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With no new contract agreed, it is looking increasingly likely that Georginio Wijnaldum will leave Liverpool in the summer, with foreign clubs able to negotiate with the Dutch international from January. Fortunately for the Merseyside club, they look to have a ready-made replacement for the former Newcastle man in Curtis Jones.

The academy graduate has established himself as a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.68 rating. He has also appeared four times in the Champions League for the Merseyside club, in which he has averaged a superb 7.33 rating.

The 19-year-old has three goals to his name this season, which takes his tally to six goals in 30 first-team appearances for the club.

Klopp is certainly a fan of the academy graduate too, having been full of praise for the youngster earlier this season after his two goals against Lincoln City in the League Cup, saying:

“There is still space for improvement but everyone knows my opinion of Curtis Jones, he is an exceptional talent and we will have some fun with him I am pretty sure in the future.

Whilst Wijnaldum has been a hugely important part of Liverpool’s success in recent seasons, he has never been a prolific goalscorer with the Reds, with just 20 goals to his name in the 208 appearances he has made for the club thus far.

Therefore, from a goalscoring perspective, it certainly seems as if Jones can replace, and even surpass, the numbers Wijnaldum has contributed if the 30-year-old does end up departing when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Of course, playing in midfield is not just about the ability to score goals, as Wijnaldum is also an excellent passer of the ball, whilst his defensive contribution has also been impressive since joining, with the Dutchman having completed an impressive 1045 recoveries during his time in the Premier League with the Reds.

This season has seen the Dutch midfielder average 48.8 passes in each game in the top-flight, resulting in a pass success rate of 92.3%.

Jones, meanwhile, has averaged 58.1 passes per game in the Premier League, with a success rate of 92.9%, which again gives him the edge, and suggests that he is more than capable of stepping up to replace Wijnaldum.

Whilst the 19-year-old is perhaps seen as more of a creative attacking midfielder, he has impressed with his tackling at times this season, averaging 1.1 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game, whilst the 30-year-old has averaged 0.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions.

Therefore, it can definitely be argued that Jones can be Klopp’s replacement for Wijnaldum in midfield, and if he continues to improve, there seems no reason why he can’t surpass the Dutch international’s legacy with the Merseyside club.

And, in other news… Jurgen Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w beast vs Newcastle; he can provide the missing spark

Carlo Ancelotti must get ruthless and sever Jonjoe Kenny’s 14-year association with Everton after being urged to solve a “very apparent” lack of depth in defence.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Ancelotti to delve into the mid-season transfer market to sign new full-backs after witnessing Everton struggle without Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne.

Coleman initially sustained an injury in October’s Merseyside Derby draw with Liverpool that forced his withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland squad to face England, but provoked his hamstring problem again after returning to action against Manchester United.

Ancelotti’s injury crisis worsened with Digne having to undergo surgery after suffering ankle ligament damage in training last month, which could rule the Frenchman out of action for up to three months.

Digne has provided more assists (4) than any other Everton player in the Premier League thus far this season, while also delivering a higher number of accurate crosses (17) and ranks second to James Rodriguez (23) for key balls (16), per WhoScored.

Ancelotti called on midfielders Alex Iwobi and Tom Davies to slot in at full-back for Saturday’s defeat to Championship title-holders Leeds United, something Robinson is adamant the Italian cannot persist with having urged Everton to spend on their defence this winter.

“Everton need to address the depth of their squad in January,” he said. “We saw against Leeds United that they lack squad depth, it was very apparent.

“The fact that Ancelotti had to play Iwobi at left wing-back and Tom Davies at right wing-back speaks volumes. When Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne are missing, they are significantly weakened. It is something that has to be addressed in January. A stronger squad is needed.”

End of the road for Kenny

Ancelotti favouring Iwobi against Fulham last month would have raised alarm bells over Kenny’s future at Goodison Park, having been overlooked at Craven Cottage despite travelling with the squad to west London.

Davies then featuring in his position for Saturday’s clash with Leeds after Ancelotti stated the Blues product was fit and ready to feature again hammered home the sense that Kenny has reached the end of his road on Merseyside.

