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Kevin Phillips has tipped Robert Snodgrass to leave The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with West Brom News, the former Premier League centre-forward stated his belief that, due to the versatile midfielder’s high wages and lack of first-team minutes under the management of Valerien Ismael, the Scotland international could be set for a move away from West Brom this month.

Speaking about the 34-year-old’s future, Phillips said: “From all parties concerned, Snodgrass might go. It’s been made clear he’s not in the plans. I’m pretty sure he’s on a decent wage there so if they can get him through the door and free that up, that might be the option to bring a couple of players in on his salary alone. It makes sense. Snodgrass will just want to go play football somewhere.”

Ismael must axe Snodgrass

While Snodgrass’ impressive positional versatility and experience in the game would both appear to make him well suited to Ismael’s setup at West Brom, the fact that the midfielder is reported to be earning a hefty £24k-per-week at the Championship side means that, if he really isn’t part of the 46-year-old manager’s plans, then the Frenchman simply must axe the Scot this winter.

This would seem to be the case, as, so far this season, the £720k-rated man has made just six Championship appearances with only four of these coming as starts.

Over those outings the 34-year-old has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Baggies’ 13th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

And, while his displays for Albion have been far from disastrous in the current campaign, with it being reported recently that Ismael will have to sell before he is able to bring in any further January additions, it would indeed appear as if the sale of the club’s third-highest earner in Snodgrass would be a very wise move this month.

In other news: West Brom dealt big transfer setback as new development emerges, Ismael will be fuming

An insider from Tottenham Hotspur is now expecting starlet Charlie Sayers to sign for the north London club soon.

The Lowdown: Impressed

Spurs are reportedly ‘impressed’ with the Southend United left-back, who has spent the last few weeks on trial with the Lilywhites, according to club insider John Wenham.

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Wenham, who runs the social media channel Lilywhite Rose, was ‘told’ that Sayers was starting on trial for Tottenham’s under-18 side away to Fulham in the Premier League Cup on 27 November.

He has played in six games for Southend in the National League so far this season, and at just 17 years of age, he is an up-and-coming prospect.

The Latest: Expected to sign

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham is now expecting Sayers to sign for Tottenham soon after impressing them while on trial. He revealed:

“Tottenham have very good links with Southend.

“People are asking why a first-team player at Southend is coming for a trial at Tottenham.

“He trained with the Under-23s last week and if he has anything about himself he will be looking to take the left-back spot in the 23s.

“This comes after the departure of Dennis Cirkin last summer (2021), there is a space for a natural left-footer in that side.

“Does he see a move to Tottenham’s Under-23s with the chance of breaking into the first team at a later date as a risk worth taking?

“I think he probably does. I’m also told he’s a massive Spurs fan.

“I’m sure Tottenham and Southend will soon come to an agreement to take over the rest of his contract.

“The club are impressed with him, they wouldn’t have offered him a trial if they weren’t.”

The Verdict: One for the future

At 17, Sayers is certainly a player for the future, and Tottenham clearly hold him in high regard for him to be taken on trial.

Of course, Antonio Conte currently has Sergio Reguilon and Ben Davies as options at left-back in his senior squad, but the latter has been playing as a central defender in the past few matches in the Italian’s new system, so there may just be an opening up for grabs in the squad.

It will no doubt be interesting to see what Spurs’ plans are for Sayers should they end up signing him as expected, whether they use him in the first team, the academy or send him out on loan, but it certainly seems as if the 17-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.

In other news, these were Spurs’ three worst players against Brentford

West Brom trio Jake Livermore, Karlan Grant and Jordan Hugill all struggled for the Baggies in their 0-0 draw away to Barnsley on Friday evening.

Valerien Ismael returned to his former club but failed to pick up all three points, on a forgettable night at Oakwell.

The draw leaves West Brom two points adrift of second-placed Bournemouth in the Championship, having played one game more than their promotion rivals before their lunch-time clash with Middlesbrough .

Using statistical experts Sofascore, here’s a look at the three players who struggled most for the Baggies, of those who were on the pitch for at least 45 minutes.

Jake Livermore – 6.4

Livermore is now a hugely experienced footballer but he didn’t enjoy a good night against Barnsley, struggling to impose himself in midfield and deservedly drawing criticism from fans.

The 32-year-old managed no key passes at Oakwell, playing a part in the visitors failing to break down their stubborn opponents.

Not only that but Livermore won zero per cent of his four aerial and ground duels and was guilty of losing possession a total of nine times.

Karlan Grant  6.4

Grant was another who was far from his best against the Tykes.

