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Mohammed Salisu looks to be in contention for his first appearance in a Southampton shirt on Monday night when the Saints face Brighton and Hove Albion away from home.

It was confirmed by Ralph Hasenhuttl earlier in the week that the Ghanaian, who joined from Real Valladolid during the summer, could make his first appearance for the first-team against Graham Potter’s side.

The Austrian manager has suggested previously that Salisu needed to learn how to play in this Southampton side and improve his fitness before he could be considered for selection, but it seems as if he has done enough to convince his manager that he is ready to play against the Seagulls on Monday.

Following Southampton’s collapse against Manchester United last weekend, which saw them lose 3-2 despite winning 2-0 at the break, Hasenhuttl must consider making some defensive changes to his side, and that includes handing 21-year-old Salisu a start.

Jannik Vestergaard was full of praise for the young defender earlier this year, saying: 

“He looks comfortable on the ball, has an amazing physique and is just generally a nice guy.

“Quiet for now, but it’s always difficult coming as a new player, so maybe he’s just saving up his words for later!

“But I think he’s a big talent and he has a lot of years ahead of him.” 

However, the Danish international might not be too happy if Salisu takes his place in the first-team, after what was a nightmare display from the 28-year-old last time out, as he earned a 5.97 rating for his display.

Therefore, Vestergaard, who earns £60k per week at Southampton, would certainly be lucky to keep his place, and Hasenhuttl must hand Salisu a spot in his starting XI on Monday evening.

Brighton have produced some very solid performances recently and showed against Liverpool last weekend that they can get in behind a defence, so it would make sense for the Saints boss to entrust Salisu to start alongside Jan Bednarek, rather than Vestergaard, who isn’t the most mobile of defenders.

Hopefully for Salisu, who is valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt, this can be the first of many appearances in a Southampton shirt, as he looks to have a big future ahead of him at the South Coast club.

And, in other news… Saints club update could spell bad news for 26 y/o Hasenhuttl is “not always so happy with” 

Celtic were eyeing up a move for Philadelphia Union defender Mark McKenzie back in the summer transfer window, but no agreement came to fruition. Now though, a new update has emerged as Sky Sports report that the 21-year-old would be open to a move in January if the Hoops come knocking again.

McKenzie has admitted that he would love to follow a similar route to Virgil van Dijk, who famously built his way up to becoming one of the best central defenders on the planet.

Not only would joining Celtic help the US international’s career, but it would be a huge signing from the struggling Scottish outfit.

Why Celtic must sign Mark McKenzie

The Hoops have been completely derailed by their Glasgow neighbours this season as Rangers continue to dominate the Premiership. As it stands, they are leading what is now a one-horse race by a whopping 13 points and the reigning champions will likely have to settle for second place.

It will be a huge blow for Celtic to lose out to their arch rivals, but a strong January window could put them in good stead to make an immediate comeback.

They’ve struggled with a very inconsistent squad this season, with many players disappointing in their performances. One man who has not had the desired effect is Shane Duffy, who could be looking at the club terminating his loan move from Brighton early due to his lacklustre displays.

Indeed, the centre-back is on thin ice and could completely ruin his chances of a permanent move to Parkhead. But from Celtic’s point of view, they should be prioritising McKenzie over Duffy. The former was recently lauded for being a “Rolls-Royce” of a player and he could seriously improve Celtic’s backline.

According to WhoScored, the £60,000 per week Union ace has averaged more tackles (1.6) and clearances (4.6) to Duffy’s respective 0.8 and 3.4 each game this season. McKenzie has also been more eagle-eyed when it comes to creating chances, completely more successful long balls (4.5) than his counterpart’s 3.4 per 90 minutes.

Whilst his stats are already more impressive on paper, he is also seven years younger than Duffy, who finds himself out of favour at Brighton due to Ben White’s rise into the spotlight. He could be looking at an almost identical situation if Celtic commit to bringing “natural leader” McKenzie across the pond in January.

In other news, Rangers transfer blow could be big positive for Neil Lennon…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho could be eyeing a reunion with one of his former stars, and it isn’t likely to cost Daniel Levy a penny…

What’s the word?

According to La Razon, ex-Chelsea nemesis Diego Costa is a ‘priority’ for the Spurs manager after he had his contract cancelled by La Liga giants Atletico Madrid earlier this week.

The 32-year-old has also been linked to Premier League rivals Everton as well as Serie A outfit Napoli.

Reports suggest that the Brazilian colossus, who is actually capped 24 times by Spain, was earning around €120k-per-week (£108k-per-week) at Los Rojiblancos, but he is now free to join any club.

Free bargain

You would imagine that any addition in the striking department spells serious trouble for Carlos Vinicius, who is only on loan from Benfica right now.

He has featured just six times in all competitions this term, of which only four are starts and even with the increase of numbers on the bench in the Premier League, the 25-year-old hasn’t even made three of their last four squads, via Transfermarkt.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to throw doubt on Spurs activating his £41m option to buy, especially if a player who has had success under Mourinho before is there for nothing.

The ‘Special One’ knows exactly what he’d be getting with his former Blues talisman – he once lauded him as an “animal” and is said to adore him despite their often public clashes.

In 120 appearances across the border, Costa bagged 58 goals, whilst in five appearances against Spurs, he contributed to three goals, as per Transfermarkt.

Costa is perhaps most known for his livewire and erratic nature, but perhaps that is something that the north London outfit lack in abundance – that scare factor.

It would certainly be a surprise move that would all but end Vinicius’ hopes of forging a career in N17, but ultimately, it could be a massive bargain on Levy’s part.

Give him six months and see what happens.

AND in other news, Levy can land Mourinho his new Essien with Spurs swoop for £16.5m “outstanding talent”…

The story of Kiko Casilla’s Leeds career is like a Shakespeare tragedy. So often the party pooper, he has played for the club during one of their most triumphant periods. He got Leeds promoted but then did something unthinkable.

Signing a player from Real Madrid was always going to raise eyebrows and indeed that’s exactly what happened in January 2019.

This was an eye-catching transfer, but media attention ended up being cast his way for all the wrong reasons.

That has been the story of his stint at Elland Road and two years on from when he first signed on the dotted line, he needs to be ousted from the club.

Leeds have ferociously stuck by the experienced Spanish goalkeeper in the last 12 months but he has been nothing short of a disastrous signing.

He was a marquee addition under Andrea Radrizzani but in simple terms, the Italian should be fuming with him. Casilla has not lived up to expectations and has been a considerable PR disaster.

Whether it was making individual errors on the field of play or racially abusing Jonathan Leko – something he was quite deservedly charged for – he’s never really got things right in Yorkshire.

Remarkably, the Spaniard is still at the club and rather shockingly has captained them since that incident with Leko.

Casilla has had more than one chance to save his Leeds stay but that has been one chance too many. He may not have played a single Premier League minute this campaign but he is still burning a colossal hole in Radrizzani’s pockets.

He is on a salary of £40k-a-week at Leeds, and thus, has cost the club over £5m in wages. For someone who now isn’t even playing, that doesn’t look great from a financial point of view.

Speaking about him in early 2020, Noel Whelan typified the 34-year-old: “He’s an accident waiting to happen at the moment. His body language is terrible and you can see the defence are losing confidence in him, they’re fearful and thinking, ‘can we trust him anymore?’”

That quote could have been used several times during his stint in England. Rarely has Casilla held accountability for his mistakes and he’s made them time and time again. For such an experienced professional, that isn’t good enough.

Now is the perfect time to finally sell him. Leeds have been linked with West Brom stopper Sam Johnstone and also QPR ‘keeper Seny Dieng – either would be an upgrade.

AND in other news, Leeds eye swoop for £16k-p/w flop, Orta could repeat their Jean-Kevin Augustin howler…

So after major doubts and speculation, Aston Villa’s FA Cup third round tie against Liverpool on Friday night will go ahead as scheduled.

An outbreak at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground left the match in serious jeopardy, but it has now been confirmed that the match will take place, with Villa set to field a team full of players from their U23s and U18s set-up.

And with Dean Smith also set to be absent from the game, Mark Delaney is set to take the reins at Villa Park, and it will be a very youthful looking line-up that he puts out tonight.

With that in mind, below is a look at just how Villa could take to the field.

Delaney’s hand is also likely to be even further restricted by the fact some of the club’s brightest young talents may have been involved in first-team training in recent days and would therefore also be unavailable for the game.

That will no doubt see someone like Jacob Ramsey also fail to make the team for today, with Delaney by and large sticking to the majority of those who played for the U23s and below.

In goal, Akos Onodi, who has been first-choice for the reserves this season is likely to make his senior debut, with a back-four of Kaine Kesler, Dominic Revan, Mungo Bridge and Ben Chrisene in front of him – Chrisene, the left-back could be the youngest player on show tonight at just 16 years of age.

Villa could feature a very highly-rated midfield, with Lamar Bogarde a summer arrival from Eredisivie giants Feyernoord. Alongside the 17-year-old Dutchman, Mamadou Sylla and Carney Chukwuemeka may start too.

Out wide, Tyreik Wright and Jaden Philogene-Bidace – who has been linked with an exit from Villa Park – could play, with young striker Louie Barry surely deserving of a chance up front too.

It all means that Villa will have an entire starting eleven who will be making their senior debuts for the club.

Predicted XI: Onodi, Kesler, Revan, Bridge, Chrisene; Bogarde, Sylla, Chukwuemeka; Wright, Barry, Philogene-Bidace.

It seems Crystal Palace’s quest to find a new striker has taken an interesting twist, if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle could be set for a return to Crystal Palace in the summer.

Gayle joined Newcastle from the Eagles in the summer of 2016 and has scored 34 goals and supplied 10 assists across all competitions during his time at St James’ Park.

However, the centre-forward has fallen down the pecking order under Steve Bruce after nearly five years on Tyneside and it is understood that a possible return to his former club could be on the cards.

Imagine Gayle and Wilfried Zaha

Palace have been desperately trying to find a new frontman for what feels like forever.

Belgian striker Christian Benteke’s form has been patchy at best, as he hasn’t hit double digits since the 2016/17 season, and the least said about Steve Parish’s decision to sign Alexander Sorloth from from Danish side FC Midtjylland, the better.

In the last few months alone, Wilfried Zaha has had to shoulder the burden of scoring the majority of Palace’s goals, which has only made his absence even more obvious on the few occasions where he has missed a game this season.

Given his excellent goal record for the Eagles, Gayle fits the bill for Roy Hodgson’s side, as his versatility means he could be deployed at the top of the pitch or on either flank.

During his time at Selhurst Park, the £7m-rated 31-year-old bagged 25 goals and three assists in 74 appearances in all competitions via Transfermarkt.

His childhood coach Dave Bricknell lavished praise on his former young charge, saying: “He was a lovely lad. By then, people had started ringing up about David Beckham, who was becoming the real megastar. But even then I thought: ‘One day, they could be ringing me up about Dwight’.”

“I remember one tournament in Holland where we played a penalty shoot-out and Dwight took penalties with both of his feet. He always had that fantastic technique.”

Palace must swoop for Gayle in the summer, as they simply cannot afford to pass up on the opportunity to sign a proven Premier League goal-scorer who won’t cost Palace a penny. Get it done, Eagles, before somebody else does.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace exclusive: Pundit baffled by latest Milivojevic decision after breaking Covid restrictions…

It seemed like the immediate future of Leeds United attacker Tyler Roberts was sorted after Phil Hay said both the player and the club were happy with him staying at Leeds. However, new reports claim Derby County have not given up on signing him this month.

The latest on Roberts

Derby and four other sides in the Championship have been linked to Roberts in the last month. The Athletic provide the latest update as they report that the Rams have not given up on bringing the Wales international to the Pride Park Stadium on a loan deal.

Journalist Ryan Conway stated that the Rams are ‘looking to strengthen their attacking options’, and that Roberts is ‘a possibility’.

Should Leeds hold onto the attacker?

As the transfer saga around the forward continues, it is worth questioning whether the Championship is more suited to Roberts as he has only played 265 minutes of league football this season (Transfermarkt). The fact he has been seen on the pitch so rarely seems to have left the Rams hoping they can still lure him to a place he will get more playing time.

He is definitely rated by Marcelo Bielsa however. The Argentinian was questioned about Roberts role at the club recently, saying this month (via Leeds Live): “When Tyler has been available he’s always been in the 18-man squad. I don’t ignore there’s a 20-man squad, but I say 18 because it reiterates his importance.”

Therefore it might be better for the club to keep hold of the 22 year-old, as he can improve best under Bielsa. He also provides some important squad depth during the pandemic, which has seen plenty of players across the league miss periods of time.

In other news, Leeds United tipped to go in for £14.4m-rated Premier League winner.

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to the confirmed Transfer Deadline Day exit of Jonas Lossl to FC Midtjylland.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Denmark international has signed for the club where he started his footballing career.

It leaves the Merseyside club still with Jordan Pickford, Robin Olsen and Joao Virginia, and so the departure of Lossl will not really hurt them too much going into the rest of the 2020/21 term.

The 32-year-old did not even play in a single senior game for the Toffees since his signing from Huddersfield Town (Transfermarkt), and so it was a good idea for Carlo Ancelotti’s team to get him off of the wage books knowing as well that they are very well-covered already in the goalkeeper department.

Everton fan reaction to Lossl exit

These Blues reacted to the exit of Lossl on Twitter, as it seemed as if they were happy to see him leave:

“Weirdest signing in our history”

Credit: @Alexash1878

“Thanks for looking after the bench”

Credit: @efc_cain

“Two more free spots on the bench!”