The challenging afternoon Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds dealt Davies has now only highlighted Everton’s lack of top-quality depth in full-back, too, leading pundits to urge Ancelotti and Director of Football Marcel Brands to splash the cash this winter to solve a “very apparent” problem.

Ancelotti must certainly get ruthless and end Kenny’s association with Everton if he is to strengthen at full-back as the 23-year-old, who first signed with the Toffees’ academy in 2006, is clearly not the Italian’s favoured option is far from proving himself to be Coleman’s long-term successor.

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have agonisingly lost Diogo Jota this summer window, but they can count their lucky stars that they didn’t land one hell of a flop in return.

According to the Times, once a line of communication was established with the Premier League champions, discussions were made over potential signings they could grab in return for losing their star man.

They eventually settled on Ki-Jana Hoever, though one name that was mentioned was Rhian Brewster, who went on to sign for basement boys Sheffield United for a club-record £23.5m.

And whilst no replacement was signed for the departed Portuguese sensation, Nuno Santo will be glad that he didn’t push to sign the faltering frontman.

Brewster is yet to score for the Blades having featured four times since joining. Per WhoScored, he’s averaged only 0.3 shots and 0.8 aerials won per match and hasn’t even recorded a successful dribble either.

It means the 20-year-old has an expected goals ratio of just 0.22 per 90 minutes and a total of only 0.57 for the season, as per Understat – for comparison, Raul Jimenez recorded an xG of 0.45 per 90 last season.

The Reds academy graduate has always been touted for big things throughout his youth career, so perhaps on the one hand, it is a surprise to see him struggle but evidently, Jurgen Klopp didn’t think that much of him to let him depart over someone like Divock Origi.

Brewster has been described as someone who’s “fearless” and “delighted to take players on” but that’s just not been the case thus far at Bramall Lane.

Even Jadon Sancho has waxed lyrical about his ability, claiming that his former England U17 World Cup-winning teammate is a “great player” who “causes defenders nightmares”.

This has been echoed by the Reds’ goalkeeping options with Brewster being a “nightmare” to try and stop in training.

Zero goals and a total of one shot in four appearances isn’t going to strike fear into anyone let alone some of the centre-backs Wolves will face this season.

Nuno absolutely dodged a bullet with Brewster, who has also been dubbed a “real threat,” but it’s not as if anyone is going to usurp Jimenez at Molineux anytime soon.

AND in other news, Wolves’ hero-to-zero woefully let Nuno down vs Leicester…

Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a huge boost ahead of Everton’s trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that several first-team players are nearing contention to make their returns from injuries.

Mason Holgate has been sidelined over the Blues’ opening nine games of the season as a result of a toe injury sustained during the warm-up for their final pre-season match, but the 23-year-old is back training at Finch Farm and could soon make his eagerly-awaited return.

Jarrad Branthwaite has likewise taken to the grass pitches again as he strives to overcome an ankle problem, while midfielder Jean-Phillipe Gbamin could soon join the Everton squad, too.

But with Seamus Coleman still an ongoing doubt due to the hamstring issue that prevented his inclusion in the Southampton loss, news that Jonjoe Kenny may be fit enough to contend for a place in the 18-man squad this weekend will come as a welcome relief for Ancelotti.

Kenny has been ruled out of Everton’s last three Premier League matches due to twisting his ankle in a 4-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United last month, but is hopeful that he has now overcome the issue and can make his first top-flight start since March 2019.

The 23-year-old spent last season on loan in Germany with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04 and proved a regular at the Veltins Arena with 34 appearances across all competitions, leading to vivid praise from then-manager David Wagner.

“It is a very competitive division, with a high standard, a high quality. You have very good facilities and stadiums as well which are more or less always sold out, so you have a great platform [to perform],” he told The i.

“I think it’s one of the best moves a young British player can make in Europe if he is not able to break through in his own team in the Premiership. To go to the Bundesliga, you have to be – and luckily Jonjoe is – very brave, because when you leave your home country and you leave your comfort zone you have to have a very strong character.”

Ancelotti has only trusted Kenny in the Carabao Cup since the right-back’s return to Goodison Park, but noted his belief in the defender last month via quotes by The Boot Room: “Jonjoe is different, he knows the club, he’s a player I have a lot of confidence in.”