The forward was almost twice as wasteful at Livermore, giving the ball away a sizeable 17 times, and only one out of six crosses were deemed to be accurate.

Grant missed one big chance, too, proving costly as West Brom failed to find the net, while he also won just three of eight total duels.

Jordan Hugill – 6.5

Hugill was the third player who struggled most on Friday night, leading the line unsuccessfully for Ismael’s men while losing the ball six times.

Like Grant, the 29-year-old was guilty of missing a big chance during the game and only enjoyed 29 touches in the entire match – 12 fewer than his own goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone.

Hugill also played no key passes and won only 7 of his 18 duels, taking the disappointing average of the trio’s contests with opposing players to a 33 per cent success rate (10/30).

None of the three players mentioned even managed to make a single tackle between them, summing up a below-par evening for West Brom.

In other news, some West Brom fans have hailed one exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

Antonio Conte will be looking for his opening Premier League victory in charge of Spurs when he takes the dugout for the very first time at home this afternoon.

Spurs welcome Leeds United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday’s late kick-off for their return to action following the international break.

The Italian narrowly defeated Vitesse in the Europa Conference League but could only seal a point against Everton at Goodison Park before several members of his first-team squad departed for national team duty.

He now faces an out-of-sorts Yorkshire outfit but there will be a number of dilemmas ringing around his head heading into the encounter.

The Lilywhites’ creative problems are no secret – despite sitting in tenth place before the game, they are amongst the very worst in the division in the final third.

Only Norwich City (10) have averaged fewer shots per game than Spurs (10.1) and similarly, the Canaries (9.32) are the one team to have managed a lower expected goals ratio than the north Londoners (11.43).

Furthermore, under Conte, Spurs’ worrying run without a goal or shot on target continued. It’s now five hours since they last found the net – when Heung-min Son bagged the third at Newcastle United – and it’s nearly four hours since Harry Kane’s header was on target against West Ham.

On that evidence, something has got to change.

It has been quietly mooted that the 52-year-old could alter his system at the club, going from a 3-4-3 of sorts, which utilises Son and Lucas Moura as inside-forwards behind Kane, to a 3-4-1-2, which would deploy a no.10 in the hole.

If this turns out to be the case, then it’s time for Conte to turn to Tanguy Ndombele as the Frenchman is arguably the club’s most technically gifted talent, on his day.

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Indeed, ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart once waxed lyrical about his ability to BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“This kid is a world-beater, he can do anything.’ He just turned around during the game and said ‘this kid is unplayable’,” claimed the former shot-stopper during Spurs’ FA Cup clash with Wycombe Wanderers (via football.london).

The 24-year-old dynamo, who is valued at £34m by CIES Football Observatory, was always meant to be the creative heartbeat of Spurs’ midfield following the departure of Christian Eriksen but he has not quite lived up to expectations.

Perhaps it will be Conte who gets the best out of him but he’ll have to start him for the very first time against Leeds to find out.

Back in 2018, French football journalist Julien Laurens lauded Ndombele for his attributes in the final third, telling the BBC:

“Everything he does is forward – there aren’t many sideways passes. The first thing on his mind is going forward, with a pass that can break a line or beat two or three players with a dribble because he’s so good carrying the ball.”

At Lyon, the 5 foot 11 midfielder averaged at least 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes in every top-flight campaign prior to his move to Spurs. That would see him rank third in the current squad and season.

With Oliver Skipp also out through suspension, it would be wise for Conte to unleash Ndombele against Leeds this afternoon. It could be a game-changing decision come full-time.

AND in other news, Paratici can resolve two major Conte problems by signing “faultless” £26m-rated colossus…

Newcastle United had to settle for a point at home to Norwich City in the Premier League on Tuesday night after Ciaran Clark was sent off early on.

Callum Wilson actually put the hosts in front from the penalty spot before Teemu Pukki equalised as the score finished 1-1.

While there were some spirited performances from Eddie Howe’s team, a few seemed to struggle, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the St. James’ Park faithful:

Joe Willock

Although Ciaran Clark (3.0) and Ryan Fraser (6.4) both ranked poorly by SofaScore, they did not play at least 45 minutes, and so Willock comes in third with a 6.4 rating.

The former Arsenal man was hauled off for Isaac Hayden in the 73rd minute, as he lost out on five of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal from midfield, while he lost possession of the ball six times.

Javier Manquillo

Manquillo was also given a 6.4 rating by SofaScore, but comes in second place here because he played the full 90 minutes.

The Spaniard lost three duels, and recorded no successful dribbles, blocked shots, tackles, key passes, crosses or accurate long balls from right-back.

