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Nottingham Forest fans have taken to Twitter to react after former Red Roy Keane returned to the club as assistant manager, following the appointment of Martin O’Neill as manager, as revealed by the club’s official website.

The Irishman made over 150 appearances for Forest back in the 90s, per Soccerbase, before leaving for Manchester United, and will be reunited with O’Neill who he worked alongside at international level for the Republic of Ireland national team.

Impressively, the duo oversaw qualification for the 2016 European Championships, including a famous win over world champions Germany. They then managed to advance into the last 16, having progressed from a group including the likes of Italy and Belgium.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Keane’s arrival should ensure that no Forest players even dare to misbehave, as the 47-year-old is a stern operator who takes no nonsense from anybody. O’Neill also used to play for the Reds, so a former Forest duo in charge of the team can only be good news for a club desperately chasing the play-off positions this season.

Let’s see how Forest fans reacted on Twitter…

As Liverpool’s top two goalscorers in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Sadio Mane (7) and Mohamed Salah (11) have been two of the Merseyside club’s most important players in this campaign.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the prolific duo will be unavailable to play in January when they join their respective countries to play in the upcoming AFCON tournament.

While this definitely will be a big problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side, they have one player at the Merseyside club that could well be a suitable temporary replacement for the star wingers when January comes around.

17-year-old winger Kaide Gordon joined Liverpool back in February from Championship side Derby County.

Since then, the teenager, who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt, has made eight appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, racking up six goals and providing three assists in that time.

The attacker, who has been described as having a “bit of magic in him” by fellow Liverpool youngster Tom Clayton, has also made four appearances for Liverpool’s U23 side, scoring three times and supplying one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking prowess at such a young age.

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Gordon made his senior debut for the Reds in their 3-0 win over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup where he played the full 90 minutes before being included on the substitutes bench in their recent 4-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Taking all of this into account and the fact that Liverpool will be without Mane and Salah for a period in January, Klopp should definitely consider giving Gordon the chance to shine in the Premier League. Should he impress, then he will be more than suitable to fill in for the senior duo over the winter.

If Gordon does get the chance to play regularly at some point this season and manages to demonstrate what an attacking talent he is, the teen could well prove to be a valuable asset for Liverpool as they bid to keep themselves in the title race.

In other news: Big blow: Klopp dealt injury setback that is sure to leave Liverpool fans gutted – opinion

Steven Gerrard risks ‘annoying’ the Aston Villa players with his strict new code of conduct. 

That’s according to the former Manchester City and Leeds United defender Danny Mills, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath revealed last week that Gerrard had banned fizzy drinks, sauces, puddings and hot chocolate after taking over from Dean Smith.

In his first press conference as Villa boss, the 41-year-old spoke of the influence of former Liverpool and Villa boss Gerard Houllier, who had monitored his diet during their time at Anfield. He took it as an indication of ‘what it takes to stay at the top level’.

The latest

Sky Sports pundit Mills insisted that there was no ‘scientific reason’ behind the sauces ban and said that an overly strict regime could frustrate the Villa squad, particularly if there is a downturn in results.

The former England right-back told Football Insider: “It always seems bizarre when a manager goes ‘You’re not having that’. It’s just a punishment.

“There’s no scientific reason to ban ketchup. Do they not think the players are having it at home? OK, fizzy drinks are unnecessary.

“Sometimes it’s just about making a point. It’s about being disciplined. Undoubtedly he wants to make it professional and set the law down.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re coaching is very good and you’re getting the results. They are the annoying niggly little things that can turn against you if you’re not careful.

“If you stop people from having something, they’ll just have it when they got the opportunity. It’s more about education saying ‘Look, these are the choices. This would be a better alternative for you’.”

The verdict

Gerrard isn’t the only new manager to impose such dietary restrictions. Antonio Conte, who was appointed Spurs boss at the beginning of this month, has removed ketchup and mayonnaise from the menu in the club canteen (according to The Times).

It could be said that the Villa boss is taking some inspiration from a coach who has steered his teams to five top-flight titles, and as long as Villa are on the up, it’s hard to see there being many complaints about the high standards imposed by the Liverpool icon. As a legend of the game, he carries that enhanced authority.

