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A number of Aston Villa supporters have criticised Ollie Watkins’ ineffective performance against Arsenal in his side’s 3-1 defeat on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side produced a lifeless showing at the Emirates, as they were deservedly beaten by the Gunners.

Thomas Partey gave Mikel Arteta’s men the lead and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty on the stroke of half-time doubled the hosts’ advantage.

The game was effectively ended as a contest when Emile Smith Rowe added a third in the second half, and while Jacob Ramsey scored a wonderful consolation, there was very little to celebrate from a Villa perspective.

One player who really struggled all evening was Watkins, with the striker failing to complete a dribble or play a single key pass during the game, making 14 fewer successful passes than his own goalkeeper, Emi Martinez.

Villa fans lambast Watkins display

The 25-year-old’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by these Villa fans on Twitter, who took to the social media platform to lay into him.

“Watkins is doing nothing. AGAIN!”

Credit: @razorrudd

“Tyrone is slow, sloppy and arrogant. The same system doesn’t work against every opponent. Our midfield looks tired and out of ideas. Watkins is bang out of form. We have a very good squad but absolutely no identity”

Credit: @JosephBrimson

“Wouldn’t mind seeing the back of Watkins for the right price tbh”

Credit: @avfcdvd

“Watkins’ work rate has dropped off massively and you take that from his game you are left with a distinctly average player”

Credit: @dicktonksy

“Watkins looks defeated this season. Buendia must be better than what we’ve seen, right? With the personnel in the squad it’s blindingly obvious that there is only space for 1 striker in Villa’s best team. Worrying how Villa now ship goals like 19/20 when 20/21 they were “

Credit: @BannisterMonty

“Watkins. Where is our Ollie? Totally lost this season. Bailey. Changes the game for us. Ramsey. Energy. Buendia. Struggled this evening. Axel. Doesn’t work in a back 3. Targett. Poor & left flanks empty. Smith. Caught out and stubborn. Needs to improve. Quick.”

Credit: @amc89avfc

In other news, another Villa player’s performance against Arsenal was also criticised. Find out who it is here.

Everton are reportedly now in fresh talks to sign Brennan Johnson in the summer.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The Welshman is certainly having a standout season at Nottingham Forest, where he has managed no fewer than 15 goals and a further nine assists in the Championship so far (Transfermarkt), playing a big part in their promotion push.

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He has recently picked up the division’s Young Player of the Season award, and at just 20 years of age, his ceiling is quite high.

The Latest: Everton talks with Johnson

As per The Independent, Johnson’s representatives have held ‘productive meetings’ with Everton ‘in the last week’, although their ability to sign him may depend on whether they avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Brentford have already offered personal terms to the Wales international, while Leicester City, Newcastle United and Villarreal are also interested in his signature.

Johnson is ‘unlikely’ to sign a new deal at Forest unless they get promoted, with his current contract set to expire in 2023. He is ‘expected’ to go for a fee of between £20m and £25m, should they end up selling him this summer.

The Verdict: Sign him

Johnson is one of the rising stars of British football, so it would be a real coup for the Toffees if they can attract him to Merseyside, especially with the spectre of relegation a clear and present threat.

Described as a ‘different animal’ on the pitch by Paul Bodin, who worked with him when in charge of Wales’ under-19s and later with the under-21s, Johnson seemingly has the fire in his belly to make something happen for his team, which is the kind of character that Frank Lampard’s side could really use right now.

Nonetheless, perhaps with a few players sold, £20m-£25m should be an affordable price range for Everton.

In other news, these were Everton’s three worst performers against Liverpool

An update has emerged regarding interest from Newcastle United in Stoke forward Tyrese Campbell.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are preparing a £20m bid to send to the Potters at the start of the January transfer window.

The report claims that Eddie Howe has been impressed by the young attacker’s form for Stoke and wants to make him his first signing at St James’ Park.

Fans would love him

Newcastle must ensure that they can get a deal over the line for Campbell, as the supporters would surely love to see him at St James’ Park.

He is a talented young, homegrown, attacker with potential who could excite the Toon Army. At the age of 21, he has plenty of time on his hands to develop, and supporters may love to have a player at the club with room for growth instead of a veteran who is in his final few years of playing.