The Italian tactician now has the perfect chance to demonstrate his belief in Kenny by fielding the full-back against Newcastle on Sunday, after summer signing Ben Godfrey struggled to contain Nathan Redmond during last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Southampton.

Everton icon Tim Cahill felt Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl set his south coast side up to exploit the £20million Godfrey, too, telling Match of the Day (25/10, 23:09): “He’s a centre-back, amazing defender, but Hasenhuttl, the way he approached this game will think he’s not going to overlap like Seamus Coleman.

“Bertrand’s position was very high, they always found themselves getting out on the right-hand side of Everton. How many times now? Too much space, too much time. Tactically, they soaked up the pressure and they always found themselves hitting Everton on transition.

“Godfrey will learn from this.”

Steve Bruce would be wise to look into exploiting Godfrey if Ancelotti maintains the defender’s place at right-back against Newcastle, with Toon star Allan Saint-Maximin currently averaging 3.6 successful dribbles (72%), 8.6 ground duels won (68%), 1.2 key balls and 0.8 shots from the left-flank per Premier League game this season, per SofaScore.

Kenny, meanwhile, has been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game in the EFL Cup this term, and won 2.2 ground duels, delivered 0.5 accurate crosses (24%), made 2.4 clearances, 1.6 tackles and played 0.5 key balls a game in the Bundesliga last season.

AND in other news, Everton must secure a January loan move for a talented ace in the “mould of Makelele”.

Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega believes that the club could be tempted to sell Harry Kane if an eye-watering transfer offer for him is submitted.

The former Switzerland international, who now works in asset management, feels that the England captain may be looking towards an exit from north London if Spurs fail to challenge for major silverware or return to the Champions League in the near future.

Speaking to Stats Perform News [via The World Game] about Kane’s future at Tottenham, Vega said: “Temptation is always there. When a guy is in demand and someone is prepared to pay that top dollar, then to be frank, it’s business.

“Then with that kind of money you might have three or four players you can buy. I think Harry Kane would command top dollars and with that money you can bring in maybe a few top players. It’s also a question of does Harry Kane want to go or not? From my point of view, he’s a Spurs boy, he came through the ranks.

“But at the same time he wants to win some trophies, you don’t want to go for 20 years playing for Spurs and not winning anything. You come to a stage where you think ‘I need to go and win some trophies and I can always come back afterwards’.

“A lack of Champions League football will also undoubtedly be a factor for Kane. I think this will be one of the crucial parts of next season; if he sees the club are not challenging for the title or even top four, he might think he’ll have to leave, possibly halfway through the season if he thinks they are not going anywhere.”

Kane, who is valued at £108m by TransferMarkt, has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, having again proven his importance to Tottenham as their top scorer last season with 24 goals in all competitions, taking him to 188 in total for the club.

Son Heung-min was the only other Spurs player to hit double figures in 2019/20, with no other out-and-out centre-forward managing to get on the scoresheet (as per TransferMarkt), so the 27-year-old’s departure would leave an enormous goal-scoring burden to fill for any prospective successors, even if the windfall from his sale should enable Jose Mourinho to sign at least one high-level replacement.

Vega’s point about Kane’s lack of tangible success is a pertinent one, though. While his scoring return is indisputably excellent, the England captain is now 27 and has yet to win a trophy of any kind in his career. He will also be without Champions League football for the first time since 2015 after Tottenham could only finish sixth in last season’s Premier League, a whopping 40 points behind champions Liverpool.

The Kane situation is a delicate one for Spurs. He would surely earn the club a huge transfer windfall which could be reinvested in one or more quality centre-forwards, while the temptation to cash in may increase if the striker pines for a move elsewhere.

However, with Mourinho so heavily reliant on him for goals, selling him at any price would be a risk, even if an immediate successor was primed to come in.

Tottenham fans, do you agree with Vega’s assessment of Kane’s situation? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham Hotspur could land themselves a huge upgrade to their defence if fresh reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to El Desmarque, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is interested in signing Sevilla colossus Diego Carlos this summer, although the La Liga side have warned suitors that he won’t be sold on the cheap.

Both Manchester City and Premier League champions Liverpool are also in the hunt.

