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Broadcaster Kweku Afari has admitted live on Sky Sports that Aston Villa target Arnaut Danjuma could be the goalscorer they need this season.

The Lowdown: Emery looking for a reunion

It has been reported that Danjuma has been in England as he looks to hold talks with Premier League clubs about a January move, while Villa are said to be interested in the winger – who worked under Emery at Villarreal.

However, they certainly aren’t alone, with the likes of Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle United also said to be keen on the attacker.

Journalist Patrick Boyland believes the winger would be a ‘gamechanger’ for the Toffees, so Villa will be very aware of his talent and how highly he’s regarded within the Premier League.

If Villa were to sign Danjuma, it would almost certainly be a signing pushed by Emery given the existing relationship with Danjuma, as he was the person that got him firing on all cylinders in the Champions League last season.

The Latest: Villa need more goals

Afari has spoken live on Sky Sports about how Danjuma could be Villa’s answer to scoring more goals given they’re set to lose Danny Ings, while both Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey haven’t been prolific in front of goal since joining the club.

He said: “In terms of a goalscorer, someone to put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis, I don’t think they’ve got that.

“Ollie Watkins provides so much for a team, but scoring goals is not necessarily his forte at this level, and Leon Bailey is a winger who’s now operating down the middle.

“We know Unai Emery likes to operate with different formations that are quite unique in terms of how he sets his team up, but I do think they will need somebody to score – and Danjuma could be that answer.”

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The Verdict: Danjuma is the man for Emery

It’s very clear that Emery brings the best out of Danjuma, as last season, he managed to register 20 goal involvements, whereas this season, the Dutchman only has nine to his name – a run which has coincided with Emery leaving Spain.

Therefore, if Danjuma has a choice of which club to go to, the one being managed by his former boss will likely be the most appealing one, especially when he’d be able to link up with other exciting talents such as Jacob Ramsey, Bailey and Emiliano Buendia.

Despite the interest from other Premier League clubs, Villa should have faith in Emery’s decision-making as well as the trust he has in Danjuma to get this deal done quickly if they want him to come in and hit the ground running.

Journalist Ross Gregory has claimed that it could make sense for Newcastle United to try and pull off a swap deal involving Martin Dubravka.

What’s the word?

At the start of the season, the goalkeeper was loaned out to Manchester United but has returned to the club and is now being linked with a move to Leicester City.

Incidentally, the Magpies have been tipped to make a possible for Foxes midfielder Youri Tielemans this winter. On top of that, James Maddison is another name frequently linked with Newcastle.

With that in mind, it could make sense for the two clubs to try and possibly arrange some kind of swap deal involving Dubravka which could, in theory, leave all parties happy this January.

While talking on NUFC Matters, Gregory proposed the ideas, saying: “If Dubravka is going to go there, or is somebody that they’re interested in and looking to sign, and if Newcastle are keen on a couple of Leicester players, then it would make sense to try and negotiate some sort of deal there.”

He did add, however: “Swap deals and deals involving other players very, very rarely come off in the Premier League.”

Swap deal

At times this season, current Leicester number one Danny Ward has come under criticism and so it wouldn’t be a shock if the Foxes genuinely were in the market for a new goalkeeper.

Over at Newcastle, Nick Pope is the undisputed first-choice pick for Eddie Howe but that doesn’t mean Dubravka is a poor player. After all, he does have 37 clean sheets in 127 Premier League games. So he could be an attractive option for Brendan Rodgers.

And with those rumours linking the Magpies with the likes of Tielemans and Maddison, an opportunity could arise here allowing them to land a target for a cut price with their unwanted goalkeeper heading off in the other direction.

It certainly makes sense on paper but it remains to be seen if such a deal would even be considered.

Everton are desperately scrambling to put the cogs in place to mount a charge up the Premier League table across the second half of the 22/23 campaign, with the club currently languishing in 17th place, just one point above the drop-zone.

Indeed, Frank Lampard’s Toffees are in a dire situation, with three successive losses in the English top-flight – the latest of which was a 2-1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were bottom of the table prior to their victory at Goodison Park.

According to The Sun, the Toffees have a vested interest in Chicago Fire’s Columbian starlet Jhon Duran – who is reported to be valued at around £10m – and may swoop for the ace with swift conviction.

There may still be light at the end of the tunnel, and one signing that could rectify the wrongs comes in the form of Duran, with journalist Simon Phillips detailing his thoughts on a move to GIVEMESPORT.

He said: “There’s a few names they’ve been looking at. The only one that really stands out and I have had solid information on lately is Jhon Duran.

“Everton are there and are one of the clubs that are looking at him. But there are other names and Lampard is pushing hard now to bring a new striker in during January.”

Lukaku 2.0

After finishing 16th last year, staving off an unthinkable relegation due to an impressive burst of form in the closing weeks, the Everton faithful’s optimism was turned up a notch following a promising summer transfer window that saw the club spend approximately £69.7m on summer signings.

They have not had the desired effect, and while the defence has been bolstered, the offensive vigour and fluidity across the pitch is steeply lacking.

The 19-year-old Duran, who has eight goals and five assists from terminated with the Toffees earlier this month.

A far more vibrant replacement possessing bundles of pace and imposing physicality could go a long way towards turning Everton’s fortunes around, and it bears semblance to a former juggernaut at the club’s disposal.

Romelu Lukaku signed for the Merseyside-based club from Chelsea in 2014 for a then-club-record fee of £28m, and the striker went on to wreak havoc upon the Premier League and Europe with his club, scoring 87 goals across 166 appearances.

In his most prolific season, he netted 25 goals and six assists from 37 league appearances with the Toffees, and Duran – hailed as a “wonderkid” by Tom Bogert – could go a long way in emulating the powerhouse.

Whether Everton succeed in their pursuit will remain to be seen, but with the front of the ship failing to steady the turbulence, someone of his ilk is certainly needed, and quickly.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato.it, who claim both Antonio Conte’s side and top-flight rivals Chelsea are big admirers of the RB Leipzig centre-back, while Serie A duo Inter Milan and Juventus are also believed to be keen on a move for the 20-year-old defender.

However, the Croatia international’s agent, Marjan Sisic, revealed in an interview with the same outlet that Gvardiol is in no rush to leave the Bundesliga side, despite his claim that interested parties are calling him regarding a potential move for the £80m-valued starlet almost constantly.

Regarding the defender’s future, Sisic said:

“At the moment, we are very happy with Leipzig – it was the ideal choice for him after his years at Dinamo Zagreb.

“After the World Cup, I know that Josko will be completely concentrated on the Bundesliga, the national Cup and the Champions League. We are taking one step at a time and carefully building his career, always talking and deciding the next step together.

“My phone rings all the time, it’s not a secret. But that’s how it is ever since he stepped onto an important stage, playing for the Dinamo Zagreb first team. But I repeat, we are in no hurry.”

The next Ramos

Considering the remarkable rise to stardom Gvardiol has enjoyed over the last few years, it is not hard to comprehend why the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Inter and Juventus are reported to be interested in the 20-year-old – as the defender very much looks to be something of a generational talent.

Indeed, despite his tender age, the £103m-rated stopper has already proven himself to be one of the world’s best defenders, with FBref ranking the youngster in the top 25% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, as well as the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 1% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

These metrics highlight not only Gvardiol’s exceptional reading of the game, but also the Leipzig sensation’s remarkable ability to both carry and play the ball out from the back – something that makes it easy to see that the Croatian bases his game on Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Sergio Ramos, a player who shares all three of the aforementioned characteristics.

Again, similar to the Spaniard, the £19k-per-week gem also poses a significant threat in the opposition third, with FBref ranking Gvardiol in the top 18% of European centre-backs for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 10% for non-penalty xG, the top 23% for shots and the top 12% for shot-creating actions over the past 12 months.

Rather unsurprisingly, these metrics see the analytical database list Ramos as one of the 20-year-old’s most comparable players, something that would suggest the 14-cap international could well go on to make a similar impact on the game to that of the legend who made 671 appearances and won almost every club trophy possible during his time at Real Madrid.

As such, it is plain to see why Conte would be keen on a move to bring the left-footed star to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the player who Ryan Taylor dubbed both a “man mountain” and “exceptional” would not only represent an excellent addition to the Italian’s current options at the back, but he could also become Spurs’ own Ramos-esque leader in north London.

West Ham United could be set to dip into the market for another forward this January…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, which states that Atalanta will listen to offers for Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel in an effort to revolutionise their attack.

This news will be of particular interest to David Sullivan, as the Hammers failed in a late bid to sign the former Colombian back in January.

Having agreed to terms and submitted a deal sheet, they simply ran out of time as the window slammed shut. Now, a year on, they could reignite their interest in the man who was reportedly valued at €55m (£48m) in the summer.

He’s the perfect Antonio heir

Standing at 6 foot 1 and boasting a huge physical frame, it is easy to draw comparisons between Zapata and Michail Antonio.

The Jamaican international has excelled in east London since his 2015 move, having played everywhere on the pitch before settling up front.

There, he has managed to score 66 times and assist a further 41, wreaking havoc against Premier League defences with his continued pressing and unrelenting physicality.

With Gianluca Scamacca somewhat faltering since his summer transfer, perhaps adding a more experienced forward who can provide a steady stream of goals might be a smart move for David Moyes.

Although he has underperformed somewhat this season, Zapata too has been a consistent goalscorer during his time in Italy.

Just last season he scored 13 times and assisted seven, and during his career for the Bergamo-based club has scored 80 times.

Any reservations regarding his ability to translate his proficiency to the Premier League are somewhat alleviated through his Champions League display against Manchester United at the start of last campaign, where he bullied their defence on his way to scoring and assisting in a 2-2 draw.

The notion from his old teammate Papu Gomez only acts to further liken him to Antonio, as the Argentine had the following to say about the 31-year-old: “Zapata’s shorts look like underwear, he is so big. Sometimes I don’t even want to get close to him in a match because he’s a beast and it hurts. 

“When he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!’”

With one physical animal seemingly coming to the end of his career at the London Stadium, perhaps Moyes could look to bring in another who can take his place whilst Scamacca continues to acclimatise.

Arsenal are now ‘working on’ a new contract for William Saliba, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Negotiations ongoing

The Frenchman only returned to England over the summer following his loan spell with Marseille and has taken the Premier League by storm ever since.

The Athletic recently claimed that the Gunners are in negotiations with the 21-year-old over fresh terms, with his current deal set to expire in just over 18 months’ time.

Whilst no agreement has yet been reached, Romano has provided a positive update on the talented prospect’s future at the Emirates Stadium.

The Latest: Arsenal targeting new contracts

Taking to Twitter, the Italian confirmed that Arsenal have now made it their ‘priority’ to tie down Saliba to fresh terms, in addition to finalising new contracts for fellow young stars Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

He wrote: “Arsenal already extended Gabriel’s contract until 2027 after rejecting 2 approaches in July — now working on Saliba’s new deal as main priority alongside Saka and Martinelli.”

The Verdict: Fully deserved

Arsenal rewarding Saliba with a fresh contract would be nothing less than he deserves given the instant impact he has made on Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.

Hailed as a ‘monster’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 3 colossus is averaging 2.8 clearances per game and has a pass success rate of 92.1%, with two goals and an assist to his name as well (WhoScored).

Only Gabriel has a higher clearances average among Arteta’s squad, while no other player with more than two league starts can boast a better passing completion rate than Saliba (WhoScored).

The World Cup is just around the corner and he will no doubt be attracting interest should he make the France squad for the finals, which seems likely given that he played in all but one of their UEFA Nations League matches this year.

Therefore, Edu should aim to get the contract situation sorted before the international break.

Manchester United followed up their drab 1-0 victory over Omonia Nicosia with another stuttering performance yesterday, this time against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag’s men started off brightly enough, with Fred missing the target early on, but Newcastle were always ready to counterpunch during the contest.

The teams went in at the interval level, with Joelinton unlucky with a header that struck the bar before he then hit the post in the same sequence of play. The second half saw two Cristiano Ronaldo goals disallowed and the forward looked a shadow of his former self, being substituted for Marcus Rashford with under 20 minutes remaining.

The home side had the majority of the possession around the hour mark, 61.6%, but their lack of ruthlessness meant the match finished all square and this was probably the fairest outcome.

It was yet another poor match for Ronaldo, following on from Thursday, where he made just 18 passes and took 31 touches and it’s clear his influence is waning with each passing game under Ten Hag.

Yesterday, the Portuguese forward was even worse, receiving a SofaScore rating of just 6.6/10, the second lowest in the United starting XI (Fred 6.4) and he took just 22 touches during the whole match, 16 fewer than David De Gea (38).

The mercurial 37-year-old, despite having two goals chalked off, barely made a pass in his 72 minutes on the pitch, providing just 11 in all, with none of them key passes, with the player beginning to have less and less of an impact in this side.

Indeed, MEN’s Samuel Luckhurst gave him a dismal player rating of 4 at full-time, suggesting that he had spent the game coming too deep in order to influence proceedings. Meanwhile, the Athletic described him as “profligate” yesterday, not a word you’d usually associate with such a decorated and accomplished individual.

That influence was slight, however, as the forward won just one duel and lost possession eight times with his usual excellent timing uncharacteristically off. As a result, Ten Hag might think need to think twice about having the player in from the start against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening.

