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While Valerien Ismael has seen his West Bromwich Albion side get their 2021/22 Championship campaign off to a fantastic start, having picked up 13 points over their opening five fixtures of the new season, there have nevertheless been a couple of close calls along the way.

Indeed, aside from the 4-0 victory over Sheffield United, Albion’s victories so far this season have all been by a single goal, defeating Luton Town 3-2, Blackburn Rovers 2-1 and requiring a last-minute winner to see off Peterborough United 1-0 before the international break.

With what is sure to be a challenging physical test against Millwall coming up on Saturday, with Daniel Ballard and Murray Wallace both 6 foot 2 and Jake Cooper standing at 6 foot 5 in Gary Rowett’s back three, it would appear wise for Ismael to combat the Lions’ aerial presence by deploying summer signing Jordan Hugill from the off.

Game changer

Indeed, despite only featuring for 33 minutes in the win over Peterborough, Hugill proved incredibly effective for Albion during his short time on the pitch.

In that game, the £1.8m-rated man had five shots – one on target, three off-target and one blocked – won one ground duel and four aerial duels, made two clearances and drew one foul, as well as being on the field when Semi Ajayi scored the Baggies’ late winner.

These returns saw the centre-forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.7, an impressive feat considering his limited time on the pitch.

Furthermore, with Ismael claiming upon the £36k-per-week striker’s arrival at The Hawthorns that Hugill “will allow us to be more adaptable as a team” as West Brom will “have some games that are different and we will need more physicality in the box”; as well as stating his belief that “it is important we have a striker in the area who is able to win headers” in the aforementioned fixtures, it would certainly appear as if the Millwall clash falls into this category.

As such, with the Frenchman undoubtedly hoping his side can pick up where they left off before the international break, it would very much appear as if starting Hugill against the Lions would provide the 45-year-old’s chances of doing so with a considerable boost.

In other news: West Brom handed quadruple injury boost ahead of Millwall clash, Ismael surely buzzing

Paddy Kenny has welcomed some news from a Leeds United source on Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Phillips deal

As per Football Insider, the 25-year-old has entered preliminary talks over a potential new deal at Elland Road.

A source from the Yorkshire club has revealed that discussions are at an early stage, but they are keen to reward him for his progress and want to sort something out before the end of the year.

The Latest: Kenny on Phillips

Speaking to Football Insider, former Whites goalkeeper Kenny has claimed that a new contract for Phillips would be an ideal move for all parties involved. He said:

“It’s brilliant news for everyone.

“It will give Kalvin Phillips that stability. I am sure he’ll get a massive wage rise and a few more years on his contract.

“It also covers Leeds if someone does come in for him. They will have to pay top dollar for him.

“He is an England international now and a regular in that set-up. That will no doubt knock the price up that someone might pay for him.

“If they can get that signed and sealed, it will be a big boost for them all at Elland Road.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

It certainly is a no-brainer to reward Phillips with a new deal, given just how much he has given to Leeds over the last few seasons.

He was instrumental in getting them up from the Championship in 2019/20, playing in 37 games in the division, scoring two goals and supplying a further two assists (Transfermarkt).

The England international has been almost ever-present in the Premier League since the Whites’ promotion up to the top flight, and at 25 years of age, it is important to tie him down now so that he can spend his best years under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.

In other news, many Leeds fans slammed this man’s display against Newcastle United

Danny Mills has offered Rangers defender Connor Goldson some advice over his contract situation at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

The former England international has urged the 28-year-old to reject a new deal at Ibrox unless the club places a release clause in it.

West Ham are reportedly keen on the defender, who is out of contract next summer, and Mills believes that he should utilise his position of power.

The former Leeds right-back told Football Insider: “What we’re seeing now is players signing contracts with a release clause. He’s 28, so he’s no spring chicken.

“If the club doesn’t want to put the clause in the contract, then don’t sign it. If you’re in demand, whether it be one, two or three clubs – you have the power… but use it wisely.

“When you get to his age, you’re thinking about maybe one last move. Whether he’s good enough for West Ham… I’m not convinced.”

Gerrard needs him

Ross Wilson must now make a key decision in contract negotiations with Goldson. It would be a disaster to lose such a crucial member of the squad on a free transfer, with his deal up next summer, which means that Wilson must do everything he can to get him to put pen to paper, including a release clause.

Goldson has proven that he is a quality player for Rangers in recent years and losing him would be a huge blow for Gerrard. The 28-year-old has helped to keep 28 clean sheets in his last 42 Premiership appearances, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.39 last term and showing that he has been a brick wall at the back for the Gers, for whom he started every league game in 2020/21.

Gerrard has also hailed Goldson as a warrior and praised his leadership on and off the pitch. Back in February, he told The Scotsman: “Connor has been an absolute mountain for this team, a warrior.

