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Crystal Palace’s current placement of 10th in the Premier League table perfectly reflects the results they have earned under new manager Patrick Vieira, with three wins, six draws and just two defeats to their name with 11 league matches played.

One player who has featured heavily for Palace this season is Cheikhou Kouyate, who has started in seven out of his nine Premier League appearances at this point in the campaign.

In those matches, Kouyate has proven how much of a physical defensive unit he is for the team from midfield after averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game, as well as winning 59% of his duels according to SofaScore.

Despite being a useful defensive midfielder for Palace this season, Kouyate will turn 32 next month, and his contract is set to expire next summer.

With this in mind, Vieira could already have his perfect long-term replacement for the Senegal giant at the club in 21-year-old midfielder Nya Kirby.

After joining Palace’s under-18 side from Tottenham Hotspur’s youth academy back in 2016, the midfielder has gone on to make 13 appearances for Palace’s under-23 side, scoring two goals.

Kirby also has some experience of playing senior football after spending two loan spells away from Selhurst Park, firstly with Blackpool back in 2019 and currently with Tranmere Rovers for this season.

During his time at Bloomfield Road, he scored one goal and provided three assists in 11 appearances, as well as being praised for a “terrific” performance against Charlton Athletic by former Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips. He said that Kirby “passes the ball nicely, does his defending and he’ll have a fight with a big lad,” proving that the youngster will not shy away from the physical aspects of the game, which could make him a great replacement for Kouyate given his physical and defensive capabilities.

If Kirby manages to make the most of his time at Tranmere throughout the rest of the season and if Kouyate ends up leaving Selhurst Park in the summer, the youngster could well be ready to break into Vieira’s starting XI and play regularly, having so far made just one senior appearance for Palace in a Carabao Cup clash against Bournemouth last year.

In other news: Palace dealt potential injury setback ahead of Burnley clash, Vieira would be gutted

Ibrox giants Rangers are reportedly closing in on their first signing of the upcoming transfer window as Giovanni van Bronckhorst already gets to work…

What’s the talk?

According to DH Les Sports, the Gers are in ‘notable’ talks to sign Zulte Waregem defensive midfielder Abdoulaye Sissako this summer.

The report claims that the Belgian outfit want to extend his contract by another year but the player is keen to leave and is now engaging in discussions with the Scottish giants as he looks to make the switch to Glasgow.

Gio will surely be buzzing

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that Ross Wilson is already hard at work at trying to improve the Dutchman’s squad heading into next season. Despite there being plenty still to play for this term, the Gers chief is making calls and planning ahead to ensure that business is done as quickly as possible once the window opens.

This will, hopefully, give Rangers the best chance of having a successful summer as it will prevent them from rushing around at the end of August and panic-buying players. Van Bronckhorst will, therefore, be delighted with the proactive approach from his sporting director.

He will also be buzzing with the prospect of a promising addition to the team. Sissako has made 2.5 tackles and interceptions and won 4.4 duels per game for Waregem, whilst also completing 81% of his passes. This suggests that he is reliable in possession and is a battler in the middle of the park as he attempts to win the ball back on a regular basis.

The gem has been capped 14 times by France at U19 level and racked up 58 matches in the top-flight of Belgian football, after playing 36 matches in Ligue 2 for Auxerre. This shows that he has a wealth of experience at a decent standard of football.

At the age of 23, he also has the potential to improve as a player. Van Bronckhorst can get excited by the prospect of working with the Frenchman to develop his game over the course of the season, and future campaigns, whilst having him compete with the likes of James Sands, Ryan Jack and John Lundstram for a spot in the starting XI.

He appears on course to be the club’s first signing of the summer window and van Bronckhorst will surely be delighted if that is the case…

AND in other news, Body blow: Van Bronckhorst now set for huge Rangers disaster over £27k-p/w “rock”…

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed that defender Filip Helander should be able to return to training after the winter break.

What’s the story?