He was also guilty of losing the ball on no fewer than on 20 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any player on the pitch.

Jamal Lewis

Lewis was ranked as the worst player on the night for the North East club to have played at least 45 minutes, as SofaScore gave him a 6.3 rating.

The left-back lost seven of his duels in total, and also failed to record a successful dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball, losing possession 10 times.

In other news, find out who could be back for NUFC earlier than expected here!

Rangers could consider loaning out Stephen Kelly in January ‘if he doesn’t get any game time before then’, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell. 

The lowdown

The 21-year-old has logged just 13 minutes of senior action so far this term, making brief appearances in the first leg of the Europa League qualifier against Alashkert and the League Cup win over Dunfermline Athletic.

The midfielder spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Ross County, playing 29 games across all competitions, and former County boss John Hughes hailed Kelly as a ‘magnificent’ player and an ‘absolute winner’.

The latest

A supporter asked Campbell on The Athletic’s matchday forum what was ‘going on’ with Kelly, who ‘seems to be nowhere’.

The journalist replied that the 21-year-old ‘just has to stick around and hope an opportunity arises’, but his prospects of game-time at Ibrox have taken another hit with Ryan Jack close to a comeback.

Campbell ‘imagines’ that ‘the question of a loan will be reviewed in January’ if indeed Kelly remains outside of Gerrard’s thoughts.

The verdict

It seems as if the plan was to fully integrate Kelly into the first team setup off the back of a loan spell which delighted Ross County, but it hasn’t really panned out that way.

Worryingly, he is yet to even make Steven Gerrard’s matchday squad for a Premiership game. Ultimately, the competition is just too great at this point, and so another loan move would probably be sensible for the 21-year-old if this season isn’t to just go to waste.

In other news, some Gers fans slammed this man’s performance against St Mirren. 

Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made an interesting claim on Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.

What’s the talk?

The Magpies reporter has name-checked the England international as a player he has heard strongly mentioned as a player the club will want to sign in the January transfer window.

His agent reportedly came to St. James’ Park in October to watch a match and keep an eye on developments at Newcastle, ahead of a potential switch.

Kennedy told GIVEMESPORT:

“The likes of Jesse Lingard and others are names that I’ve heard really strongly mentioned.”

Willock 2.0

The club are currently sat 19th in the table and without a win in their ten matches thus far. They are six points adrift of safety already and appear to be heading for relegation, which is why they need a saviour to come in and rescue them in the January window.

Joe Willock joined the Magpies in the winter market last season and helped Newcastle stay in the division by scoring an outstanding eight goals in 11 Premier League starts. He became a consistent goalscorer in the top-flight and won valuable points, which is exactly what Lingard could do for them this term.

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PIF must secure a deal for the United attacker as he could be the difference-maker for them in the second half of the campaign, much like Willock was in the 2020/21 season. Michael Carrick previously lauded the midfielder’s unique skillset and claimed that he is difficult to play against. He said:

“I think his movement is excellent. It’s something that sounds quite simple, but it’s difficult to defend against.

“He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

The £80k-per-week dynamo joined West Ham on loan last season and managed a similar output to Newcastle’s current attacking midfielder, bagging nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers. This shows that he has the quality at this level to come in and make an instant impact on the side by scoring and creating goals, which is why – as Willock was earlier this year – he could be Newcastle’s hero in January.

PIF must now work hard to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the Englishman to bolster their squad and chances of survival.

AND in other news,  Duncan Castles drops exciting NUFC manager update that should leave fans buzzing…

Celtic were undone by individual errors as their poor form in Europe continued at Parkhead on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops now sit bottom of Europa League Group G after they fell to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen.

David Turnbull’s slip allowed Piero Hincapie to capitalise after just 25 minutes before Florian Wirtz chipped over Bhoys goalkeeper Joe Hart just ten minutes later.

The Premiership outfit then struggled to get going in the second half and were stopped in their tracks once again as the ruthless visitors found a third from the penalty spot, with Lucas Hilario slotting home, and that was before substitute Amine Adli fired in a fourth with the last kick of the game.

Anthony Ralston at right-back was one particularly error-prone individual at Celtic Park, but truth be told, there were plenty of other players who struggled against the German giants, including Tom Rogic.

Deployed in the no.10 role, the 28-year-old midfielder failed to have any sort of influence on the game and that much was seen by the fact that Hoops ‘keeper Hart recorded more touches (57) than the man deployed in the playmaking role (45), as per SofaScore.

From that tally, he provided only 22 passes, which was the joint-lowest of any Celtic starter, and again the last thing you want from someone in an advanced role. The Australian could not create a key chance from those attempts either.

