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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta "will be impressed" by Southampton midfielder and Gunners transfer target Romeo Lavia, according to journalist Dean Jones.

How is Lavia faring this season?

The teenager has enjoyed something of a breakthrough season for Saints, having joined permanently from Manchester City during last summer's transfer window. While the south coast side have struggled, currently sitting bottom of the Premier League, the midfielder has been one of the few positives on show.

Lavia has shown a level of maturity beyond his years in the middle of the park, starting 16 league games and scoring against Chelsea earlier this season, as well as enjoying an 86.7% pass completion rate. His performances have seen him linked with a host of top Premier League clubs and Arsenal have emerged as a potential suitor this summer.

Arteta has already built a hugely exciting young squad that is battling for league title glory in 2022/23, and he could see the Saints man as the latest prodigious talent to bring in and make his group of players even stronger.

Will Arsenal sign Lavia this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Arteta will be liking what he sees from Lavia ahead of a possible move for him in the coming months:

"I think Arteta will be impressed by the way he's managed to shine in that Saints team, who have generally been pretty poor, but he's been pretty good most of the time. He's got a Belgium call up now, he's growing as a player and growing as a person.

"I think it's no coincidence that Lavia is going to be linked with some big clubs this summer because there is a lot of people watching him."

Lavia could be such an exciting signing by Arsenal this summer, while beating rivals to his signature would also be a statement, in terms of their newfound standing in the Premier League. Reports suggest the midfield sensation could cost up to £45 million but Lavia really does look like a special young prospect with a massive future in the game. Indeed, journalist Jacob Tanswell has described him as "crucial" when referencing his importance to the Southampton squad.

The one-cap Belgium international could come in as a squad player at the base of the Gunners' midfield, not necessarily being a regular starter to begin with but improving over time and learning from Thomas Partey in the role. Eventually, he could then be considered his replacement, making it a seamless transition in a key role for Arteta.

Leeds United have boasted plenty of talented players throughout their glittering past, with the club’s stature and former glory attracting some exceptional quality to Elland Road.

Before their shock 2004 relegation, the Whites enjoyed a sparkling roster including some of the best players to have graced their pitch. They all created long-lasting legacies, with many going down in Premier League history too.

One such combination was David O’Leary’s lethal early 2000s partnership of Alan Smith and Mark Viduka, which typified the team of the era.

Although both were forced to leave the club as they unravelled financially during that aforementioned demotion from the top flight, they remain one of the most notorious duos of the century.

Given the current scoring struggle plaguing Javi Gracia’s side now, they could certainly do with at least one half of them to partner a Patrick Bamford looking to fire the Yorkshire outfit to safety.

What were Mark Viduka’s stats at Leeds?

Of the two, perhaps the most likely to blend with the 29-year-old Bamford was the towering Australian.

With remarkable quick feet for someone with such a hulking physique, adding him to the Spaniard’s side would definitely offer an injection of goals to quell their current issues.

Before their 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, they had scored just once in their last five games in all competitions.

Viduka moved to the club in 2000 and would stay for four years, with a record in front of goal to be proud of. Across his 165 games, he would score 71 times and assist a further 15, more than earning the praise journalist Jon Howe bestowed upon him.

He claimed: “He was an ominous physical specimen, an old-fashioned centre forward in many respects, but mixed a formidable presence with a delicate technique that made him the purest example of a ‘good touch for a big fella’ player you are ever likely to see.”

The 6 foot 2 marksman would have a field day in today’s game playing in Gracia’s favoured 4-4-2, linking up with the equally silky Bamford to great effect. 

At his peak, the former Chelsea forward notched 17 goals and assisted a further eight back during the 2020/21 campaign. These are figures that would surely be attained once again when supplemented by someone of this cult hero’s quality.

Although many may have questioned Viduka’s work rate and attitude, his skillset was undoubted and his effectiveness was there for all to see.

Few would snub the opportunity to see a prime version of the 47-year-old back in a Leeds shirt once again, tearing it up with their current generation on the road to safety.

Arsenal reporter for GOAL Charles Watts has shared that Mikel Arteta will make a late decision on whether Emile Smith Rowe or Reiss Nelson will play tonight.

