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Southampton will focus on delivering a huge upset to Everton on Sunday by vying to hand them their first defeat of the Premier League season. The Toffees have had a dream start to the 2020/21 term and currently top the table ahead of Aston Villa and Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

The Saints have had a respectable run so far, with two wins, one loss and one draw. They could make a huge statement by snatching all three points from the league leaders, who will travel to the south coast to defend their spot. Catching Everton with their trousers down isn’t such a tall ask as they may think either.

Southampton have Danny Ings in their ranks, who is not only a talisman in attack, but loves a match against the blue side of Merseyside.

Ings could cause major Everton upset

The England international has completely turned his career around after making the permanent move from Anfield to St Mary’s last year. After being plagued with injuries during his time with Liverpool, Ings is now one of the league’s most clinical strikers and finished just shy of Jamie Vardy’s Golden Boot winning tally of 23 goals last season (via Premier League).

He has burst out of the blocks in similar fashion this campaign too, with a fiery four goals in five appearances so far (via Transfermarkt). Ings also boasts a unique goalscoring stat, one that could be Southampton’s ticket to a win on Sunday.

The Blues are the side who have felt the striker’s wrath the most out of his entire career. In nine meetings with the Goodison outfit, Ings has found the back of the net six times and contributed to four draws and two wins. His long spell with Liverpool will have also given him a natural urge for wanting to grab a result over his former Merseyside rivals.

Everton’s last fixture saw them draw with their local enemies and key man Richarlison will miss the St Mary’s clash after picking up a red card. It will be all to play for on the south coast as Ralph Hasenhuttl and his side keep their eyes firmly fixed on a top ten finish.

In other news, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s training tactics could take Southampton to new heights…

It appears as if West Ham are going to have to pay up for one of their key transfer targets this summer after recent reports suggested that a recent bid wasn’t enough.

What’s the word?

According to Marca, River Plate rejected the Hammers’ €7m (£6.4) advances for right-back Gabriel Montiel last month and now the in-demand international is wanted by Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04.

It’s claimed that the 23-year-old has a release clause of around €20m (£18m) and that River only holds 80% of the player with the remaining 20% being claimed by Montiel’s family and representatives.

The Irons have long been mooted with interest in the 5 foot 9 defender having also approached him during the January transfer window.

Zabaleta replacement

Montiel has recently broken into the Argentina squad after a solid season at River, where he has averaged two tackles, 1.3 clearances, 1.2 interceptions, 1.1 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game this season – via WhoScored.

David Moyes could well be in need of a new right-back following the departures of veteran Pablo Zabaleta and emerging starlet Jeremy Ngakia meanwhile there are question marks over the fitness of Ryan Fredericks long-term and the Premier League suitability of youngster Ben Johnson.

Manuel Lanzini has even advocated to sign him, claiming he “would fit in well” and that “the coach [Moyes] likes him.”

With their top-flight safety now confirmed, GSB must sanction a swoop for Montiel if they are going to have a chance of progression next season.

The Argentine is a far greater threat going forward than Fredericks, who averages a measly 0.4 dribbles and 0.6 crosses per game – and that’s when he’s actually fit to feature.

AND in other news, GSB can’t afford to sell Moyes’ resurgent £45m STAR this summer…

West Ham United may finally get the chance to fill the void left behind by Marko Arnautovic this summer amid emerging links to a hugely prolific and exciting talisman.

What’s the word?

According to Corierre dello Sport, via Sport Witness, the Irons have begun putting the wheels in motion to try and secure Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata.

It is claimed that the Serie A outfit have so far rejected all advances for the 29-year-old following a €30m (£27m) plus Mattia Perin bid from Juventus alongside the Hammers’ approach.

They go on to suggest that a move for Zapata could prove too difficult whilst it remains unknown what sort of fee might tempt them into a sale.

Aranutovic successor?

Arnautovic left the London Stadium last summer, joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG for £22.4m, and no player is yet to step up into his mould having departed after an impressive 15-goal contribution season.

Sebastian Haller has struggled with the pace and the physicality of the Premier League – even despite scoring seven times this year, he doesn’t seem like the best fit for David Moyes.

Meanwhile, the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko have all failed to impress the Scottish boss, resulting in them reportedly being on the chopping block this transfer window.

It’s no wonder that Zapata is on the list of targets this summer as he can bring that brute force presence and pace that the Austrian provided to the Hammers.

The Colombian has provided 20 goals and six assists in all competitions for Atalanta, who have emerged as a rather exciting outfit, making the UCL knockout stages.

He’s also averaged 3.1 shots, 1.8 aerial duels won, 1.4 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game whilst he’s even fouled 1.6 times each appearance too, via WhoScored.

Zapata’s skipper at the Nerazzurri, Papu Gomez, has described the prolific marksman as a “beast” and claimed that “when he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!”

