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With Southampton having scored just six goals in their opening eight Premier League games of the season, it’s safe to say Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have not been in the best attacking form so far in this campaign.

One attacking player that is making a difference away from Southampton is 20-year-old left-midfielder Will Ferry, who is currently on a loan deal from the Saints with League Two club Crawley Town.

Ferry joined Southampton’s U18 side from Bury’s U18s back in the 2017 summer transfer window for an undisclosed fee.

Since then, Ferry has featured in 23 matches for Southampton U18s where he has managed to score seven goals and provide nine assists along the way.

The player has also managed to make 33 appearances for Southampton’s B team, netting five and assisting on seven occasions but has yet to make his senior debut for the Saints.

During his time with Crawley, Ferry has managed to score one goal and provide three assists in ten outings for the club so far this season across all competitions, getting plenty of minutes under his belt which should be very pleasing for Hasenhuttl and the supporters.

In addition to this, Ferry has racked up an average of 1.4 shots per game in League Two as well as 1.3 key passes per game, showing just how much of an attacking threat he has been for the club since his arrival at Crawley.

He’s certainly delivering on the immense promise that made Crawley pounce on his temporary signature with their CEO, Erdem Konyar, saying in August: “Will is an exciting young player.”

Moving forward, if Ferry can keep playing regularly for Crawley until the end of his loan spell and keep adding some more goals and assists to his tally, we feel he could definitely be in contention to eventually make his senior debut for the Saints when he returns at some point.

Given the age of some of Southampton’s current wingers such as Theo Walcott (32) and Nathan Redmond (27), there’s every possibility that Ferry could well be a regular first-team player for the Saints in the future alongside the likes of Nathan Tella and Moussa Djenepo. With that many options on the flanks, however, the boss would have an undoubted dilemma as to who to select.

The Irishman is some way off being Premier League ready but his potential and star qualities lower down the leagues is standing him in good stead.

In other news: Forget JWP: Saints must unleash “aggressive” 22 y/o on Sat, he could terrify Burnley – opinion

Newcastle United are set to miss out on target Nico Schlotterbeck with the Freiburg centre-back close to a move to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

What’s the story?

According to 90min, the 22-year-old, who had been a January target for the Toon Army, is set to stay in Germany and make the move up the Bundesliga table to join Dortmund this summer.

The Freiburg defender opted against a move midway through the season in order to fully weigh up his options and will now snub a move to St.James’ Park for the Signal Iduna Park.

PIF and Howe headed for their first error

With the takeover of Newcastle by PIF, the North East outfit instantly became ambitious, with the upcoming summer transfer window set to see serious spending.

However, it already looks as though the Magpies will miss out on one defensive target in Sven Botman, who could be headed for AC Milan, and now missing out on another isn’t a great start to PIF’s dynasty.

Granted, the major first step was to secure Premier League survival this term which looks all but guaranteed with Newcastle on 40 points with five games remaining.

Moreover, Schlotterbeck would’ve undoubtedly improved Eddie Howes’ side’s defence.

The 22-year-old has been a kingpin in Freiburg’s success this term, with the Black Forest club currently fifth in the German top tier.

Averaging a colossal 81.6 touches per game, the centre-back is incredibly active, making 2.8 interceptions, 2.4 tackles and four clearances a league match, according to SofaScore.

Moreover, the German’s passing is excellent at 81%, averaging 50 passes a match whilst winning 67% of all duels.

Despite newfound solidity over recent months, Newcastle are still of the Premier League’s worst sides defensively, having conceded 55 goals in 33 games. Only Watford, Norwich and Leeds have shipped more.

According to SofaScore, January signing Dan Burn has been the Magpies’ best centre-back this term, but Schlotterbeck’s greater quality is clear to see.

Burn averages 57.3 touches a match whilst making 1.5 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 4.6 clearances with the Englishman’s passing also at 81%, although the defender averages 35.8 passes.

Furthermore, the 29-year-old wins fewer duels with a 58% success rate.

Despite having serious ambitions, right now Newcastle aren’t the same sort of prospect as Dortmund are and will now have to seek new defensive targets.

However, it is crucial for the football club’s success that Howe and PIF aren’t snubbed again as they look to reshape the structure of the Magpies as missing out on both Botman and Schlotterbeck should be seen as a disaster.

AND in other news: Fewer passes than Dubravka: NUFC dud who lost the ball every 2.3 touches let Howe down

When Nuno Santo decided to leave Wolves at the back end of last season, the Molineux faithful understandably held a great deal of concern for the future of their club.

Although the Portuguese had guided the Old Gold to a lowly finish of 13th, far away from the European places, he had achieved a great deal in the Midlands.

This was the man who had steered Wolves to the Premier League, cemented their top-flight status and taken them to the Europa League.