The Lowdown: Injury woes

Both Smith Rowe and Nelson have missed 13 and 16 games in total respectively through injury so far this season, and coupled up with the injury to Gabriel Jesus, it has meant that the North Londoners have lacked depth in attacking areas at times.

In the 1-1 draw at home to Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Arteta only had Leandro Trossard and young Amario Cozier-Duberry as real attacking options that he could call upon from the bench, and coupled up with the 1-0 loss away at Everton, the lack of options are starting to cost them points in the Premier League.

The Latest: Smith Rowe and Nelson calls

Taking to Twitter during Arteta’s pre-game press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Watts shared that the manager will make a decision that evening with regards to whether Smith Rowe and Nelson will be involved against Manchester City:

“On Nelson and Smith Rowe, he says he will make a decision this evening as to whether they will be involved against City.”

The Verdict: Potentially big boost

If both Smith Rowe and Nelson are deemed fit enough to be in the squad, it will be a big boost for Arteta and his team.

It would give the Spaniard two extra attacking threats that he could call upon from the bench, easing the burden off of the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli.

Nelson already showed his credentials earlier this season, scoring two goals and making one assist in a 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest having had to come off the bench early for an injured Saka, while Smith Rowe’s quality is known, as he managed ten goals and two assists in the Premier League last term.

Nonetheless, this is a huge game against their title rivals, and so the Gunners will want as many players as they can available to be involved in it.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner will hold talks with Jurgen Klopp over his future in the coming months, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Milner into final year

The 37-year-old has been a magnificent servant for the Reds since joining back in 2015, winning every elite club trophy there is to win.

Milner has made a total of 314 appearances for Liverpool, with his vast experience and impressive versatility playing huge roles in their success under Jurgen Klopp.

The Englishman’s current deal expires at the end of this season, however, and a big decision must now be made regarding his future.

The Latest: Romano drops update

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said that Milner will have talks with Klopp in the near future, with nothing decided yet:

“Liverpool are super happy with his involvement but the player and Klopp will speak in the next months, not now.”

The Verdict: Time to say goodbye?

Milner should be viewed as a Liverpool legend because of the success he has enjoyed, but this summer feels like the most natural time to part ways with him, despite being hailed as ‘incredibly important’ by Klopp just last year.

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The Reds’ midfield needs a major overhaul and makes complete sense for him to be shown the exit door, in order to get him off their wage bill – he is earning £60,000 per week – and bring in younger alternatives.

Milner has looked off the pace at times this season, much like Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, and he has contributed no goals and two assists in 25 appearances.

Should he decide to retire this summer, keeping him on as a coach would be a shrewd decision, but at his age, he is no longer good enough to consistently perform at this level.

The San Francisco 49ers will still complete a takeover at Leeds United even if the club are relegated to the Championship and are planning a 10-15 year stay in Yorkshire, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Big spenders

The Whites were busy in the winter window, bringing in three marquee players for Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad.

Max Wober was the first to arrive in an £11m deal, whereas Weston McKennie joined late in the window on an initial loan deal which will include an option to buy for £30m in the summer.

Meanwhile, Georginio Rutter joined in a club-record deal at Elland Road, with the 49ers influential in the transfer. The 49ers Enterprises have the option to take full control of the club from Andrea Radrizzani until January 2024 in a £400m+ deal, and it looks as if that will happen.

The Latest: Takeover update

FI reporter Adam Williams shared a story regarding the 49ers and Leeds on Thursday.

He revealed that the 49ers ‘expect to be in control in Yorkshire for 10-15 years once they complete a full takeover of the club this summer’, adding that relegation would not stop a takeover as they are ‘pursuing a long-term capital appreciation model’.

The Verdict: Exciting…

It looks as if it is just a matter of time until we see ownership change hands at Elland Road, and we have seen the potential of the 49ers recently in regards to the move for Rutter.

Without their backing and pushing, the French forward may still be a Hoffenheim player, and if the club avoid the drop this season, we could see more high-profile transfers in the summer.

Development of Elland Road could also be on the 49ers’ to-do list after Radrizzani made plans to expand capacity to 55,000, so it appears to be an exciting time to be a Leeds supporter, especially with the 49ers planning for the long run.