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, Campbell has produced 17 goals and seven assists for Stoke in 33 Championship starts. He has averaged a goal every 1.94 games in the second tier, whilst also popping up with assists for his teammates. In total, his tally for the club stands at an impressive 20 strikes.

Last year, Potters boss Michael O’Neill lauded the 21-year-old as a ‘great finisher’ and claimed that defenders are frightened of him. He said: “Tyrese is a great finisher. If you are a good finisher you have to get in the positions and he did that today.

“He’s not looked the same since he came back, but today he was excellent and did a lot of good work. He is a young player who is still developing. When he is in that mood, defenders are frightened at this level. It’s nice he got the two goals, but he has to keep going now.”

This shows how much talent the £6.6k-per-week gem has and why he could be an excellent signing for Newcastle in January. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third in the Championship and Howe could attempt to coach him into translating that form over to the top flight.

Given his young age, he could have the potential to grow into a Premier League player, and joining in January could give him five months to adjust to life at the top level before kicking on next season. Fans would love to see him progress and develop over time at St James’ Park, and his form for Stoke suggests that he has the raw talent required to do as such.

AND in other news, “Among leading NUFC targets”: David Ornstein drops transfer update which will excite fans…

Wolves and Bruno Lage have made no secret of their intentions to make the most of the upcoming transfer window, with a number of key positions being monitored. With the window opening in less than 24 hours, it has been revealed what the manager’s priority will be.

What’s the word?

According to Give Me Sport, Luke Hatfield has claimed that targeting a defender will be the main priority for the Portuguese manager in January, stating: “I think it’s the position that Wolves are most keen on addressing.”

Wolves were dealt a blow to their defensive line when Yerson Mosquera sustained a hamstring injury in September, with the 20-year-old likely to be out for up to five months as a result, and there has not been further confirmation of a proposed return date.

Another defender who will be out of action at the Molineux in the coming weeks ahead is Romain Saiss, who has been selected to represent Morocco in the African Cup of Nations, which starts in just over a week’s time.

Therefore, it is no wonder Hatfield is predicting that Lage views adding a defender a high priority for his squad. Nikola Milenkovic was heavily linked with a move to Wolves back in November, when reports claimed that the defender remained an active target for the club.

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Fans will be buzzing

The Serbia international stands at a colossal 6 ft 5, which has given him the opportunity to become one of the top ten players when it comes to winning aerial duels in the Serie A, with 63 won this season so far, as per One Versus One.

According to WhoScored, the defender also has an impressive 90.5% pass success rate overall for Fiorentina this season and has scored two goals so far across all competitions. That is two more than Wolves winger Adama Traore has managed in 19 appearances playing in attack.

Signing a defender like Milenkovic for the squad is something about which many Wolves fans have been vocal, and they would surely be buzzing if the club could prioritise adding a quality defensive player in order to cover the inconsistencies of availability in that part of the pitch.

In other news: This Wolves star has been hailed as the Premier League’s signing of the season so far

Image from: unsplash.com

Celtic are closing in on MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley, according to reliable reporters Stuart James and Peter Rutzler of The Athletic.

The Lowdown: O’Riley profiled

O’Riley is 21 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in defensive and attacking roles.

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He joined the League One side 12 months ago and has made 54 appearances for the club, 30 of which have come this season.

O’Riley has contributed to 12 goals in the third tier and even began the campaign as captain, and it appears as if the former Fulham man is now heading to Scotland to join Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The Latest: £1.5m deal

The Athletic’s James and Rutzler shared a story on Wednesday lunchtime, with the latter describing the midfielder as a ‘standout’ player.

They claimed that Celtic are close to signing O’Riley in a deal worth £1.5m in the next couple of days.

He had been attracting interest from Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City and sides across Europe, but it seems as if Celtic Park will be his next destination.

West Ham youngster Conor Coventry has joined MK Dons on loan this week, perhaps suggesting they are prepared for O’Riley’s departure already.

The Verdict: Hopefully not another McGree

Michael Nicholson and the Celtic board have had a fairly smooth time of things in the January transfer window, with four players already through the door at Parkhead. O’Riley looks set to be the most expensive of 2022 at £1.5m – surpassing the £1.38m fee the club paid for Reo Hatate.