Yet, Nuno had achieved everything he could and headed for the exit door after a rift over transfers with the club’s hierarchy.

Bruno Lage has since come in and transformed this Wolverhampton Wanderers side. They might have suffered a number of injuries this term and been without their Player of the Season from 2020/21 in Pedro Neto, but that hasn’t stopped them from flying high.

They head into Christmas in 8th place and stand a phenomenal chance of reaching European football again.

However, those aforementioned injuries could put a dent in their progress if it carries on throughout the entire campaign. Making use of the January transfer window, therefore, could be just the ticket.

One player who has been tipped with a move to Wolves is Dele Alli.

The Spurs playmaker has been in disastrous form over the last couple of campaigns and has gone from a genuine wonderkid and saviour of English football to someone who can barely get a look in at Tottenham.

The 25-year-old has only started seven times in the league this season and was blasted as a “disgrace” by Jamie O’Hara after the Lilywhites were defeated by minnows NS Mura in the UEFA Conference League.

That doesn’t exactly paint Dele in a positive light, but the fact of the matter is that he’s still a cracking player, one who is about to reach the prime of his career.

You sense that the England international needs a fresh start and he could gain exactly that with Wolves.

If he does move further north then he would surely be the missing piece that drags Lage’s side to a European finish.

After all, this is a talent who has scored more than eight goals in four top-flight campaigns in his career so far. Considering that Wolves’ top scorer last term was Neto with just five goals, that extra dose of magic in the final third from Dele could be game-changing.

The £100k-per-week earner has been described as a “freak” by Darren Anderton and has even been compared to two of the most technically gifted footballers to grace the game by Mauricio Pochettino.

He once commented: “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.”That’s quite the assessment to make and even if his form has tailed off in recent years – scoring just five times in the last 18 months – he is still a pure joy to watch.Seeing him revive himself at Wolves would be quite the sight so combine him with the likes of Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Neto, and you could have quite the front line.Lage has to bring the £27m-rated talent to the Midlands this winter.AND in other news, Wolves can sign the new Thomas Muller in £120k-p/w gem who can “unlock” defences…

With two weeks left until the January transfer window closes, Wolves still have time to make any changes to their squad that they think will put them in the best shape to end the season as strongly as possible and potentially secure a European place in the Premier League table.

However, it seems as though the club can put to bed any concerns about potentially seeing one of their key players leave Molineux this month.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Spanish media outlet SPORT, Wolves winger Adama Traore wants to return to Barcelona with Jorge Mendes apparently working with both parties for a potential deal.

However, it’s likely that Traore will stay at the Midlands club until the summer before a final decision is made on his future.

Since joining Wolves back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Championship club Middlesbrough in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m, the Spaniard has gone on to make 153 appearances for the Old Gold across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 18 assists in the process.

Lage will be relieved

Despite only managing to score one goal in the Premier League so far this season, which came in Wolves’ recent 3-1 win over Southampton at the weekend, Traore’s performances have shown what an important figure he can be for the team and why Bruno Lage will be relieved to potentially have him in the squad for the remainder of the season rather than watching him leave midway through the campaign.

For the 19 league performances he’s delivered for Wolves this season, WhoScored have given Traore an overall rating of 6.97/10, making him their fourth-highest rated player below Rayan Ait-Nouri, Romain Saiss and Max Kilman.

Looking ahead to the summer, with the 25-year-old’s contract set to expire in 2023, it could be worth Wolves working out a deal with Barcelona to sell Traore on a permanent deal after previous reports have highlighted his unhappiness and unwillingness to sign a new deal at Molineux.

This way, the Molineux outfit would get a transfer fee for him that could be used to find a replacement and Traore gets the move he wants, leaving all parties happy.

Moving forward, if Traore can end the season on a high with some goals and assists under his belt, this could help Wolves be able to get more money for him if they do end up negotiating a deal in the summer with Barcelona.

In other news: Deal agreed: Fabrizio Romano drops big Wolves transfer update, Lage surely buzzing – opinion 

An update has emerged on Rangers and their deal to bring John Souttar to Ibrox at the end of the campaign.

What’s the talk?

The Gers have already agreed a pre-contract deal with the defender and Hearts boss Robbie Neilson has now admitted that there are no talks to make the transfer happen immediately instead of in the summer.

He told the Glasgow Times: “There’s been nothing new with John. Although I saw they lost three goals today so I might get a phone call!

“But at this moment in time there’s been nothing.

“He’s fine. He’s left here and he’ll be back in tomorrow. And I expect he’ll be available for Tuesday if he’s still here.”

Fuming

Rangers fans will surely be fuming with this news as it suggests that Ross Wilson is not trying to secure a deal to sign the defender before the window closes.

Souttar could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve the side’s chances of winning the Premiership title this season. He has proven his quality at this level for Hearts and could replace one of Gio van Bronckhorst’s current options, strengthening the team in the process.