Manchester United could include Donny van de Beek as part of a prospective deal to bring Weston McKennie to Old Trafford this year, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Juventus in crisis

Juventus value the American midfielder at €50m (£44m), and recent events suggest that they might be left with little option but to cash in on him if the Premier League giants maintain their reported interest.

In a sensational development on Friday night, the Bianconeri were deducted 15 points for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting, in an instant dumping them to mid-table in Serie A and leaving them with little hope of claiming a Champions League berth for next season.

The Latest: McKennie-Van de Beek swap mooted

Following on from that hammer blow for Juventus, Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb reported that United have offered Van de Beek to the Turin club as part of a prospective deal to bring McKennie the other way this summer.

The Red Devils have asked about signing the 24-year-old, and it has been suggested that the Dutch midfielder could be sacrificed in an attempt to execute the deal during discussions between the two clubs.

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The Verdict: Would make sense for Man United

Although Van de Beek stood out in Erik ten Hag’s Ajax team which reached the Champions League semi-finals four years ago, scoring three times in that European campaign, the 25-year-old’s fortunes since joining United in 2020 have been alarming.

He was loaned out to Everton a year ago amid a £120,000-per-week midfielder needs to “step up” his game, something that Van de Beek won’t be able to do for some time after suffering a season-ending knee injury earlier this month.

Therefore, United might be best advised to cut their losses with the Dutchman this year, especially if it means being able to bring in McKennie – who has previously been dubbed a “unique” talent by USA national team coach Gregg Berhalter – amid the crisis at Juventus.

As per FBref, the American has averaged more goals and assists per game, a better pass completion and tackling rate, and a better dribbling completion percentage than Van de Beek, which suggests that he could be of more use to Ten Hag than the stricken 19-cap Netherlands midfielder.

Football Insider pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to rumours linking Leeds United with a move for Southampton striker Che Adams.

The Lowdown: Adams speculation

The Whites appear to be on the hunt for a new forward due to Patrick Bamford’s ongoing injury issues. One player with whom the club have been linked is Adams, with Phil Hay recently teasing a January move.

Reports elsewhere have claimed that the 26-year-old, who currently holds a career-high €22m (£19.4m) Transfermarkt valuation, is among the options being considered at Elland Road.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who also contributes to talkSPORT, was talking to Football Insider regarding a potential swoop for Adams. He wasn’t sure if the Scotland international would improve Leeds and urged the club to target a forward ‘with more quality’.

The former Aston Villa striker said: “I find it really hard to judge Che Adams. Some weeks you watch him and he looks really sharp. But in other games, he can look really poor and miss some very good chances.

“Is he going to improve Leeds? I’m not sure, to be honest. I think they need to be looking at someone with more quality.

“This Bamford problem is a real worry because you can’t rely on Rodrigo to provide the goals all season long because he’s never been that player.”

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The Verdict: Has a point…

Adams began the season in fine form, scoring four times in all competitions in August alone. However, he appears to have dropped off in recent months, with the striker missing a ‘sitter’ in Southampton’s  defeat to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, which backs up Agbonlahor’s claim of inconsistency.

Therefore, you could say that a move for the Scotland marksman would be a gamble by Leeds officials, as there is no guarantee that he will arrive and score the goals which would guide the club to safety.

Victor Orta really needs to get this addition spot-on, though, so it will be interesting to see who the Whites pursue this month.

Everton have had several injury concerns over the Premier League season so far, although a new update has emerged which will give the squad a much-needed boost ahead of their return to action after Christmas.

What’s the latest?

Ben Godfrey has been out of action for the Toffees since he picked up a nasty leg fracture during the opening game of the season, but an update from the club’s official Twitter channel on Friday gave supporters a glimpse of the player back in training.

The club confirmed the centre-back’s return to full team training in a simple five-word tweet alongside a video of Godfrey, with the caption: “Ready and raring to go”

It’s good news for Lampard

There is no doubt that the return of Godfrey is good news for Lampard, as it will give the 44-year-old more depth and options in the back four over the second half of the season.

Everton are currently 17th in the Premier League after a run of poor performances and have now found themselves teetering on the edge of the relegation zone, just one point clear of the bottom three.

