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Aston Villa are set to enter a new chapter in their history after Steven Gerrard replaced Dean Smith in the managerial hot seat, and the 41-year-old certainly has some big decisions to make.

The Villans are currently on a five-game losing streak after struggling to cope with the exit of former talisman and skipper Jack Grealish over the summer, a run that ultimately resulted in Smith’s dismissal.

If Gerrard wants to stop the rot and kickstart his tenure with a string of positive results, then he may have to make some bold decisions and recall some tried and trusted performers into the starting XI.

One of those who deserve to be instantly reinstated is Douglas Luiz.

The defensive midfielder is currently missing international duty with Brazil as he makes his continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. The £31.5m-rated gem has been absent from the Villans’ last two fixtures, both of them defeats at the hands of West Ham United and Southampton.

However, Luiz posted a photo of himself in action earlier this season, along with the caption: “I’ll be on the field soon @AVFCOfficial”, which raised hope that the South American could be set to make his comeback against Brighton and Hove Albion.

In his absence, Smith had been utilising Marvelous Nakamba at the base of the engine room, and although the 27-year-old put in some full-blooded displays, he lacks the class and guile of his more technically-gifted teammate.

Following a stellar performance against Manchester United last season, journalist Gregg Evans labelled Luiz an “absolute star” while he’s also caught the eye of former Napoli manager Gianni Di Marzio.

The Italian tactician spent some time talking to TuttoMercatoWeb Radio about some of the up and coming players that have impressed him in the past and recently.

Among them was the Villa star. He said: “During the Toulon tournament, I was impressed by a playmaker called Douglas Luiz, who seems ready for the jump in Italy. He’s 22 and seems to be among the best in his role.

“Now he’s at Aston Villa and has also been called up for Brazil. He’s very technical, he acts like a filter in front of the defence. A little like Miralem Pjanić, so to speak. He anticipates the opponent well”.

And when looking at Luiz’s underlying numbers, his importance to the Midlands outfit becomes evidently clear.

As per FBref.com, the youngster has recorded 1.84 tackles, 2.24 blocks and 2.5 interceptions per 90 this season, bettering Nakamba’s tallies of 1.75, 1.5 and 1.25, respectively.

But Luiz has also outperformed his Zimbabwean colleague when in possession of the ball as well, highlighting his influence over proceedings at both ends of the pitch.

Luiz has made 2.9 Shot Creating Actions per 90 and 1.71 key passes, whereas Nakamba has put up totals of just 0.76 and 0.25.

Therefore, Gerrard must get the Brazilian back into his starting lineup as soon as possible in order to make his spell in the Midlands a success, restoring the balance back to his midfield in the process.

And, in other news…Lange could seal dream AVFC deal with “fantastic” £5.4m-rated ace, Gerrard “loves him” 

A behind-the-scenes update on Rangers’ search for a new manager and backroom staff has emerged…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Arthur Numan could come in alongside Gio van Bronckhorst to be one of his staff members at Ibrox.

The report claims the Gers are closing in on the appointment of Steven Gerrard’s successor, with Numar named as one of the behind-the-scenes figures who could form part of his staff.

Delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this news as Numan is a further former player who could come in and add quality and experience in his role.

He is currently the chief scout with Eredivise side AZ Alkmaar, which proves that he’s already working at a high level and consequently, would come in with a wealth of knowledge, particularly of the Dutch market. Therefore, he could recommend talented players for the club to sign in that part of the world.

With the January transfer window coming up, Numan may be able to provide a list of talents he scouted with Alkmaar in mind and suggest that Rangers pursue them instead. This could give them a new territory to explore, potentially unearthing some hidden gems in the Netherlands to bolster the squad in the process.

Numan would also arrive as a familiar face to Gers fans of a certain age. The defender, who was capped 44 times by his country, playing for the club in the late ’90s and early 2000s, featuring in the UEFA Cup and Champions League in that time.

