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Goal takes a look at the brightest prospects coming through the ranks of the Premier League leaders

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  Phil Foden

  The brightest prospect in the City academy and already a member of Pep Guardiola’s senior squad at just 17. Blessed with excellent technique, skills and an eye for a pass, he already has three senior appearances under his belt. Guardiola recently praised his willingness to attack – even as his older team-mates shirked responsibility. Was named the best player at the U17 World Cup after scoring twice in the final against Spain to help England win their first title at that age-group. Has three senior City starts to his name.

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  Brahim Diaz

  Only slightly behind Foden in the pecking order and another first-team squad member at 18 years old. Brahim is another No.10 but has been deployed out wide by Guardiola this season. Very quick off the mark, a good dribbler, and has improved almost with every outing this season, usually off the bench. Signed from Malaga despite Barcelona’s attempts to lure him, Guardiola showed the youngster around the Catalan club’s historic Camp Nou stadium while he was their coach.

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  Lukas Nmecha

  Close to the first-team picture, especially as City contended with injuries in January, Nmecha is unlikely to get a permanent promotion just yet. A tall, powerful striker who joined the club as a nine-year-old, he scored the winning penalty for City’s first team in the Carabao Cup shoot-out against Leicester City in December. His younger brother, Felix, is also on the books and both played together, and scored shoot-out penalties, in the recent UEFA Youth League quarter-final victory against Liverpool.

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  Nabil Touaizi

  Signed from Valencia for €300,000 compensation at the start of 2017, Touaizi is rated as one of the hottest prospects in the City academy. The 17-year-old forward scored more than 70 goals in two years at Valencia and although all City youth teams play against older age-groups, Blues coaches had no qualms about involving the then 16-year-old in last season's U19 UEFA Youth League campaign. Eligible to play for Spain and Morocco, Touaizi is both tall and fast, able to hold the ball up as a target man.

As the Champions League group stages kick off, Goal takes a look at how the participants have fared in their last five fixtures

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  32Roma | 1 win, 2 draws, 2 defeats

  Roma's start to the season has been far from straight forward. Despite an opening-day victory against Torino, the capital club have failed to pick up a victory in their other three Serie A fixtures, losing 2-1 against AC Milan in their previous away game. Roma also went down to Serie B side Benevento in a friendly game during the recent international break.

  A trip to Real Madrid to start their Champions League campaign will be an enormous challenge, though their exploits against Barcelona in the competition last season may give them hope.

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  31Monaco | 1 win, 2 draws, 2 defeats

  Monaco find themselves just a point outside the bottom two in the Ligue 1 table after five games and without a win in their last four.

  Radamel Falcao and Co. have been grouped with Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid, who visit on Tuesday, and face a tough task to turn their fortunes around in the next game.

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  30Inter | 1 win, 2 draws, 2 defeats

  Tipped as Juventus' main contenders in Serie A, Inter have struggled to live up to expectations thus far in Italy after a busy summer of transfers.

  Defeats to Torino and Parma have left them in the lower reaches of the table, and with Barcelona, Tottenham and PSV to come in the Champions League, Luciano Spalletti needs to find a winning formula quickly.

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  29Valencia | 1 win, 3 draws, 1 defeat

  Valencia's only victory this season came in a friendly against second-division CD Alcoyano, highlighting the club's struggles so far this season.

  Though they finished fourth last season, Valencia have managed three draws and a defeat in their opening four Liga outings, with a 1-1 draw at home to Atletico Madrid a rather unremarkable standout result.

  Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Spain is the stuff of nightmares for the Liga outfit, with the Juventus forward finally opening his account for his new club at the weekend.

Robin Olsen reportedly wishes to no longer stay at Everton following the news of an armed robbery while at home with his family earlier this month.

As per Calciomercato, the Sweden international could return to AS Roma and stay at the Serie A club following the end of his loan spell at the Goodison Park faithful, not wanting to stay on Merseyside after what happened at his home.

Everton should keep Olsen

The Merseyside club should be looking to convince Olsen to stay on a permanent deal once his loan at the Toffees comes to an end.

The 31-year-old is vastly experienced and is more than capable of providing some decent competition to Jordan Pickford in between the posts in the future.

Some of his displays so far this season have been very impressive to say the least, with former Premier League striker, now pundit, Kevin Phillips even going as far as to claiming that he was ‘amazing’ in a game against Leeds United back in February.