Given his £32.4m valuation by Transfermarkt, it’ll take a lot for GSB to snatch him away from Italy, but if they can do so, then Moyes is going to get an Arnautovic-like weapon who could wreak havoc next season.

AND in other news, West Ham MUST sell this Slaven Bilic signing during the summer…

Arsenal will listen to offers for Rob Holding, Sokratis and maybe Shkodran Mustafi as David Ornstein said on The Ornstein and Chapman Podcast (via LT Arsenal’s Twitter page).

Indeed, the north London club may be looking for a new central defender or two in the upcoming summer transfer window, which will also see William Saliba return from his loan spell at Saint-Etienne and Pablo Mari possibly signed on a permanent basis from Flamengo.

There have been rumours in the past that the Gunners would like to sign RB Leipzig central defender Dayot Upamecano, with German publication Bild reporting that a bid worth 60 million euros was rejected last summer.

If Mikel Arteta were to return with another offer this summer, then the Gunners may have to consider just how many centre-backs they would have on their books.

With David Luiz being the Spanish manager’s most used defender so far this season, complemented with the 18 appearances Calum Chambers made in all competitions this campaign before his rather unfortunate cruciate ligament rupture injury before the turn of the year, there only leaves a few CB’s that AFC could possibly get rid of.

In steps Holding, Sokratis and Mustafi. If Upamecano joins alongside Saliba and Mari, adding to that Luiz, Chambers and possibly Konstantinos Mavropanos, who will surely be looking to finally breakthrough into the first-team set-up on a more regular basis, the Emirates faithful will arguably be covered enough in that position on the pitch for next term.

As a consequence, this may mean that one of if not all of the three central defenders mentioned by Ornstein may have to be sacrificed by the Emirates faithful.

Gooners, how many of the centre-back’s mentioned would you sell? Comment below!

Having won the Champions League last season, and run away with the Premier League this year, it’s difficult to really make an argument for how Liverpool can genuinely make the kind of signing that could improve their starting eleven.

After all, the Reds have won the two biggest trophies on offer, and last summer saw them didn’t even make a big splash in the transfer market either.

But reports in recent days have suggested that Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago could be set for a move to Anfield, with negotiations between both the player and the club at a very advanced stage and that “only the economics have to be worked out between the two sides”.

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If Jurgen Klopp’s side can manage to pull off a deal for the Spain international, then it could be the kind of signing that just gives them with that added creative spark in the middle of the park.

Having come through the Barcelona academy, and then playing for the first-team there and then moving to Bayern Munich, Thiago has played for teams that have dominated the ball, and that’s shown by the quite ridiculous passing averages he has managed.

Even this season, where he has not featured as regularly, he averages a whopping 74.9 passes per game at an astonishing accuracy of 90.5% in the Bundesliga. In comparison, Jordan Henderson is the Liverpool midfielder with the most amount of passes, and his average is at just 62.2 and an accuracy of 84.5%.

Thiago is someone who can control the tempo of the game and dictate the play, and it’s not the kind of player the Reds currently have in their arsenal. It could potentially change the way Liverpool attack, ensuring that they perhaps don’t have to rely upon counter-attacks led by the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane up top.

And with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola signing him for Bayern, and then wanting him again as Citizens boss last summer, what a hammer blow that could be if Klopp ends up bringing him to Anfield instead.

Having just beaten them to the Premier League title rather comprehensively, Klopp can send out another major statement of intent by luring one of Guardiola’s former targets to the club.

It would be the kind of psychological advantage that Liverpool can take into the new season, and a reminder of why they are at the top of the totem pole now, and not City.

Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a tweet showing some of Salomon Rondon’s best moments on Tyneside, and it’s fair to say they are missing the Venezuela international.

Players going on loan can often be a difficult and tiring process, as it is hard to relate with a fan base when you’re only at the club for one season.

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Every now and again though a player just ‘gets it’, leading to a unique relationship with fans that even the permanent players may not be entitled to, and that’s exactly what happened with Rondon under Rafael Benitez at Newcastle.

The colossal number nine bagged 12 goals and provided seven assists in his lone season as a Magpie, proving to be one of the smartest loan signings the club has ever made.

Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, he worked tirelessly, scored Alan Shearer-esque headers and also linked up well with his teammates, and fans have been drooling over a compilation of his time at the club.

Check out the video and some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where one member of the Toon Army called it “heartbreaking”…

Steve Harmison is the latest to weigh in on the takeover talks…

Everton fans have been embroiled in a debate over one of their former players on social media this week.

One account on Twitter asked supporters to discuss Ademola Lookman, posing the question – ‘overrated or underrated?’

The 22-year-old departed Goodison Park in the summer following a two-year spell at the club, joining previous loan club RB Leipzig on a permanent deal.