Therefore, fans could love to see him return to the club after almost 20 years, although it would be in a position away from the football pitch and dugout. His work off the pitch could bring talented players to the club, given he is currently working in the top division in his home country, which is another reason why supporters should be delighted by this news.

Additionally, this comes following a report that claimed Ross Wilson wants to appoint a coach with experience managing in Scottish football to aid van Bronckhorst, with Barry Ferguson, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds named as potential appointments.

Evidently, Wilson is attempting to piece together the best possible staff to help Rangers in the long term and Numan could be the latest piece of the grand puzzle.

AND in other news, Behind-the-scenes: Report delivers Rangers manager detail that’ll leave fans buzzing…

West Ham should reignite their interest in Divock Origi this January as he could be a short-term fix to David Moyes’ ongoing striker woes…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, the 26-year-old striker is someone that the Irons have previously been keen on signing, as recently as the summer window and he has not ruled out a move for him this winter.

“There’s been interest in Origi at Liverpool before. But in the summer, Moyes turned down the offer to make a move for him,” he revealed to ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast.

“He’s out of contract in the summer, whether we’ll make a move for him now… I know that the chairman really likes him and he obviously scored against us this season but whether we’ll go for him or not, I don’t know.”

Short-term fix

It’s no secret that the Irons are treading a tightrope when it comes to their situation up top as Moyes has only one senior option in Michail Antonio, 31, who has dealt with his fair share of injury problems over the years.

If he does face time on the sideline in the near future, it could seriously scupper the Hammers’ immense progress under the Scotsman, with the side currently sat fourth in the Premier League and in the knockout stages of the Europa League.

January will mark two years since the manager last had more than one centre-forward at his disposal, so it’s something that must be rectified and Origi could be the perfect short-term solution, especially as he’s currently free to leave the Reds in the summer.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-transfer-updates-gsb-kretinsky-moyes” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

A loan with a view of handing him a contract could suit all parties. It’ll be hard enough to convince any striker to join, given Antonio’s the main man in east London but the 31-cap Belgian’s experience in England could help.

Once described as a “monster” by former Man City colossus Vincent Kompany, Origi has found the net 38 times across 164 appearances for Liverpool, with a large majority of these coming in big occasions, such as against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final and then against Spurs in the final.

He is currently valued at just £10.8m by Transfermarkt and is thought to be earning wages of around £60k-per-week at Anfield, so he wouldn’t be the most expensive option either, another benefit to bringing him in short-term.

The 6 foot 1 forward is also versatile, being able to play on either flank, so that could offer Moyes some cover when Said Benrahma goes to the Africa Cup of Nations this January, too.

Hammers head of recruitment Rob Newman should sanction a move for Origi next year, it could be a win-win for all concerned.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops big transfer claim ahead of January…

Many Southampton fans have been slamming the performance of Adam Armstrong in their 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.

The visitors almost immediately went behind to a second-minute Diogo Jota goal after some fine work by Andy Robertson, before the former Wolves winger got his second just after the half-hour mark.

Thiago and Virgil van Dijk added to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s misery by the full-time whistle, as his team endured a real drubbing at Anfield.

Armstrong was one Saints player who seemed to struggle throughout the game, losing out on two of his duels, while he also missed with four of his goal attempts and failed to record a single successful dribble or key pass (SofaScore).

The striker was guilty of losing the ball on 10 separate occasions, and the fact that he had fewer touches (31) than his own goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (37) (SofaScore) summed up how little impact he had on the match.

Southampton fans slam Armstrong

These Southampton fans slammed the striker’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘Championship’ player:

“Perraud – Championship player. Armstrong – Championship player. Saints squad – Championship. Just not good enough.”

Credit: @LoveysShaun

“Better 2nd half. Lyanco is levels above Bednarek. Tella has to start more often. Armstrong was far too wasteful.”

Credit: @CameronSFC

“Adam Armstrong looks broken after 13 games. Buying good Champ players will always be a massive gamble as they can’t always make that step up to the PL”

Credit: @jamiepang

“Adam Armstrong is so so bad.”

