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Manchester United are reportedly eyeing up a move for Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Red Devils are interested in securing the highly-rated 21-year-old’s signature over the coming months after growing tired of Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s inefficiencies.

The original report states that: “It’s no mystery that Manchester United no longer want Aaron Wan-Bissaka on their team, at least as a starter.”

It goes on to claim that United could provide new manager Ralf Rangnick with a ‘magnificent player’ by sanctioning a deal for Lamptey in the winter window, labelling the youngster a ‘special talent’.

Bye-Bye Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Since arriving at the Amex Stadium from boyhood club Chelsea back in January 2020, Lamptey has established himself as one of the most promising and exciting full-backs in the Premier League.

In 26 appearances for Brighton, the England U21 international has scored one goal and provided four assists for his teammates, attracting praise from several impressed onlookers.

His current manager Graham Potter has previously lauded both Lamptey’s attacking ability and defensive qualities following his fast start to life on the south coast.

“He’s got such electric pace, but lots of players have that,” said Potter. “It’s having the ability to run in behind. The ability to run into space is often what separates players.

“Tariq does that, but he’s got courage, he does his defensive work. The boys love him, and he’s in a good place.”

And the Seagulls boss is not Lamptey’s only admirer. Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer also praised the right-back after picking him in his Team of the Week for matchday 2 last term, giving a brief comment on the youngster’s performances to justify his inclusion.

“The teenager only played for an hour but that hour was outstanding. He was a constant threat with his pace and nearly scored a deserved goal. A brilliant future lies ahead,” he wrote.

And when looking at Lamptey’s underlying numbers compared to Wan-Bissaka’s, it’s easy to understand why Rangnick may be tempted to sanction a move for the £16.2m-rated Brighton ace.

As per FBref.com, Lamptey has recorded two key passes per 90 this season, 5.09 shot-creating actions and 12 pressures, bettering the United flops tallies of 0.62, 1.62 and 10.8, respectively.

Wan-Bissaka also falls behind his compatriot in terms of attempted dribbles and carries into the opposition box too, with totals of 2.92 and 0.31 per 90 being dwarfed by his competitor’s tallies of 6.87 and 2.57.

Therefore, Rangnick must carefully consider a swoop for Lamptey in the upcoming transfer window, potentially adding a significant attacking force to his struggling charges.

And, in other news…Rangnick could finally end Man Utd’s striker hunt by signing £36m-rated “world-beater” 

When Crystal Palace parted ways with seven first-team stars in the summer at the end of their contracts, one of the most noticeable names was Dutch left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

After four-and-a-half seasons at Selhurst Park, the two parties couldn’t agree a new deal and the 31-year-old former Chelsea man opted to join Turkish outfit Galatasaray on a free transfer. That opened the way for Palace academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell to step into the first-team on a regular basis.

Last season Mitchell made 19 appearances in the Premier League and played 90 minutes in each of them, while Van Aanholt struggled with injury and form. That was clearly enough for Palace chairman Steve Parish and new manager Patrick Vieira to put their belief into the 22-year-old to be an instant replacement.

He hasn’t let them down either, so far being an ever-present in the Premier League team for Palace and playing every minute available to him. But more than his availability, it’s his performances that have been enough to convince Palace fans that they made the right decision in refusing to give Van Aanholt a pay-rise on his £55k-per-week deal last summer.

According to WhoScored, Mitchell currently ranks first for successful tackles per game at the club with 3.0, ranks second for interceptions per match with 1.4 and ranks fourth for most clearances with 2.5. He is also averaging 0.9 successful dribbles an outing, the same amount as Wilfried Zaha, and earned himself an assist in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle in October to show he can be an offensive threat too.

The £5.8m-rated Van Aanholt was great during his time with the Eagles, even being labelled as “spectacular” for his performances during the 2019/20 campaign with the club. But his exit was absolutely the right decision.

It has created an opportunity for another young player to come in and establish themselves, while also freeing up cash to spend elsewhere and getting the average age of the squad down. Mitchell is repaying the faith shown in him by the club, and the fans are buzzing to have him at the club.

The club certainly gambled by letting so many regular first-teamers leave at once, but Vieira has rebuilt the team and while they are still a work in progress there is no work needed at left-back because Mitchell has stepped up expertly. Clearly, Parish struck gold with his decision-making here.

AND in other news, Patrick Vieira must unleash Michael Olise.

Ralf Rangnick’s revolution at Manchester United has got off to a promising if unspectacular start and the January transfer window could be another significant step in their development.

A 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the German tactician’s opening game in charge was followed up by securing another three points against Norwich City by the same scoreline a week later.

