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Southampton are keen on an £8m move for Rangers defender James Tavernier, as reported by The Express.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Saints have just seen right-back Cedric Soares depart for Inter Milan on loan, with an option to buy the Portuguese international for a fee of around £9.5m (as per the BBC). As a result, the South Coast side should probably sign a replacement, hence their interest in Tavernier.

The Gers captain has had an outstanding season so far under Steven Gerrard, making 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and recording 14 assists from a right-back position (as per Transfermarkt) – quite impressive, it must be said.

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…

It is understood that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints have asked about Tavernier’s availability, although it would take a bid in the region of £8m for the Scottish giants to discuss a move away from Ibrox for the defender, who was the subject of interest from Brighton and West Brom in the summer.

Would he be a good signing?

Of course. The former Newcastle defender has come on leaps and bounds in the Scottish Premiership since moving there from Wigan in 2015, and his excellent technical ability should allow fans to forget all about the departed Soares.

19-year-old Jan Valery has been playing regularly at right-back under Hasenhuttl, and whilst he has looked decent in parts, he was recently sent off against Leicester for two silly yellow cards – which suggests that he still has a lot to learn at Premier League level.

Tavernier’s Premier League experience is limited as well, but at 27 he’s a much more proven defender who won’t make needless mistakes – and he’ll add to Southampton’s prowess at the other end.

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Tottenham Hotspur were beaten on penalties by Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday night, as per the BBC.

Spurs headed into the game with a 1-0 lead, afforded to them by a Harry Kane spot-kick at Wembley.

But without the likes of Son-Heung Min – away at the Asian Cup with South Korea – Dele Alli and Kane – both injured – Spurs were vanquished by Maurizio Sarri’s Blues.

Chelsea will now face Manchester City in the final at Wembley after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Burton Albion 10-0 on aggregate in the other last-four tie.

The west London outfit took a 2-0 lead in the second leg at Stamford Bridge through N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard, but a goal from Fernando Llorente sent the tie to penalties, where both Eric Dier, who had scored the winning penalty for England against Colombia at the World Cup, and Lucas Moura missed. The hosts scored all four of their efforts from 12 yards.

CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…

Nevertheless, the performance was a gutsy one from a depleted Spurs, with captain Jan Vertonghen at the heart of their fightback.

The centre-back played with calmness and accuracy, distributing the ball as well as he tackled it, and made one goal-saving challenge on Hazard in the second-half.

And Spurs fans on Twitter were impressed with the Belgium international’s performance, even in defeat.

Manchester United were expected to make big splashes in the January market this window, but, alas, they failed to bring anyone into the club.

While that sounds a damning statement in some sense, the reality is things could not be going much better for United, who are still unbeaten under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and saw the club tie down striker Anthony Martial to a new deal just this week.

However, with the club struggling so much in the opening half of the season and central defence clearly still an issue for the Red Devils, does this lack of January action mean the club are not quite prepared to go ‘all in’ on Solksjaer? You could certainly interpret it that way.

The Norwegian has done a sterling job at turning things round at United, and he will no doubt remain positive and get the best out of his current crop, who so far have not let him down in any way, shape, or form.

Solskjaer though surely must notice that the club haven’t essentially backed him the market, and it could be a worry for the former striker as he looks to secure his long-term future at Old Trafford.

While if he continues to bring results like he is it makes it ever harder for the powers that be at United to not appoint him, there will be a worry within Solskjaer, who will be desperate not to return to Norway in the summer.

United though might see their future with a more experienced head and well known name in world football, and the January window might just be a sign that they are hanging fire before making big squad changes.

United fans, do you read anything into this? Or is there nothing to think about? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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West Ham were without Marko Arnautovic for Monday night’s clash with Liverpool after the Austrian failed a late fitness test, meaning that Javier Hernandez deputised up front for the Hammers.

Arnautovic was at the centre of West Ham’s January transfer business as a move to China was on the cards throughout – Shanghai SIPG plotted a £35m move for the forward but he remains in claret and blue.

The 29-year-old has netted eight goals and chalked up two assists in all competitions as he looks to fire the Irons to a respectable finish in the Premier League.

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video below for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

An outlay of around £100m saw the likes of Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop arrive at the London Stadium in the summer and the former has struck up a dangerous partnership with Arnautovic – the perfect blend of pace, power and skill.

West Ham don’t quite look the same without the former Stoke man in the lineup – although that didn’t stop them from taking a point from Liverpool on Monday night – and were keen to bring in someone last month who could potentially replace Arnautovic but a swoop for Celta Vigo hitman Maxi Gomez didn’t quite cross the line.

Despite Arnautovic pledging his allegiances to the Hammers – for now, at least – the fans were quick to question his failure of the fitness test on Monday. Here’s a look at how they reacted to the news on Twitter…

West Brom strolled to yet another impressive victory against Swansea but the fact Kieran Gibbs suffered an injury which forced him off in the second half is a negative they could do without.