The Scotland international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.40 in the league this term – showing that he can perform to a high level on a consistent basis. He has won 70% of his duels in the division, making 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

Meanwhile, no Rangers centre-back has averaged a score higher than 7.18. This suggests that Souttar would come in and be an upgrade on what van Bronckhorst currently has to work with, which is why he could increase the club’s chances of securing the title ahead of Celtic for a second successive season.

Therefore, Gers fans will be gutted with Neilson’s comments as they indicate that Souttar will not be coming to Ibrox this month and they will have to wait until the summer to see him in a light blue shirt. They will be fuming with the club for not trying to negotiate a deal with Hearts to bring him in during the current window.

Although, it is worth saying that anything can still happen heading into deadline day and Rangers could pull a surprise in the final hours of the window to get a deal done. At this point, though, Souttar appears set to remain at his current side until the end of the campaign.

AND in other news,  Talks set: Rangers now eyeing key deal for “important” £16k-p/w beast, GVB needs it…

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He missed their best chance to score in the Mestalla but tonight Kris Ajer came of age as a

Celtic player.

After 62 minutes he rose perfectly to meet a Ryan Christie free kick from the right but got too much on his header when simply glancing it would have opened the tie right up.

Eight minutes later Kevin Gameiro scored the only goal of the game but when the final whistle blew there wasn’t a failure in the Celtic side.

The travelling support witnessed tame performances away to RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig in the group phase but against overwhelming odds, increased by the 37th minute sending off of Jeremy Toljan, the Bhoys stood up to be counted.

The 6 foot 5 youngster started off on the right of a back three and played the role with great discipline. When Toljan walked he had to go out to right-back and barely gave the Spanish side a look in.

The 20-year-old was disciplined and determined as Valencia tried to flood the flanks to find a way to goal. Ajer was well backed by his defensive team-mates as Celtic stood their ground until they were cut open for Gameiro’s goal.

His header just past the hour mark will obviously be remembered but in one of the toughest venues in the Europa League Brendan Rodgers got a glimpse of a future central defence without Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata.

Here’s what Celtic fans have been saying on Twitter…

Leeds picked up their second win of the Premier League season to move out of the relegation zone on Sunday as they beat Norwich 2-1 at Carrow Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are now on ten points after as many games, as they bid to stay up in their second season in the top-flight after promotion in 2020.

The Argentine is in his fourth campaign in charge of the club and has achieved great success at Elland Road, with a Championship title and a top-half Premier League finish in the first three terms.

Bielsa masterclass

Bielsa arrived at Leeds after they finished mid-table in the Championship and inherited a squad lacking in Premier League experience, but has been able to bring a number of players along for the journey with his excellent coaching – one of them being Poland international Mateusz Klich.

The ex-Lille manager has produced a masterclass with the central midfielder over the last three years. Klich joined Leeds from FC Twente in 2017 and played a measly five Championship games before being sent out on loan to Utrecht in January 2018

At the end of his loan spell, which coincided with Bielsa’s arrival, Klich was valued at just £1.58m by Transfermarkt. Instead of heading away from Elland Road again, he remained in Yorkshire and quickly became an influential member of the squad.

He played 91 of Leeds’ 92 Championship regular-season matches under the Argentine, scoring 16 goals and providing 13 assists. His form earned high praise from Bielsa, who has held him in high esteem. He said: “Klich for me is a player that can play in all the best teams in the world.”

The central midfielder then played 35 of the club’s 38 Premier League games last term, chipping in with four goals and five assists. This shows that the manager relied upon him week-in-week-out in the top-flight, which highlights the immense progress he has made since failing to make the grade in England in the second tier in his first year at the club.

To that point, David Prutton called him the ‘epitome’ of Bielsa’s work with the club in terms of improving players whilst moving up the football ladder. Prutton told the Yorkshire Evening Press:

“You can look at what Leeds have got out of maybe an unsung hero in Mateusz Klich which has been wonderful.

“Klich has been a player who has been the very epitome of what Marcelo has done with Leeds United in making him better.”

At the time of writing (02/11/21), Transfermarkt value Klich at £3.5m. This means that his price has rocketed 127.8% from when Bielsa was appointed in 2018 and illustrates the development he has undergone under the 66-year-old’s coaching. Therefore, it has been a masterclass in management and, hopefully, more players will follow in Klich’s footsteps in the coming years.

AND in other news, Viduka 2.0: Leeds could land new goalscoring sensation with “technically-gifted” beast…

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has suggested that Celtic may already have opened new contract talks with midfielder Tom Rogic, as per Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Deal talks on hold

This comes after Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou told reporters back in February that a new deal for Rogic was the ‘last thing’ on his mind as the pursuit for the Scottish Premiership title went on.

