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West Ham United have distinguished one of the Premier League’s most industrious presences to replace a likely outgoing phenom…

What’s the word?

Signing for Manchester City from boyhood club Leeds United last summer, Kalvin Phillips has been hampered by injury during his stay with the Sky Blues, and has been at the epicentre of claims that boss Pep Guardiola branded him “overweight” upon returning from World Cup duty with England.

And now, Football Insider state that sources have confirmed the Hammers’ interest; with coveted midfielder Declan Rice likely to depart at the end of the campaign, the 27-year-old Cityzen could be the player to adopt the role his compatriot has held so well in east London.

Phillips arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a £45m deal last year, and he would certainly not come cheap even if City were prepared to grant a departure, but the funds garnered from Rice’s prospective sale would free up space to make a move for someone of his ilk.

Perfect Rice replacement 

Since rising through the youth ranks at the Irons academy, Rice has cruised towards Premier League eminence, and is now being touted for a move to one of the country’s top outfits.

Indeed, with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among the clubs that might make a swoop for a player out of contract at the end of next season and showing no sign of agreeing a new deal, cashing in for a lucrative fee might be the best option for West Ham boss David Moyes.

In Phillips, the veteran Scottish manager would boast a robust and all-encompassing central figure to take the baton from Rice, and ensure that the stability and charge that his counterpart has created does not waver.

Granted, the east London outfit have been beset with a stark decline this term, miserably above the drop-zone on just goal difference following two European-clinching seasons in-and-amongst the elite of the Premier League, but the abundance of quality and affluence underpinning the efforts on the pitch should steer the club in the right direction once again.

As per FBref, Rice ranks within the top 4% for pass completion and the top 7% for interceptions when compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, while Phillips, despite lacking the same level of ball-playing assurance, ranks within the top 1% of players for tackles, the top 14% for interceptions and the top 4% for blocks.

There is a clear prowess in the anchored position of the pitch, also flourishing as a pivot when called upon, instigating positive transitions by timing challenges with pinpoint precision.

And with Phillips’ City career thus far blighted by injury, Sofascore record his rating in the Premier League last year at a solid 6.84, earning the transfer to the division’s champions by displaying his stellar consistency in a Leeds team that battled to stave off relegation last term.

Hailed as a “destroyer” by ex-England manager Steve McClaren, who waxed lyrical about the ace to Sky Sports News (via Leeds Live), Phillips might be wise to depart from Guardiola’s City, where he will likely struggle for consistent game-time, and flourish with the Hammers, who can return on course and challenge for Europe once again with a Rice replacement every bit as formidable as their current gem.

Liverpool have had their worst start to a Premier League season in a decade, with a number of injury issues mounting and much upheaval at Anfield contributing to the inconsistency on the pitch.

The Reds are currently sixth in the table after their first 14 matches prior to the World Cup break, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping for a fresh start for his squad when they return to action in the top flight tomorrow.

Liverpool will head to Villa Park for their first league game since 12 November and will face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who are unbeaten in the top flight since his return to the Premier League.

Not only are the Reds back in action, but the January transfer window will reopen this time next week, and it will be interesting to see if Liverpool make moves to improve the performances on the pitch and strengthen the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Injuries have been mounting in the Merseysiders’ squad over the season so far, with Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Arthur Melo currently sidelined ahead of the Boxing Day fixture, and the former two not expected back for at least the next six weeks.

As a result, Liverpool could be tempted to make a move for an attacking player in the January transfer window in order to bolster the squad following the exits of Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Taki Minamino in the summer, combined with the ongoing injury issues.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to Anfield is Leicester City and England star James Maddison, a versatile attacking midfielder who could offer Klopp a multitude of solutions at Anfield.

Despite Leicester’s struggles this season, the 26-year-old has been undoubtedtly the standout performer in the team, and his incredible performances earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad in Qatar.

In 13 Premier League appearances so far this term, the £60m-valued ace – who was dubbed “frightening” by Rio Ferdinand – has scored seven goals, registered four assists and created three big chances, averaging three shots on goal, 2.4 key passes, 1.9 tackles, 33.6 accurate passes and 4.8 duels won per game.

Maddison has earned high praise for his outstanding performances this season, with talkSPORT’s Danny Murphy hailing the player in an analysis of the 26-year-old’s future by saying: “He’s a super talent, the only question mark over James Maddison is his application and sometimes his attitude, but his talent is up there.”

The former Liverpool midfielder continued: “Is he good enough? Yes. He’s a Champions League player. He has all of the qualities needed to play Champions League and international football.”

