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Aston Villa officially brought in Steven Gerrard from Rangers as their new manager on Thursday.

Liverpool took to Twitter to share the news regarding their former midfielder and captain, which has caught the eye of a number of Villa fans.

Gerrard penned a three-and-a-half-year deal at Villa Park as he replaces Dean Smith, who was sacked on Sunday. Villa paid Rangers between £3.25m and £4m in compensation for the services of the 41-year-old and his backroom staff, with his first game in charge against Brighton following the international break.

Gerrard has been linked with taking over from Jurgen Klopp to Anfield, with reports in the week even going as far as to say that the German would have a say on the Scouser’s move to the Midlands.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful quote-tweeted Liverpool’s official post on Gerrard taking over at Villa and were baffled as to why they did it. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with a few other fans concerned.

“This is my least favourite part of this whole saga. I am sick of my Liverpool mates saying that they will be watching.”

Credit: @ScottieCoops

“getting a bit worried they’re getting too involved with us, just me I think though”

Credit: @RpmFifa

“What an odd tweet by the chaps up north”

Credit: @brummingham

“It’s cringe”

Credit: @steavfc1991

“Because we’re massive”

Credit: @ChrisTrotter161

“I don’t mind it. Clearly relevant news to them and let’s be honest – we all know the deal here. If he does well with us he’s off to Liverpool in 3 years. It is what it is.”

Credit: @_porsalin

In other news: Villa could now swoop for Rangers beast who Gerrard called a ‘Rolls Royce’

Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis OBrien would ‘jump at’ the chance to join Leeds United in the January transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: O’Brien constantly linked with Leeds

The 23-year-old spent the summer continually being linked with a move to Elland Road – Terriers chairman Phil Hodgkinson even confirmed the interest – and stories have now begun to emerge ahead of next month’s window.

O’Brien has continued to be a key player for Huddersfield this season, starting 22 Championship matches and being handed WhoScored‘s Man of the Match award four times, in all competitions.

While the midfielder only recently signed a new deal at his current club, it appears as though a move could happen in the coming weeks.

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The Latest: Journalist talks up transfer

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed it wouldn’t take much for O’Brien’s head to be turned, as he hinted at the move happening in January:

“He signed a new contract at Huddersfield but I’m sure if the opportunity came to go to Leeds, it would be something that he would jump at.

“Let’s see if Huddersfield are able to turn down any offers for the midfielder.”

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The Verdict: One of two midfielders?

Such has been the regularity of the O’Brien links that it seems as though Leeds’ interest is genuine and he could be a strong addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

Admittedly, he isn’t at the level of Kalvin Phillips, but he is a young player who is maturing all the time, averaging 2.9 tackles and 1.6 dribbles per match in the league this season. No Whites player has averaged more tackles, with Stuart Dallas topping the pile with 2.6.

If he was one of two midfielders to come in, with a more experienced head also making the switch to Leeds, it should leave them well-stocked in Phillips’ absence.

In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a move to a fellow Premier League club. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United’s prior relationship with Gleison Bremer’s agency could be key as they pursue the Torino centre-back, The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder says. 

The lowdown

Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via The Chronicle) has named Newcastle among a lengthy list of clubs interested in Bremer.

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Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid were also identified as admirers.

Bremer is represented by CAA Base, whose clients also include Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.

The 25-year-old, who signed a contract extension as recently as February, has started every Serie A game for which he’s been available this season.

The latest

Ryder confirms that Newcastle have been watching Bremer and notes that Torino have ‘leaked’ €50million (£41million) price tag to the press in Italy.

The Magpies may hold a ‘trump card’ over their many competitors because of CAA Base’s ‘relationship with head of recruitment Steve Nickson’.

The verdict

This would be a real coup for Nickson and Newcastle.

Bremer is a dominant centre-back, ranking in the 95th percentile for aerial duels won per 90 minutes, and his average of 2.35 blocks per 90 (96th) also suggests he’s something of a warrior.

But that’s not to say the Brazilian’s old-fashioned. In fact, he records a high volume of dribbles (82nd percentile), indicating that he has a great deal of confidence in possession.