The former Arsenal man was visibly frustrated after he appeared to pick up a hamstring injury, the extent of which is still unknown.

He managed to walk off so it may not be too severe but it is certainly a development he and his team could do without, as the match against the Swans was just his third appearance since his previous injury lay-off.

The left-back missed 12 games because of that issue and although the Baggies coped well without him, Bilic would undoubtedly prefer to call upon his experience and attacking skill – having scored one and assisted one in his last three games.

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Fans too are disappointed that he had to be substituted, and many feel sorry for him as he was just beginning to rediscover his form and fitness.

Bilic’s side were already in the ascendency when Gibbs came off but they still coped very well in his absence.

Darnell Furlong replaced him and Nathan Ferguson filled in at left-back, but both players were faultless for the remainder and showed signs that the team will be just as effective without Gibbs.

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Nevertheless, it is still a blow to lose a player of his quality and know-how, and that’s why fans are hoping that he won’t spend too long on the sidelines.

West Brom’s win means they go back above Leeds, who also won, proving that the pressure that both sides are creating is helping one another to perform better.

Sheffield Wednesday’s season currently hangs in the balance.

On the pitch, Garry Monk is steering them towards a serious push for promotion in the Championship but off it, they face huge uncertainty over the long-term future of the club.

The Owls currently sit fifth in the standings following a five-match unbeaten run which was continued at the weekend with a rampant 4-0 thrashing of fellow playoff hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, the south Yorkshire side are yet to face punishment following their charge by the English Football League over the sale of their Hillsborough stadium.

It is believed that their owner, Dejphon Chansiri, could face a permanent ban from the sport altogether while a 21-point deduction has been branded about as another potential consequence.

For now, all Wednesday can do it keep going until they learn their fate, and that appears to be the case with January in mind.

Next month gives Monk his first opportunity to stamp down his own mark amongst a team that was assembled wholly by his predecessors.

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One player that has been linked to the club this week is Charlton Athletic striker Lyle Taylor, while there is also reported interest in clinching Liverpool starlet Rhian Brewster on loan.

So it is reasonable to suggest that the 40-year-old could be in for a forward in a couple of weeks.

Would a move for Taylor be a right one? Absolutely not.

Sky Sports claim that the Addicks’ former owner Roland Duchatelet rejected offers of £4m for him in January, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, many Championship rivals are in for him.

The 29-year-old, who will turn 30 before the end of the season, had been out with a serious knee injury for quite some time before returning as a substitute against Middlesbrough.

He has since only made two further appearances from the bench having scored five goals in their opening six games.

The Owls should steer clear of him, not just because he is some way off being match fit, but too, he offers nothing different to what Monk already has in his ranks.

His current boss Lee Bowyer described him by saying: “For me, he’s a 20-goal-a-season striker no matter what division. The way we play suits him because it isn’t just his goals. His physicality, he holds the ball up.”

That sounds exactly like Steven Fletcher, who has already bagged 12 goals this campaign and also wins 6.3 aerial duels on average per game.

Wednesday simply do not need another player like this, but instead someone who can compliment him nicely.

And in other news, Sheffield Wednesday striker Jordan Rhodes is ‘on the radar’ this January, according to Alan Nixon…

After starting the campaign on fire with a brace against Chelsea in Manchester United’s opening Premier League game of the season, Marcus Rashford went through a barren period that saw him net just once in his next seven top-flight games.

Recent weeks has seen him pick up his form considerably, with seven in his last eight heading into Sunday afternoon’s clash against Everton. But after inspiring the Red Devils to impressive victories over both Tottenham and Manchester City in their previous two league matches, Rashford could not do the same against the Toffees.

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As per Sofascore, he completed just two of his five attempted dribbles, made just 18 passes over the course of the 90 minutes, lost possession 19 times and lost 11 duels in total too. All in all, it was a display that made a mockery of his recent revival, and United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their frustrations at his performance.

A couple of fans were critical of Rashford’s desire to shoot instead of looking to pass, with one supporter in particular claiming that he was “too greedy”.

After enjoying an impressive hot streak in recent weeks, it was little surprise to see Rashford finally draw a blank. The England international is allowed an off night, and it will be up to him to prove that his display against Everton was simply that rather than anything far more concerning.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans have hailed this starlet after his appearance against AZ Alkmaar. 

West Ham United fell to defeat against Crystal Palace on Boxing Day to raise the pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini’s shoulders, and some Irons fans have already identified who they want to replace the Chilean.

The 2-1 loss left the Hammers just one place and one point above the Premier League’s relegation zone, ahead of the visit of second-placed Leicester City to the London Stadium on Saturday.

Reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has suggested that the board could target David Moyes if they do wield the axe on the South American, but supporters would prefer someone else – Niko Kovac.

