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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender believes Georginio Wijnaldum will be wanting to be one of the top earners at Liverpool, hence why contract talks have dragged on for so long

Wijnaldum has been an ever-present for Liverpool since signing from Newcastle United in 2017, having made 225 appearances for the Reds, which has led the midfielder to want a new and improved contract at Anfield with Barcelona waiting to swoop in on the Dutch international.

The 30-year old’s current deal is set to expire this summer and despite being the scorer of some important goals in Liverpool’s recent history, like the one against Barcelona, both parties remain far apart in discussions with the midfielder admitting he’d be devastated to leave Anfield.

Speaking on the former Newcastle midfielder’s future on Merseyside and what he will be expecting from Liverpool’s owners, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“He’ll obviously want to be one of the top earners and rightly so because of what he’s done at the club.

“He’s helped change the fortunes of Liverpool, they’ve been Premier League, Champion League and Club World Cup champions and he’s been a big part of that with some very important goals.

“So, I can totally understand why Wijnaldum is wanting that new deal. At the moment, however, it’s just a really difficult time for Liverpool as well.”

Wijnaldum’s market value currently stands at £36 million and during a time where Liverpool have not been able to splash the cash, it could prove to be a big blow if the Dutch international walks away for free.

Liverpool are focusing on finishing in the top four this season, however after getting past RB Leipzig this week, Klopp may see winning the Champions League as the club’s best route into the competition next season.

Lucas Moura has found himself on the fringes of Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team squad at times this season, perhaps due to the competition for places on the wing in Jose Mourinho’s side.

The former PSG man has also struggled for form; having averaged a disappointing 6.34 rating across his 17 appearances in the top-flight, although 12 of those appearances have come from the bench, with Mourinho often preferring Steven Bergwijn on the right-hand side.

However, the Brazilian showed in his performance against West Brom that he can still be an influential player with the North London club, as he earned a solid 6.9 rating from SofaScore for his display against the Baggies, contributing his first assist of the Premier League season by playing in Heung-Min Son for Spurs’ second goal of the afternoon.

The 28-year-old was deployed as an attacking-midfielder by Mourinho and he looked far more dangerous in his new position, as it allowed him to pick up the ball in central areas and run at the Baggies defence, which led to Son’s goal in the second half.

Moura would also play two key passes during the game against Sam Allardyce’s side, which is a serious improvement on his season average of just 0.2 key passes per game in the Premier League.

The Brazilian took the fight to the Baggies constantly, trying to inject that extra little bit of speed from central areas, with West Brom having to foul him four times – more than any other Spurs player.

And despite the rough treatment, Lucas just got up and dusted himself off, winning seven of his 13 duels, which again was the most of any player in a white shirt.

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While Moura has done well in the Europa League so far this season (he scored three and made one in the group stages), his performances in the Premier League have been far too inconsistent, and according to WhoScored, his 7.17 rating against the Baggies was his second-best in the top-flight this season, with only his goal-scoring performance against Newcastle earlier on in the season rated higher.

Spurs have been far too reliant on Harry Kane and Son to create chances in their side at times this season, so deploying Moura as an attacking midfielder, where he can get more involved, could prove to be a game-changer for Mourinho, with the Portuguese manager under pressure after a poor run of recent form.

Other than Kane and Son, no Spurs player has averaged more than one key pass per game in the Premier League this season, which emphasises that Moura was influential against West Brom last weekend, and this new position could be the key to unlocking the 28-year-old, who has never really consistently contributed goals and assists in this Tottenham side.

It will be interesting to see if Moura, who earns £80k per week at Tottenham, continues to feature in this new position in Spurs’ upcoming fixtures. If Mourinho sticks with this little tactical tweak for the Brazilian, it could prove to be a real game-changer as the north London side find another dangerous outlet outside of the familiar double act of Son and Kane.

And, in other news… “It’s pointless” – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on Dele Alli’s Spurs future

After taking home all three points against Leeds United, Aston Villa are back in Premier League action as they take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening.

Dean Smith’s side secured a huge win against fellow top-six chasing contenders Leeds thanks to a goal from Anwar El Ghazi, and will be confident of securing back-to-back triumphs when they face the top-flight’s bottom club tonight.

One major injury concern for Smith was the fitness of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who appeared to be struggling with a groin problem during the game against the Whites at the weekend.

Now, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has confirmed that Martinez will be fit for the clash against the Blades tonight, revealing: “The goalkeeper is fit for the game despite a problem with his groin in the 1-0 win over Leeds United at the weekend.

“Martinez had to take painkillers to get him through the last outing and also called on his centre-halves to take the goal-kicks. Smith confirmed this morning that he will play at Bramall Lane.”

News of Martinez’s availability will be of a major relief for Smith, with the Argentine shot-stopper playing a crucial role in Villa’s rise up the table this season – his tally of 13 clean sheets in the Premier League is only bettered by Manchester City’s Ederson.

The £16.2m-rated gem has been a transfer revelation for Villa since joining from fellow Premier League side Arsenal, so having their number one shot-stopper all ready to go for today’s game against the Blades will surely have Smith buzzing.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this “talismanic” striker…

One of Marcelo Bielsa’s trusted lieutenants in his time at Leeds United, Mateusz Klich has been an ever-present for the Whites in their return to the Premier League this season.

The 30-cap Poland international hasn’t missed a single game in the top-flight, and that maybe why he seems to have hit a brick wall in terms of his form in recent weeks.

Despite picking up an assist in a 5-0 thrashing of West Brom at the Hawthorns last time out, Bielsa must surely consider axing Klich for the clash against Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, and giving him a much-needed breather.

As per Whoscored, only three of his past nine games have seen him earn a match rating of above seven, whilst he was particularly shocking against Burnley and Manchester United in recent weeks – he got a 6.75 and a 5.82 rating respectively.

In fact, the game against Sean Dyche’s side saw a couple of Leeds fans slam him as a passenger, with one supporter in particular saying it’s been like that for a while now.

In fact, after the Burnley game, The Guardian journalist Charlie Phillips admitted that Klich appears to be “having a weird time at the moment”.

The festive schedule seems to have taken its toll on Klich, and it’s no surprise that the 30-year-old appears to be suffering from a bit of burnout.

Bielsa must take a ruthless decision ahead of the match against Jose Mourinho’s men on Saturday, and drop Klich to the bench, and try and re-energise his side in the middle of the park.

The January transfer window has been a rather quiet affair for Leeds. After all, this is a period of the year that usually has Victor Orta running for cover.

The Spaniard had a brilliant summer transfer window in bringing the likes of Rodrigo and Robin Koch to Elland Road but his work in the winter months has generally been less successful.

Dan James was pictured holding a Leeds shirt before a move for the Welshman broke down in the dying embers of the 2019 market and a year later, they made a mess of a transfer in bringing Jean-Kevin Augustin to England.

Leeds had an obligation to buy the Frenchman but didn’t cough up the money required. Thus, a legal battle followed.

For obvious reasons, Marcelo Bielsa and Orta are playing things cool in this window. However, Leeds cannot afford to rest on their laurels after a poor start to the calendar year.

They’ve lost three successive matches and as a result, they may need to bring in more bodies. One such player could be Andy Delort.

Football Insider reported this week that Leeds have been offered the opportunity to sign the Montpellier forward with French clubs continuing to struggle with finances following the ongoing pandemic.

If they did land the forward, they could secure a big upgrade on current top scorer Patrick Bamford.

The former Middlesbrough man has been nothing short of exceptional this term and has scored ten goals in the Premier League from just 18 outings. With that in mind, you can hardly argue that they need to sign another forward.

Though, Delort could add more to Leeds than Bamford does. Despite scoring nine goals this term in 18 games – one less than the Whites forward – he’s actually been more prolific with his opportunities.

Bamford has scored his goals from a record of 3.6 shots per game, whereas Delort has found the net regularly from only three shots per match in comparison.

The striker is obsessed with beating goalkeepers, commenting in March of last year: “I’m crazy about scoring goals. If I see a ball and a goal, I feel compelled to shoot.”

Furthermore, Delort has six assists in 2020/21 – four more than Bamford – and he’s also been a menace in the air. For context, the £27k-per-week earner has won 4.4 aerial duels per outing. That tally is better than anyone in the Leeds squad this term.

The French striker is the complete package and compared to Leeds’ number nine, he has pace in abundance. He is the fastest player in Ligue 1, clocking speeds higher than a certain Kylian Mbappe.

It’s clear why Delort could be an upgrade here.

AND in other news, Shades of Pablo: Orta can save millions if Leeds unleash rarely-seen “great talent”…

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has explained that Tyrick Mitchell’s absence is due to a strength in depth in the squad.

What’s the word?

Mitchell has been left as an unused substitute on the bench once since he recovered from injury, whilst he was not even included in the squad for the past two games, despite the fact he started the first six fixtures in the Premier League this season.

Patrick van Aanholt – who has been linked with a Selhurst Park exit – has replaced the academy product in the starting line-up in recent weeks, with the Palace boss insisting he sees no point in naming the 21-year-old on the bench.

“It’s a reflection of the strength in depth,” Hodgson said. “He’s been doing extremely well. We’re really, really happy with him but there is some enormous competition.

“The thing is, he was in the team, he was our left-back, but he got injured. That meant that Patrick van Aanholt, who had been sitting on the bench and covering him, got back in the team and he’s done well enough to keep that shirt.