United’s draw with BSC Young Boys in their Champions League dead rubber was sandwiched between those results, but their 11 changes meant the starting lineup didn’t allow for many significant lessons to be taught.

However, what has already become clear during Rangnick’s short reign is his desired style of play and philosophy that he’s attempted to implement in the red half of Manchester.

Against Palace, in particular, the 63-year-old’s preferred 4-2-2-2 shape and Gegenpressing system was evident for all to see.

United won back possession of the ball 12 times in the final third of the pitch – not only a record number for the Red Devils this season but since Opta began recording such data – while the midfield, inside forwards and two strikers were all extremely compact.

“The amount of times that you saw Manchester United in possession but in that very narrow shape was incredible,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville in his post-match analysis. “That is all to stop the counter-attack.”

But the below-par performance against Norwich brought United back down to earth and highlighted just how much work Rangnick has got to do before he makes them competitive again.

And in order to compete for football’s biggest prizes, the ‘Godfather of German coaching’ may have to dip into the transfer market over the winter window.

One player who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in RB Leipzig’s £60,000-per-week star Amadou Haidara.

According to The Mirror, Rangnick could sanction a deal for the box-to-box dynamo after previously signing him from Red Bull Salzburg for Leipzig back in January 2019.

Haidara’s current contract with the Bundesliga giants is believed to contain a £33m release clause, meaning a move to the red half of Manchester could be relatively straightforward.

After bringing the midfield gem to the Red Bull Arena from sister club Salzburg, Rangnick made no effort to hide his pleasure at the 23-year-old’s arrival, lauding the engine room operator’s quality.

“We’re delighted to have signed Amadou,” he told the club’s official website upon his unveiling (as relayed by Bundesliga.com).

“We’ve been following his progress in Salzburg, as he’s developed into an absolutely exceptional player there. There aren’t many players his age with so much potential. He has all the requirements to follow in Naby Keita’s footsteps.”

Signing the defensive-minded Haidara would bring an element of balance and control to the middle of the pitch that United have been desperately lacking for a number of years.

As per FBref.com, The Mali international has averaged 0.96 tackles won per 90 this term, 6.60 successful pressures, 2.23 blocks and 0.85 interceptions this term.

The cover that Haidara would provide Bruno Fernandes – who has scored 45 goals and provided 34 assists in 102 appearances for United – would make for a scary duo in the middle of the pitch.

Therefore, United must carefully consider a move for the robust youngster this January, providing Rangnick with the tools he needs to drag the 20-time English champions back to their previous perch.

And, in other news…“As things stand”: Fabrizio Romano drops MUFC transfer update that’ll have fans gutted 

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a worrying injury update concerning Kyogo Furuhashi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Athletic, the 56-year-old Celtic boss revealed that, despite the centre-forward being of the belief that he will be fit to play a part in the League Cup final against Hibernian on Sunday, the Bhoys medical team estimate the Japan international’s hamstring injury will keep him sidelined for between two and three weeks.

Speaking about Kyogo’s setback, Postecoglou said: “If you ask the physio team, they’ll say two to three weeks.”

Fans will be furious

Considering just how impressive Kyogo has been since his £4.6m move to Parkhead this summer, the 26-year-old striker looks as if he will miss the League Cup final because of an injury picked up in a game which was for all intents and purposes a dead rubber will have undoubtedly left Celtic fans furious.

Indeed, over his 13 Premiership appearances this term, the £1.8m-rated man has scored eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making 1.2 key passes and taking 2.2 shots per game. These metrics have seen the £18k-per-week forward average a SofaScore match rating of 7.07.

The 26-year-old has also scored a further six goals and provided three assists over 11 outings in the Europa League group stage and qualifiers and the League Cup, taking his total to 14 goals and five assists in just 24 appearances for the Hoops.

As such, being without the striker’s services in the cup final this weekend will undoubtedly weaken Celtic’s chances of lifting the trophy at Hampden Park on Sunday, an outcome which would certainly leave both Postecoglou and fans of the club devastated.

In other news: Ange could repeat Jota masterclass with Celtic swoop for £1.08m-rated “Iranian Neymar”

Marcelo Bielsa could finally axe one of his biggest liabilities at Leeds United…

What’s the word?

According to TNT Sports, the Yorkshire giants have submitted a £20m offer to sign Atletico Mineiro left-back Guilherme Arana, who is also of interest to some of their Premier League rivals.

Both Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a move for the Brazil international in recent months.

The 24-year-old has caught the eye of many teams since excelling at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer.

Firpo upgrade

You’d imagine that any move for a new full-back would see the end of Junior Firpo’s time as Bielsa’s first choice.