It looks increasingly likely that this will be his final season in the Premier League, but with performances like these, the Dutchman will rue not bringing in an out-and-out goal scorer during the summer transfer window.

Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial could return for the derby clash against Manchester City, according to reliable journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

The Lowdown: Huge game v Man City

The Premier League returns this weekend and Erik ten Hag’s side have the biggest test possible as they head to the Etihad Stadium to face their local rivals and reigning champions on Sunday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s men are again the team to beat this season and United will know they will need to be at their very best to get a positive result against their rivals, who won 4-1 in this fixture last term.

There have been fitness doubts over both Rashford and Martial ahead of the match, but a positive update has now emerged.

The Latest: United duo could feature

Taking to Twitter, Luckhurst shared comments from Ten Hag that the United pair could be in contention to feature prominently on Sunday.

The Manchester Evening News journalist tweeted:

“Ten Hag says Rashford and Martial could be back for #mufc.”

He scores goals galore! Pay homage to one of his best with this amazing t-shirt! Click here to buy…

The Verdict: They can hurt City again

This is an undoubted boost for United, particularly when it comes to Rashford, with the Englishman finding his groove again this season and scoring three times in six league outings.

His pace on the counterattack is something that Ten Hag will surely want to use in a forward line which could also include Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes.

Having come off the bench to grab the assist for Rashford’s goal against Liverpool in August, Martial could be a good impact substitute.

Also, the fact that both he and the England international have caused City problems in the past could act as a mental advantage for United, who come into the game having won their last four in the Premier League.

Despite Aston Villa’s precarious position in the Premier League table, Steven Gerrard has by all accounts had a solid summer transfer window.

The club have brought in quality, with Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, and Philippe Coutinho arriving at Villa Park in permanent deals.

Deadline day saw another two additions, with Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek arriving for £13m and a season-long loan respectively and this has given Gerrard options in the two positions that arguably needed it most.

They were also after another forward in the window, with Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton-Diaz being linked recently, however, no move materialised for the player.

This might not matter though, as the club could already have a talent within their ranks who might be a Premier League star in the making.

Caleb Chukwuemeka is a forward for Villa’s U21 side and older brother of Carney Chukwuemeka, who recently joined Chelsea from Villa in a £20m transfer.

There is no doubt that Chukwuemeka could follow in his brother’s footsteps with the talent he possesses, with Gregg Evans describing him as a “real prospect” and there appears no limit to what he can achieve in the game.

Gerrard has sent the youngster out on loan to Crawley Town for the remainder of the season and the manager will be hoping he continues his development in League Two.

In the Premier League 2 last season, he netted seven goals in just nine appearances, grabbing a further five assists and he won the player of the month award for September.

Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers to the signing of the 20-year-old just last year and he joined Premiership side, Livingston, for the second half of last season.

No goals were scored during his stint in Scotland, but first-team football for a top-flight team was excellent for his development and if he carries on improving, then he could well be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

West Ham United are ‘progressing’ in talks to sign Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken this summer, as backed by journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Hammers working…

The Hammers are working to back manager David Moyes with more Premier League signings before this window’s cut off on September 1.

Indeed, reports suggest that the club wish to strengthen at both left-back and in midfield after securing a move for centre-back Thilo Kehrer from Paris-Saint Germain.

Vanaken, after West Ham had an opening bid turned down, remains a target for the east Londoners as reporter Jones shares what he knows.

The Latest: West Ham ‘progressing’…

Commenting on the links and sharing his own update, the journalist claims West Ham appear to be ‘progressing’ in a move for the Belgium international.

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Speaking to GiveMeSport, he explained:

“Vanaken, from Brugge, is quite an interesting one.

“I got mixed reports on on it initially, but it does seem one that they are progressing.

“They were in for him a while back, so he must have stayed on their radar since then and come back onto the agenda just due to the circumstances West Ham are in right now, looking for numbers in that area of the field.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Vanaken has been a star in Brugge over the last few seasons with their manager, Carl Hoefkens, very recently calling him ‘quality’.

His numbers back this up with WhoScored revealing the 29-year-old finished 2021/2022 as their third-best performer by average match rating, earning an impressive 7.25/10 per 90.

Indeed, Vanaken was an indispensable part of Brugge’s side with only goalkeeper Simon Mignolet playing more league minutes than the attacking midfielder.

His tally of 11 goals and nine assists in Belgium’s top flight is yet another incentive to move before it’s too late.