The former Croatia international is a free-agent having left Bayern Munich by mutual consent back in November, and it was probably a bit of a harsh decision when you look at his team’s overall record – 45 wins and 12 draws in 65 matches, scoring 169 goals as per Transfermarkt.

The following fans made it clear that they want to see the 48-year-old come to east London, and the fact that he is available is certainly an advantage for the club.

There were plenty of others that said they were keen on the former Bayern Munich manager, but they were pretty pessimistic of their club’s chances of bringing the Croatian to the London Stadium, with some citing a lack of ambition from the board.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

One even labelled him as “the best available replacement”, and considering he is a free-agent and his previous club was with the Bundesliga giants, it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment.

In other West Ham news, ExWHUemployee has issued an update on Pellegrini’s future following the defeat to Crystal Palace…

Manchester City aren’t on course to win their third consecutive Premier League title.

They currently sit 14 points behind Liverpool with 19 games left to play and barring a capitulation from Jurgen Klopp’s side, Pep Guardiola’s men won’t be champions this season.

Liverpool have been brilliant, failing to win only once so far, but City’s standards have also slipped as they’ve now conceded as many league goals as they did last term despite only being halfway through this campaign.

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Understandably, there’s been a fair bit of backlash aimed at some of City’s defensive players, and one of City’s most reliable journalists believes that three players will be moved on.

What’s been said then?

Sam Lee was hosting a Q&A session on The Athletic after City’s 3-2 loss to Wolves.

As you’d expect, complaints about a number of players came in for Lee to respond to.

“Any particular reason Zinchenko has been out the team since he’s been back? Mendy can’t be trusted in the games against Madrid. Needing a bigger clear out in the summer than expected. Bravo, Otamendi, Mendy all need to be moved on” One fan said.

“They do, and probably will be. OZ obviously had a knee problem so don’t think there’s anything untoward going on, but couldn’t say for sure” Lee replied.

Another fan stated that his friend thought that the above trio will leave City this summer, and Lee echoed the above sentiment as he said:

“Otamendi, Mendy and Bravo all (quite) likely to leave in the summer – Otamendi wanted to go last summer, Bravo out of contract and I say ‘quite’ for Mendy because he is still coming back from injury, but he is very much at risk. One problem would be who would take him if City clearly want to get rid”

Everyone on alert

If Man City are planning a fire sale this summer then that should put every other team in the Premier League on alert.

City’s financial power is well-documented and if they’re planning on selling players, they’ll almost certainly be spending big to replace them.

Everyone challenging at the top end of the Premier League should be wary of this news, as another summer of heavy spending could see Guardiola’s side return to the nigh-on unbeatable form they were showing back in the 2017/18 season when they hit the 100 points mark.

For those lower down, the danger is whether City will poach their players away. Few will be willing to resist the temptation to work under Pep Guardiola.

In other news, one City target has received glowing reviews from his peers.

Reports have suggested this month that Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti wants to work with Adrien Rabiot for the second time having managed him at Paris Saint-Germain previously, and the Juventus midfielder showed Toffees fans a glimpse of what they could have with his performance in his side’s 4-0 win against Cagliari on Monday.

Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, reported earlier this week that the Merseyside outfit are ready to pay €30m (£25.5m) to bring the 24-year-old to Goodison Park during the January transfer window, but that the Serie A giants have rejected the approach – for now at least.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if Ancelotti did want to add some quality in the central midfield position, having seen Morgan Schneiderlin and Gylfi Sigurdsson ultimately flop there – especially in the second half – against a young Liverpool side on Sunday.

Football Insider report that the experienced Italian has already decided he no longer wants Sigurdsson, while he still isn’t able to call upon injured duo Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin.

The Toffees are certainly missing something in the centre of the park, and Rabiot’s latest display for Juve suggested he might have that spark and quality they are clearly lacking right now.

The France international started alongside Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi in the middle of the park for Maurizio Sarri’s men in Turin, and ended the match with a passing accuracy of 95.2% from the 62 he attempted – showcasing his ability to keep possession – as per WhoScored.

That was something Everton visibly struggled with when they were pressed by Jurgen Klopp’s team at the weekend, and they look to need some more players who are comfortable on the ball if they are to effectively play the Ancelotti way.

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Bringing the ball forward is another weakness of many of the Merseyside outfit’s midfielders, with the likes of Schneiderlin and Fabian Delph usually preferring a sideways or backwards pass.

The fact that Rabiot successfully completed four dribbles and made one key pass against Cagliari shows his ability to bring the ball forward and create, which is something that could make a big difference for the Toffees in away matches like ones at Anfield.

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With two tackles to his name too, the 24-year-old showed himself to be something of an all-round central midfield player, and Everton and Ancelotti are crying out for one of those right now.

They may have had a negative response to their first move for the Frenchman, but they should be giving up hope of getting him just yet based on this display.

In other Everton news, the Toffees are set to miss out on signing a 20-year-old who would have been perfect for the Seamus Coleman role under Ancelotti…