Lookman signed a five-year contract at the Bundesliga outfit but has only featured eight times this campaign, playing a total of 245 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Everton clinched the young winger from Charlton Athletic in a £7.5m deal and clearly he divided opinion during his short time at the Toffees.

Some fans believe he was criminally underused whilst others have blasted his attitude, leading to comparisons to current striker Moise Kean.

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The former England U21 international is now valued at £12.15m by Transfermarkt, a decrease from the £18m tag handed to him back in 2018.

Here’s how the Goodison Park faithful have been reacting…

AND in other news, Everton fans really want to get rid of this midfielder…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

It is a damning indicator of Crystal Palace’s scarce amount of talented Englishman.

The Eagles have no players in Gareth Southgate’s senior squad, and haven’t had a single player named in the Three Lions team since Wilfried Zaha was called up by a certain Roy Hodgson back in 2012.

The south Londoners are well represented in Africa – Jordan Ayew, Zaha and Cheikhou Kouyate were recently named in the Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal squads respectively.

For England, however, Palace representatives are few and far between.

Scratch beneath the surface a little bit and head down the age ranks a tad, and you will find a Palace player’s name in there – 17-year-old Jadan Raymond.

The teenager is a hot prospect having scored the winning penalty in the Syrenka Cup for England’s U17 side, while reportedly starring throughout the entire tournament.

Raymond’s ability has alerted Champions League sides such as Benfica and Valencia to his talent, who are believed to be plotting moves to sign him.

In this current international break, Raymond has once again been selected to represent England’s U17 side for the upcoming matches against Denmark and Czech Republic.

He was also named in the squad for games against Spain and Germany at the start of October, and while it remains to be seen whether or not Raymond is poached by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, he is currently one of very few Palace players who are actually making movements on the international scene for England.

The Athletic’s Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam recently wrote of how Raymond – along with Fionn Mooney and Joe Whitworth – played vital roles in defeating Arsenal and Chelsea on their way to being crowned national champions at U15 level after winning the Super Floodlit Cup.

With so few senior players actually doing Palace proud for England across multiple age ranks, Raymond is arguably the one flying the flag highest.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to a new report coming from the Express, Tottenham Hotspur may face some competition from Paris Saint-Germain in their race to land AS Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo.

What’s the word, then?

Spurs are very much going through a big reshuffle with Jose Mourinho taking over the team.

And if the reports coming from Express are anything to go by, Daniel Levy is ready to open his wallet in January already in order to give his new manager a small boost in his new adventure.

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Zaniolo was reportedly a target when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge and the situation hasn’t really changed.

But now, the player has attracted a lot of interest from some other European giants, such as Manchester United, Inter Milan and Paris Saint Germain.

Il Messaggero reported a couple of days back that the French team would even be willing to offer around €60m (£52m) to land the young midfielder.

And judging by the needs of their squad, he might well be worth it.

No one quite like him

To put it in simple terms, Paris Saint-Germain don’t have anyone of Zaniolo’s profile within the squad and an additional attacking midfielder would go a long way to strengthening a sore spot in the squad.

In fact, Adil Aouchiche is the only natural player in that position across the board but with only 17 years on his back and one Ligue 1 appearance so far in the 2019/20, it’s safe to say he’s not yet at the required level.

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And of course, with the likes of Mbappe, Neymar and Icardi in the forward line, they have plenty of goalscorers in that department but no one from the midfield offers something similar, which could be a big issue.

The closest they can get are Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting with three strikes and Idrissa Gueye with one.

Zaniolo has already bagged five goals across all competitions for Roma this season himself, two of which were in four Europa League games, and he would definitely offer something new to PSG.

As for Spurs, their interest is very much warranted as well.

With Christian Eriksen likely to be leaving the club and Mourinho needing a small boost at the start of his new managerial stint, the 20-year-old Italian seems like a good solution.

Still, will Levy actually decide to go into a potential bidding war with the likes of United and PSG?

Maybe it would be a good time to do just that, otherwise, the French giants won’t hesitate to pull the trigger themselves.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid could be getting their missing link by landing Manchester United’s veteran midfielder.

One of the stars of Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, Donny van de Beek, announced himself to the world as one of European football’s brightest young midfielders.

The 22-year-old proved himself to be a reliable goal-scoring midfielder, scoring three times and providing a further two assists in the Champions League as the Dutch giants defied all expectations.

The likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong earned high-profile moves to Juventus and Barcelona this summer respectively, but Van de Beek stayed put despite links with super-clubs like Real Madrid and United.

Despite Ajax falling to a 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea on Wednesday night, eagle-eyed Manchester United fans were seemingly left very impressed by his display.

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After seeing his performance, fans of the Manchester side flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about the 22-year-old.

Many Red Devils supporters hailed his fine display, and insisted his style of play makes him a “more attacking Herrera”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below: