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Southampton have a tough task on their hand to save themselves from relegation this season, having flirted with the drop throughout the past five years.

Although their form was poor, relieving Ralph Hasenhuttl of his duties will likely not ease issues, especially with the unproven Nathan Jones as his replacement.

Now, taking his first steps into Premier League management, he will have to drag a side two points adrift in 19th to safety.

Although relegation battles are seldom the time to embed youngsters into the team, in this case, it would have been a necessity to finally remove one of the many underperforming frontmen from the side.

Whilst Mohamed Elyounoussi, Theo Walcott or Moussa Djenepo could be highlighted for their lack of threat, perhaps the latter is the most disappointing given how he has been decidedly useless throughout his whole career on the south coast.

He boasts just four goals and four assists in 79 appearances, and this season is yet to score across all competitions.

Therefore, his place in the team is far from merited.

It would be far better served to allow someone like Diamond Edwards, who actually has a future at the club, to take his place. He could hardly have done much worse than the £55k-per-week dud.

Having started the season in promising fashion, earning his senior debut, this season the 19-year-old took to Premier League 2 action with ease too, boasting two assists in just five games.

It marks a fine translation of his four goals and one assist for the under-18s the season prior.

Across both of these campaigns, he has outlined his ability to score and create, whereas Djenepo seems to be unable to do either. Not only this but having signed a new deal earlier in November, academy director Matt Hale was quick to praise the youngster:

“He is an exciting, attacking player and has superb creativity with the ball. We are confident Diamond will add time to his first team minutes over the next 12 months and beyond.”

However, having suffered an ACL injury back in October, it is expected that he will be out for the remainder of the season.

Plenty of things might have changed upon his return, and whether they are still in the division or Djenepo still even plays for the club remains to be seen.

Despite this, he has already proven himself one of the outstanding talents in their youth setup, who will be knocking on the door upon his eventual return to fitness.

Liverpool have been long-term admirers of Youri Tielemans over the last few seasons, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s intentions to make a move for the player.

What’s the latest?

Catalan news outlet SPORT (via Paisley Gates) reveal that Liverpool are looking to sign the Belgium international who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

As per the report, the Leicester City midfielder has continued to capture the attention of Liverpool but they will have competition in securing his signature with Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus and Newcastle United all named as interested parties too.

Thiago 2.0

There is no doubt that Liverpool’s midfield is in desperate need of refreshing over the next few transfer windows, and ensuring that a transfer target like Tielemans is not lost to another elite club will be essential in the efforts to improve the current performances and league standings at Anfield.

The Reds are currently sixth in the league table after suffering their worst start to a Premier League season in over a decade which has left the side 15 points adrift of the top spot occupied by Arsenal.

It is clear that reinvestment in the team is now a pressing concern that needs to be addressed, especially in the centre of the pitch with many of the players coming to the latter stages of their careers.

Both Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are well into their 30s, alongside contracts expiring in June 2023 for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so now would be the perfect time to snap up a Premier League experienced midfielder who can offer both youth and quality.

Tielemans – who was hailed “divine” and an “exceptional talent” by Jaquob Crooke – fits the profile to become the successor in midfield with Thiago named as one of the most comparable players to the Foxes star according to FBref, with the pair sharing many similar attributes in their game this season.

Their similarities reside in their pass completion rate (84.5% v 86.6%), dribbles completed (53.8% v 60%) and tackles won (17 v 13), however, Tielemans has outperformed the Liverpool star in many areas too over the campaign so far.

The talented midfielder, who was valued as low as £25m earlier this year, has scored more goals (3 v 0), has a better shot-on-target rate (50% v 0%), boasts far more shot-creating actions (44 v 19) and wins more aerial duels (66.7% v 43.5%).

These numbers prove that he could well be a more complete midfielder than Thiago in terms of his versatility in attacking and defensive play.

With that being said, the opportunity to sign Tielemans, whether that be in January for a fee or in the summer when there will be no price tag attached, must not be missed by Liverpool as the 25-year-old could be the catalyst in transforming and improving the Merseysiders’ midfield.

Tottenham have been boosted in their quest to sign Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, with a new report claiming they are the ‘only’ club who can snap him up.

The Lowdown: Tottenham linked with Zaniolo move

Antonio Conte will always be looking to strengthen his squad despite their impressive start to the campaign, as he looks to follow last season’s positivity by finishing in the Premier League top four again or even better.

One player who has been constantly linked with a move to north London in 2022 is Zaniolo, who has enjoyed a good career at Roma, scoring 22 goals in 119 appearances.

He hasn’t featured as prominently this season, however, making only five Serie A starts, and it could be that his future lies away from his current club.

The Latest: Paratici in pole

Speaking to Wettfreunde [via Sport Witness], Sky Italy journalist Gianluca Di Marzio shrugged off potential interest from Arsenal and said that the influence of Fabio Paratici makes Spurs strong favourites to sign Zaniolo:

“Nicolo Zaniolo only had one real request in the summer and that was Tottenham. They tried to get him, but with a swap deal with other players, or a loan option, and AS Roma didn’t want to sell the player under those conditions.

“Now, like Leão or Skriniar, it’s about Zaniolo’s contract. They need to renew his contract if they want the contractual power if the player makes a request. Arsenal or other clubs? No.

“Only Tottenham can come back because Paratici is one of the chiefs who has wanted Zaniolo for a long time. Even when he was at Juventus.”

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The Verdict: Exciting news for Spurs

This is a hugely encouraging transfer update from a Spurs perspective, with Roma boss Jose Mourinho recently describing Zaniolo as a ‘devastating’ attacking player.

He is someone who could come in a provide extra guile and quality in the final third, making the attacking side of Spurs’ game more potent and unpredictable.

Zaniolo has two goals in nine caps to his name for Italy, and he won the UEFA Conference League with Roma last season, and with his current deal expiring in 2024, Roma could feel they need to sell in January or the end of the season.

Everton head to north London to take on Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash this evening, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can get back into form after losing to Manchester United last weekend.

The Toffees were on a six-game unbeaten run in the top flight when they hosted Erik ten Hag’s side at Goodison Park last Sunday, but fell to a 2-1 defeat in front of their home fans.

If Lampard can take all three points against Antonio Conte’s side today, they could even break into the top half of the table depending on the results around them, which would be a huge confidence boost for the team going into the upcoming fixtures ahead of the World Cup break next month.

In terms of injuries, the picture remains unchanged with Nathan Patterson, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Andros Townsend all unavailable for selection going into the match this evening.

Anthony Gordon will be unavailable too following a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards.

With that in mind, this is how Football Fancast expects Everton to line-up against Spurs today.

We expect to see two changes to the team which lost to Man United last weekend, lining up in Lampard’s usual 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is that Dwight McNeil will reprise his role on the right side of the forward line due to Gordon’s matchday suspension this weekend.

Although the 21-year-old winger – who was dubbed “fearless” by Alan Shearer – is suspended, we would have expected the Everton manager to bench Gordon anyway, as his performances have not been up to scratch as of late.

The Chelsea summer transfer target has been dropping stinker after stinker in the Premier League, losing 66% of his duels, failing in 78% of his dribble attempts and making just 0.7 key passes per game over his last nine outings, so his suspension is arguably a blessing in disguise for Lampard.

The second change that we expect to see would yield a first starting appearance of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will join McNeil and Demarai Gray in the front three against Spurs this afternoon.

The 25-year-old is finally back to full fitness and will surely replace Neal Maupay in the centre-forward role to give Everton the experience and the boost that they may need in order to gain an early lead on their high-flying opponents.

Everton have had many talents rise through the ranks of their youth academy with Wayne Rooney, John Stones and Eric Dier all polishing their skills at the Merseyside club, and current manager Frank Lampard is a huge fan of developing youth talent.

The former Chelsea boss played his part in giving Reece James, Mason Mount, Armando Broja, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Guehi their Premier League debuts at Stamford Bridge, all of whom have gone on to be star players in their own rights.

Lampard’s eye for rising stars will have certainly excited the youth prospects at Goodison Park upon his arrival at the club at the beginning of this year, and will all be working hard in the hope of their golden opportunities to impress the Toffees boss.

One player who has the potential to catch Lampard’s eye is 19-year-old Luke Butterfield, an Everton U21s midfielder who signed a brand-new three-year contract to remain at Goodison Park just this week.

The talented youngster is currently recovering from a knee injury but has been a consistent and reliable contributor to the youth teams over his time at the club which has led to praise from the club’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell.

Thelwell hailed Butterfield  “very talented” when the player penned his new deal:

“Luke is a very talented young player and we are delighted he has signed this new contract.

“As well as having a lot of strong technical attributes, he has an excellent attitude and a real desire to learn.”

The Yorkshire-born talent has made 60 appearances at youth level for Everton, scoring three goals, mostly being deployed as a defensive midfielder showing glimpses of his talent in last season’s EFL trophy for the U21s.

Butterfield made two appearances in that competition, where he demonstrated a wide array of skills, showcasing his immense set of attributes. He completed a bullish three tackles and one clearance per game, while winning 69% of his duels and completing 50% of his dribbles, proving that he knows how to beat a man, as well as how to dispossess them.

With that being said, Lampard could unearth his next prodigy in Butterfield and if he continues to shine at youth level, the teenager will certainly add depth and a fresh perspective to the senior squad’s midfield options.

