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According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, there has been interest in winger Ademola Lookman heading into the final few days of the January transfer window. The 21-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League outfit Everton and has done so since January 2017, although struggles for regular starts under new Toffees manager Marco Silva this season has called his future at Goodison Park into question.

And a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that the Englishman is a transfer target of Italian heavyweights AC Milan, with the Serie A outfit reportedly (as per The Daily Mirror) contemplating whether or not to make a ‘formal offer’ in a bid to test Everton’s ‘resolve’.

And this should all be of interest to Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl as well, what with the Austrian able to get the very best out of Lookman last season to suggest that his side must try their hand at a January move for the in-demand sensation.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, things haven’t quite gone to plan for Lookman since making the move to Everton back in January 2017, as although he made a great start by netting in their 4-0 win over Manchester City on debut, he simply hasn’t been able to nail down a starting place since then.

In fact, the England Under-20 World Cup winner managed just seven Premier League appearances in the first half of last season to underline his lowly position in Ronald Koeman’s pecking order, and while he has at least forced his way back into Silva’s plans with 13 league appearances this time round, only three have been starts.

And such was the level he produced on loan at Red Bull Leipzig last season, under the stewardship of Hasenhuttl, Lookman himself likely feels that he has the talent to be playing more than he is – but with Richarlison, Theo Walcott, and Bernard seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, that might not happen at Everton.

As such, AC Milan are considering trying their hand at a move for the 21-year-old this month, as should Hasenhuttl’s Southampton given just how well the Austrian managed the Englishman last season.

Lookman took something of a risk making the move to the Bundesliga last season, very much against the wishes of Everton boss Allardyce (as per the BBC), but what an inspired decision it proved to be given the youngster bagged five goals and laid on four assists in 11 appearances for the club, helping Hasenhuttl’s side to a sixth place finish in the German top-flight.

Ultimately, that was the best spell of football the 21-year-old has produced since making the move to Everton two years ago to underline the huge impact Hasenhuttl had on his development – the same could well happen at Southampton.

And with Mohamed Elyounoussi seriously struggling to produce his best football at St Mary’s, yet the opposite very much true of in-form winger Nathan Redmond, 21-year-old Lookman could seriously bolster the Saints in the attacking ranks in their quest against relegation.

As such, with Milan reportedly (as per The Daily Mirror) considering a bid for the 21-year-old, Southampton themselves must seek to try their hand at a move for the Englishman, in turn reuniting Hasenhuttl with a player he got the best out of only last year.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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According to the Yorkshire Post, Sheffield United are set to reject an offer worth £4million from West Ham United for midfielder John Fleck.

What’s the story?

The Blades are set to turn down the Premier League club’s offer, as Fleck is considered key to Chris Wilder’s plans, as per the aforementioned report. 

The midfielder has been in fine form at Bramall Lane so far this season, and has played a central role in the Blades’ climb to the upper reaches of the Championship table. His exit at this stage in the campaign would constitute a major blow to Sheffield United’s promotion hopes.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

However, the 27-year-old could have his head turned by the prospect of a shortcut to the top flight, and the Hammers ought to return with another offer for the Scot.

A major setback

£4million would have been a bargain price to pick Fleck up for, and West Ham will likely be disappointed with the Blades’ apparent decision to turn the offer down. For one of the finest and most reliable midfielders in the second tier, that would have been a fantastic deal for the Irons to strike.

The Championship club’s rejection of West Ham’s advances is certainly a setback for the east London club, as they need to bolster their midfield contingent in this January transfer window. The long-term injuries suffered by Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez makes it imperative that some quality midfield cover soon arrives at the London Stadium.

Fleck would have been the ideal candidate to provide that extra depth in the middle of the park, but a deal to bring him to the club now is not going to be straightforward. Nonetheless, West Ham shouldn’t give up just yet and table an improved offer for the Scotsman before this week’s deadline.

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Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with a move for Adrien Rabiot, the PSG midfielder.

The Daily Star reported on Saturday evening that Spurs are still interested in the France international after being linked with the player throughout the January transfer window.

Spurs failed to make a signing at the turn of the year, having also refused to add to their squad in the summer.

However, the aforementioned report claims that Mauricio Pochettino’s side attempted to secure a £20million deal for Rabiot in January.