He also defends on the front-foot, slotting into the 98th percentile for pressures and leading the way in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions per 90 minutes. That means he’s making more than renowned specialists like N’Golo Kante.

Journalist Maxi Angelo says he should be a contender for the Serie A Defender of the Season award, while Tifo Football’s Seb Stafford-Bloor has uniquely described him as ‘a vending machine of a centre-half’.

In other news, one Newcastle player was rated just 4/10 vs Leicester.

Frank Lampard has made an incredible first impression at Goodison Park with a 4-1 victory under his belt, meaning that Everton will now progress into the fifth round of the FA Cup, with a promising performance and a taste of what is yet to come under the new manager.

The 43-year-old set up his team up a 3-4-3 formation which worked wonders for the Everton players who have been struggling throughout the season, setting up the side much more offensively compared to the passive approach taken by his predecessor Rafael Benitez.

It was a real team performance with four goals spread out evenly throughout the team. Yerry Mina opened the scoring when he came on for Ben Godfrey, who sustained an injury in the first 12 minutes of the game. Richarlison, Mason Holgate and Andros Townsend also found the net over the course of the game, with Brentford only scoring from a penalty due to a late challenge from Jordan Pickford.

One player who didn’t score but made a huge impact on the team during his 74-minute performance was local youngster Anthony Gordon, who was clearly keen to impress his new manager with his place in the team perhaps in doubt following a number of signings in the January transfer window.

Lampard was forced to leave his two Deadline Day signings out of the team, with Dele Alli and Donny Van de Beek cup-tied. The starting line-up was full of players who were already at Goodison Park all along, and Gordon in particular will be giving his new manager nightmares about future team selection dilemmas after putting in an outstanding performance.

The £7.2m-rated Liverpudlian, who was dubbed “tidy” by Everton journalist David Prentice, will have to compete with a number of attacking players, including new signing Alli, for a place in the forward line, but he did not make that decision any easier for Lampard.

According to SofaScore, the 20-year-old won 85% of his duels, was successful in all three of his dribble attempts, had more touches than Richarlison and lost possession less than any other player in the forward line. He proved to Lampard that he is more than capable of rising to the occasion and able to provide healthy competition for his place in the team.

The 43-year-old will be delighted with the result and will be hoping that this phenomenal team performance can build the confidence and resilience that Everton need if they are to climb the Premier League table. They return to action in the league on Tuesday night against Newcastle United, and it will be interesting to see if Lampard sticks or twists with the team from today when new signings will be available for selection.

Gordon is one of those who may well have put his hand up for breaking into the starting XI for the trip to St James’ Park.

In other news: One Everton ace proved Lampard wrong with an outstanding performance today

Newcastle United have now made contact with Arsenal for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of a potential move in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, the Magpies are “trying” for the Gabon international, and that “contact” has already been made with the Gunners for the maverick striker.

It’s added that a “possible loan is being discussed”, and that crucially, Aubameyang himself “would like the destination”.

Fans will be buzzing

While Aubameyang may not have covered himself in glory this season either on the pitch or off it – he’s netted just four goals in the Premier League and was recently stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by Mikel Arteta – he still remains a class player who could provide Newcastle with genuine quality up front.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was waxing lyrical about the striker, and how good he is compared to the rest of the Premier League’s elite forwards.

He said: “Including me, we have stopped short of announcing Aubameyang as world class. We’re happy to go with (Sergio) Aguero, we’re happy to go with (Sadio) Mane and (Mohamed) Salah, (Roberto) Firmino, (Harry) Kane… all these players who have graced the Premier League in the last two or three seasons.

“I feel that Aubameyang doesn’t get that same credit and maybe it’s something that comes from when he first entered into English football. I think he’s been absolutely sensational, and I think now’s the time for us all to start recognising the quality and the brilliance of this player. He fights for the team, he’s always there, and for me, he’s everything you would want in a football player.”

The man with 294 career goals to his name could be the perfect replacement for the injured Wilson for the remainder of this Premier League season.