Everton have already signed one striker this week, and they now could be set to add another…

 What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Toffees are getting close to finalising a deal for a reported target in Ben Brereton Diaz.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he claimed: “Everton are closing in on Brereton Diaz, which would be significant given the interest in him this summer.

“I’m hearing we are looking at a deal worth a guaranteed £17.5m and then add ons would take it beyond £20m. Lampard wants up to three new forwards before the deadline.”

Could be Lampard’s best signing

With a deal for Neal Maupay completed on Friday, it gives Frank Lampard some added freedom with his next striker purchase, as he can take a risk on someone without Premier League experience.

He should duly look no further than the Championship, where Brereton Diaz earned huge praise last season for his fine goalscoring performances.

The Chile forward was instrumental in Blackburn Rovers’ unlikely play-off push, which was derailed as soon as he got injured. He still managed to net 22 goals in just 37 appearances, also chipping in with three assists.

Although Maupay could likely guarantee at least eight goals a season, a return that he has managed or exceeded in each of his Brighton and Hove Albion, the unknown potential of this Brereton Diaz deal is an exciting thought.

Not only was he prolific last term, but his new international coach Eduardo Berizzo also had plenty to commend about the striker, saying: “Brereton is very intelligent in his movement and found himself behind rival defenders several times.”

Berizzo continued: “He is a footballer with many qualities… He is a player of interesting movements. He will be an important reference for us.”

Whilst Everton’s new French forward can link up the play with his 78% pass completion rate, Brereton Diaz’s goal-poaching instinct could see him benefit from the wicked deliveries of another summer addition in Dwight McNeil, who averaged 1.3 key passes per game last season.

If the Chile star can replicate his Blackburn goalscoring feats for the Toffees, for just £20m he could quickly become Lampard’s best signing to date at Goodison Park. He appears to have all the ability to thrive in the Premier League; he just needs someone to take a punt on him.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has had his say on the recent transfer rumours linking Celtic with a move for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.

What’s the latest?

On Twitter, the journalist was asked by another user if there was any truth in the rumours linking the Englishman with a move to Parkhead. In response, Joseph replied by saying that he doesn’t believe there is anything in it as things stand.

With 319 senior appearances under his belt throughout his career, the 28-year-old has netted 46 times and delivered 41 assists in the process, which shows how useful he can be in front of goal.

Despite his talent, the midfielder has not been able to make himself a regular first-team figure under Thomas Tuchel, starting just four of the 14 games in which he appeared across all competitions last season.

Postecoglou should be gutted

Bearing in mind how the Hoops have seen midfielders such as Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton, Ismaila Soro and Luca Connell exiting the club this summer, it’s safe to say that this is an area of the squad which could do with being strengthened before the end of the summer transfer window.

Therefore, adding a player like Barkley, who has plenty of experience of playing in the Premier League, could be a smart move for the Hoops.

To further highlight what he’d be able to offer the Bhoys, in his six Premier League games last season, the midfielder took nine shots at goal in total, with four of those being on target, leaving him with the highest rate for shots (4.53) and shots on target (2.01) per 90 minutes in the Chelsea squad.

This shows that, even as a midfielder, the £100k-per-week Englishman could be a real nuisance for opposition goalkeepers in the Premiership.

Taking into account how Ange Postecoglou’s team ended their previous league campaign with the highest number of goals scored in the division (92) and more shots at goal (757) than any other top-flight side, adding an extra goal threat to the squad such as Barkley would surely boost the Hoops’ chances of not only retaining the league title but being successful in other competitions too.

With all that in mind, it will surely be disappointing for Postecoglou to not see his club launch themselves at a potential opportunity to sign the Chelsea outcast, knowing what he’d be able to offer Celtic on the pitch.

Also, with 81% of voters in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast saying that they think Barkley would be a good signing for the Bhoys, it would also make it a disappointment for the fans to hear Joseph’s update on the matter.

Aston Villa have enjoyed an impressive summer of recruitment thus far, with five major signings having been completed already, although one area to address remains that of centre-forward.

The belief is that Steven Gerrard is on the hunt for a new addition up top before the September 1st deadline, with his forward line having suffered from a shortage of goals last term – Ollie Watkins finished as the club’s top scorer with just 11 goals in all competitions, four clear of his closest contender.

With doubts also surrounding the future of £25m man Danny Ings, a new recruit to help bolster the front line could well be needed, with recent reports having named Juventus gem Moise Kean as one potential figure who could be arriving at Villa Park.

The 22-year-old is currently midway through a two-year loan deal at the Serie A club from Everton, having returned to Turin last summer after failing to make his mark with the Merseysiders, who signed him from the Old Lady on an initial £29m deal in 2019.