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A family bereavement saw the deal put on hold, however, and Spurs are now said to be worried about the prospect of the 23-year-old being poached by another interested party.

Indeed, the Daily Star claim that both Liverpool and Barcelona are also taking a keen interest in Rabiot’s situation.

And Tottenham fans are readying themselves for disappointment, with many insisting that it is unlikely Rabiot will end up in north London.

It is extremely tight at the bottom of the Premier League table with only a point separating Cardiff City and Southampton, who currently occupy one of the relegation spots.

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, however, is confident his boys can still finish above Neil Warnock’s side despite recently losing to them 2-1 at St. Mary’s.

The Breakdown

“We were five points behind them [when I took over], now we are one point behind them,” Hasenhuttl told the Daily Echo. “Let’s see who is in front at the end of the season.”

Should things not pan out the way Hasenhuttl hopes, given the squad Southampton have, it would be a travesty, which raises the question of how have they found themselves in yet another relegation battle?

The obvious answer is Mark Hughes who proved to be a disastrous appointment. Had the Welshman been dismissed earlier in the season, things could have been a completely different story for the Saints who should be aiming for more than just mere Premier League safety.

Even after the sales of players such as Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane, their squad has remained a strong one, or at least compared to a lot of teams around them like Burnley, who managed to finish seventh last season.

All things considered, it should have never got to this point for Southampton, a team who were once the model club for the rest of the league outside of the top six.

It wasn’t really that long ago Saido Berahino was being touted for big things in the Premier League.

After impressing at West Bromwich Albion, fame seemingly got to his head. Berahino wanted to reach the top quickly and disrupted his relationship with the Baggies in order to force a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, after not being allowed so, his downfall began. Berahino’s discipline was questioned, as rather than trying to keep on improving himself to become a top striker, he continued living a precarious lifestyle. His poor attitude coupled with lack of discipline caused big problems, as he started gaining weight and losing match-fitness.

While Tony Pulis rejected his bad attitude, Mark Hughes tried to reignite his flame upon joining Stoke City. Things turned worse when Berahino was handed a lengthy suspension for failing a surprise drug test by the FA. It turned out as the deathly blow on his international career for England.

However, rather than getting back on his feet and trying to find back his lethal touch, Berahino only delved into the darkness. Recently, he was arrested in London for drinking and driving at 3 AM, as per the Daily Mail.

Having scored only three league goals for them in over 50 appearances, Berahino’s Stoke City career is done.

They’ll surely sell him in the summer and considering his reputation, no prominent side will take him. However, Berahino’s downfall is all due to his recklessness, which killed what could’ve been potentially the career of a star England striker.

Liverpool will need to go up a gear if they are to stand any chance of coming away from Old Trafford with three points, as they’ve not exactly been at their best in recent times.

The Reds have the perfect chance to go three points clear at the top of the table tomorrow as they take on Manchester United in the Premier League, which will count as their game in hand over Manchester City.

Although, it appears as if the Merseyside club are eyeing a possible swoop at this moment in time, as according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are chasing AS Monaco youngster Khephren Thuram.

Indeed, bringing the youngster would be a great thing to do in terms of the future of the club, so here are the potential consequences of signing Thuram…

JURGEN KLOPP UNEARTHS ANOTHER GEM

Jurgen Klopp has unearthed a number of gems over the years at Liverpool, both through purchasing players on the transfer market and developing youngsters.

Indeed, Klopp is one of the best at developing youngsters and turning them into stars, so Thuram may just be the next gem that the German manages to unearth at Anfield. The 51-year-old has already managed to turn the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez into stars in recent years, so the 17-year-old could be next.

FUTURE STAR ARRIVES

It’s safe to say that Thuram has all the ingredients and potential to become a future star as one of AS Monaco’s most-prized players from their academy.

So, the Italian-born midfielder clearly already has the ability to succeed at a high level, which makes his future even more exciting as he’s managed to feature twice in the Champions League already.

Indeed, it looks as if the Reds are setting themselves up for plenty of success in the future, with Thuram possibly joining the likes of Adam Lewis, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bobby Duncan.

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Newcastle’s good performances in recent weeks have hardly earned them the results they’ve deserved but that changed completely against Huddersfield on Saturday, who were truly put to the sword by the Magpies.