With that being said, the signing of Maddison would be a major coup for Liverpool if they decide that strengthening their attacking presence is crucial in the New Year, and there is no doubt that Klopp could get Anfield rocking if the Foxes maestro could perform at the same level for the Reds.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s long-term future at the club is reportedly in doubt because of his relationship with new manager Unai Emery.

The Lowdown: Martinez on Argentina duty

The 30-year-old has traded club commitments for international duty, currently starting between the sticks for much-fancied Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Martinez conceded twice in the shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia but bounced back with a crucial clean sheet in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Mexico.

Away from Qatar, however, the Argentine’s Villa future has emerged as a worrying topic of conversation.

The Latest: Villa exit on the cards?

According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, Martinez’s time at Villa Park is ‘under threat’ because of ‘friction’ with new boss Emery, who recently replaced Steven Gerrard.

A source has claimed that a ‘fallout’ took place between the pair during their time at Arsenal together which could still prove to be problematic, with it being described as a ‘hurdle’ to overcome.

The Verdict: Hugely worrying news

This is undoubtedly concerning news for anyone of a Villa persuasion, considering what an influential performer Martinez has been during his time at the club and the fact he signed a new contract through to 2027 earlier this year.

He has established himself as arguably one of the standout goalkeepers in the Premier League and has also been described as ‘one of the best’ in the world in his position by Lionel Messi.

The hope is that Martinez and Emery can get past their differences and work together effectively – not everybody has to be best friends – because the thought of the former departing is hugely worrying.

Wolves have been linked with a move for Ajax star Mohammed Kudus and the Ghana international could be a big upgrade on Raul Jimenez in Julen Lopetegui’s side.

It was suggested during the summer that Wolves were keen on the 22-year-old and he could now be available for a bargain fee in January, with more recent reports suggesting that he would cost as little as €10m (£8.7m).

Considering Wolves have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League so far this season, it seems clear that attacking additions are needed in January if Lopetegui is to turn things around, and Kudus could be the ideal man.

The Ajax attacker has had a superb campaign thus far, contributing ten goals in all competitions for the Eredivisie side, including four goals and two assists in six Champions League appearances, which helped him to a superb 7.34 average rating from WhoScored.

Jimenez, meanwhile, failed to find the back of the net in any of his three Premier League appearances before the break, and averaged a disappointing 6.34 rating from WhoScored.

FBRef’s scouting report of Kudus emphasises just how impressive he has been from an attacking perspective, as he scores in the 99th percentile for non-penalty expected goals, pass completion and dribbles completed per 90 when compared with other forwards across Europe’s top leagues.

By comparison, Jimenez has scored in the fifth, 59th, and 43rd percentile in the same statistics, which suggests that he is no longer good enough to be relied upon as the main source of goals at Molineux.

Although the Mexico international was the top scorer and top creator in Wolves’ side last season, he managed just six goals and four assists, with the former Benfica man sadly not reaching the same levels he was showing before his fractured skull injury.

The 31-year-old has spent much of this season on the sidelines with injury but has still travelled to Qatar with Mexico for the World Cup, where Wolves fans will be hoping that he can rediscover his goalscoring touch.

However, Lopetegui might well consider tuning into Ghana’s Group H games against Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay, as Kudus’ impressive 2022/23 form suggests that he could be a “superstar” for the Black Stars.

Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign rising star Benjamin Sesko, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Slovenian will join RB Leipzig.

The Lowdown: Sesko on fire at Salzburg

The 19-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting young attacking players, even being compared to Erling Haaland by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Sesko has already scored 17 goals in 62 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg despite still being a teenager, while he also has four goals in 15 caps for Slovenia.

The £40m-valued striker has been linked with a move to United recently, but it looks as though the Premier League giants are set to miss out on him.

The Latest: Man United dealt Sesko transfer blow

Writing for Substack [via Caught Offside], Romano stated his belief that Sesko would be joining another Red Bull-owned club in RB Leipzig, treading a familiar transfer path for Salzburg players.

The Italian outlined:

“Another player being linked with United is Benjamin Sesko, but I’m less sure of the truth to these rumours.

“Sesko signed for RB Leipzig last summer and it will be completed in 2023, so I’m told he’s going to Leipzig. Man Utd have been tracking him for a long time, this is not new – last summer Man Utd and Chelsea were interested, but he’s going to Leipzig.”

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The Verdict: One for the future?

Missing out on Sesko would be a blow for United, who need to look at bringing in a high-quality centre forward to replace the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial eventually, with doubts emerging in recent weeks surrounding the Old Trafford futures of those two players.

A couple of years at Leipzig could see the Slovenian become an even more rounded and formidable footballer, though, so United could potentially look to snap him up further down the line whenever he has outgrown the Bundesliga club.