That scenario would make it a complex deal for Villa to pull off, with Max Allegri’s side reportedly having a £24m obligation to buy, although it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the forward could arrive in the Midlands, should the Italian outfit wish to cash in once their own agreement is met.

The Bianconeri could well be willing to offload the Italy international after a disappointing return to the Allianz Stadium, with Kean netting just six goals in 42 games for the club all competitions during the 2021/22 campaign.

That may be a point of concern to those of a Villa persuasion, although the £21.6m-rated gem previously blossomed while on loan at Paris Saint-Germain in 2020/21. He bagged 17 goals across all fronts for the star-studded Ligue 1 side, with his then-manager Thomas Tuchel dubbing him “courageous” and “fearless” following his impressive impact.

Also dubbed “electric” by journalist Mina Rzouki, the 12-cap machine did struggle during his previous stint in England at Goodison Park – scoring just four goals in 39 games for the Toffees – although the Villans can be encouraged by his likeness to a certain Tammy Abraham.

According to FBRef, the two strikers share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, with that comparison no doubt set to raise a few eyebrows such is the Englishman’s standing with Villa.

Having signed on loan from Chelsea in 2018, Abraham went on to play a crucial role in helping to secure promotion under Dean Smith, scoring a ridiculous tally of 26 goals in 42 games for the then-Championship side.

He has since gone from strength to strength – aside from a brief, frustrating spell under the aforementioned Tuchel last year – after netting 15 Premier League goals during the 2019/20 season while back at Stamford Bridge, before enjoying a real standout campaign last time out at current club Roma, scoring 27 goals in all competitions for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Now reportedly worth as much as £100m, the one-time Bristol City loanee is blossoming on the European stage, with those at Villa perhaps wishing he could have stayed longer than just a solitary season at the club.

However, turning to Kean could well see sporting director Johan Lange secure Abraham 2.0, and that is undoubtedly a mouthwatering prospect.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez…

Malcolm Ebiowei is already making a huge impression at Crystal Palace following his move from Derby County in the summer and it seems as if he could be a big part of Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad next season.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old joined on a free transfer from financially-stricken Derby earlier in the summer and has caught the eye with his pre-season performances thus far.

While he has very little experience in senior football it was perhaps expected that he would return to the Championship on loan next season, however, it seems as if he could now play his part in the Premier League, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

On Twitter, the transfer insider said: “Patrick Vieira, happy with Malcolm Ebiowei’s impact at Crystal Palace. No plan to let him leave on loan, as of now – Ebiowei could really have a chance at Palace already this year. Vieira wants to work closely with Ebiowei to become an important player for the future.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Crystal Palace fans will also have been impressed by the glimpses of Ebiowei in pre-season, with this clip of him sitting down Fred in the Eagles’ pre-season defeat to Manchester United no doubt whetting the appetite of supporters.

Although Vieira is already blessed with a lot of young exciting talent out wide, such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, it is a long season and Ebiowei will no doubt get opportunities to impress at Selhurst Park.

Given that he was able to impress in a relegation side last season in his first taste of senior football, contributing one goal and two assists in just 16 appearances, earning a solid 6.85 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If he can live up to his obvious potential and start to impress in Palace’s side next season, then signing him on a free could prove to be a superb piece of business by the Eagles.

AND in other news: Vieira can unearth Palace’s Zaha heir in teenage star with “a little bit of X-factor”

Leeds United correspondent Graham Smyth has admitted that a permanent move away for Jamie Shackleton ‘cannot be ruled out’.

The Lowdown: Summer of change

It has been a busy month at Elland Road after Leeds secured their Premier League status on the final day of the 2021/22 season. The Whites have already brought in Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca and are now keen on signing Club Brugge star Charles de Ketelaere.

There looks set to be a number of departures as well, with Manchester City and Leeds agreeing a £42m fee for Kalvin Phillips, while Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.

Shackleton, who Marcelo Bielsa previously described as ‘energetic’, could well follow the duo out of Elland Road as he enters the final two years of his contract.

The Latest: Smyth’s claim

Smyth shared a transfer state of play on Sunday morning for The Yorkshire Evening Post, looking at possible replacements for Phillips.

He then looked at potential outgoings and said that Shackleton ‘is another who could seek opportunities elsewhere and a permanent move away cannot be ruled out’.

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The Verdict: Makes sense?

Shackleton has been in and around the first-team squad over the past four seasons, making 78 appearances for Leeds, but he has never nailed down a starting role under either Bielsa or Jesse Marsch, featuring from the off in only 19 league games.

He is now 22 years of age, so playing regular senior football appears to be imperative at this stage of his career.

Capable of playing in midfield or at right-back, Shackleton could potentially be an asset for a Championship club, and it looks as if his future will be one to watch over the coming months.