It’s claimed that the centre-back wants to take a further step forward in his career by acquiring a better contract and to raise his chances of making Brazil’s squad for the World Cup in 2022.

A brutal defender

With Jan Vertonghen now out the door in north London, Mourinho could ideally do with a replacement for the Belgian and he may have found the perfect candidate in Carlos.

The 27-year-old is a no-nonsense, agressive-type that could send shivers down the spines of many top-flight attackers.

Per WhoScored, he’s averaged 4.8 clearances, 1.3 fouls, 1 tackle and 1 interception per game across both domestic and European competitions.

Just last month, the Brazillian brute was part of the Sevilla squad that earned a respectable 0-0 draw against Barcelona – to keep Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez quiet for 90 minutes is no mean feat – he recorded five clearances as well as three interceptions whilst notching a cool 89.2% passing accuracy.

Messi was left absolutely rattled by one challenge from Carlos, which resulted in the Argentinian superstar shoving him to the floor.

Spanish football expert Domagoj Kostanjsak has likened him to Kalidou Koulibaly, claiming that Carlos is a “really physical player” who’s built “like a tank” before adding that he isn’t called the “beast” for no reason.

If Mourinho wants to quickly replace Vertonghen, then the Sevilla man would certainly be the right way to go about business but then, it all comes down to Daniel Levy’s willingness to fork out a substantial fee.

Carlos will reportedly cost over £35m according to the Telegraph, which could deter the Spurs chairman but he could well prove to be fully worth that fee.

AND in other news, Spurs must beat Chelsea to ideal upgrade on Lloris

An update on Liverpool’s link to Timo Werner claims it was ‘genuine’, but current events meant the club couldn’t capitalise. 

According to a report from Paul Joyce, (relayed via @AnfieldEdition), the Reds were unable to bring the RB Leipzig star to Anfield due to financial worries as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Whilst the Merseyside outfit were forced to pull the plug, Chelsea have swooped in and Werner could be joining the Blues next season (via Sky Sports).

Joyce writes that Jurgen Klopp is now instead planning to call upon Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams, who have all stood out this campaign.

Liverpool local Jones has been head and shoulders above the majority of young Reds this season. The 19-year-old made four FA Cup appearances and scored two goals, including the winner against bitter rivals Everton in January (via Transfermarkt).

However, fans aren’t impressed with this revelation and are slamming the club for not succeeding in signing Werner. One supporter has tweeted Liverpool’s attitude is ’embarrassing’ whilst another thinks Klopp has ‘lost the plot’. This is something of an overreaction, given the Reds are currently 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of the restart (BBC Sport).

However, it hasn’t stopped these fans from airing their grievances about the Werner affair and the fact that instead of signing the German, Klopp will play some youngsters…

What do you make of Joyce’s update, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Sunderland are yet to hear back from defender Tom Flanagan after offering him a new contract after his current deal expired on June 30.

The Black Cats could need to make wholesale changes this summer after what proved to be another promotion-less season, failing to gain a route back to the Championship from League One for the second consecutive season.

Manager Phil Parkinson is expected to be extremely busy over the next few weeks as a number of first team regulars have now left the club.

Flanagan, who is one of those players, has been offered a new deal by the Wearsiders, but the versatile defender is yet to respond to that offer.

With Flanagan’s future now hanging in the balance at the Stadium of Light, it is also understood that Birmingham City and Coventry City are among a group of interested teams in for the defender.

One of those interested sides, Coventry, who gained automatic promotion from League One are seemingly keen to sign the defender with a latest report by Coventry LIVE looking into how Flanagan would fit in Mark Robins’ side if a deal was completed.

The report also goes on to add that the Sky Blues have told Flanagan’s agency Red6 Sports Management their intentions to make a move for the £225,000-valued man.

It does look likely that Flanagan will not be returning to Sunderland now, especially with reported interest from clubs in the Championship.

His spell at the Stadium of Light is now best in the past and he would be foolish not to take a step up to England’s second tier, but of course, he could want to attempt a promotion push with the club next term.