However, the Hoops did suffer a blow in their pursuit of Riley McGree, with a transfer falling through due to personal terms after agreeing on a fee.

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again with O’Riley. He was without a club for six months during the pandemic, but fast forward 18 months and he’s now on the verge of joining one of the biggest clubs in the United Kingdom, so you’d like to think personal terms won’t be an issue for a player seemingly on the rise.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux. 

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Chronicle revealed that talks are underway over the signing of Benfica defensive midfielder Andreas Samaris, who would join the club on loan if a deal were to materialise.

The 29-year-old is a player of some pedigree, having played for the Greek national team for many years now, and would be a welcome addition to a squad in desperate need of fresh faces to give them a boost in their battle for survival. Samaris is an excellent passer of the ball and poses a threat from set pieces.

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

The Tynesiders have until 11pm on Thursday to wrap up some deals that they desperately need, as well as ones that would ensure that their Spanish boss remains at the club having grown tired at Mike Ashley’s reluctance to back him in the market, as per The Daily Mail.

Let’s see how the club’s fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

Everton have blown more than £500m under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri, with little return of investment when it comes to competing for trophies or making progress in the Premier League.

They currently sit 15th in Premier League and the time has come to offload players, but the club is finding it hard to get rid of some of their fringe players.

What’s the word?

Toffees striker Cenk Tosun has no intentions of leaving the club this month according to an interview with Turkish news outlet Fanatik.

The 30-year-old said: “My contract ends at the end of the season. Beşiktaş is my home anyway. But for now, I have no intention or position to return”. He added: “I want to finish this season here and go somewhere at the end of the season.”

The interview comes after the striker, who was signed by Everton for £27m back in January 2018, had been linked with a move away from the club a few months ago, as Rafael Benitez intends to sell players to boost transfer funds so that the Toffees can stay well within Financial Fair Play guidelines.

Journalist Nicolo Schira tweeted just last week that the player is not in the manager’s plans, saying: “Cenk Tosun is not in Rafa Benitez’s plans: the Turkish striker is ready to leave Everton in January. He could return to the Turkish Super Lig. Besiktas have shown interest to re-sign him.”

However, if the 30-year-old’s recent comments align with Everton’s plans, he will now stay with the club until his contract comes to an end in the summer.

Nightmare for Benitez

Benitez will be fuming that the player doesn’t intend to make an early an exit in the January transfer window, as a move would help with adding funds to the near-empty transfer pot for the Everton manager to put towards signing players who are needed in other areas of the squad.

Tosun has fallen out of favour at Goodison Park, even when the Toffees were going through an injury crisis and virus outbreak which resulted in seven players being unavailable for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last month. He was not even on the bench that night and has only made a solitary six-minute appearance this season under Benitez, which came in the Merseyside derby.

Since joining the Toffees, the £69k-p/w flop has failed to make an impact on the side, appearing only 59 times in the last three-and-a-half years, scoring 11 goals and claiming six assists.

As a result, his transfer fee of £27m hasn’t been worth it, especially when compared with another forward who joined the Toffees in 2018 – Richarlison has made a huge impact on the team since his arrival in the same year, with 45 goals and 11 assists in a blue shirt.

Left with a nightmare scenario, Benitez will have to look for other ways to find the funds to complete his business over the remaining weeks of the transfer window, with Tosun likely to run down his contract to the summer instead of agreeing to a move now which would generate some much-needed income for Everton.

In other news: Everton have had a bid rejected for this midfielder

Daniel Farke’s time at Norwich had been a ticking timebomb for a few months now. However, after the Canaries defeated Brentford on Saturday, it had brought him time.

Unfortunately, the sad reality for the German, was that the club’s hierarchy had already made up their minds before the match.

Regardless of whether they beat the Bees, Farke was going to receive the sack and he duly did on Saturday evening.

It was bizarre timing but with an international break now upon us, it makes sense to give the team time to gel under a new manager.

Whoever the next head coach is will also get an opportunity to work with a squad now with renewed confidence.

To add to the strange nature of Farke’s sacking, their win this weekend was their first of the season.

That alone tells you why the 45-year-old has been given the boot by Stuart Webber and co. Who the Canaries will turn to next is interesting.

Their previous manager had been with the club for four years. Thus, you feel that whoever Webber decides to appoint, will define his reign in Norfolk.

Among the contenders, according to the Independent, is Frank Lampard. The ex-Chelsea manager has been tipped by many to take over at Carrow Road, with presenter and Norwich supporter Jake Humphrey taking to Twitter on Saturday evening to suggest that he was the best choice.

Lampard doesn’t have experience of working in a relegation battle but should the sad eventuality occur of dropping out of the division, the Englishman would be in a good place to take them back up immediately.

He has experience of working in the Championship where he impressed at Derby County while he knows the Premier League inside out.

Hailed as “unbelievable” by Scott Parker, the 43-year-old could be the man to extract more from the talented squad at his disposal.

The England great has a phenomenal track record of working with young players, bringing the likes of Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham into the mainstream limelight.

Individuals like Harry Wilson also thrived under his guidance in the Championship at Derby, leading us to believe he could have a wonderful impact at Carrow Road.

After all, Norwich have a vast number of young players in their squad. From the likes of Todd Cantwell and Kieran Dowell to Max Aarons and Josh Sargent, he could have a game-changing impact.

They are yet to really live up to their full potential and have been off the pace this term but Lampard could be the one that finally unleashes their true ability in the top-flight.

Should he achieve that, then Norwich’s chances of remaining in the Premier League will only increase. This is certainly an appointment that Webber must consider.

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), West Ham United, and by extension head of recruitment Rob Newman, have their sights on a new transfer target for David Moyes.

The Lowdown: Newman scrutinised…

Coming from Manchester City with a good reputation, even credited in playing a role over their signing of Aymeric Laporte (The Athletic), the West Ham chief has since faced criticism inside his new club.

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Following a questionable January window, doubts have come to light surrounding Newman and whether he is truly qualified enough to spearhead West Ham’s chase for new signings (Claret & Hugh).

In what could be a crucial summer window for the ex-Sky Blues head scout, news has now emerged on a first pre-summer move as he allegedly eyes Svanberg from Bologna.

The Latest: Newman opens pre-summer West Ham dialogue…

According to CDS (via SW), West Ham and Newman have opened pre-summer dialogue to sign the box-to-box Serie A ace – making their first move in the form of an enquiry.

This comes as Svanberg’s club could now say goodbye to their 23-year-old sensation given Bologna need to raise funds for their own summer transfer activity.

However, West Ham may need to invest significantly, with Corriere also claiming the Italian minnows will demand a ‘high’ price.

The Verdict: Take it further?

As Newman looks to redeem his regrettable transfer window, he could do worse than signing Svanberg, who has been described by an iNews source as ‘probably one of the top four’ No 8’s in Europe.

Amassing 18 international caps for Sweden already at such a young age, Svanberg’s potential seems limitless, leaving no wonder West Ham are thinking about backing Moyes with his capture.

Much could depend on his eventual price tag, though, and how much he could cost to bring to east London.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price falls by £20m! Find out more here.

Aston Villa have made contact with Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma ahead of a possible summer move, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: January links

Steven Gerrard was busy during his first window as Villa boss, making four senior signings. It could have been five, however, as Brighton rejected an official offer from Villa for Bissouma.

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Labelled as a player with ‘bundles of ability’ by former teammate Dale Stephens, Bissouma will be entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Seagulls in the summer, and it looks as if Villa are already making a head start on a possible deal.

The Latest: Source drops update

Football Insider dropped an update on Villa and Bissouma on Thursday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claim that Villa have made contact with the player’s representatives and have asked to be kept up to date with his situation. Brighton are braced for bids, with Villa willing to spend over £150m on new signings ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

The Verdict: Midfielders needed

Villa have just six midfielders on the books at this moment in time, two of which are youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Morgan Sanson is also reportedly set to be let go, so Villa could be short of options if they don’t add to their midfield ranks.

Gerrard has found success in a 4-3-1-2 system in recent months, making central midfield reinforcements crucial, so going after Bissouma in a possible cut-price deal could be a strong starting point in what could be a busy summer.

In other news: ‘I understand…’ – Insider now drops Villa update as Lange makes enquiry to Europa League club.