Helander has been sidelined since early September after suffering a knee injury against St. Johnstone earlier in the season, but could return to training after the winter break, according to the Gers manager

On the 28-year-old’s status, van Bronckhorst said: “Filip has been out on the pitch for a couple of weeks individually so hopefully, he can join us after the break in training sessions.

“We have to build up his stamina and his training time with the team so hopefully, he will be able to join the team as normal, I don’t think straight after the winter break but hopefully soon.”

Rangers fans will be buzzing

The Sweden international was an important player last season as Rangers won their first league title in ten years, making 31 appearances in all competitions, as well as six this season before his injury, so to have him back will be an enormous boost.

With a second consecutive league title in sight, the Gers will require as many options as possible as van Bronckhorst’s side enter the second half of their Scottish Premiership campaign.

Rangers are currently six points clear of their fierce rivals Celtic at the summit of the table and will be looking to extend that advantage in the coming weeks.

The Gers faithful will be particularly fond of the Swede after he scored the winning goal against Celtic in August’s 1-0 Old Firm triumph. However, since then, he’s rarely been seen at Ibrox.

Having started 20 of the Glaswegian club’s 32 league games last year on route to the title, the return of Helander will certainly be welcome and will provide the Dutchman with another option as well as add quality to his squad as Rangers look to further boost their title credentials.

On that evidence, this news should leave supporters and everyone associated with Ibrox buzzing.

AND in other news, Gio can axe £5.6k-p/w Rangers dud with bargain swoop for “technically skilled” beast…

Hugo Lloris is very close to extending his contract at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who delivered the very exciting behind-the-scenes update in a recent online Q&A session with supporters.

He revealed:

“That’s expected to be tied up very soon. Conte is confident and from what I understand Lloris is keen to stay and his modest demands have been deemed more than reasonable by the powers that be at Spurs so that shouldn’t take long at all now talks have finally started. It really should have been sorted a long time ago, not in the final six months of his deal.”

Indeed, Lloris had entered the final year of his £100k-per-week contract at the start of the season and had reported interest from his former club OGC Nice, fellow Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennes and the Major League Soccer.

Great news

This latest development will surely leave manager Antonio Conte absolutely buzzing as it means he has one less thing to worry about in 2022.

Having taken over from Nuno Santo in November, the Italian head coach has walked into an absolute nightmare of a situation and is in desperate need of reinforcements to this struggling Spurs squad.

The prospect of losing not just his captain but also a World Cup winner, and vastly-experienced and reliable option in the Premier League, would have been devastating, especially as he has been free to speak to foreign teams this month.

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Across nearly a decade at the club, the 35-year-old shot-stopper has registered 394 appearances for the club, in which he has kept 134 clean sheets – and to his credit, he has done so with many differing defences in front of him. The latest has arguably been his worst.

The likes of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and many others have been inconsistent and on the odd occasion, error-prone, often leaving Lloris there to bail out Spurs.

It’s no wonder ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino once deemed him to be “one of the best in the world, no doubt” after one particularly impressive display against Watford in 2018.

Conte has also waxed lyrical about the 136-cap France international. Coincidentally, it was after another wiin over the Hornets, where he told reporters (via football.london):

“The keeper has to follow the game and not only stay on the goal line to make saves. Hugo today showed that he is top, and he is always focused. For us, he is very important. And I am sure that in a short time, they can find a solution with the club because he loves Tottenham and Tottenham loves him.”

Therefore, it’s easy to see why he’d be absolutely buzzing by Gold’s recent claim that his contract is on the verge of being done and dusted. It’s surely now a matter of time before we hear an official announcement.

Conte and co can now focus on bringing in new additions this month.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal biggest Spurs signing since Son in £45m-rated “extraordinary talent”…

Aston Villa have been thriving ever since Steven Gerrard was appointed as Dean Smith’s replacement as manager, following a bad start to the season which left them 16th after losing five consecutive games in the Premier League during the autumn.

Villa have picked up 16 points in 10 games under the 41-year-old and now sit level on points with 10th- placed Leicester City in the league table, with Gerrard’s impact on the side clear to see.