Credit: @SteveDow1

“Luckiest guy in the world. Made about £3m off Everton for doing absolutely nothing.”

Credit: @danholling

“83 weeks @ 40k a week. That man took £3.2m off this football club…”

Credit: @matti_bigley

“Another one gone!”
Credit: @kmatthews17

In other news, find out what transfer blow EFC have been dealt by Fabrizio Romano here!

Celtic are coming to the end of a torrid 2020/21 season. The holding Scottish Premiership champions entered the campaign with sights set on cementing their tenth consecutive league title, however, their Glaswegian neighbours had other plans.

The runaway leaders and arch-rivals to the Hoops have completely flipped this season on its head. Rangers have dominated the league table and currently lead the reigning winners by a mammoth 15 points, despite Celtic once having three games in-hand.

The Gers’ blistering campaign teamed with a tough run for the Bhoys has left morale low in camp. Talks of Neil Lennon’s exit have circulated, and the likes of Jeremie Frimpong and Olivier Ntcham have left the club in some capacity.

To top off their disappointing form, Celtic have been hammered by injuries this term.

Christopher Jullien is one man who has barely seen any of the action due to ongoing problems with his back and knee problems. The centre-back has been absent for a total of 29 matches this season through injury and missed an extra three whilst self-isolation, as per Transfermarkt.

Kristoffer Ajer has carried the brunt of the defensive work in his absence and has been teamed up with ever-switching partners. However, there’s no good news surrounding Jullien’s injury woes.

In his latest Instagram post, the Frenchman is seen posing with his leg still in a brace, which is an alarming sight for any fans hoping he would be returning to training soon.

And now according to The Scotsman, Jullien could face between six to nine months out as he continues his recovery in his home country, France.

Jullien joined Celtic in 2019 in a £7m move from Toulouse, as per BBC Sport. In that time, he has been sidelined for a total of 208 days with injury and illness.

Evidently, the defending SPFL champions have suffered in his absence this term.

Indeed, when he’s been on the pitch, Lennon’s men have not lost a league game – also keeping six clean sheets – but without him, all three of their losses have occurred with the side only keeping a total of six clean sheets in a much larger timeframe, as per Transfermarkt.

This is just another reason to add to the list that has got fans desperate to see the back of this difficult season. It’s yet another cruel and gutting blow for the Parkhead faithful.

In other news, Celtic got lucky by missing out on signing Ben Davies…

When Steven Gerrard confirmed five players had been removed from the Rangers squad after a Covid breach, there was a collective groan from most supporters.

Rangers are flying right now with the 54-time Scottish champions four wins away from claiming the club’s first league title in a decade.

After finishing second for the second time in as many seasons, there was a sense that the club would have to be brave and daring in the transfer market last summer.

And the Gers did not disappoint, signing the likes of Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun, Jermain Defoe, Cedric Itten, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe and Bongani Zungu, before bringing in Nnamdi Ofoborh, Jack Simpson and Scott Wright in the latest transfer window.

With Gerrard’s side 15 points clear of Celtic, the club should be brimming with a sense of belief, yet they have been brought crashing back down to earth after two of the aforementioned players breached coronavirus protocols.

Another one was Nathan Patterson, who has been a fringe player for the Gers this season and was briefly linked with a loan move away from Ibrox in January.

Patterson has shown glimpses of his quality during his limited time with the first team since breaking through the academy ranks.

He played 66′ minutes against Lech Poznan in the Europa League and followed that up with 22′ minutes against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

And although he has since been relegated to the fringes of Gerrard’s squad this season, his temporary absence will still leave Rangers short at right-back.

James Tavernier is the club’s only other recognised player in that position and at 29, is arguably Gerrard’s most trusted lieutenant, having started every Premiership game so far this season with 11 goals and 10 assists to show for his 29 starts.

Unfortunately for Gerrard, however, Tavernier was forced off in the first half of the 4-3 win over Antwerp and this has posed some awkward questions for Ross Wilson and co, as it has left the right flank looking rather vulnerable. Patterson could still prove to be a fine player, but Rangers clearly need reinforcements in the summer.

And so it is baffling that they didn’t bolster an area where they evidently lack depth, as they failed to add a single player in this position. Beyond Tavernier, Rangers currently do not have another reliable right-back near the peak of their game. Now they will have to cling to the hope that he hasn’t suffered a long-term injury or at the very least one that will have a significant impact on his performance levels between now and the end of the season.

AND in other Rangers news, Rangers receive James Tavernier injury boost before Antwerp Europa League clash…