In addition, Rogic lost possession a whopping 15 times, which was pretty much with almost every one of his passes. That was wasteful and merely gave Leverkusen scope to further dominate the game.

He also committed two fouls, handing the Germans a perfect opportunity to get the ball back into the box.

You could argue that this sort of sloppiness invited pressure on Postecoglou’s backline and enforced young and inexperienced players like Ralston into making such errors, and at this level, those are certainly punished.

It’s no wonder Rogic lasted just 66 minutes before being hooked. He was appalling and will do well to feature in the starting XI again anytime soon.

AND in other news, Forget Brady: Celtic must swoop for £5.4m-rated machine who can “sprint like Mbappe”…

Crystal Palace have been warned that it’s likely to take a substantial fee to prize midfielder Conor Gallagher away from Chelsea on a permanent deal.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 21-year-old joined Palace on a season-long loan deal from the Blues over the summer and has already established himself as a fan’s favourite following a string of full-blooded displays.

And now, journalist Tom Barclay has claimed the Eagles are going to have to stump up between £30m and £40m if they want to secure the youngster’s services on a long-term basis.

The reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “If Chelsea do want to cash in on him and don’t think he’s quite good enough for them, he’ll go for a lot of money, I imagine.

“He signed a five-year deal under Frank Lampard, so he has got another three years or so on that. We’re probably talking about £30m or £40m, I imagine. You’ve also got to think how much is it going to cost to replace a player like that?”

Crystal Palace fans may be concerned

Gallagher burst onto the scene during a 12-month spell with West Bromwich Albion last term, scoring two goals and providing a further two assists in a hugely disappointing Baggies side.

Although the box-to-box dynamo was unable to prevent the Midlands outfit from suffering relegation from the Premier League, he caught the eye with several impressive performances.

The England U21 international did enough to earn another chance in the top-flight with Palace, and he’s already shown why Eagles boss Patrick Vieira brought him to Selhurst Park.

A return of two goals and one assist in his opening eight league outings has endeared Gallagher to the south London outfit’s passionate fanbase, but pulling on a Palace shirt on a permanent basis is likely to take a substantial outlay.

With his current contract not expiring until the summer of 2025, the youngster’s current market value is £13.5m, and that fee is only set to rise.

Therefore, the capital club’s supporters may be concerned at Barclay’s latest revelation regarding their midfield maestro, with worries over life after Gallagher already setting in.

And, in other news…Vieira must unleash “fearless” £13.5m-rated Palace wizard, he could have a huge impact 

Last season was mooted as Joao Moutinho’s final as a regular in the Wolves XI.

Indeed, had Bruno Lage acquired summer target Renato Sanches in the transfer window, that claim may have become a reality for the Portuguese maestro.

At the age of 35, Moutinho’s legs are growing older and on paper, should struggle with the pace of the frantic Premier League.

However, he’s begun the new campaign in wonderful form for the Old Gold. Immediately the Portugal international has become one of the most important players for Lage.

He and Ruben Neves ran the show against Spurs for example as the veteran midfielder registered three key passes and completed two key passes.

Moutinho was also impeccable against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup, taking 128 touches and playing a jaw-dropping nine key passes.

When his last campaign at Wolves does come remains to be seen but they may already have the midfielder’s heir in waiting already in the Molineux set-up.

We’re talking about Luke Cundle, a 19-year-old who is already modelling his style of play on Moutinho.

In an interview with the official website, Cundle was asked who he was trying to replicate: “Joao Moutinho,” he responded. “When I train with the first-team, he has a lot of energy and is really enthusiastic. He’s always trying his best to win.”

The teenager added: “I admire the way he plays, his work ethic and his professionalism on and off the pitch.”

Those comments have been supplemented by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers who called him a player in the ‘Moutinho mould.’

It’s easy to see why too. Against Wigan in the EFL Trophy last month, the midfielder made four tackles, three key passes and produced 104 touches.

Capable of dictating the tempo of a match, Cundle has plenty of tools at his disposal to make it in the senior game.

Speaking about his best attributes, Wolves U23 boss James Collins hailed his footballing brain: “With Cundle, I’m making a sub and about to tell the sub what I want him to do on the pitch, and I can already hear him telling the sub before I can, so it’s a real pleasing thing when you have intelligent footballers out there.”

He has played just twice for the Wolves first team but based on that review, further opportunities could emerge in the not too distant future.

Lage has already picked him multiple times on the bench in the Premier League this season so he is clearly on the radar.

AND in other news, 15x possession lost: £84k-p/w Wolves gem massively let Lage down on Saturday…