to back-three of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss ensuring they have conceded just 15 league goals.

Despite this, a new defender could be needed this month – Saiss is currently away at AFCON – and a key update has emerged regarding the situation.

The Latest: Journalist makes centre-back claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Lage still sees a centre-back addition as a fairly strong possibility in January:

“I don’t think they’re desperate to bring in another centre midfielder. I think a centre-back is Bruno Lage’s top target in this window if he is to bring somebody in.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

While Kilman, Coady and Saiss have all impressed this season, added depth is required in the squad, in case one of them gets injured or fatigue sets in.

Willy Boly’s ongoing fitness issues mean Wolves feel light in that area especially while Saiss is away, so bringing in someone such as Duje Caleta-Car from Marseille would make perfect sense.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Molineux and has averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.7 clearances per game in Ligue 1 this season, not to mention winning 20 caps for Croatia.

In other news, Tim Spiers has made a key claim regarding Wolves’ transfer business. Read more here.

Manchester United’s owners have their eye on two managers to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when it comes to the time to relieve the club legend from his duties, according to reputable journalist Lewis Winter for the Daily Express.

Duncan Castles took to the Reach PLC ‘Transfer Window’ podcast to reveal some juicy details in the highly-speculated Manchester United manager saga, claiming that the Glazers have narrowed the search down to two names – Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers.

He elaborated by saying: “They are putting out a message that they still believe in the cultural reboot, the kind of PR story that they’ve sold around Solskjaer. They therefore want a manager to fit that profile.

“I think that reduces down to most likely a couple of names, one of whom they’ve been interested in for a long time, Mauricio Pochettino, who may become available because he did not want to be at Paris Saint-Germain this summer, he was ready to go back to Tottenham.

“Paris Saint-Germain is obviously a very fragile situation for any coach. I can see why the Glazers are looking at the possibility that Pochettino might become available at some point during this season.

“Another name very prominent is Brendan Rodgers, who has a profile in terms of the kind of football he plays and development of youth that would appeal and fit with that cultural reboot idea and is interested in moving from Leicester at some point in the not too distant future to one of the top clubs in England.”

Solskjaer is yet to be sacked from the Manchester United, but the clock is running down after mounting speculation from the media and calls from some fans to move on from the former Red Devils striker amid devastating home defeats to two huge rivals in Liverpool and Manchester City.

Rodgers’ record

Rodgers is currently managing Leicester City and was recently linked with the Newcastle job, but he quickly dismissed rumours of the move, saying that he was ‘very happy’ at the Foxes. However, could his head turn for a Champions League side with a winning history and Cristiano Ronaldo in tow?

Rodgers’ most famous role is with Manchester United’s fiercest rivals Liverpool, so it would be interesting to see if he would be genuinely interested in taking up the position after almost winning the Premier League with the Merseysiders in 2013/14.

Former Liverpool star Steve McManaman has spoken on the Anfield connection potentially affecting Rodgers move to Manchester United, saying: “I can’t see Brendan going there. I think he’s got the credentials, yes, but I think his history with Liverpool would be too much for everybody.”

Pochettino gets McManaman’s backing

Pochettino is the other candidate said to be in contention for the managerial role at Old Trafford. The former Spurs boss is currently in France taking care of a star-studded Paris Saint Germain team which includes the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and of course Lionel Messi. The Glazers will surely be looking at the PSG manager’s experience with, and connections to, some of the biggest footballers in the world right now.

McManaman also weighed in on Pochettino’s potential for the position at Old Trafford and sees him as a more fitting appointment for United. He wrote in his column for horseracing.net: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Manchester United went back and got Mauricio Pochettino.

“Anyone who works at Paris Saint-Germain for a couple of years has normally had enough of it! And Poch would probably be the man because of his knowledge and experience of England and the Premier League.”

Fans will be buzzing

While Rodgers may have strong Liverpool connections as mentioned above, he dominated Scottish football during his time at Celtic, masterminding an unbeaten season in 2016/17, while he also eliminated United en route to winning the FA Cup with Leicester last term.

Meanwhile, Pochettino guided Tottenham to their one and only Champions League final in 2019 and consistently qualified them for the competition, with Spurs sliding significantly since his departure two years ago.

Therefore, considering the rich stock of both candidates on the Glazers’ shortlist, United fans may well be buzzing over the names who are line to replace Solskjaer if the incumbent manager is given his P45 in the near future.

In other news: Ole may have just made his biggest “sackable offence” amid “ridiculous” Man Utd howler