In other news, Kevin Campbell talks up this potential Villa signing

As per a fresh claim from the paper edition of Sport, via Sport Witness, it appears that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has personally set his sights on signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye defensive options…

As Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici prepare for their first January transfer window at Tottenham, it is believed that defence is one major position which could be bolstered.

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Football Insider have even claimed that they are eyeing a sensational double move for Netherlands duo Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt from Serie A, while The Athletic reported that Conte also wants to strengthen at right-wing back for his 3-4-1-2 formation.

As per an update from Spain, it appears that the Italian has set his sights on La Liga as well.

The Latest: Conte ‘wants’ Lenglet…

According to Sport’s information, via Sport Witness, Conte has personally set his sights on signing Lenglet for Spurs and ‘wants him in his team’.

Additionally, as Barca look to trim their wage bill, they ‘do not rule out’ selling the Frenchman despite his recent resurgence under new manager Xavi.

The Verdict: Get it done?

An adept ball-playing centre-half, the 26-year-old has averaged an impressive 90.5% pass accuracy out from the back over his La Liga cameos for the Catalan giants this season, a higher figure than anyone in the Tottenham squad by comparison (WhoScored).

Still yet to reach his prime, Lenglet could also provide a degree of composure in this regard for many more seasons, while France boss Didier Deschamps has also called him a ‘top player’.

His reported valuation of around €25m (£21m) could be a bone of contention, but it remains to be seen whether Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will grant Conte his wish and bring the player to north London.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Statement’…Tottenham pundit thrilled as Paratici lines up talks for ‘big signing’, find out more here.

West Ham United could be set to hand Darren Randolph a new contract at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Sami Mokbel, with the Daily Mail journalist revealing a post on Twitter that, following his link with a move to Aston Villa, David Moyes has no intention of sanctioning the departure of the 34-year-old this month, before going on to claim that the 58-year-old could even hand the Hammers third-choice shot-stopper a new deal in East London.

This comes following an earlier claim made by ExWHUemployee, with the club insider stating that West Ham are keen to move the goalkeeper on this winter – something that is largely down to the former Republic of Ireland international’s hefty weekly wage, which Moyes would rather spend on other areas of his squad.

However, in his tweet, Mokbel said: “Darren Randolph proposed move to Aston Villa unlikely to happen. David Moyes wants him to stay at West Ham and views him as a big part of the dressing room. Randolph could now be handed a new contract.”

Fans will be fuming

While Randolph is undoubtedly an extremely decent option as a third-choice goalkeeper, the fact remains that the goalkeeper is currently taking home a whopping £42k-per-week on his current deal, something that, considering his number of appearances this season, would indeed appear to be a waste of money – as ExWHUemployee suggests.

In the current campaign, the 34-year-old is yet to make a single appearance for the Hammers, with Lukasz Fabianski being Moyes’ first choice in the position, while Alphonse Areola has typically featured in both the Europa League and domestic cup competitions.

In fact, since the Irons resigned Randolph in a £4m deal two years ago this month, the ‘keeper has made a grand total of just nine appearances in all competitions, with only five of these outings coming in the Premier League.

Furthermore, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the overwhelming majority of West Ham fans claimed that they would like to see the club allow Randolph to leave the London Stadium on a free transfer this month, as a result of the veteran shot-stopper’s lack of game time and hefty weekly wage.

As such, should the Irishman indeed be in line for a new deal in East London, as Mokbel suggests, it would undoubtedly leave fans of the Hammers fuming – and we have to say, we can understand why.

In other news: Sheth drops major WHU transfer update on “bombshell” signing, fans will be buzzing

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Coventry City midfielder Gus Hamer is “admired” by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that both Gerrard and assistant Gary McAllister were both at Coventry’s clash with Birmingham recently, and that Hamer is someone they have had their eye on.

He said: “As for January, usual names are sticking given Gerrard’s Rangers links but position-wise; a left-back, DM and possibly a forward could be added. Villa, Gerrard and Lange still assessing squad (three weeks into six-week review process). Bailey/Traore injuries are a concern for me.