The Spaniard, signed from Barcelona in a £12.8m deal in the summer, has been quite a liability at Elland Road thus far. His error-prone performances have already seen him suspended due to racking up five yellow cards in the Premier League.

One particular display against Brighton and Hove Albion saw him labelled as an “absolute disaster” by Match of the Day and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards.

As such, director of football Victor Orta should look to rectify their summer blunder by signing Arana.

SofaScore ranked the 5 foot 9 dynamo as Brazil’s fourth-best performer on their way to the Olympic Gold medal in the summer. His coach at the Olympics, Andre Jardine, waxed lyrical about his ability at the tournament.

“He is going through a spectacular phase, he was the best full-back at the last Brazilian Championship, with a great resourcefulness, defensively and offensively,” he said. “His big message at the last Championship was that he scored goals, gave assists, he even scored a goal on our last call. I talk to Franco a lot. With his approval on the left-back, he really meets the Brazilian National Team. Arana fills our eyes with us at the club and here.”

Meanwhile, domestically, Arana helped steer Mineiro to the Serie A title, where he delivered five goals and seven assists across 48 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

On that evidence, he could be a much more reliable option than Firpo, so Orta and co must look to seal Bielsa an ideal upgrade at left-back in Arana this January.

AND in other news, Bielsa could unearth Leeds’ next Stuart Dallas in “unbelievable” 20 y/o gem “with no ego”…

Many Manchester United fans have been left fuming over a revelation from behind-the-scenes involving Ralf Rangnick.

As per The Daily Mail, the players are struggling to adjust to the manager’s later training sessions, and were left out in the dark at 5pm on Tuesday.

This comes after Rangnick himself criticised their ‘lack of physicality’ in their 1-1 draw away to Newcastle United in the Premier League last time out, ahead of their game at home to Burnley tonight.

The Red Devils were also criticised earlier in the season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for their lack of running compared to other teams in the top flight, suggesting that they are not fit enough physically or are not working hard enough.

Nonetheless, it seems that the players seemingly complaining about the sessions is not doing themselves any favours in trying to win over the MUFC supporters.

Man Utd fans on Rangnick revelation

These Man Utd fans fumed as the revelation was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ’embarrassing’:

“Wow and there’s me in my 9-5 desk job earning a fraction of what they earn in a week complaining. My heart bleeds…”

Credit: @EmmaHam41

“My 12-year-old’s training session is 7:30pm till 9pm. Grow up!”

Credit: @samhain1

“Get rid of the lot of them”

Credit: @1Ahtishaam

“Embarrassing”

Credit: @redutd1999

“Sell EVERYONE”

Credit: @Brokefrienddev

“They’re actually pathetic”

Credit: @mufc90

In other news, find out what transfer update has Red Devils talking here!

Everton have been suggested as a potential destination for Spurs star Dele Alli in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Speaking on The Athletic’s The View from The Lane podcast, Jack Pitt-Brooke revealed that the England ace’s name had been linked with a switch to Rafa Benitez’s side this month.

He said: “Spurs had been hoping for a while that Newcastle would want Dele this month, but I gather that’s not the case. It’s been suggested to me that maybe Everton are considering coming in for Dele towards the end of the month, but as far as I’m aware there’s been no movement on that.”

Could revive his career at Everton

The £100k-per-week star has previously been hailed as a “freak of a talent” by former Spurs man Darren Anderton, while Mauricio Pochettino even made some quite incredible comparisons between Alli and the likes of Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho.

He said: “You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing. Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.

“Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”What Alli hasn’t had in recent seasons, especially with Pochettino’s exit, is consistent game-time and perhaps that trust he had with the Argentine.This campaign has seen him play just 657 minutes of Premier League football, featuring heavily under Nuno Espirito Santo to begin the season and then completely dropping out of favour under Antonio Conte.While Everton fans may look to his recent record and consider this a potentially underwhelming signing, his previous history and the fact he’s still only 25, could see him revive his career at Goodison Park.At his absolute best, Alli is a goal-scoring midfielder who can win games, and his still impressive record of 67 goals and 61 assists in 269 games for Spurs is a testament to that.If the Toffees do land him later this January, then it could be an exciting one for fans.Meanwhile, Benitez could form a deadly duo with this Serie A star…

Having secured deals for Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and now Kerr Smith, Aston Villa have been quite busy in the January transfer window so far.

With just over two weeks left until the window closes, this will give the club plenty of time to assess any other areas of their squad that they feel may need strengthening.

One area that Steven Gerrard is apparently keen on strengthening is in the middle of the park. With that in mind, and having been mentioned with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria in the past, this could be a deal that they may be able to execute in the coming days and weeks.