The guarantee of achieving promotion, however, is simply non-existent…

Where do you think Tom Flanagan will play his football next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

Name: Jeremy Ngakia

Club: West Ham United

Date of Birth: 7 September 2000

Position: Defender (Right-back/Centre-back), Wide midfielder, Winger

Jeremy Ngakia – his career so far

Ever since he joined the West Ham United academy aged only 14, the incredibly talented Jeremy Ngakia has been advancing through the ranks rapidly, establishing himself as a key component of all the squads he played for during that time. But interestingly enough, before joining the Hammers, the Deptford-born Ngakia had a trial with Chelsea’s academy but after being scouted by West Ham academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John whilst playing for Surrey Quays-based youth club Ballers Football Academy, the Irons swooped in and got his signature.

Of course, this would, in time, prove to be a smart move both by the outfit and the young player himself who ended up progressing quite nicely and adding flair, skill and attacking prowess to the Hammers’ academy throughout the years.

Having advanced through the youth ranks rather quickly, Ngakia made his U18 debut in the 2016/17 season and then made another 16 appearances in the campaign as a schoolboy, also signing his first scholarship papers that very same summer.

The young full-back ended up tallying a total of 36 appearances for the U18s before making a step up into the U23 squad and making his grand debut in February 2018 against Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, he could muster a total of 20 games with two assists under his belt in the process as well.

Even though 2018/19 didn’t really start as he would have wanted it, considering he suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for a while, he recovered well, returning to still play a big part for West Ham United’s campaign.

In 2019/20, however, he finally got his big break, making his senior team debut in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in January. Since then, he featured three more times, all in the Premier League, but the recent outbreak that put football on hold meant his rise would temporarily be stopped.

Needless to say, big things are expected from him in the immediate future and Ngakia looks ready to take the challenge head-on and win.

Transfer latest

According to some of the latest transfer rumours surrounding Ngakia, the 19-year-old full-back could be in line for a brand new contract at the club. Of course, given his recent rise and incredible talent, this is definitely some excellent West Ham news if it turns out to be true.

Ngakia is young and bound to become even better and the recent praise he’s been getting on all fronts certainly proves as much. Seeing him get a new contract would be just a further testament to the importance he holds for the Hammers’ immediate and long-term future.

Of course, with the summer transfer window approaching rapidly and West Ham struggling to stay afloat in the Premier League amidst Ngakia’s emergence, we shouldn’t disregard the option of transfer rumours slowly but surely entering the picture. The Hammers should definitely stay on their toes.

Player profile

Ngakia looks set to become the perfect modern full-back, capable of helping his team in all phases of play with equal proficiency. Being a defender first and foremost, however, the youngster will have to work on his positioning, decision-making and marking abilities.

That doesn’t mean he’s necessarily not good enough in those aspects but he is very much an attacking-minded full-back who can boast with a great technique, excellent first touch and an abundance of pace when going forward.

When we combine that with his exceptional work rate and enough power to win duels, Ngakia already has the makings of a well-rounded player despite his young age. The foundations for the future are there but it will be up to West Ham to groom him properly to ensure he reaches his full potential.

According to Le10 Sport, Manchester United are interested in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer.

What’s the word?

The Spaniard has enjoyed a superb campaign at Molineux this season, helping to ensure Nuno Espirito Santo’s side remain in touching distance of a surprising place in the Champions League – they lie just five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Traore has managed six goals and ten assists across all competitions, and French publication Le10 Sport claim that his performances have drawn admiring glances from the likes of United, Liverpool and Manchester City, amongst others.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The report further claims that Bayern Munich could also enter the race to sign him should Wolves be open to discussions, and that even despite having three years left on his deal, that may not stop rival clubs from looking to prise him away from Molineux.

Unplayable

Even with Daniel James in the ranks, United could do with some added depth in the right-wing position, and Traore’s arrival would give them bona-fide first-team quality.

The Spaniard’s combination of speed and directness has made him an unstoppable force at times. As per Whoscored, his ridiculous average of 5.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season ranks him first in the entire division, whilst his average match rating of 7.61 is actually only behind Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

It’s no surprise that he has earned some rave reviews for his performances, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp even describing him as “unplayable”. And with Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in January, United have the kind of play-maker who would surely relish playing with someone of Traore’s abilities.

The winger’s speed and runs in behind would give Fernandes a superb option to start counter-attacks, and it’s the kind of devastating partnership that could wreak havoc in the Premier League.