“Now it’s up to Tyrick to force his way back in again, but he’s been doing very well. The problem with full-backs is that you’re not first choice to be on the bench.

“That’s the problem, because you need the positions on the bench to give you tactical changes. The full-backs don’t often do that – the full-back on the bench will more often be cover rather than of any tactical use to you.”

Mitchell must start against Spurs

Hodgson’s latest baffling admission about Mitchell arguably poses more questions than answers ahead of the Premier League clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

With Van Aanholt’s contract coming to an end next summer, there is of course a genuine concern about what the future holds for the club’s long-standing servant, but the manager must try and put his loyalties aside as he cannot allow nostalgia to cloud his judgement.

Mitchell’s contract will also run out in 2021, and the only way the Palace boss will be able to truly convince him that his future lies at Selhurst Park is by giving him the time to shine and get some more minutes under his belt.

It’s all very well and good coming out and praising the player in a press conference, but it’s another to give him game time against significant opponents like Jose Mourinho’s side.

Against Spurs, Mitchell will have a real opportunity to send Hodgson a timely reminder of his obvious talents. In six appearances in the Premier League this season, the youngster is averaging 4 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

With Van Aanholt’s time at the club seemingly all but over after contract talks with his representatives reached an impasse, the young left-back hailed as a “silent assassin” surely deserves the chance to play against Spurs and potentially stop the high-flying north London side in their tracks.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can’t afford to lose Christian Benteke amid interest from Club Brugge…

Aston Villa could clinch a dream signing if they were to bring in Rico Henry from Championship side Brentford.

Johan Lange masterclass

After replacing Suso as the Midland club’s sporting director in the summer, there’s no questioning that Johan Lange has done an incredible job in his first transfer window in charge.

The recruitment at Villa Park has been superb, and it’s led them to some impressive results this season, including thumping victories against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

Now, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans claim that long-term target, Henry, could come back into consideration for Villa if fellow Premier League side West Brom don’t come in first.

Dean Smith loves him

With his time at Brentford, Henry’s a familiar name to Dean Smith, and the Villa boss has gone on record multiple times to wax lyrical about the flying left-back.

Speaking after he initially brought him to Brentford, he said: “Rico is a player I worked with at Walsall and threw him into the first team at 16 in pre-season friendlies and he more than held his own in those games, he had no fear, and was playing in League One shortly afterwards. He’s a talented player, fearless, and likes to bring the ball to opponents.”

And then, after describing him as “something special”, Smith even likened him to Chelsea and England stalwart Ashley Cole – high praise for an up-and-coming left-back.

The fact Smith has this previous working relationship with Henry makes the defender a dream signing for Villa, and someone who could hit the ground running like Ollie Watkins has done.

Meanwhile, Villa could make a foolish mistake by snubbing this “special talent”.

Carlo Ancelotti must be cautious in any efforts to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez amid reports James Rodriguez wants his compatriot to join him at Everton.

What’s the word?

According to Don Balon, Rodriguez would like to see the Goodison Park outfit pursue a potential deal for Sanchez to move to Merseyside and take their Colombian contingent up to three.

It is understood Rodriguez has discussed the potential move with Blues boss Ancelotti, who gave the midfielder the green light to argue the benefits of life at Everton with Sanchez while the pair shared a dressing room with fellow Toffees ace Yerry Mina during the October internationals.

Rodriguez joined Premier League leaders Everton from Real Madrid this summer in a deal reportedly worth between £12m and £20million, though also claimed to be free by his former side Banfield, and he has already proven his worth with three goals and three assists in six Premier League appearances.

Sanchez is a key aspect of Jose Mourinho’s backline at Spurs, with the Portuguese tactician favouring the 24-year-old in four top-flight starting line-ups and all three of the north London side’s Europa League qualifying ties.

A deal to lure the Caloto-born centre-half away from Tottenham would not come cheap, as it is claimed Everton would be willing to pay €45m (£40.6m) for the imposing colossus to up their Colombian contingent and recreate the international unit on Merseyside.

Rodriguez has “spoken wonders” of Everton and the coaching staff at Goodison Park in the hopes of convincing Sanchez of a move, but the Spurs man intends to wait until the end of the season before deciding on his future in order to see if Mourinho can secure any success.

Ancelotti must tread carefully

While Don Balon claim Ancelotti gave Rodriguez the green light to argue the benefits of life at Everton, the Italian would be wise to tread carefully in any pursuit of the Tottenham defender, especially at the £40.6m figure touted.

Sanchez has frequently been the subject of criticism during his time in north London, with former Chelsea star Tony Cascarino of the belief Mourinho considered the centre-back to be a weak-link during the 2017 Europa League Final while in charge of Manchester United.