“I can’t describe to you how well he has done for this team, not just in terms of what you have seen on the pitch but also his leadership on the inside of the club and his availability every single day.”

This shows that he combines excellent performances on the pitch with strong leadership skills around the club day-in-day-out. Therefore, he is a player who Gerrard needs at Ibrox and Wilson needs to work hard to keep; and if that means adding a release clause to the defender’s contract to ensure his short-term future, so be it.

It would be better for Rangers to extend his contract and potentially lose him for a pre-agreed fee further down the line than losing him for nothing next summer. With a release clause, the Light Blues would at least be reimbursed for his services and given funds to replace him, whilst also potentially keeping hold of him if no clubs come in and activate it.

Southampton extended their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions as they beat Sheffield United on penalties in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

The Saints were able to come out on top in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw in regular time, winning 4-2 on penalties – with Oriol Romeu scoring the winning spot-kick.

Ibrahima Diallo and Mo Salisu got the goals to take the game to penalties in the 90 minutes, with both players scoring their first goals for the club.

Although there were some positives to take from the game, there were also some big negatives. One player, in particular, struggled to make a good impression on the pitch and that was debutant Lyanco.

First and foremost, the Brazilian was at fault for one of the Blades’ goals. He looked uncomfortable attempting to play a first-time pass into midfield and skewed the ball straight to a Sheffield United player. From that, the Blades were able to find Oli McBurnie unmarked in the box and he was able to slot past Fraser Forster with a composed finish.

The former Torino man struggled defensively and on the ball throughout the game. Per SofaScore, he completed three of his 11 long pass attempts and only 72% of his passes overall, gifting possession back to United 14 times in his 70 minutes on the pitch before Hasenhuttl hauled him off.

To his credit, he did win all three of his aerial battles. However, per SofaScore, he also made zero tackles, was dribbled past once and made an error directly leading to a goal. This shows that he was not able to deal with the threat the Blades posed on the ground as they were able to bypass him with ease throughout the match.

It is worth pointing out that this was his debut in English football and he may not be on the same wavelength as his teammates just yet, but there were some basic errors in his game that will surely worry Hasenhuttl.

Regardless of fitness levels, a player cannot give the ball away when under little-to-no pressure just outside of his own box as it puts unneeded pressure on his team.

Lyanco let Hasenhuttl down and he will now need to vastly improve when he is next called upon, whether that is in the Premier League or the League Cup.

The new signing did not repay the faith that the Austrian showed in him by handing him a start and will now need to earn his manager’s trust back.

AND in other news, Ex-ref makes bold claim on “fantastic” Saints gem that’ll leave fans feeling relieved…

Ex-Everton star Michael Ball insists that he is gutted James Rodriguez has left the club.

The Colombia international has finally departed Goodison Park after a long-running summer transfer saga.

Of course, it seemed inevitable that he would be departing the club as soon as Carlo Ancelotti decided to abscond from Everton to join Real Madrid.

Rodriguez was continually linked with a move away throughout the summer transfer window, but no deal could be agreed.

The former Real star only made a total of 26 first-team appearances for the club, and never played for Everton at a packed Goodison Park.

However, he has now headed to Qatar to join Al-Rayyan, and Ball has expressed his discontent at the move, because he feels fans missed an opportunity to see a top player in the club’s royal blue.

He said: “I’m gutted to be honest. I think a lot of Everton fans are. Because of the situation with COVID last year, we didn’t get a chance to see him at a packed Goodison Park and we just don’t know what level he could have achieved for the club.”

In total, Rodriguez scored six goals and registered nine assists for Everton but will now be playing in Qatar, having signed a contract until 2024 with the Stars League club.

Arsenal are already planning for life without Alexandre Lacazette and one Premier League striker sits atop their shortlist…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Gunners view Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a potential replacement for the 30-year-old, who remains out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

There is a chance that they could even look to offload him during the January transfer window in a bid to garner some sort of money for him, but that will only happen if Mikel Arteta is able to secure a replacement.

And the 24-year-old England international is said to be a long-term option, though Arsenal chiefs know he will not come cheap, with CIES Football Observatory currently valuing him at €50m (£45m).

Gunners’ new Henry

Calvert-Lewin has established himself as a prolific marksman in the Premier League over the past 18 to 24 months. Indeed, he has come on leaps and bounds, having bagged 13 times in 2019/20 and 21 times last season, as per Transfermarkt.

That form has continued into the current campaign, where he has scored three goals in three top-flight appearances, even despite contending with injuries.

The 6 foot 2 Englishman once admitted that he admired Gunners legend Thierry Henry to the extent of buying his shirts as he was his favourite player and idol.