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Fast approaching the final year of a deal at Parkhead, the club are in danger of losing the 29-year-old on a free next summer or needing to cash in during the upcoming transfer window.

However, Hutton believes that Postecoglou may already have a successor lined up for his compatriot in David Turnbull, while also claiming there are likely ongoing negotiations ‘in the background’.

The latest: Lesson learned?

Speaking to FI, the BBC 5 Live pundit claimed that Celtic would be best served to keep Rogic in the long term, hinting at discussions behind the scenes.

“You’d hope Celtic have learned their lesson. You don’t really want any of your kind of top assets to be walking away for next to nothing or running down contracts.

“He’s been a good servant and I think he’s come back into form since the new manager’s come in. He obviously trusts him.

“You’ve also got other players within the squad to come back, the likes of Turnbull and these sort of guys. They’re in a good place right now but again, moving forward, you never want to lose a top player.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there were talks going on in the background to try and tie him down to a longer deal. I’m kind of interested to see where it goes and what Celtic’s thinking is.

“Do they stick with the likes of Rogic? Or do they have somebody else in mind to really transform that midfield? It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. Ultimately, I still think you need someone like that in your squad.”

The verdict: Too good to go

Whilst there can be little doubting Turnbull’s long term future as a Celtic mainstay in attacking midfield, Rogic has matched the output of the 22-year-old so far this season.

When using Transfermarkt to compare the two, the Australian has also provided 16 direct goal contributions – albeit the 51-cap Australia ace has made seven more appearances across all competitions.

Losing a key player for nothing simply isn’t a viable option for the club and as the Bhoys prepare for a possible jaunt into the UEFA Champions League group stages next term, where keeping the experience of the likes of Rogic will be pivotal.

ExWHUemployee has dropped a late injury update ahead of West Ham’s upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on The West Ham Way, the Hammers insider revealed that, despite earlier reports suggesting that Kurt Zouma could be in line for a return to first-team action against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, David Moyes is leaving the decision as to whether or not to include the France international in his matchday squad today until the very last minute.

Speaking about the centre-back, Ex said: “The manager also is going to make a late decision as to whether he includes Kurt Zouma too following his injury and period out with [the pandemic].”

Fans will be sweating

Considering just how important Zouma has been to West Ham since joining the club last summer, the news that the defender is touch-and-go for today’s trip to Old Trafford is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful sweating.

Indeed, of the 10 games that the £28.8m-rated colossus has missed due to injury and illness, the Irons’ record stands at five losses, four wins and one draw, conceding 14 goals in the same period.

In comparison, over the 12 fixtures that West Ham have played with the £120k-per-week defender in the side, the Hammers’ record is four losses, seven wins and one draw, with the team conceding just 13 goals over those dozen matches.

As such, it is evident that the Frenchman is already an integral part of Moyes’ side, with his potential absence against Manchester United potentially reducing West Ham’s chances of leaving Old Trafford with three points this afternoon. That could well have costly consequences in terms of the club’s hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League come the end of the season.

In other news: West Ham remain in the race for “crazy” January transfer, he’d be a huge upgrade

Everton have received a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Toffees have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old for several months after their efforts to sign him over the summer ended in disappointment.

But now, according to Spanish outlet Sport (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO), Everton’s chances of finally securing Van de Beek’s signature have increased.

Previously reports have suggested that La Liga giants Barcelona were set to compete for the creative talent’s services over the coming months.

However, it’s now believed that new manager Xavi has turned down the chance to sign Van de Beek, providing the Blues with a transfer boost as the winter window fast approaches.

Imagine him and Abdoulaye Doucoure

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s recent sacking as United manager may also have some bearing on the Dutch international’s future, but after making just four Premier League starts in 18 months, he’s likely to be desperate for regular game time.

And that’s something that Rafa Benitez could offer Van de Beek at Everton. Ever since James Rodriguez departed back in September, the Blues have lacked the guile and imagination needed to carve top-flight defences apart.

In their last six Premier League fixtures, the Blues have only found the back of the net on four occasions, highlighting the need for someone capable of succeeding Rodriguez’s role in the team.

During his time at boyhood club Ajax, Van de Beek illustrated his ability to do just that, providing a whopping 75 goal contributions in just 175 appearances, securing a domestic double back in 2018/19.

Despite his limited opportunities at Old Trafford, the midfield maestro has showcased his true potential in promising flashes, with Juan Mata even dubbing him “very clever.”

Therefore, a move to Merseyside could be beneficial to all parties, and the prospect of Van de Beek linking up with Abdoulaye Doucoure in Everton’s engine room is a mouth-watering one.

The duo would offer the perfect blend of tactical intelligence, creativity, power and defensive contribution, potentially providing the spark for Benitez’s charges to surge up the table.

And, in other news…Huge boost: Everton receive potential injury lift pre-Brentford, Rafa will be buzzing