Galetti’s update that the Magpies have now made contact for him, and that Aubameyang himself is interested in a move to St James’ Park is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have held talks with this director of football candidate…

Fabrizio Romano believes Tottenham Hotspur are very much still interested in Dusan Vlahovic, despite sporting director Fabio Paratici claiming otherwise…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, the Italian supremo poured cold water on Spurs’ mooted interest in the Fiorentina talisman, claiming to Festival dello Sport (via Romano): “Dusan Vlahovic is appreciated by many clubs, it’s normal – he’s not in our plans, for now.”

However, the transfer guru has dropped a fresh claim during a recent episode of the ‘Here We Go’ podcast that seems to refute such comments.

“Vlahovic is a bit different. The feeling I have because what he [Paratici] said is that ‘he is not in our plans for now’ and in Paratici language that means he is pursuing the player,” revealed the Italian journalist.

“We know about it because last summer, Tottenham were really interested in Vlahovic. They were looking at him as [a] potential Harry Kane backup, not [a] replacement.

“Tottenham are still following this boy, as are Atletico Madrid and other English clubs, and Italian clubs, so there will be a big fight for Vlahovic. Let’s see if it’ll be January or next summer but he is leaving Fiorentina.”

Sneaky Paratici

This latest development should leave much of the Lilywhites faithful on the edge of their seats and whilst it may come as a surprise, it is well-known Paratici operates in this manner.

Harry Kane has struggled for goals in the Premier League so far this campaign, failing to find the net in five starts, but he still does not have a viable senior backup behind him, with Nuno Santo sometimes turning to 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett in other competitions.

Vlahovic is a firm contender to fill such a void and it would certainly give the Portuguese coach another valuable option to either start alongside the England talisman or to replace him from the bench.

The 21-year-old scored a whopping 21 goals in 37 appearances in the Serie A side last season and has continued such form into the new campaign, where he has found the net a further six times in just eight matches, as per Transfermarkt.

La Viola’s goal machine has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which is hardly a surprise given his 6 foot 3 slender frame, whilst former Italy international Christian Vieri believes he’s the strongest young forward in Europe, behind Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Dubbed a “complete number nine” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy to This is Futbol, Vlahovic could well be in Spurs’ sights despite Paratici trying to throw off the scent and that ultimately should leave many supporters thrilled.

AND in other news, Nuno may have his own Varane in “talented” 18 y/o gem who can help Spurs save millions…

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Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to react in horror after an article from the Yorkshire Evening Post highlighted just how badly they have suffered with injuries this season.

The article reveals that, if you were to combine each game that a Leeds player has missed through injury this season, it would tally a whopping 140 matches, which is truly absurd.

Admittedly, since Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival back in the summer, the Argentine boss has demanded a much higher intensity of play, which may have been something of a culture shock to the players who were used to a different tempo.

In fairness, Bielsa’s methods have worked in terms of results, as Leeds sit just two points off the top of the league with a game in hand over their rivals, although their good form appears to be coming at some cost to the physios.

Let’s see how Leeds fans on Twitter reacted to the disturbing revelation…

With so many players currently out injured at Sunderland, the Wearside club have finally been handed some good news regarding one of their players which will surely please a lot of fans and Lee Johnson.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Northern Echo, Black Cats midfielder Luke O’Nien has undergone a successful operation to fix a shoulder injury which has affected him for a significant period of time.

Last month, Johnson revealed that the success of the surgery would be a big factor in when the 27-year-old will be able to return to action. Given how well his surgery went, it seems as though there can be some hope that he will be back sooner rather than later, which would be a big relief for everyone at the Stadium of Light.

O’Nien’s performances in his 16 League One games for Sunderland this season earned him an overall rating of 7.16/10, making him their second highest-rated player after Ross Stewart according to WhoScored. That just goes to show how important he is to the team and why it’s good to hear that he may only be out for three months rather than until the end of the season as previously feared.

Those performances have seen the 27-year-old prove his worth to Johnson’s side by averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and three clearances per game.