Even though Joao Virginia has emerged from the shadows in recent times following injuries to both Pickford and Olsen, the latter should still be considered Carlo Ancelotti’s number two goalkeeper, and given Roma’s willingness to let him go out on loan, coupled up wit the fact that he is 31 years of age, Olsen may well be available at a decent price for the Toffees.

In other news, find out what injury update has been lauded by Blues here!

Leicester could be set to strengthen their forward-line ahead of a potential UEFA Champions League campaign with the signing of Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas.

According to Reports in Spain, the Foxes are eyeing the Spaniard alongside fellow Premier League clubs Leeds United and West Ham United.

Brendan Rodgers and Jon Rudkin must make sure they secure his signature.

Whilst in the Segunda Division, de Tomas is enjoying a stellar campaign in front of goal having scored 16 goals in the league for Vicente Moreno’s troops.

This adds to his impressive record in the top-flight of Spanish football having netted a respectable 18 goals in 47 showings in La Liga throughout his career.

His form has certainly been noticed. Striker partner Jonathan Calleri has labelled the Spaniard as a “great footballer”.

De Tomas’ prolificacy then would add to Rodgers’ options considerably with Jamie Vardy edging towards 35 and Iheanacho, whilst in a rich vein of form, has not quite shown the consistency throughout his Foxes career to become a viable long-term successor to the veteran striker.

More options would, of course, be welcome with another European campaign potentially on the horizon too.

De Tomas has previously played on the European stage with Benfica so that experience could come in extremely handy.

Away from that, however, the former Real Madrid starlet would be an extremely affordable option as the Foxes aim to strengthen their forward line.

The 26-year-old is rated at just £9m so could certainly be a deal that the Foxes could complete with ease, a key aspect considering the impact that the pandemic has had upon the finances at the King Power Stadium.

Should the Foxes look to bring in another striker ahead of an upcoming UEFA Champions League campaign, De Tomas looks an excellent option.

AND in more news, take a look at which former flop had Leicester laughing all the way to the bank…

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has been linked with a shock summer move to Leicester City, with Brendan Rodgers eyeing him up.

The Guinean arrived at Anfield to much excitement back in the summer of 2018, having actually signed from RB Leipzig the previous year.

Keita’s Liverpool career has been a curious one to date, however, with good performances thrown in, but injuries affecting his progress and his impact not as great as many expected.

The 26-year-old has been limited to just seven Premier League starts in 2020/21, again highlighting his lack of playing time.

Keita linked with Liverpool exit

According to Football Insider, Leicester are ‘keeping tabs’ on Keita, with Rodgers described as a ‘big admirer’ of the Liverpool man.

There is no indication that the Reds are willing to move him on at the end of the season, however, so the Foxes’ efforts may be in vain.

Transfer Tavern take

It would be a big surprise if Klopp allowed Keita to leave in the summer, even though he clearly hasn’t yet exploded in a Liverpool shirt. He has been described as ‘world class’ by Virgil van Dijk, which speaks volumes.

With Gini Wijnaldum potentially moving on, more opportunities could come his way moving forward, and he has been perfectly effective, when fit.

Keita needs to go up a level if he is to avoid being seen as a disappointing signing, but at 26, he still has time on his side and is a player with huge amounts of quality.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp has hinted at a key selection ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Read more about it here.

Rangers take on their Old Firm rivals in the Premiership on Sunday, with Steven Gerrard’s side looking to finish the league season unbeaten having already brought title number 55 to Ibrox.

The Gers were knocked out of the Europa League in midweek after suffering a 2-0 defeat at home against Slavia Prague, which was their first home defeat in just over a year.

Gerrard has some big calls to make when it comes to deciding who to start against Celtic, with Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun having both been sent off against the Czech side in midweek.

It also looks as if Nathan Patterson could miss the game at the weekend, which gives Gerrard a headache when it comes to selecting a right-back for the derby.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Gerrard to line his side up, with three changes from the team which started against Slavia on Thursday…

Allan McGregor continues in goal, having been one of Rangers’ most impressive performers so far this season.

There’s one change in defence as, in the absence of Patterson, Leon Balogun moves to right-back, which sees Filip Helander come back in to partner Connor Goldson.

After receiving racial abuse on Thursday, Gerrard should perhaps be mindful that Glen Kamara might not be in the right frame of mind to play on Sunday, so he is rested and Bongani Zungu replaces him in defensive midfield.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Joe Aribo and Steven Davis, the latter fresh from signing a new deal, start ahead of him in midfield, with the Nigerian dropping further back after featuring on the wing against Slavia.

This allows Ianis Hagi to return to the side in Gerrard’s third and final change, with Scott Arfield – who reportedly earns £17,500k per week at Rangers – dropping out after a disappointing display on Thursday.

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Hagi completes the dangerous trio of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, with those three likely to be the key to whether or not Rangers can come away with all three points on Sunday.

In other news… Wilson can sign Rangers’ ideal Defoe heir with swoop for prolific £6.3m-rated beast

As rumours continue to fly around the January transfer window, Celtic find themselves linked to Stoke City’s Tom Ince. According to Football League World, the Hoops are monitoring his situation as he finds himself out of favour at the bet365 Stadium.

However, despite the right wing being a position the reigning Premiership champions are desperate to fill, signing Ince will not have the desired effect.

Celtic must hold off on Ince

The Bhoys are without one single recognised senior right winger and have been playing the likes of David Turnbull and Jeremie Frimpong in this position instead. Whilst they aren’t short of creativity from the likes of Turnbull, Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi, Celtic must broaden their options in attack.

According to Transfermarkt, Ince has made just seven appearances for the Potters this season and has been reduced to mainly cameo spells. His last outing was against Nottingham Forest and he was brought on for just nine minutes before the end of the match.

Last season, the 28-year-old missed just eight appearances in the Championship term but still only managed to contribute three goals and two assists, which is a poor return for a winger. Celtic are in need of a prolific creator and goalscorer who can help orchestrate their attack and break down opponents.

This is something they’ve struggled with as of late, as they have only managed to register one single win in their last five appearances. The reigning champions, who were on course for their tenth consecutive title, have fallen to the likes of Livingston and Hibernian – opposition sides that they really should be beating.

Nick Hammond must recruit someone who has impressive goal contribution numbers and not another version of Jonny Hayes. Whilst Ince’s £2.5million rating is quite tempting, he is too similar to the former Hoop.

As per Transfermarkt, Hayes managed just two goals and seven assists in 68 total appearances for Celtic. With Ince’s stats for Stoke, the Bhoys run the risk of having a repeat of the past if they sign him this window.

In other news, Celtic will be faced with huge problems if Kris Ajer leaves the club…

When you assess Aston Villa’s season, it’s difficult to pick a gaping hole in their squad.
As a result, spending in the January transfer window could be a rather limited affair for Dean Smith and Johan Lange.

What’s the word?

It’s been quiet on the transfer front for the Villans since the window opened. Rico Henry has continuously been linked but at long last, we have a potential incoming to report of.
It won’t be a marquee addition but it will be one to provide more competition and inject further youthful exuberance into the first-team picture.
That’s because according to La Lazio Siamo Noi (via Sport Witness) Aston Villa are in the hunt to sign Norwegian starlet Sivert Mannsverk.
The 18-year-old has caught the eye in his homeland and is set to be available for a meagre €2m (£1.7m), but it won’t be a straightforward chase.
It’s reported that Arsenal are in the race for Mannsverk’s signature, while Brighton also have an interest in the talented midfielder.
Bologna and Ajax are keen but it’s Lazio who have already made contact to sign him. He has many willing suitors because of his “personality, talent, and good physique.”

Forget Ramsey

One of the most pleasing aspects of Villa’s season so far has been the emergence of Jacob Ramsey. The 19-year-old made his first Premier League start against Wolves last month and looked immensely comfortable, completing two dribbles and registering two shots.
It was a dynamic performance that typified Ramsey, but his progress to first-team stardom could be halted if Mannsverk is signed.
The teenager is already the captain of his club and has superb leadership skills, producing goals and assists in impressive numbers for his age.
During 2020, he registered five goals and also provided five assists for his teammates. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or further forward in attacking phases, he is a versatile individual and that should stand him in good stead if he moves to England.
He could also be assured that Smith would use him. This Villa squad is already particularly young, with the hierarchy prioritising bringing players to the club that they can develop, rather than individuals who are past their best.
It’s a task breaking into this Villa midfield but Mannsverk has a bright future ahead of him. Whether his ceiling is higher than Ramsey’s, however, remains to be seen.

AND in other news, “Dangerous” AVFC dynamo who “continues to shine” is Smith’s unsung hero…

For Wolves, it looks as though spending any money this window will be incredibly tough. Considering they are in dire need of improving their forward line, that isn’t news that supporters will want to hear.

What’s the word?

Reports early this week suggested that Wolves had been told to forget about signing the likes of Divock Origi and Olivier Giroud because of a lack of finances.

Despite that, there are still rumours swirling around about possible incomings. One player reportedly on their radar is Montpellier striker Andy Delort.

According to Le Buteur (via Sport Witness), Wolves have made a serious offer for the striker and want to sign him at ‘any price.’

Unfortunately, they are facing competition from Newcastle for his signature. It’s claimed that the Magpies have made him a priority this month.

Ideal for Wolves

Delort has come a long way in his football career and is the definition of a late bloomer. The Algerian has risen through the ranks of both English and French football and was coincidentally wanted by Kenny Jackett when he was at Wolves back in 2014.

The forward was at Tours in Ligue 2 at the time and before a move to Wigan materialised, Jackett said the following: “We put a bid in for Andy Delort but we haven’t been able to close that deal. Nothing has been agreed. But we did put a considerable bid in. I don’t know where it is but no deal has been done.”

It’s probably quite fortunate that happened because Delort ended up scoring a tally of zero goals during his time in the north of England.

However, since then, he has become a fearsome striker, one to be reckoned with at the top level. For Montpellier this season, the 29-year-old has netted eight goals – more than anyone in the Wolves side – and also has more assists than anyone at Molineux – six.

With that kind of record, he’d be a valuable asset for Nuno Santo to have. That being said, the £27k-per-week forward isn’t all about scoring goals.

Like the injured Raul Jimenez, he is adept in physical situations and has won a colossal 4.5 aerial duels per game. For context, that’s more than even Willy Boly has amassed (3.2) at the heart of Wolves’ defence.

Considering that, he’d be an important player in both penalty boxes. Jackett may have failed to sign Delort seven years ago but Wolves cannot afford to make the same mistak, especially with Jimenez out injured with a fractured skull.

With their man striker still absent, Wolves desperately need someone who can firstly score goals, and secondly, offer similar qualities to the Mexican. Delort, therefore, is their man. If Jeff Shi can find the finances to fund the deal, they must complete this move as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Worse than Silva: Wolves “liability” who lost possession 13x will have Nuno fuming…

Steve Bruce has revealed that Newcastle United will boast a near fully fit squad for their trip to Everton on Saturday, as he strives to get the Magpies back to winning ways.

The Toon were without defenders Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin for their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United on Tuesday night, in which defeat made it 11-straight winless games for the Tyneside outfit across all competitions.

United have also lost their last six-in-a-row but saw Allan Saint-Maximin make an instant impact from the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, and could opt to start the winger at Goodison Park following his recovery from coronavirus.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a potential line-up Bruce could name when Newcastle visit Everton this Saturday lunchtime…

Karl Darlow was on hand to produce a couple of crucial stops in defeat to Leeds but was beaten by the visitors’ only two shots on target, yet will be expected to retain his place in goal having opened all 20 of Newcastle’s Premier League fixtures this term.

Bruce may also name a mostly unchanged backline at Goodison Park, despite Clark and Dummett’s returns to training, with Yedlin replacing Isaac Hayden at full-back now that the United States international’s visa issues are believed to have been resolved.

“Fede Fernandez won’t make it, unfortunately. Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett trained yesterday [Thursday] for the first time, so we’ll see how they are. It’s maybe a bit early for the two of them, but we’ll see how they are this morning,” Bruce said.

Hayden returning to midfield with Yedlin recalled will likely see the Arsenal product partner Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, with Jeff Hendrick again not proving to be Bruce’s answer in the role after questionably being retained for the Leeds defeat after an anonymous showing at Aston Villa.

Jacob Murphy struggled at first against the Whites on Tuesday night and lost the ball in the lead up to the visitors’ opening goal, but rallied in the second period with a couple of inviting crosses before making way for Saint-Maximin.

Murphy may now be given a reprieve, as Ryan Fraser ghosted from wing to wing against Leeds whilst Bruce shifted the Scotland international across the pitch trying to find a role that would see the summer arrival prove the biggest threat.

Miguel Almiron looked his most dangerous after moving in centrally against Leeds and will hope to start in the role against Everton, with Saint-Maximin opening the action on the left. The £29m-rated French maestro has not started a league game since November after suffering with the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Callum Wilson will be expected to start as the sole centre-forward in the Newcastle line-up at Everton after a hard-working performance against Leeds, which failed to return the 28-year-old his first goal of 2021 after six consecutive fruitless outings.

AND in other news, Newcastle could part with a £30k-p/w dynamo before the end of the month…