Despite the U-turn that the Liverpool legend has inspired so far at Villa, not every player has benefited from his presence at the club, with Danny Ings failing to make an impact ever since he was signed last summer.

It is clear that the 29-year-old and fellow striker Ollie Watkins can’t find the connection when they play together, with Ings scoring three of his four Premier League goals this season when his strike partner was not on the pitch.

At the end of December, it was revealed that the former Southampton forward had the lowest non-penalty xG per 90 (0.15) and the lowest xA per 90 (0.02) of any Premier League forward so far this season, and has since scored just one goal.

Ings’ presence is clearly affecting Watkins’ output too, as the latter has been relocated out wide to accommodate the ex-Liverpool striker, Nonetheless, he has scored more than Ings, with five goals and one assist in 19 appearances so far this season.

Former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor weighed in on the lack of connection between the two strikers. Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “For me, when I watch Watkins play as a central striker making runs into the channels, that’s where I want to see him, that’s what gets the best out of him.

“Every time I’ve watched Ings and Watkins play together it hasn’t worked, something isn’t working with their connection.”

Now that Gerrard has signed Philippe Coutinho, it could be the right time to axe the £19.8m-rated Ings from the team. That would Watkins to revert to his preferred position up top, with Emi Buendia and Coutinho out wide, a setup which was clearly more effective in Villa’s first win in three games against Everton recently.

It will be interesting to see how the Villa manager tackles the challenge of setting up his forward line, especially when Leon Bailey returns from injury. Unfortunately for Ings, he simply hasn’t done enough since the start of the season to merit being a regular in the starting XI, so it may be time for Gerrard to wield the axe on him.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops behind-the-scenes Villa claim

Despite having lost all of their last three matches in the Premier League, Everton will head into Tuesday night’s match with Cardiff City as slight favourites after Neil Warnock’s men were hammered 5-1 by Watford this past weekend.

Everton probably preferred having the weekend off to regroup as a team ahead of the match at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Marco Silva’s men dominated proceedings at Watford last weekend but suffered defeat thanks to an Andre Gray goal in the second-half.

But, one big positive that the manager could’ve taken from the match with the Hornets was the short but clinical performance by substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who replaced Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 74th minute.

The change saw Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun play together for the first time in quite a while. And, Calvert-Lewin immediately made his presence felt as Everton pressed high up the pitch, hoping to snatch a late equaliser.

Silva has struggled to find his best combinations so far this season and has been rotating his team quite regularly in recent matches.

Playing Calvert-Lewin and Tosun together, as two strikers, could give the team a significant boost.

Indeed, this new solution may just be the answer to the Toffees’ recent attacking woes, with a successful trial in their next game against Cardiff City possibly being the first step to launching Everton into the European places.

Silva dropped Bernard to the bench for the match against his former team and started Sigurdsson on the left wing, with Tom Davies operating in the middle.

A change in formation might be more accommodating if both Calvert-Lewin and Tosun start on Tuesday, which would present Everton with a new and exciting tactical shift.

It could also present more chances for crosses to be whipped into the box, while Calvert-Lewin has shown in the past that he has the pace to cause opposition defenders problems.

Tosun could assist Calvert-Lewin, with his shooting accuracy and ability to create space possibly proving too much for a very vulnerable Cardiff defence to handle.

West Ham United’s top-six hopes were dealt a big blow this afternoon as the Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Burnley.

The managerless Clarets, who parted company with Sean Dyche on Friday after ten years in charge, took the lead through Wout Weghorst in the 33rd minute and could’ve had a two-goal lead at half-time when awarded a penalty. However, the spot-kick was missed by Maxwell Cornet.

Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek was able to equalise with 16 minutes to go for the hosts to ensure they took something from the match, although after Thursday’s 3-0 win in Lyon, the result will certainly be a disappointment.

Depsite the result, there were some shining lights for David Moyes’s side with attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini particularly impressive.