Credit: @SB85SB

“I didn’t think there could’ve been a less convincing finisher that Chele but we certainly found him in Armstrong. Shocking”

Credit: @RJn00b

“Armstrong = The English Carrillo”

Credit: @And_McDougall

In other news, find out whose display against Liverpool was also slammed by many Saints fans

Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to seal a move for Dusan Vlahovic this winter, according to recent claims…

What’s the word?

Speaking in a recent Q&A with supporters, ever-reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ interest in the 21-year-old talisman ahead of the January transfer window.

“He’s a player Spurs really like, as do other clubs, but prising him away in January could be tough because he’s scoring the goals Fiorentina need,” he said.

“With 11 Serie A goals this season, he’s netted more than half of his team’s total in the competition so far and he plays 90 minutes in every game.

“Fiorentina can’t really do without him and would struggle to replace him. This is the problem with the January transfer window and clubs not wanting to let players go in mid-season.

“The pull of Antonio Conte and the negotiating of [Fabio] Paratici will play a part, and he looks perfect physically for the Premier League, but Spurs might have to battle for his services in the summer.

“His goals mean his price may not drop hugely, particularly in January, but that contract situation means it can’t rise.”

Gutting setback

The north Londoners have regularly been linked with a move for the 14-time Serbia international.

Earlier this month, Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla claimed that Spurs had actually held talks with the La Viola frontman, though they were only going to sell for a fee between €60m (£51m) and €70m (£56.7m), via Sport Witness.

Whilst, there were suggestions in Italy that manager Antonio Conte had made Vlahovic among his top targets in 2022.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

It’s no secret that the 6 foot 3 colossus has been an absolute goal machine in the Serie A.

Last season, he found the net 21 times in 37 appearances and that electric form has rumbled into this campaign, where he has scored 12 goals from 15 matches, averaging a strike every 111 minutes, per Transfermarkt.

Indeed, as a result of his performances, Vlahovic has been dubbed a “complete number nine” and has said to be ‘up there’ with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in terms of potential.

Harry Kane has scored just once in 11 league appearances this term, so that’s certainly a worry and Spurs’ problems in the final third have certainly been well-documented, with the side sat rock-bottom for shots-per-game total (10.3), alongside third-from-bottom Norwich City.

The £45m-rated marksman would be an intriguing option to remedy this issue and the striker dubbed a “machine” would provide the perfect foil to the England international as both a backup and a partner. After all, Conte’s title-winning success at Inter Milan saw him deploy a two-man frontline.

Therefore, the fact that a move for Vlahovic seems rather unlikely next month is bitterly disappointing for the Lilywhites faithful, who have every right to be annoyed, and it will certainly come as a gutting setback to Conte and Paratici, who are evidently keen, as per some reports.

Then again, chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s owners, the ENIC Group, have very rarely dipped their hands into their pockets to back the manager in January, only adding to supporters’ angst.

AND in other news, Conte could right Levy’s ghastly £32m transfer mistake…

A number of Manchester United supporters are pleased after Dean Henderson was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie giants Ajax in January.

A new era has got underway at Old Trafford, with Ralf Rangnick winning his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With a winnable run of fixtures coming up, there is a feeling that United could build some momentum and get themselves back in the Premier League top four.

[freshpress-poll id=“378953″]

One player who hasn’t featured much at all this season is Henderson, with the goalkeeper finding himself behind David De Gea in the pecking order and making just one solitary Carabao Cup appearance.

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst on Twitter, the Englishman could move to Ajax on loan next month in order to enjoy more playing time.

Man United fans react to Henderson rumour

These United fans have been reacting positively to the rumour on Twitter.