Also, prior to his surgery, O’Nien stepped out of his usual defensive midfield role to play in the left-back position for Sunderland’s games against Ipswich Town and Shrewsbury Town, in which he scored one goal and set up another. This shows how versatile he is as a player and how much faith Johnson had in him to deploy him there with the likes of Denver Hume and Dennis Cirkin injured.

Moving forward, even though the 27-year-old will still likely spend the next three months on the sidelines, plenty of positivity can be taken from the reports that his surgery went well and that he is now on the road to a full recovery.

If O’Nien can get back to action as soon as possible, he could be the difference between Sunderland securing promotion and spending another season in League One given his defensive talents and versatility.

In other news: KLD can spark Sunderland’s promotion charge with big winter decision, fans would be thrilled

With Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore previously sharing his hopes at being able to bring some new players to the club before the end of the current January transfer window, it seems as though there could be a decision to be made on the future of one of their current players.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from Wednesday journalist Dom Howson, Lewis Wing’s future at the Yorkshire club has been thrown into question after being left out of the last two matchday squads by Moore.

Howson also said in his post that it “remains unclear” whether the midfielder will still be a Wednesday player by the end of the month.

The Owls signed Wing on a season-long loan deal from Championship club Middlesbrough back in the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the 26-year-old has been a fairly regular figure in the team for the Yorkshire club with a total of 24 appearances under his belt across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and two assists in the process.

Fans will be worried

Despite being picked on a regular basis by Moore, apart from their two previous league games, Wing has not exactly been a top performer for Wednesday.

After all, Howson said in his post that the midfielder “has been a big disappointment this season,” which is back up by WhoScored listing him as Wednesday’s 11th-highest rated player with an overall performance rating of 6.73/10.

With that in mind, while it could be an option to keep the Englishman out of the team for a while based on his lacklustre performances, Wednesday fans would surely rather keep him in the squad as a viable option for Moore to have rather than see him leave the club early and have to worry about whether or not the club will be able to bring in a suitable replacement before the deadline.

If Moore continues to keep the midfielder out of the squad, then this could force Middlesbrough to bring him back to the club and look for another loan move for him, in a similar fashion to what happened with Theo Corbeanu earlier this month.

Either way, it would be in everyone’s best interest if a decision is made on Wing’s future to put to bed any speculation on the matter that could distract Wednesday from potentially strengthening their squad with some new incoming transfers before the end of the month.

Considering how their January has played out so far, yet more uncertainty is surely a worry for supporters.

In other news: “I have been told:” – Moore delivers SWFC transfer update that’ll have fans concerned – opinion

West Ham are reportedly set to tussle with Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of in-form Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas.

The Lowdown: Hammers’ superb form continues

The Hammers are in a wonderful place at the moment, excelling under David Moyes and sitting fourth in the Premier League.

Sunday’s 4-1 way away to Aston Villa was another exceptional result, and on current form, there is no reason why they shouldn’t dream of a top-four finish.

Rumoured incoming investment from Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky could lead to more funds being available for new signings, too, only strengthening West Ham’s current position.

The Latest: De Tomas to east London?

According to Fichajes, the Hammers are interested in signing De Tomas, with the 27-year-old in devastating form so far this season, scoring six goals in 11 La Liga games – the same tally as Michail Antonio in the Premier League.

The £10.8m-rated attacker is also reportedly wanted by Leeds and Tottenham, so it may not be straightforward for West Ham to sign him.

The Verdict: Added firepower

There is little to fault about West Ham currently, but a few injuries to key players could potentially expose a lack of squad depth as the season progresses. That is especially the case at centre-forward, where there is no natural senior backup to the in-form Antonio.

Signing De Tomas could help eradicate that issue, with the Spaniard bringing a near-guaranteed goal threat – 34 goals in 64 appearances for Espanyol – and providing competition for the Jamaica international.

He is in the peak years of his career at the moment, and while Leeds and Spurs are good clubs in their own right, West Ham are currently outperforming both of those on the pitch, and possibly off it too assuming that the rumoured Czech investment comes in.

In other news, West Ham have also been linked with a move for a La Liga midfielder. Find out who it is here.