Since joining Monchengladbach back in 2017, the 25-year-old – who is currently valued at £24.3m by Transfermarkt – has made a total of 144 appearances across all competitions for the German club.

Villa fans could be dazzled

In those appearances, Zakaria – who is currently picking up £51k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists along the way, showing that he could be a useful attacking threat for Villa from the midfield.

Labelled a “pearl” of a player in the past by Lothar Matthaus, Zakaria’s current contract at Borussia Park is set to expire in the summer, which could incentivise the club to sell him this month and get a fee for him rather than lose him on a free transfer later this year if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Also, with Villa recently being linked with a move for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma, Zakaria could be a cheaper alternative to the Seagulls midfielder, with the south coast club apparently only willing to consider a bid of around £50m for him this month.

With the Switzerland international having been likened to former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar Zinedine Zidane by international colleague Yann Sommer, it would be an exciting prospect for the Villa fans to see the club’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens secure a dream deal for Zakaria, given the hype around him and the fact that he could bring some experience of playing in the Europa League and Champions League with him to Villa Park.

Moving forward, if Villa are keen on signing a midfielder this month, they should definitely make an approach to Monchengladbach to see what the situation is with Zakaria and see if the Bundesliga outfit would be willing to sell him in January for a decent fee.

If they can beat the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona and Arsenal to the 25-year-old’s signature, on top of landing a marquee player in Coutinho, it would be another piece of transfer business to blow Villa fans away.

In other news: Villa have “agreement” for £13k-p/w ace with a “big presence”, Gerrard will be elated

A number of Liverpool fans have reacted negatively to a transfer rumour claiming the Reds are interested in signing Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans.

Jurgen Klopp has had a quiet time of things in terms of midfield additions recently, with Thiago the last such player brought into the club back in September 2020.

Liverpool have struggled in the middle of the park at times this season, with the Spaniard one of several players unavailable far too often, along with the likes of Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

It would be a big surprise if midfield reinforcements don’t come in during the summer transfer window, and Tielemans could be a potential option.

According to journalist Sacha Tovelieri [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are one of the clubs looking at bringing in the Belgium international, who memorably scored Leicester’s winning goal in the FA Cup final against Chelsea last year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-17/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react to Tielemans claim

However, some Reds supporters don’t want to see Tielemans at Anfield, taking to Twitter to provide their thoughts on a player who they believe would not be an upgrade on Klopp’s current midfield options.

Perhaps some have been put off by the 24-year-old spending time on the treatment table this season, with potential fears of a recurrence in a position where there have been several casualties in recent months.

“Just another crab with no legs”

Credit: @ow_g96

“Every year man”

Credit: @I_Am_Artanis

“Am I the only person not interested in him?”

Credit: @fishtoes22

“Why?”

Credit: @CM__Joshua

“He is not better than what we already have”

Credit: @GidBanda

“Nah”

Credit: @GPottenger

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a key David Ornstein claim. Read more here.

Darwin Nunez is reportedly now the ‘priority’ signing for Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Another striker in?

Following the arrival of Chris Wood from Burnley, it seems as if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium now want to bring in another striker to try and fill in the void left by the injured  Callum Wilson.

The Englishman is still their top scorer so far this season with six goals in total over all competitions, and while Wood has been potent in the Premier League before, he has only managed three strikes in the top flight this campaign.

Nonetheless, after the disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Watford last time out, there is another big game around the corner in terms of the relegation battle in Leeds United, and so Eddie Howe could do with some more firepower in order to get a kickstart on the points that they so desperately need.

The Latest: Nunez the ‘priority’

As per Record (via Sport Witness), Nunez is now the ‘priority’ signing for the St. James’ Park faithful, as he is currently on ‘top of the list’ in terms of who they want to bring in next through the door.

They have already made ‘first contacts’ over a potential move, but learned that Benfica want at least €60m (£50m) for his signature.

The Verdict: Centre-back first

Yes, the North East club could do with another striker, but they must look to bring in a new central defender first of all, before splashing the cash on Nunez.

They currently have the second-worst defensive record in the top flight, and Wood will surely start scoring goals once he is given time to settle on Tyneside.

Nonetheless, Nunez would be a top signing, as he is one of the most exciting strikers in world football, having been dubbed as a ‘special’ player with ‘no ceiling’ by Almeria sporting director Joao Goncalves (BBC).

The Uruguay international has 19 goals and two assists so far this season (Transfermarkt), and at just 22 years of age, he has the potential to go to the very top.

In other news, find out the latest on NUFC’s pursuit of this ‘amazing’ centre-back here!