According to SofaScore, the Argentinian was the Hammers’ joint-second best player, picking up a 7.4/10 rating alongside right-back Ben Johnson with goalscorer Soucek the highest-ranked with a score of 7.5.

The Czech Republic international’s goal was assisted by the 29-year-old, his fourth of the campaign, who also managed to impressively complete 93% of his passes whilst making 65 touches in a lively 79 minutes.

With three key passes and a 100% dribble success rate, the playmaker was a handful to deal with for Burnley. Moreover, Lanzini also won half of his duels.

Eyelids certainly wouldn’t have been batted outside the London Stadium when team news was announced if the Argentinian wasn’t starting having played from the off three days prior in Lyon.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder was recently involved in a serious car crash that left him with a knock.

However, once again being deployed in the middle of an attacking midfield trio, the 29-year-old, who was labelled as a “special, special player” by captain Declan Rice earlier this season, impressed.

There’s plenty of competition for places in West Ham’s attacking midfield with the likes of Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen all able to play behind the striker.

The Argentinian is easily the longest-serving of them all though and is certainly a fan favourite after seven seasons at the East London club.

Although, his time as a Hammer may soon come to an end with the maestro’s contract set to expire next summer with few signs suggesting an extension will be signed.

For now, though, Lanzini must continue performing well to maintain a starting spot in both the Premier League and Europa League as the Hammers look to push for European qualification for next season.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud

Everton are reportedly now eyeing an ambitious move for Conor Coady in the summer.

The Lowdown: Everton’s defensive misery

The Goodison Park club have conceded no fewer than 49 goals in the Premier League so far this season, the fifth-worst defensive record in the top flight.

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Merseyside legend Jamie Carragher even went as far as to claim that they have a ‘Championship back four’ after a 5-0 mauling at Tottenham Hotspur in March, so Frank Lampard’s team could do with strengthening their backline this summer.

The Latest: Coady eyed by Everton

Writing in his latest piece for TEAMtalk, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Toffees are now plotting an ambitious swoop for Coady in the summer, but any potential move does come with difficulties.

He still has three years left on his contract at Wolves, so he would not come cheap, while he also has a strong connection to Everton’s rivals Liverpool after being born there and making a handful of appearances for the Reds’ first team.

Also, the Midlands club are currently fighting for European football, in sheer contrast to the Blues at the other end of the table, so one would question whether Coady would like to take a step down.

However, Everton may have an advantage through Kevin Thelwell, who was at Molineux when Coady was signed and has had shared glowing references of the defender in the past, once calling him ‘fantastic’ after a spell at Huddersfield Town.

The Verdict: Unlikely

For all of the reasons mentioned above, it is highly unlikely that the Toffees would be able to lure Coady away from Molineux.

Described as a ‘brilliant defender’ by pundit Noel Whelan, the 29-year-old has worked his way into the England squad with his impressive performances for his club, with Gareth Southgate hailing him after his “outstanding” Three Lions debut back in 2020.

If he were to join Everton, the Wolves captain may struggle in a team which is certainly not as good defensively, so the move does not seem beneficial to his career at this moment in time.

Nonetheless, it would be a great coup for the Toffees should they be able to land his signature.

In other news, Everton are also eyeing a move for this Premier League ‘wizard’

After a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town at the weekend, West Brom are back in league action this evening with a clash against Blackpool away from home. 

With club captain Jake Livermore now serving a three-game ban after picking up a red card in the defeat against Huddersfield, he will be unavailable for the next few fixtures. 

West Brom also have the likes of Dara O’Shea and Kean Bryan out with injuries. Taking this into account here is how we feel West Brom could line up tonight with three changes expected.

In goal considering how he’s played in almost every league game so far this season, we can see Sam Johnstone will keep his place in the team on this occasion.

For a back three, we think Baggies boss Valerien Ismael will go for the same trio that started against Huddersfield with Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre and Matt Clarke all in to try and keep a clean sheet this evening.