“This would be class for Deano, he needs it”

Credit: @MufcKeaneo

“Would be very good for him”

Credit: @Fergie1boy

“This is perfect for him”

Credit: @ezxreal_

“Will be a good move for him imo”

Credit: @UtdSwizz

“Then we can get Ten Hag next year”

Credit: @Abhishek_Utd31

“YESSSSS! Very good for his development. Just on loan please. He can definitely at some point become the United number 1.”

Credit: @nerdz_am

In other news, one United player could reportedly remain at Old Trafford. Find out who it is here.

Rangers’ incredible start to life with Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Glasgow continued as they won 2-0 at Ibrox last night

Alfredo Morelos put the Gers in front against St Johnstone with an instinctive header in the six-yard box after an excellent flick-on from Connor Goldson. The Colombian forward then broke into the box down the right channel in the second half to lay the ball on a plate for Ryan Kent, with the winger duly converting into the back of the net.

Celtic remain four points behind Rangers, with van Bronckhorst’s side topping the table after 18 gameweeks with 45 points.

Forget Morelos

Whilst Morelos may take the acclaim with his goal and assist on the night, the player who stole the show with his performance was midfielder Glen Kamara.

The Finland international was sensational in midfield as he ran the game from the middle of the park, as he was sublime on and off the ball. His excellence in the space between both boxes allowed, firstly, the defence to have a comfortable evening and, secondly, the forwards to go about their business in the areas they want to work in with the ball.

Defensively, he was almost perfect. As per SofaScore, he won seven of his nine duels (78%), whilst also making one tackle and one interception. He also only lost possession of the ball ten times in the entire game, which limited the number of attacks St Johnstone were able to build off his sloppy play.

On the ball, he was brilliant. Via the same source, he had 105 touches in the 90 minutes, whilst completing 86 of his 92 attempted passes. He also completed all three of his attempted dribbles, showing that he was able to help the side in transition by taking players out of the match.

Kamara also showed off the creative side of his game as he registered five key passes. Unfortunately, his teammate were unable to make the most of the chances he was creating, but his underlying statistics show that he is deserving of credit for his display – assist or no assist.

His performance was full of quality defensively and offensively and his ability to break up the play and then progress it into a shot going towards the St Johnstone goal is why he was the star of the show.

AND in other news,  “I understand…”: Journo drops potential huge boost for Rangers, fans surely buzzing…

Leeds United have endured a tough and frustrating second season in the Premier League as they find themselves on the cusp of a relegation battle but amid the mounting injury crisis and disappointment on the pitch, there has been at least one positive.

Another one of the club’s promising academy starlets, Liam McCarron, made the most of Marcelo Bielsa’s busy treatment room on Saturday after he made his senior top-flight debut for the club.

The 20-year-old winger replaced fellow substitute Crysencio Summerville in the 81st-minute.

After the game, McCarron made note of his pride on Twitter, where he said: “Unfortunate not to be getting the results we deserve at the moment but delighted to make my premier league debut in front of these incredible fans, we keep pushing.”

The young prospect signed for the Yorkshire giants from Carlisle United in 2019 and has emerged as a bit of a utility player for Mark Jackson’s U23 squad.

Indeed, the 5 foot 9 dynamo has largely played as a left-back but can also play in central midfield and further up the wing. In some ways, this could echo the role of Stuart Dallas under Bielsa.

The Northern Irishman, despite being a midfielder by trade, is nicknamed the ‘Cookstown Cafu’, which only goes to show the level of performance he often achieves when deployed at full-back, rather than in his natural role.

McCarron has played 12 times for the U23s in the Premier League 2 this campaign, where he has contributed a goal and an assist from left-back, as per Transfermarkt.

Capped by Scotland at U19 level, the versatile gem could well follow in the footsteps of the 30-year-old in the first-team squad and he could prove to be a valuable asset to Bielsa considering the ongoing injury nightmare.

His former academy coach at the Cumbrians, Darren Edmondson, once described him as a player “with no ego, no airs and graces”, also claiming that “his work rate is unbelievable.”