“I can tell you for nothing that in 2017, when Manchester United played Ajax in the Europa League final, which they won, I know before the game that Davinson Sanchez was a target for Manchester United,” Cascarino, who used to work on Dutch Football, told talkSPORT.

“That was one of the tactics that Jose used thinking he was a weakness. He’s now in the heart of the defence of Spurs. A guy that Jose obviously didn’t rate and saw as a weak-link on the night and tried to expose him and they did.”

Sanchez was sold to Spurs for a then-club-record £42m shortly after the 2017 Europa League Final and has been a regular in north London when fit since, but is yet to shrug the concerns from three years ago and would be a very expensive gamble by Everton just to appease Rodriguez.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has landed a big break but it comes as an unfortunate blow for a “talented” Everton ace.

David Moyes risks exposing West Ham United with a £5million January swoop for Leeds United and Torino target Frederik Alves, after Danish football expert Davor Milito stated how the Silkeborg IF defender could be caught out.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Torino Granata, Milito has likened Alves to former Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling for the way the 21-year-old has fashioned his style of defending.

Alves has become a firm topic of discussion in recent weeks after Silkeborg confirmed to the Copenhagen Stock Exchange that he will be leaving JYSK Park in January, after receiving an offer that met the individual conditions requested.

West Ham were claimed to have been close to finalising a deal for Alves to move to east London in the New Year by BT, who noted the centre-half was pictured at the Stratford Hotel with his agent Christian Bysted ahead of a potential move.

But Leeds and Russian side Rostov are also keen on the young talent, per the Daily Mail, while reports by Calciomercato mention Torino as a potential rival suitor for the defender who can play at full-back as well.

And Milito believes the rising interest in Alves could see the Denmark U21 international’s value continue to rise, noting: “Young people in Denmark, if talented, are never very cheap, but I think that between €4m and €6million (£3.5m and £5.3m) can be closed, counting that this season is a fundamental element for the team.”

Alves’ 6 ft 2 frame, wise brain and penchant for carrying possession out from the back also saw Milito liken him to Smalling, adding: “He knows how to use the body, not very fast but intelligent in the position, skilled in sliding, quite polite right foot and a lover of game changes.

“He likes to carry the ball but not to Lucio, good at pressing and decisive in the marking, so it could be very suitable for Italian football. Of course, with the short lines he could get into trouble. He should work even more on his defensive positioning, which is already his strong point.”

Risk of exposure

Milito claiming that defensive positioning is already one of Alves’ strengths but also an area where the 21-year-old needs to improve should raise alarm bells at the London Stadium, as Moyes giving the Denmark U21 international a baptism of fire in the Premier League could easily expose flaws in the Hammers defence.

Alves also liking to carry the ball out from the back but to, seemingly, not good effect will also be worrisome in east London, as the young centre-half could become an easy target for opposing teams to try and exploit until the youngster proves he is no weak spot.

West Ham have shown a willingness to hold a high line in the Premier League this season, too, with the SofaScore heatmaps of Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Aaron Cresswell each showing a strong amount of their respective average 45.6, 50.7 and 69.6 touches coming far beyond Lukasz Fabianski’s area.

Moyes would likely need to see a lot of progress from Alves in the Irons’ Under 23s before feeling fit to field the Danish prospect in the first-team, or to loan West Ham’s potential January signing out to a side competing at a higher level than the Nordic Bet LIGA – Denmark’s second-tier.

AND in other news, David Moyes is “worried” by a West Ham blow that a Manuel Pellegrini favourite can capitalise on.

Chelsea were victorious in their first Premier League match of the season after a convincing performance against Brighton.

The clash at the Amex Stadium saw the Blues scoop all three points after a 3-1 win to set them up for their meeting with Liverpool next.

Youngster Reece James shone after bagging a goal and an assist, with Timo Werner also doing well to earn his new side a penalty in the first half. However, fellow new recruit Kai Havertz had more of a quiet debut.

The official Chelsea Instagram page has uploaded snaps of the two new boys in action, but a lot of fans are demanding answers over Havertz.

/CFIZXmZsFIm/

The midfielder was played on the right wing against Brighton, which is not his natural position. A lot of Chelsea fans have taken to the comments of the Instagram post to ask why their new £71million signing is being played out of position and not in his more comfortable midfield role.

Despite not being directly involved in any of the goals, Havertz still had a solid game. According to Sofascore, the 21-year-old maintained an 88% passing rate along with completing three tackles and one key pass.

It’s still very early doors for the Chelsea newbie and Frank Lampard is just getting started in terms of the club’s impact on the league this season. After a return of 18 goals and nine assists across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last campaign, some big performances can undoubtedly be expected from Havertz.

How many goals do you think Kai Havertz will score this season? Have your say in the comments below!