To be likened to the hugely prolific Haaland is enormously high praise, and Sesko does look like a special talent who could be a monster transfer target for the Red Devils in years to come, possessing pace, power and ruthlessness in front of goal.

Mauricio Pochettino is keen on a return to the Premier League amid talk of a new manager arriving at Aston Villa, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Gerrard under pressure

The Villans were beaten 2-0 at home to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, with Mason Mount’s double securing all three points for the visitors.

The result has heaped further pressure on Steven Gerrard, with his team making a poor start to the season and now sitting 16th in the table.

With the 42-year-old subjected to “sacked in the morning” chants by both sets of supporters at Villa Park yesterday and amid reported in-house talks of a possible sacking, there is no denying that he is hanging by a thread at the moment, and Pochettino is one man who has been linked with replacing him.

The Latest: Jones talks up Pochettino prospects

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones admitted that the Argentine is interested in a return to the Premier League and that Villa should consider a move for him if they dispense with Gerrard.

The journalist stated:

“While Pochettino is out there with an interest in returning to the Premier League it would be pretty strange not to consider that as a good next option. That’s a boss who has high expectations but with a strong background too in managing elite players.”

The Verdict: Perfect potential replacement

Pochettino’s stock has admittedly fallen a little after a forgettable spell at Paris Saint-Germain, but he is a top-class manager who excelled with Spurs, guiding them to the 2019 Champions League final and consistently keeping them in the Premier League’s top four.

If Gerrard is to be sacked, the 50-year-old should be viewed as a primary candidate to come in, given his pedigree as a manager and the fact that he has proven his worth at the highest level in England.

The hope is that Gerrard can turn things around, though, with the 42-year-old possibly still being trusted to take Villa out of their current slump and prove that he is up to the job.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has previously suggested that summer signing Wilfried Gnonto is “not ready” for first-team action but his fifth senior cap for Italy this week would certainly suggest otherwise.

“No,” the American head coach said in response to one question on whether the 18-year-old would be ‘Premier League ready.’ He added (via LeedsLive): “I didn’t even know that that’s out there. But we know who he is. And with him, it’d be more of a long-term project.”

Since his bargain £3.8m arrival at Elland Road on deadline day, the Italian frontman is yet to register a single minute of game time, though he has featured for the U21s on one occasion.

However, after his cameo in England’s 1-0 defeat to Gli Azzurri, Marsch may well want to change his stance on the former FC Zurich talisman.

Italy boss Roberto Mancini has now called upon the teenager five times, the latest being this 27-minute stint from the bench against the Three Lions, where he certainly caught the eye.

It’s perhaps even fascinating to suggest that a player who has been capped on the international stage at senior level is not ready for the Premier League, yet others who have not done the same feat – Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood spring to mind – are indeed ready.

Gnonto is Italy’s youngest-ever goalscorer, breaking a record held since 1958, so it’s no mean feat to be involved and it certainly suggests that it isn’t down to a mere lack of options in the frontline role for the former Manchester City manager.

The Italian press lauded Leeds’ young forward for his impact, having replaced West Ham United’s Gianluca Scamacca, and it only adds to the glowing endorsements he’s received over the course of his short career to date.

“‘In some ways, like a boy, he’s unpredictable. It is a joy to see him play. In some ways, he is mature like a 25-year-old player. It doesn’t matter who he plays against,” once claimed Zurich’s sporting director Marinko Jurendic (via the Daily Mail).

Meanwhile, Whites’ director of football Victor Orta has dubbed him a “surprise” package and talent scout Jacek Kulig has also described the teen as a “real diamond.”

That unpredictable yet mature nature could be of big use to Marsch after the international break, particularly if any other injury issues arise with Patrick Bamford, who has been restricted to only 13 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

If Gelhardt and co are ready, then who is the 48-year-old to say that Gnonto is not? Italy’s record-breaker could soon be unleashed after England got a taste of exactly what the 5 foot 5 gem can offer his team.

AND in other news, Orta hit the jackpot on “unbelievable” £15k-p/w Leeds ace whose value has shot up 445%…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared that Newcastle United have made a bid for Rennes attacker Martin Terrier.

The Lowdown: Attacking reinforcements

Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak has arrived on Tyneside for his medical after a club-record £58m bid from the St. James’ Park outfit was accepted by the Basque club.

He is not expected to be the only attacking arrival to the North East before the transfer window closes however, with wingers like Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Leeds United’s Jack Harrison linked with a move to Eddie Howe’s side over the past week.