After making his senior bow at the weekend, McCarron will be hoping he can continue to catch the eye of Bielsa during a desperate time of need. In the young dynamo, the Argentine could well discover another priceless Dallas-like presence.

He’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

AND in other news, Bielsa must now brutally axe £34k-p/w Leeds passenger, he’s not good enough for the Premier League…

Luke Hatfield is keeping his ‘fingers crossed’ that Aston Villa can fend off interest in Emiliano Martinez, who he called ‘one of the top goalkeepers in world football’.

The lowdown

The Daily Star’s Harry Pratt reported over the Christmas weekend that the Argentine’s name featured on Manchester United’s shortlist of potential replacements for David de Gea, adding that the Red Devils are apparently willing to shell out £50m on a player Villa bought for only £20m last year.

They’re not the only Champions League club eyeing Martinez as a possible successor to their incumbent number one – Atletico Madrid reportedly view him as a worthy heir to Jan Oblak.

Villa fans voted the 29-year-old as their player of the year for 2021 in a recent poll carried out by The Birmingham Mail, and they’ve already seen one of their stars lured away in recent times, with Jack Grealish sealing a £100m switch to Manchester City in the summer.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield suggested that interest in Martinez is inevitable, but he spotted something in the win over Crystal Palace in late November which left him hopeful that the Argentine is committed to the club.

The journalist outlined: “Martinez was one which was always kind of a little bit of a worry because of the performances he’s putting in have made him one of the top goalkeepers in world football at the moment.

“But his reaction to the Crystal Palace game when he went over to the fans and kissing the badge. I mean, it shows that players are enjoying playing for Villa at the moment and enjoying their time under Gerrard, so fingers crossed they can keep the group together.”

The verdict

If Villa can persuade Martinez to stay, Gerrard’s appointment may prove to be crucial. The club had slipped to 16th by the time Dean Smith was sacked earlier in the season after a worrying drift, but under the new boss they’ve climbed to 11th, their only defeats coming against the top three in the Premier League.

They now look like legitimate top-half contenders again, and some Villa correspondents are optimistic of a European push in the near future, so the club’s ambition may well please Martinez.

On an individual level, though, the Argentine wants to establish himself as the best goalkeeper in the world, and Gerrard needs to persuade the player that he can achieve that goal at Villa Park.

In other news, many Villa fans reacted to this update on a reported Gerrard target

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Adama Traore to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano (via The Express), who recently revealed that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici have identified the 25-year-old winger as one of Tottenham’s primary targets in the winter market, with Wolverhampton Wanderers reported to be willing to sanction the sale of the Spain international for just £18m this month.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in Traore, Romano said: “[Traore is] super-appreciated by Fabio Paratici, super-appreciated. Super-appreciated by Antonio Conte. So it’s a name I would monitor… I’m sure that his name [is on] the list of Tottenham.”

Conte’s new Moses

When taking into account Conte’s penchant for turning wide attacking forwards into wing-backs, as the 52-year-old manager did with Victor Moses at both Chelsea and Inter Milan, Traore’s skillset would very much appear to make him a prime candidate for a similar transformation under the management of the Italian after a potential switch to Spurs.

While the £25.2m-rated man has lacked end product for Wolves so far this season, being yet to hit the back of the net or provide his teammates with an assist, the 25-year-old winger has nevertheless impressed at Molineux.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances, the £43k-per-week forward has created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

The Spaniard has also won an average of 7.4 duels and has successfully completed a whopping 4.7 dribbles per fixture – ranking him by far and away as the best dribbler of the ball in the top flight of English football.

These returns have seen the player who Jurgen Klopp claimed is “undefendable” against average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Bruno Lage’s fifth-best performer in the league.

As such, it would very much appear as if Traore’s arrival in North London could well lead to Conte unearthing his new Moses, and, being reported to be available for just £18m, a deal for the forward is certainly one that Spurs would be able to afford this January.

In other news: 58% duels won: £93k-p/w Spurs beast may have changed Conte’s January plans on Saturday