You could therefore suggest that some elements in his impressive game have been modelled on the Premier League great.

Perhaps Carlo Ancelotti’s endorsement of the Toffees talisman further reinforces the similarities, he told the BBC in December 2019:

“He is a fantastic striker, in my opinion – fantastic with the head, clever in the box and sharp. I think he is going to be at the top in England and in Europe. He has all the qualities to be a top striker.”

One massive element to Calvert-Lewin’s threat has been his aerial ability – he has been second to none in the English top-flight, having won an average of 4.7 duels in the air per league outing, the joint-most of any striker to start 25 or more games last term, via WhoScored.

That sort of attribute has earned praise from his Everton teammate Richarlison, who claimed that “he has an incredible leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo” and that he “must be a nightmare to play against.”

Also dubbed a “special talent” by his former youth assistant Chris Short, Calvert-Lewin could bring shades of Henry back to north London this winter.

AND in other news, Arteta could unearth Arsenal’s next Cesc Fabregas in Hale End’s teen “special talent”…

Liverpool’s Divock Origi features on a list of potential attacking signings for FC Barcelona, according to Spanish publication SPORT.

Having failed to score in four of their last six matches in all competitions, Barcelona want to strengthen their forward ranks.

The departure of the likes of Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo, Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi has apparently given them ‘a certain margin to make an investment’.

Why Origi?

They have between £12million and £21million to spend and will focus on their efforts on players whose contracts are up at the end of the season.

That includes Origi, though his deal does contain an extension option.

Barcelona know that Origi is an ‘eternal substitute’ at Anfield and are well aware of his abilities after he scored twice in Liverpool’s Champions League semifinal comeback in 2019.

Also under consideration are Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani, Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne and Torino’s Andrea Belotti.

Fan feed Anfield Watch relayed SPORT’s report, and here’s what supporters made of it.

Liverpool fans flock to Barcelona news

“Swap with De Jong and we forgive them the money they owe us”

Credit: @LolentiMuhammad

“When you realise Barca are our new Bournemouth”

Credit: @KloppVision

“Let him go there as an undercover agent for us”

Credit: @seyjith

“Take that and go for Adeyemi”

Credit: @lfcarif_

“Wow. We really took their souls that night at Anfield”

Credit: @walpolinho

“Michael Edwards one last dance and last nail in the Coffin for Barca”

Credit: @hankeisam

In other news, this claim from a Liverpool legend had fans fuming.

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming that Curtis Jones may play for England’s under-21s tonight despite having a potential injury problem.

The Reds make the trip to Watford on Saturday lunchtime, but midfield options could be sparse for Jurgen Klopp at Vicarage Road.

Thiago remains a doubt while long-term injury victim Harvey Elliott is definitely out of the action, while Fabinho also looks set to be unavailable due to quarantining after international duty with Brazil.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

It means that Jones is an even more important figure than usual, but the 20-year-old has been suffering with an injury issue of his own.

According to Sky Sports Premier League on Twitter, his groin will be assessed before England under-21s’ clash with Andorra on Monday night, suggesting that he could play a part in proceedings.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-6/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans unhappy at Jones latest

These Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to the news on Twitter, saying the midfielder simply shouldn’t be risked for tonight’s England under-21 clash.

“How about not risking a player with a tight groin? Would really appreciate midfielders not becoming the new defenders in terms of injuries for Liverpool this season”

Credit: @_lfcleanne

“It begins”

Credit: @azruldotmy

“Why is he even being considered? He’s injured, the lad has played loads recently for Liverpool and needs some time off. England did this last year with Gomez and he was out for a year and Henderson out for 3 months, the medical department at England is one of the worst in sport”

Credit: @nathLFC123

“Just leave him alone to be ready for Liverpool please”

Credit: @gerald_ynwa

“Why is the England fitness staff the worst in the world? They always seem to play players that aren’t fully fit”

Credit: @KrissDZN

“Against Andorra of all teams as well, not exactly super important that he plays that game”

Credit: @AlanFox_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a Reds-related transfer rumour. Read more here.

Saudi Arabian consortium PIF completed their takeover of Newcastle United from Mike Ashley earlier this month and hope may never have been higher amongst the fanbase in the past decade, with many fans finally taking advantage of the latest free bets uk offers to back their team on the pitch.

Whilst supporters may be buzzing with the potential of PIF leading the club to glory, there must also be a degree of realism heading into the January window. At this early stage in Newcastle’s, hopeful, revival they may not be able to attract big-name, established stars straight off the bat.

Given their recent bottom-half finishes in the Premier League and the playing squad, with all due respect to the current players they hold, top-quality ‘world-class’ players may not want to risk coming to Tyneside and not achieving success in the first couple of seasons.