In midfield, with Livermore suspended we think Ismael will go with Robert Snodgrass and Jason Molumby, with Alex Mowatt, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £13k-per-week according to Salary Sport, dropping down to the substitutes bench.

At wing-back, we think Connor Townsend will keep his place on the left-hand side with Taylor Gardner-Hickman also retaining his place on the right-hand side.

For the attack, we can see Ismael sticking with Karlan Grant and Matt Phillips but bringing Callum Robinson, who managed to score in Republic of Ireland’s 3-0 win over Luxembourg during the recent international break, back in with Grady Diangana dropping out after he failed to impress and even have one clear shot at goal against Huddersfield.

West Brom are on an incredibly spotty run of form at the moment with three wins, one draw and four defeats under their belt in their eight previous league outings.

Thus, Ismael and everyone else at the Midlands club will undoubtedly be hoping that the team will be able to produce a strong performance and pick up all three points so they aren’t in danger of potentially missing out on a promotion place by the end of the season.

In other news: Forget Furlong: Ismael must unleash “important” WBA machine, he’d terrify Blackpool – opinion

Everton are once again in the hunt for a manager after sacking Rafael Benitez last week, with the Spaniard lasting just over six months in the Goodison Park dugout. The Toffees are now searching for their sixth permanent manager in less than six years.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Express, Everton’s shortlist for the managerial vacancy is down to three names. Derby County manager and former Everton player Wayne Rooney, as well as former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, are two names that Everton fans will know well. Also on the list is Fabio Cannavaro who had a stellar playing career.

The Italian is yet to manage a European club after stints with Chinese Super League outfit Guangzhou Evergrande – where he won the Super League title in 2019 – Saudi side Al Nassr and the Chinese national team.

The 48-year-old has been out of work since last September and is believed to have interviewed well for the position in Merseyside. However, there has been a suggestion from Chinese football expert Zhao Xiaoou that Cannavaro may not be suited for the role, labelling the former Italy captain “the fall guy”.

Xiaoou, the owner of Wild East Football, told The Daily Mail: “First time round at Evergrande, everyone’s expectations were really high, believing he was the protege and natural successor to Lippi. It didn’t pan out but you can blame injury problems and praise his audacity to use young players in really big games.

“His time at Quanjian is somewhat a success. He got them into the Champions League and beat Evergrande to exact some revenge, leading to the second spell with them. Critics would say it is hard not to be successful with the amount of money that was spent at Quanjian.

“Cannavaro’s second spell at Evergrande is harder to assess. The main criticism was still his tactics and touchline adjustments in game that are not up to scratch. And a lack of silverware at Evergrande equals failure though a lot of people believe he’s just the fall guy.”

Everton must avoid Cannavaro

Despite the suggestion that he was impressive in his interview, Cannavaro does not appear to be the sort of candidate that Everton will want to steady the ship and lead a revolution at Goodison Park.

The 48-year-old’s managerial record speaks for itself – no experience at a single European club, let alone in Europe’s top five leagues, as well as relatively underwhelming stints in Asia.

Of course, the experience that Cannavaro the player could offer Everton would be invaluable, having won the World Cup, Ballon D’Or and UEFA Cup, as well as numerous other titles in both Italy and Spain. That doesn’t immediately make him a strong managerial candidate, though.

Now seeking their sixth manager in five-and-a-half years, Everton need stability and the indication that their next appointment would be for the long term. The Toffees haven’t seen a manager enter his third season in charge at Goodison Park since Roberto Martinez, who was at the helm between June 2013 and May 2016.

Moreover, their precarious position towards the foot of the Premier League means that Everton desperately need a quick turnaround in results. A lack of Premier League experience from Cannavaro could prove costly should the Italian be appointed.

It is absolutely vital that the Everton hierarchy get this appointment right, as otherwise there could be dire consequences on the blue side of Merseyside. Hiring the relatively unproven Italian could result in the same sort of chaos in the stands which characterised Benitez’s brief, unhappy reign.

In other news: One Everton player could be out for much longer than originally feared