The Tyneside outfit ran out 2-0 winners, with Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez getting on the scoresheet in quick succession after the break to secure all three points for the home side.

Miguel Almiron, making his St James’ Park debut after signing for a club-record fee in January, nearly capped off a fine move but his chipped effort struck the post 11 minutes in.

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With the Paraguayan making a promising start, his afternoon was nearly cut short by Terriers defender Tommy Smith, whose dangerous challenge nine minutes later could easily have had catastrophic consequences for the Newcastle man.

The Huddersfield captain was deservedly shown a straight red card – making him the first player to be sent off against Newcastle since 2014 – for his horror tackle and, fortunately, Almiron was able to carry on.

Here’s what the Toon Army had to say about 26-year-old Smith’s red card on Twitter, with some relieved that they had finally seen a red card awarded to their opposition, while others were simply pleased that Almiron wasn’t injured…

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Newcastle United loanee Rolando Aarons was in action on Monday evening for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls welcomed their local-rivals Sheffield United to Hillsborough for an eagerly-anticipated derby, but the game was a cagey affair which failed to entertain in the manner which many had hoped it would.

There were some fleeting moments of creativity and attacking inspiration, though, and Aarons was cited by his manager Steve Bruce as the one player who showed any promise of forcing a breakthrough.

The praise for the 23-year-old’s showing extended well beyond his manager’s verdict as supporters also took to Twitter to offer their compliments.

For Aarons the fixture represented something of a turning point, with Bruce’s decision to play him from the outset handing him a third straight Championship start for the first time in his career.

Injury problems have blighted the former Bristol City trainee’s career so far, but the fact the recently-appointed Wednesday boss had enough faith in his ability to start him in such a high-magnitude fixture suggests that he may have turned a corner in his development.

Here’s how fans reacted to Aarons’ performance in the Steel City derby:

With talk of Alex Neil becoming the next West Bromwich Albion manager intensifying, with Sky Sports now saying he is a “strong contender” for the job, we turn our thoughts towards his potential replacement were the worst to happen.

One name that’s sure to be mentioned is former Preston boss David Moyes.

In his 4 years at Deepdale the Scot did an unbelievable job, which earned him his move to Everton. But it is after he left the Merseyside giants that things turned sour for him.

It is not unfair to say that every position he held afterwards turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, with him becoming the butt of the jokes by rival fans up and down the country.

Maybe it is his tarnished reputation that has seen him struggle to find another job since he left West Ham last May.

It would be a controversial appointment, and despite his previous stint at the club, would be likely to underwhelm Preston fans, who, in Alex Neil, have a manager that has transformed the club and saw them almost make the Championship play-offs last season, finishing seventh.

They currently sit tenth in the table, and Neil’s record overall is impressive, and according to transfermarkt.co.uk, he has a 39 per cent win average since taking charge at Deepdale, and having lost only 29 per cent of the 89 games he has overseen.

With those statistics, it is not surprising that Preston fans do not want to lose their man, and the thought of them turning back the clock and bringing back Moyes would stick in the throat of the majority of them.

We think that the old saying of ‘never go back’ has never been more apt than in this case, and any appointment of Moyes would not be a case of just turning back time, but would be a metaphorical backward step too.

What are your thoughts Preston fans? Will Neil leave? And who would you want to bring in to replace him if he did? Let is know below…

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Leeds United’s under-23s side progressed to the quarter finals of the Premier League Cup with a hard-fought win over their Fulham counterparts at Nethermoor Park on Thursday night, and Whites fans were quick to react.

The Yorkshire oufit were reduced to ten men, and despite having taken a first half lead, had to fight back from 2-1 down to take the game to extra time with the score tied at 2-2 at the end of the 90 minutes. Leeds prevailed 6-5 on penalties after a tense shootout went to sudden-death.

As well as a number of the Whites’ youngsters getting some valuable experience and a chance to shine in front of Marcelo Bielsa, a few first team stars got some much-needed minutes too. Gaetano Berardi played the full 120 minutes, whilst Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton both played the second half and extra time.

Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown also impressed, and scored Leeds’ crucial equaliser, which could earn him some greater involvement at Elland Road in the coming weeks and months.

After the match, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to congratulate the youngsters and celebrate their progress…