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Chelsea had a relatively quiet transfer deadline day, with the Blues not looking to bring in any major names as the window came to a close. However, that doesn’t mean that the club were inactive. In fact, to the contrary, as the Blues did confirm a couple of deals.

Lucas Piazon moved to Italy, whilst Michy Batshuayi’s loan at Valencia was cut short and he was sent across London to Crystal Palace. Of course, Batshuayi has had a tough season so far over in Spain, and it’s fair to say that a bit of a career restart was needed.

Palace should offer him a good chance at developing further. They’re in need of further depth going forward, and his knack for scoring important goals will be a huge help for the Eagles as they look to improve in the English top flight. He proved his goalscoring acumen last season at Borussia Dortmund, and if he can get even close to that form, Palace will have bagged quite the coup.

However, this deal could benefit Chelsea beyond just allowing their player to develop. It could also help them more directly – at least if you consider Crystal Palace’s upcoming fixtures. Palace have some huge games coming up, many of which are against some of Chelsea’s rivals. They face Man Utd later this month, whilst ties against Tottenham, Man City and Arsenal are also forthcoming.

For most players, this likely wouldn’t be a huge consideration, but Batshuayi is a game-changing goalscorer, and he knows how to score against big teams. Perhaps, then, Chelsea may have thought about this tactically – why send him abroad when he can have an impact in the Premier League for a team that won’t be amongst the top-four this season?

In truth, it’s a bit of genius from Chelsea, and a few goals from the Belgian in the aforementioned games could have a huge impact on the Blues’ season.

Thoughts?

A number of Crystal Palace supporters have been hailing Vicente Guaita after his last-gasp save prevented the Eagles from losing to Burnley.

Patrick Vieira’s side returned to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon following the final international break of the year.

Palace made the trip to Turf Moor to face Sean Dyche’s Clarets, with a thrilling end-to-end contest finishing in a 3-3 draw at Turf Moor.

It was 3-2 to Patrick Vieira’s side by half-time but Maxwel Cornet’s equaliser early in the second half ultimately earned the hosts a point.

It could have been even worse for Palace, however, with Guaita forced into making a big save to deny Chris Wood in the dying moments, with the Eagles’ official Twitter channel sharing footage of that heroic intervention from the 34-year-old along with the caption ‘Viva Vicente’.

Palace fans hail Guaita save

It was a huge moment in the match and these Palace fans took to Twitter to show their love for Guaita, who had been culpable of costly errors in recent weeks such as his fateful kick-out against Brighton.

“Some people wanted him dropped???? Respect VG!”

Credit: @JoeThompson95

“Have absolutely no idea why Vydra hasn’t put his foot through it. What a save though”

Credit: @SamuelMargo

“HUGE”

Credit: @jwgribbin_

“that’s an unreal save”

Credit: @Wheddsta

“And some fans have been demanding he gets dropped”

Credit: @rickyj555

“People calling for this man to be dropped… no idea”

Credit: @Jackcarter98_

In other news, a key update has emerged regarding Conor Gallagher’s future. Read more here.

West Ham United manager David Moyes has some massive decisions to make as his side returns to Premier League action this afternoon.

The Irons head north to face defending champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a huge clash which sees third face fourth.

After a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, the east Londoners bounced back with a routine victory over Rapid Wien in the Europa League, a win which sealed top spot in their group and their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

Moyes rang the changes in Austria, so it will be interesting to see what sort of line-up he will select against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens today, especially after they sealed an impressive three points against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

Here’s the Hammers XI that we’re predicting…

There could be as many as eight changes from the side which won in Vienna on Thursday night.

Lukasz Fabianski did not make the trip, so he will be well-rested for his return between the sticks this afternoon, whilst Irons “monster” Issa Diop is the only defender to keep his place, meaning 31-year-old Craig Dawson is axed, having started twice in the last nine days and been unconvincing against Wolves.

The £12.5m-rated Frenchman will join his fellow countryman Kurt Zouma in the heart of defence, with Aaron Cresswell returning at left-back and academy gem Ben Johnson continuing to get the nod on the right over Vladimir Coufal, who got some much-needed minutes in midweek.

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Tomas Soucek is the second player to feature in back-to-back matches this week and he should be rejoined by Declan Rice, who will lead the team out in Manchester, taking the place of club captain Mark Noble.

Further up the pitch, Jarrod Bowen is another to keep his spot in the starting XI but he will be joined by his usual league allies, Pablo Fornals in the no.10 role and Said Benrahma on the other flank. They take the places of summer signing Nikola Vlasic and Manuel Lanzini.

Up top, Thursday’s goalscorer Andriy Yarmolenko is axed as Michail Antonio is due to return.

The leading £70k-per-week West Ham talisman, who was dubbed a “complete monster” by journalist Paul Brown earlier this season, didn’t travel to Austria, so he should be raring to go today.

AND in other news, “A definite target”: Ex drops big West Ham transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

After managing to secure another point against the reigning Premier League champions and current league leaders Manchester City with a 1-1 draw at home after their 0-0 result against them at The Etihad Stadium back in September, Southampton head into the winter break in 12th place with 25 points on the board.

As well as this positive result, it seems as though the club have been handed a fresh injury boost by the time they return to action next month.

What’s the news?

Speaking after the draw against Pep Guardiola’s side at St. Mary’s over the weekend, Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed to Hampshire Live that Saint winger Nathan Tella was not involved in the match due to a groin injury.

However, he should be back after the current winter break by the time Southampton play their next match against Coventry City in the FA Cup.

Talking to the press, the Austrian gave the following seven-word update: “After the break, he will be back.”

Fans will be pleased

This will be good news for Hasenhuttl and supporters as it’ll give the Saints an extra option to pick from in his squad when deciding his starting XI.

Even though he hasn’t managed to score a goal or provide an assist in the Premier League for the Saints so far this season, Tella has still proven himself to be a useful attacking option for Hasenhuttl with ten league appearances under his belt, showing how much the Southampton boss trusts him to do a job for the team.

With the game against Coventry in mind, it would not be a surprise if Tella is among those selected to start the game, especially when you consider the sort of attacking form that he has shown in previous FA Cup and Carabao Cup games this season, having provided two assists and one goal in four appearances across both competitions.

However, if the 22-year-old isn’t able to provide any goals or assists in the Premier League, then questions will surely be raised about his capabilities of playing in the top division on a regular basis at the level Hasenhuttl would want, especially with WhoScored currently listing him as one of the lowest-rated Southampton players in terms of overall performances in the league this season.

That said, the youngster is clearly a player with immense promise and seeing him return to full fitness is beneficial for every single party.

In other news: Solak heading for Saints calamity on “unbelievable” £100k-p/w gem, Ralph would fume – opinion

Celtic goalkeepers Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard could leave the club in January, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Lack of game time…

Both Barkas and Hazard featured in stages last season under Neil Lennon but have fallen out of favour during the current campaign.

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Barkas, labelled as ‘horrendous’ by pundit Tam McManus, made 22 appearances last season but has started just twice under Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Hazard, described as ‘jittery’ by pundit Natasha Meikle, is yet to feature in 2021/22 after making six appearances last season.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a transfer mailbag on The Athletic on Wednesday, answering numerous questions from Hoops fans ahead of the January window.

He was asked about the club’s goalkeepers, with Devlin admitting Celtic ‘will attempt to move Barkas on in January, although his wages might make a permanent transfer difficult.’

Devlin then said that Hazard ‘might be moved on too, again depending on what kind of loan bids or permanent offers comes in’.

The reliable reporter revealed that there are no immediate plans to replace Scott Bain, with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi.

The Verdict: The right calls?

It seems as if Barkas and Hazard aren’t in the club’s long-term plans, so looking to move them on next month appears to be the right call.

Hazard only penned new Parkhead terms back in March, but it doesn’t look like he’s fancied by Postecoglou given he hasn’t even featured under the gaffer, with youngster Oluwayemi possibly identified as the first-choice in the long run.

On that basis, selling or moving the pair out on loan could be a wise decision, but even though they’ve hardly played this season that doesn’t mean the club should accept any old lowball offers that come in.

In other news: Print newspaper reveal Celtic now want left-footed ace who’s racked up £20m in transfer fees. 

Tottenham Hotspur retain an interest in signing Nikola Milenkovic ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, who claim Spurs manager Antonio Conte is an admirer of the Fiorentina colossus, though they will face competition from the likes of West Ham United, Manchester United and Juventus.

Valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, the Serbia international is a target for the north Londoners this winter, with his current contract set to expire in 18 months time.

It remains to be seen how much a move for Milenkovic would cost.

Conte’s dream defender

The Viola colossus has all the attributes to be a perfect signing under Conte and if sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy can seal his signature, then they could well form a frightening duo in north London.

Spurs could well be in need of additional centre-backs, too, with Cristian Romero facing a pretty long stint on the sideline. There won’t be many better options out there this winter than Milenkovic, and he could well be an ideal option alongside the Argentine in the future, particularly under Conte.

Milenkovic ranks inside Fiorentina’s top six players and is arguably one of their best on the ball, averaging a passing accuracy of 90.8% – the second-best of any player to start ten or more league games.

This would suggest that he’s more than capable of being a reliable ball-playing option in defence for Conte. Furthermore, he offers a ruthless edge, also averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Once likened to Premier League great Nemanja Vidic, the Serbian should have no trouble in adapting to the English top-flight, especially if he turns out to be half the player of the ex-United powerhouse.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field,” Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic told ESPN in 2018. “He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – [they are] both are fearless.”

Meanwhile, he has also been dubbed a “beast” by former Partizan head coach Ivan Tomic.

On the above evidence, Conte would surely love to seal a move for Milenkovic. He had the best defence in Serie A with Inter Milan last season, on their way to the league title, and the Fiorentina star has all the skills to be a perfect fit in his Italian-based system over in N17.

Conte and Milenkovic would be a frightening prospect heading into the remainder of the campaign.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Skipp: Spurs eye “unbeatable” £27m-rated machine, Conte would love him…

After a rather uninspiring start to the season, October saw Southampton turn their fortunes around in the Premier League, winning two out of the four league games they played, the first of which being their first win of the campaign against Leeds United.

One player that played a significant part in Southampton’s success in October, particularly in their two victories where they managed to keep two clean sheets in the process was defender Valentino Livramento.

The right-back played every minute of league action for the Saints last month, showing just how valuable he is to Ralph Hasenhuttl, despite only joining the south coast club back in the previous summer transfer window.

During October, Livramento managed to rack up a total of 13 tackles in the league, more than fellow Saints defender Jan Bednarek, highlighting Livramento’s impressive defensive capabilities.

In addition to this, the 19-year-old also managed to grab his first goal of the season in their 2-2 draw against Burnley as well as racking up four key passes, proving that, as well as being a reliable defender, Livramento also has some attacking prowess in him, which makes him a very well-rounded player for the Saints.

According to SofaScore, the only Premier League game in October where Livramento earned himself a lower overall match rating of 7.0 was in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, showing how fairly consistent he is with his performances and why he could be considered as Hasenhuttl’s hero for the month.

As well as his impressive performances in October, Livramento’s entire start to the season with Southampton has grabbed the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate who recently said the Saints defender has had an “excellent” campaign with the club so far.

Moving forward, with the full-back having to pull out of international duty earlier this week with an injury, Hasenhuttl and everyone else at Southampton will definitely be hoping that the youngster will be able to play in their next Premier League game against Norwich City and replicate the same sort of performance he put in during their previous league game against Aston Villa where he earned himself an overall match rating of 7.5/10 from SofaScore, making him their joint-highest rated player on the day.

In other news: Forget JWP: “Nasty” Saints beast who’s made 24 tackles has been Ralph’s secret weapon – opinion

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has provided an update on Steven Bergwijn’s Tottenham future, with Ajax keen on the winger, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: ‘Final stages’ claim

Bergwijn has started just three Premier League fixtures this season and is currently sidelined with a calf issue.

Ajax submitted a bid for the Dutch attacker earlier this month, with recent reports claiming an agreement is in the ‘final stages’.

Antonio Conte and Daniel Levy are apparently willing to give the green light to a north London exit for the 24-year-old, and reliable reporter Bridge has now been having his say.

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The Latest: Bridge’s comments

Bridge, talking to Give Me Sport, revealed that there has indeed been discussions between Spurs and Ajax.

He says Tottenham aren’t willing to accept an offer of £15m, however, especially with Levy forking out £27m two years ago.

“We do know that a bid has come in from Ajax. My understanding is that there has been a few bits of discussions, whether that’s a £15m offer or a loan with an obligation to buy in the summer for nearer the fee that Tottenham want.

“I know that Tottenham won’t accept £15m, but that’s the offer they had from Ajax.”

The Verdict: Understandable

A Jose Mourinho addition, it’s safe to say that Bergwijn hasn’t lived up to expectations in England following a big-money move from PSV.

He has scored just five goals in 64 appearances, with Conte yet to start the wide man in the Premier League. It doesn’t seem as if the Spurs boss is a massive fan of Bergwijn, however, Spurs still need to get the best deal possible when it comes to a sale.

Hopefully, they can recoup the majority of the £27m they spent on the player, but to do that, they need to negotiate with Ajax following a rumoured £15m bid.

In other news: Alasdair Gold drops ‘positive update’ as Tottenham close in on first piece of major Jan business.

Stuart Taylor has dropped an update on the future of Jamie Hamilton amid the midfielder’s links with a move to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, the Hamilton Academical manager stated his belief that the 19-year-old’s links with a transfer to Celtic this winter are nothing but pub chat in a big twist to their supposed pursuit of the player.