The Latest: Terrier bid

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke has shared that Terrier, who typically plays as a ‘second striker’ but can function as a number nine or on the wing, is another player the Magpies have made a bid for over the last few weeks:

“I think Terrier is one of a number of players the Newcastle have made bids for in the last few weeks and as I said Eddie Howe is desperate to bring in those striking reinforcements as soon as possible, especially now with this injury concern over Callum Wilson.”

The Verdict: Double deal?

Adding both Isak and the versatile Terrier before the deadline will certainly strengthen Howe’s attacking options, especially given Wilson’s injury.

The Daily Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed that Wilson is expected to be out for between three and four weeks with a hamstring injury, and he has proven time and time again they cannot depend on his long-term fitness.

Terrier meanwhile has recently signed a new deal with Rennes, so it would likely take a huge offer to pry him away before the deadline, but he could well be worth the extra money, solving the depth issues up front once and for all by adding two deadly new signings.

Hailed as ‘phenomenal’ last season and likened to Premier League and France legend Thierry Henry by European football journalist Tim Williams, the winger managed a very impressive 21 goals and seven assists in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

This campaign, he has already opened his account with a wonderful strike at home to AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1 last weekend, while he has also had the most touches in the opposition’s box of any player in Europe’s top five leagues.

Nonetheless, the Frenchman would be a major signing if the Toon can pull it off.

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has lauded Allan Saint-Maximin as ‘unplayable’ during Newcastle United’s clash against Manchester City this afternoon.

The lowdown: Rollercoaster affair

Despite the raucous atmosphere at St James’ Park and the confident run of form heading into the clash, the Magpies made a poor start against the Premier League champions as Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring inside five minutes.

However, goals from Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson turned the game on its head prior to half-time, and Kieran Trippier made it 3-1 in the 54th minute.

A rollercoaster match took its next drastic twist in a five-minute period just after the hour mark as quickfire goals from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva brought the teams level once more.

The latest: Saint-Maximin ‘unplayable’

Speaking at half-time during Sky Sports’ live commentary from St James’ Park on a dramatic afternoon, Richards was full of praise for the French winger’s impact on the first half turnaround.

The former Manchester City defender stated: “Saint-Maximin has been unplayable at times. Everything good for Newcastle has come down their left side.”

The verdict: Fully deserved praise

Saint-Maximin might not have been on the scoresheet today, but it’s not difficult to see why Richards was so fulsome on his praise of the 25-year-old.

He was Newcastle’s highest-rated player as per Sofascore, helping himself to two first-half assists, making four key passes, winning six duels, completing three dribbles and creating two ‘big chances’ as he proved a nightmare for Kyle Walker to handle on that flank.

The Frenchman has been questioned over his end product at times, but there could be no complaints from the Toon Army with his effect on today’s match, and against the reigning champions, of all teams.

Leeds United winger Helder Costa looks set to become the 10th player to leave Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Abo Omar, with the Ittistudio journalist revealing in a post on Twitter (via MOT Leeds News) that Al-Ittihad have now come to an agreement with the Whites regarding the transfer of the 28-year-old winger, with the reporter revealing in a further tweet that the Angola international’s switch is 99% done.

This claim was backed up by Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol, who reported on Sky Sports News (via MOT Leeds News) on Wednesday evening that the forward is indeed set to seal a move away from LS11 in the coming days.

In his tweets, Omar said: “The final agreement was reached with Leeds United for the transfer of the Angolan player Helder Costa to the Federation. 99% Helder Costa is the next winger for the Federation. They are waiting for the axis to replace [Bruno] Henrique, which is the summer deal, and they will not rest until it is completed.”

“Not done enough”

Considering just how much Costa has struggled at Leeds following the club’s promotion from the Championship two seasons ago, it is not difficult to understand why both Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch would be willing to cash in on the winger this summer.

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Indeed, over his 22 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the £4.5m-rated forward failed to impress, as, despite scoring three goals and registering three assists, he also missed three big chances, lost possession of the ball an average of 8.6 times and was beaten by an opponent an average of once per match.

These metrics saw the £46k-per-week attacker average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.46, ranking him as the Whites’ second-worst performer in the top flight of English football that season.

Subsequently, the 28-year-old was shipped out on loan to Valencia for the 2021/22 campaign, where the former Wolverhampton Wanderers winger once again failed to make a decent impression, scoring no goals and providing just one assist over his 22 LaLiga appearances – with these returns seeing the forward yet again average a poor SofaScore match rating of 6.48.

As such, it is easy to see why Noel Whelan believes that Costa has “not done enough” to justify his £15m price tag at Elland Road, nor is it hard to comprehend why both Orta and Marsch would be happy to get the winger’s hefty weekly wage off of their books this summer, as it is clear that Costa is simply not of the standard required for an upwardly mobile Premier League outfit.