“There could also be something in Gerrard and Gary Mac being at Coventry vs Birmingham the other week as well with Gus Hamer (Cov) admired.”

Perfect for Villa

Despite playing in a deeper position last season, Hamer was Coventry’s third top scorer with five goals while he also provided three assists too.

That all-round facet to his game is reflected by the fact he also averaged an impressive 1.4 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, and a team-high 1.5 key passes and 1.8 shots per match.

It’s no surprise then that his boss, Mark Robins, raved about his talents on the Sky Blues Extra podcast, where he called him “unbelievable” (via the Coventry Telegraph), whilst pundit Ali Maxwell simply dubbed the Dutchman as the “class act” of this Coventry side.

In fact, Robins has already tipped Hamer to move to the Premier League in the future and praised his “frightening” technique, and given the kind of dynamic midfielder he is, could be absolutely perfect for this new era under Gerrard at Villa.

The 5 foot 6 machine could bring some vital depth and quality to Villa’s engine room, especially when you consider that they tried to sign James Ward-Prowse in the summer and are now currently dealing with injuries and potential AFCON absences with Marvelous Nakamba next month too.

Meanwhile, Gerrard must finally unleash this Villa star…

With Liverpool only signing Ibrahima Konate during the previous summer transfer window, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on signing another young talent from another of Europe’s big clubs in the near future.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by El Nacional (via Liverpool.com) that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde and that the Merseyside club could be interested in making a transfer move for the player in the future.

After working his way through the youth ranks at Real Madrid, Valverde eventually made his senior debut for the club back in October 2018 during a 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Since then, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, making him their second most valuable player, has made a total of 114 appearances for the Spanish club across all competitions, chipping in with five goals and seven assists in the process.

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So far this season, Valverde, who has been described as a “phenomenal” player by teammate Casemiro in the past, has made 12 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s side across La Liga and the Champions League, predominantly playing as a central-midfielder but also as a right-midfielder and right-back on occasion, highlighting his versatility.

This is why he could prove himself to be a perfect heir for current Reds midfielder James Milner given the Englishman’s advanced age and the fact that he’s played in almost every position across the midfield and defence during his time at Liverpool.

Additionally, with Valverde racking up an average of 1.7 tackles per game in La Liga this season, this could make him a good defensive replacement for Milner who has an average of two tackles per game in the Premier League in his latest campaign with the Reds.

However, with Valverde’s current contract not set to expire until the summer of 2027, and the fact that fellow Real Madrid midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are both over the age of 30, it seems as though the club see Valverde as a long-term player for them and may not be interested in selling the player, which could make it a difficult deal to secure for Liverpool if they are interested in making a move for him.

Although, it still would be worth exploring the possibility of signing Valverde this summer, especially if Milner ends up leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

In other news: FSG could seal perfect Salah heir at Liverpool with “unpredictable” £63m-rated machine – opinion

Celtic’s pursuit of a permanent deal for Jota could be ‘close to reaching completion’, according to The Daily Record. 

The lowdown: Busy Hoops

Celtic have had a busy January transfer window so far, with four deals already completed.

Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda have all arrived from the J1 League, while Johnny Kenny has joined from Irish outfit Sligo Rovers.

The Hoops are also lining up another new face in the form of Charlotte FC midfielder Riley McGree.

And on top of that, they’re hoping to turn summer loan deals for Jota (who belongs to SL Benfica) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (a Tottenham Hotspur player) into permanent moves.

The latest

The Record’s Craig Swan and Michael Gannon write that the club have been in talks with Benfica over a ‘long-term agreement’.

And those discussions ‘have progressed well’, with Jota now described as being on the ‘brink’ of becoming a Celtic player.

It’s thought that he will cost them around £6million, potentially ranking the deal as one of the ten biggest in their history.

The verdict

You could make the argument that tying down Jota would be Celtic’s most important piece of January business so far.

The 22-year-old has proven that he can light up Scottish football, scoring five goals and providing four assists in his first 11 Premiership appearances.

Jota has also shone on the continental stage with four direct goal contributions in his five Europa League group stage outings.