Although he did go on to admit he wouldn’t be surprised if the Bhoys were keeping a very close eye on the centre-back ahead of a potential swoop in the future.

On the Hoops’ reported interest in the youngster, Taylor said: “Nobody has spoken to me directly, but that would be normal. Other clubs don’t always go to the manager. But I’ve certainly not spoken to Allan [Maitland, the club chairman] in the last 24 hours about outgoings.

“I do expect there will be interest in Jamie and I expect there will be interest in a lot of our players, especially the younger ones. But going on websites it’s very easy to punch in names of teams and players, and it goes under the category of what I’d call ‘pub chat’.”

Postecoglou must move

While it would appear from Taylor’s latest comments that Celtic are yet to make an approach for the defender in the January transfer window, considering the sheer amount of potential Hamilton quite clearly possesses, it would appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to do so before another interested party does.

Indeed, despite having only turned 19 last year, the Scotland U21 international has already established himself as a first-team regular at the rather aptly named Fountain of Youth Stadium, making 16 Championship appearances so far this season, in addition to a further four outings in the League Cup.

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Furthermore, the £360k-rated man highly impressed in the club’s 1-1 draw with Rangers last February, with then-Hamilton manager Brian Rice stating of the centre-back’s display:

“I think you saw in young Jamie Hamilton today. Absolutely outstanding for an 18-year-old, absolutely fantastic. He needs the help of the experienced lads. It’s trying to get the blend right. I think we are nearly there. Jamie has certainly improved with Aaron Martin alongside him, Lee Hodson, talking to him.”

As such, with the likes of Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, Newcastle United and Burnley also reported to be interested in the youngster this winter, should Postecoglou wish to give himself the best possible chance of landing Hamilton, he simply must act as quickly as possible – as the 19-year-old will not likely be an Accies player much longer.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “explosive” £12.5k-p/w Celtic flop with Jan swoop for 22 y/o gem

Celtic midfielder Ben Doak is on the verge of sealing a move away from Parkhead.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scottish Sun, who claim that, despite Ange Postecoglou’s best efforts to convince the 16-year-old to remain at Celtic Park, the Scotland U17 international is now set to join Liverpool in a six-figure deal.

In recent comments made regarding the youngster’s potential departure, the 56-year-old Hoops boss said: “I’ve said all along that for me, this football club is everything that a young player should want. Particularly at the moment.

“I really want to bring young players into our first team and give them an opportunity as we have already. But they’ve got to be invested in our football club. They’ve got to want to be here and they’ve got to want to be here long-term.

“If they see their futures elsewhere or they’re not certain then I have total respect for that. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions. But I’m going to invest time and opportunity into the people who want to stay at our football club.”

Postecoglou can replace Doak with Scott

While the impending departure of a player as talented as Doak will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to Celtic, should Postecoglou go on to replace the 16-year-old with Bayern Munich’s Christopher Scott – with whom the Bhoys have been heavily linked – it would rather significantly ease the loss of the Scottish youth international.

Indeed, a recent report by the Daily Record revealed that, after the 19-year-old made it clear he would like to secure a move away from the German champions in a search for regular first-team football, Bayern are now set to trigger a one-year extension in the attacking midfielder’s contract – in order not to lose the teenager for nothing at the end of the current campaign.

According to the report, a source close to the negotiations said: “Bayern Munich has the option of extending Christopher’s contract by one more year and this is one-sided on the club’s part. Munich won’t let him go for free because he’s one of the biggest talents in Germany and it would cost around €300k to €400k (£250k to £340k) for him.

“It’s about finding the best solution for a young player. The option for his contract is at the end of May and that will be taken up by Bayern Munich. Bayern, at the moment, aren’t well known for bringing players into the first team and Christopher is looking for a new challenge.

“It’s clear that Glasgow Celtic would be a massive option for him and they have been in talks but the English Premier League is also an option for someone who is a massive talent. Celtic are serious contenders because they are a massive club and they are very serious about trying to sign him.”

As the source suggests, the £1.08m-rated starlet is indeed an incredibly exciting prospect, something that is proven by the forward’s record in youth and reserve team football – with Scott scoring 43 goals and registering 11 assists over 103 appearances for the likes of Bayer Leverkusen U17s, Bayer Leverkusen U19s, Bayern Munich U19s and Bayern Munich II.

As such, while Doak – who Brian McLaughlin dubbed an “infectious” talent – is certainly an extremely promising young player, the 16-year-old’s move south of the border will be quickly forgotten should Postecoglou go on to seal the Germany U20 international as his replacement.

AND in other news: The Scotsman drop huge 14-word Celtic update, unforgivable error may be inbound