This means that the Magpies could have more success in negotiations if they eye young players with the potential to become great or players who have fallen off the track on their way to being top-class and working to get them back to their best.

Bayern Munich central defender Niklas Sule falls into the latter. The £31.5m-rated beast has been linked, by German outlet Bild, with a potential move to St. James’ Park and he is the ideal profile of a player the new owners should be looking at to progress Newcastle to the next level.

PIF could land Fabrizio Coloccini 2.0 for the Magpies by securing a deal for the German colossus, which is why must swoop for him in January. Coloccini was a stalwart at the back for the club in the early 2010s, making 211 Premier League appearances and securing a Championship promotion along the way.

The curly-haired rock of a defender averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.78 or higher in every season for the Magpies leading up to his final campaign for the club – when he dropped to 6.69. This shows how he was a consistent, reliable, centre-back for Newcastle in the top-flight, which is what Sule could be.

The Argentinian former Newcastle captain was a fan favourite with the Toon Army, with plenty of songs sung at St James’ Park about supporters willing to let Colo spend time with their partners!

Coloccini joined Newcastle in 2008 and spent eight years at the club, racking up more than 250 appearances and even stayed with the club when they went down to the Championship, helping them straight back into the Premier League, which obviously went down well with the fans.

The start of his Newcastle career was actually fairly mistake ridden, but he road that out and formed a couple of solid partnerships with Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor, where he was the more experienced member of the duo.

Colo formed a particularly strong friendship with his compatriot Jonas Gutierrez, with the two of them spending a combined 15 years in the north-east and neither have been forgotten more than five years later.

Coloccini eventually left in 2016 for his hometown club San Lorenzo, a decision that was largely understood by Newcastle fans and he left with their blessing on the whole.

At the age of 26, the German international has plenty of time left to be a regular at St. James’ for many seasons to come. In fact, Coloccini was 26 at the time of his move from Deportivo in 2008 and was able to play 275 competitive games in his time on Tyneside.

Sule is out of contract at the end of the season and Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann opened the door to a potential exit for him due to his poor form earlier this year, whilst also claiming that he has the tools to become a world-class defender. He said:

“I think it’s important to be completely transparent with the players. The players also need to understand the club’s perspective concerning the contractual situation.

“Niki’s contract expires next year, and his last season was not especially felicitous. But he also has everything that a world-class central defender needs; that shouldn’t be forgotten.”

This suggests that he is a player with the potential to be a top-tier defender, having gone through a rough patch recently. Therefore, he could be tempted by the prospect of arriving at Newcastle at the start of this new era and being one of the leaders in the group to lift them up the Premier League table.

Sule has also averaged a career WhoScored rating of 6.95, playing for Hoffenheim, Germany and Bayern, across 245 appearances. This shows that he has been able to perform to a high standard for the majority of his career to date, in spite of Nagelsmann’s comments on his recent form, and that is why Newcastle should swoop now in an attempt to get him back to his best.

AND in other news,  Luke Edwards drops Newcastle transfer claim that will surely delight fans…

Lucas Moura offered very little as Tottenham Hotspur were narrowly beaten by West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs may have been defeated by the solitary goal against their London rivals but truth be told, they rarely ever threatened in the final third and the Brazilian winger being a complete non-factor certainly contributed to their downfall.

The £18m-rated dynamo leads the way for dribbles per game (2.9) and isn’t far behind for shots at goal (1.8) or key passes (one) per game either, so he’s clearly a big influence in Nuno Santo’s system in N17.

But against the Irons, he was completely ineffective and quite anonymous for large parts. When he did have the ball, he was wasteful, so it was certainly a nightmare of an afternoon for the 29-year-old attacker.

Moura lost possession a whopping 25 times, which was more than any other player on the pitch, and five more times than anyone else in a Lilywhites shirt.

When you consider the fact that he had 67 touches across 89 minutes, then it’s a worrying sign as he handed the ball back to the home side once every 2.7 touches – or once every 3.5 minutes, via SofaScore.

Elsewhere, he registered just one shot, which was off target, and only recorded three successful dribbles from six attempts, meaning the Hammers’ defence often had the better of him.

That was further reinforced by the former PSG star winning only eight of 16 duels (50%), both on the ground and aerially, the latter is another statistic he leads the squad in (3.6x per game), surprisingly. So again, he was performing well below his standard in east London.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick claimed he ‘offered little in the final third and was well marshalled by West Ham,’ whilst football.london reporter Rob Guest handed him a 4/10 rating – amongst the lowest in the whole side.

On the above evidence, Moura was a disaster against the Irons and even though he was one of many, he was one reason why Spurs failed to register a single shot in the second half.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £45m-rated Spurs lightweight who won 0 duels badly let Nuno down vs West Ham…