Overall, only Kyogo Furuhashi (15) can boast more goal involvements, and he’s played four more games.

Jota may only get better in the coming years too, and so there’s also significant resale potential here if he keeps playing at the level he has this term.

Ange Postecoglou certainly can’t complain about a lack of backing midway through the season, with the McGree (£2.3million) and Jota deals set to take their January spend to roughly £10.5million.

In other news, Celtic are willing to sell a fan favourite on the cheap.

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United all but secured Premier League survival on Saturday afternoon, with the Whites running out 3-0 winners over relegation rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Indeed, from the moment that Raphinha gave the visitors the lead in the 21st minute, Leeds never looked in danger of giving away their advantage, with Rodrigo and Jack Harrison sealing all three points with second-half goals.

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Despite the positives, there were nevertheless a couple of players in the Whites’ starting XI who turned in below-par performances on Saturday afternoon, with central midfield pairing Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch both having games to forget against the Hornets.

It was perhaps the Germany international who was the most disappointing of the duo, with the 25-year-old turning in the sort of display which could have many Leeds supporters questioning whether he may have just played his last game for the club, following recent reports suggesting that Marsch would be willing to cash in on the versatile defender this summer.

Lost 12 duels

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £13m signing was a passenger in the middle of the park. He had 59 touches of the ball, completed just 25 of his 43 attempted passes (a success rate of just 58%), failed to find a team-mate with any of his six attempted long balls and was unsuccessful with his one attempted dribble.

The £46k-per-week German also lost 12 of his 20 duels, committed one foul, was beaten by an opponent on five occasions and lost possession 22 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 2.7 touches.

These returns saw the £15.3m-rated man earn a rather disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him as Leeds’ second-worst player to feature today.

Furthermore, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross also awarded Koch a five in his own player ratings, stating of the 25-year-old’s display: “Just doesn’t fit this role. Passing range or composure was not there to build anything for Leeds through the middle. Got turned time and time again by the Watford attacks through the centre.”

It is undeniable that the player who Danny Mills claimed looks like a “fish out of water” boasts a decent amount of potential, but should Marsch indeed be considering the sale of the eight-cap international this summer, it would not be surprising if Koch’s disasterclass against Watford was his last game for the Whites.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

According to journalist Gabriel Sans (via Managing Barca), Tottenham Hotspur are very interested in signing Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, having made an offer to the Catalan club.

The Lowdown: Depay’s Barcelona tenure

Upon the expiry of his contract with Lyon, the 28-year-old signed a two-year deal with La Liga giants Barcelona last summer. Since his arrival at Camp Nou, the Dutchman has netted an impressive 10 goals in 20 league appearances.

Whilst this suggests a strong start to life in Spain, Depay has suffered from multiple injuries this season, as a hamstring issue and Achilles problems saw him sidelined for 13 games. This has consequently raised general concerns over his fitness and availability.

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The Latest: Tottenham linked with Depay

As reported by Spanish journalist Sans (via Managing Barca), Spurs are very much interested in signing Depay in the summer. To that effect, they have already made an offer to Barcelona for the player.

Due to his injury issues and the club’s financial problems, it has been reported that the Catalan outfit are open to offloading the Netherlands international when the transfer window reopens at the end of the current campaign.

The Verdict: Would be a great signing

Spurs manager Antonio Conte could do with the addition of a forward alternative who can play in a different system to Harry Kane, who is the club’s only out-and-out senior striker.

Depay certainly has that killer instinct in front of goal – at Lyon he scored 76 goals in 178 games, while for the Dutch national side he has amassed a stunning 39 goals in 76 caps.

Hailed by former La Liga striker and Dutch compatriot Roy Makaay as a “quality” player, the Barcelona ace has even received plaudits from the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who would agree with Ronald Koeman’s assertion that the 28-year-old is “a joy to watch”.

Given such glowing praise and a fantastic goal record, along with being in the peak of his career at 28, Depay would no doubt be a brilliant signing for Paratici and Conte if they can pull it off.

In other news: Pete O’Rourke makes Paulo Dybala to Spurs claim