The former Chelsea boss will be hoping that the World Cup break will have given his squad the rest that they need in order to come back fighting when the Toffees face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day.

Indeed, Lampard struck gold with the summer signings of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, with the duo forming a flourishing and powerful centre-back partnership at Goodison Park, which has solved a lot of the defensive issues which plagued Everton last season.

Having conceded 66 league goals in 2021/22, they have shipped just 17 in their first 15 games this time around, which averaged out over a full season would end up at 43.

However, the recovery of Godfrey will give the manager the opportunity to rotate his team with quality depth, as the defender has been one of the more consistent and reliable players for the Goodison Park outfit.

Across 23 appearances last season, the 24-year-old won 56% of his duels, completed 75% of his dribbles and kept four of Everton’s eight clean sheets when he was in the team, also averaging two tackles, four clearances and 23.5 accurate passes per game.

With that in mind, Godfrey’s availability will surely be warmly welcomed at Goodison Park as the team endeavours to improve their performances on the pitch over the second half of the season.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will hand youth players a chance to impress during the second half of the season under his tutelage as they find themselves miles behind in the chase for the Premiership title.

There are a plethora of youngsters who are waiting in the wings at Ibrox, and although Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave some of them their first team debuts, most notably Alex Lowry, Charlie McCann and Adam Devine, the Dutchman’s loyalty to players such as Scott Arfield stunted their development slightly.

Beale, however, won’t make that mistake, especially with his experience as a former U21 coach at Liverpool. With so many talents emerging through the Ibrox ranks, the 42-year-old could save millions in the transfer market.

The aforementioned Devine is one of the brightest prospects coming through the ranks and Beale could uncover his next Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 19-year-old.

The Englishman coached Trent during his stint at Liverpool U21s and he is now arguably one of the continent’s finest attacking fullbacks, having registered a mammoth 63 assists during his senior playing career and Devine is a similar threat going forward.

Craig Vickers dubbed him as a “powerful runner in that position” when fellow young right-back Nathan Patterson left the club, while Jordan Campbell described him as a “clone” of the now Everton defender and this can only be a good thing for Beale, and Rangers.

Indeed, Patterson was kept out of the team by captain James Tavernier, and through no fault of his own, the position wasn’t likely to be available on a regular basis.

With Tavernier turning 31 recently, his time at the club will be drawing to a close sooner rather than later and Devine could be the ideal player to fill the void.

Having made his debut for the club against Dundee United last season, he has since made a further two first-team appearances and has performed with an air of maturity that will stand him in good stead for the future.

Beale uncovered Alexander-Arnold and gave him the best coaching possible for him to go on and shine for Liverpool and there is no reason why he can’t do the exact same thing for Devine, as the Light Blues might be able to unearth a player in a similar mould who could generate them a fortune in the future.

Manchester City are the club that are the most interested in signing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao. 

The Lowdown: Leao’s road to Qatar

Last season saw the 23-year-old score 14 goals and deliver 12 assists in the 42 games he played across all competitions, helping his side secure the Serie A title.

Having been included in Portugal’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar alongside City players such as Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, Leao has already found himself on the scoresheet as he scored in their 3-2 win over Ghana.

Having also been linked with a move away from Milan, who have reportedly been trying to secure him to a new contract, it seems as though Pep Guardiola’s side are in the mix to land the winger’s signature.

The Latest: City the most interested in Leao

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian football expert Carlo Garganese gave an update on Leao.

He said: “Some other Premier League clubs as well; Man City like him, so they’re not the only team. They are the team that are most interested out of those clubs.”

The Verdict: A star signing for City

So far this season, Leao has again showed how much of an exciting attacking talent he is by scoring six goals and delivering four assists across 14 Serie A appearances.

In addition to that, the winger has made more shots at goal (50), shots on target (12), passes into the 18-yard box (24) and successful dribbles (24) than any other player at Milan.

This makes it easy to see why City are apparently the most interested club in signing Leao, who would surely be an exciting addition to Guardiola’s side.

With Milan legend Paolo Maldini calling the winger a “diamond”, it’s also easy to see why the club have put an apparent release clause in his contract worth €150m (£129m), meaning that it may take a hefty investment from City to sign him.