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Johan Lange has been dealt a cruel blow in his efforts to sign Milot Rashica with Werder Bremen confirming the Aston Villa target is not for sale in January.

What’s the word?

Speaking with Bild, Werder Sporting Director Frank Baumann has stated that Rashica will be staying at the Weser Stadium as he will block any attempts to sign one of his side’s players this winter.

Aston Villa were believed to be monitoring Rashica’s situation in Germany to see if he can rediscover his form from last term, which saw the Birmingham-based outfit rival West Ham, Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers for the former Liverpool target.

Rashica struck 11 goals and was credited with a further eight assists in 34 games across all competitions in 2019/20, and admitted he would have loved the chance to play in the Premier League if Bremen reached an agreement with one of his interested suitors.

But Werder held firm in demanding that his €38million (£34.4m) release clause was met in full, due to clauses inserted in his arrival from Vitesse Arnheim that would have seen the Dutch side, the forward and his agent each net a per cent of the fee received.

The 24-year-old has failed to replicate his form from last season thus far this term, with the 28-cap Kosovo sensation dubbed ‘The Rocket’ only penning his first assist of the campaign during last Friday’s 5-3 loss to VfL Wolfsburg and is yet to score in any of his five Bundesliga outings.

Rashica was given an extended break this summer after being left “disappointed” at a transfer failing to materialise, while an early-season knee injury prevented his season debut until the fourth fixture of the German league campaign.

Take Villa to another level

Baumann stating that Bremen will reject all offers for Rashica in the winter market will come as a cruel blow for his Aston Villa counterpart Lange, who could have taken Dean Smith’s side to another level with the capture of the 24-year-old.

Villa were expected to move for Rashica’s services in January if he can rediscover his form this month, having begun to find his feet again with three straight Bundesliga starts and an influential role in defeat to Wolfsburg.

Lange striking a deal for the Kosovo international would have added a player lauded highly by Bremen head coach Florian Kohfeldt as a unique talent through his ability to decide games on his own.

“He is a player who can decide Bundesliga games,” Kohfeldt told Tagesspiegel, via quotes by Goal this summer. “You don’t find that very often. Milot has incredible skills: in speed, in goalscoring, in passing. Rashica would fit well in England with his pace, but also with his style of play in Spain.”

Smith will seemingly not be gifted the chance to work with a talent like Rashica, at least until the summer, and will instead have to hope the likes of Trezeguet, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi can help take some of the strain off Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley with the trio yet to score and boasting just two assists between them.

AND in other news, a major Premier League decision has come at the ideal time for an “outstanding” Villa titan who’s badly letting Dean Smith down.

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to make a return for one of their mooted summer targets during the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg have said that prolific striker Wout Weghorst will be allowed to leave the club if they receive a suitable offer in the region of €35m-40m (£31.5m-£36m).

The 28-year-old admitted that Spurs were “serious” about signing him just a few months ago, he told Kicker:

“I can be honest; of course, I knew that there was interest left and right. It was serious with Tottenham; I was a candidate. Of course, you are interested in something like that too. It is also a confirmation that I’m on the right track.”

It’s claimed that Weghorst would love a dream move to the Premier League, so now a genuine price has been mentioned, might we see the north Londoners revisit the Dutch colossus?

Shades of Ibra

Spurs eventually signed Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica as their back-up to Harry Kane, and whilst there’s a £41m option-to-buy included the deal, there has been little to suggest why or if Jose Mourinho will make that a permanent switch.

Forget about the Brazilian for now, Weghorst would offer a totally different option in attack – a true ‘plan B’ – rather than having a like-for-like sitting on the bench.

At 6 foot 6, the Wolfsburg striker is an absolute battering-ram, who also has an impressive eye for goal having bagged 11 goals in 15 appearances across the German top-flight and the Europa League, as per Transfermarkt.

It’s no wonder he has drawn comparisons to former PL marksman Edin Dzeko and indeed, he fits the profile of one of Mourinho’s former favourites, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Weghorst has even been likened to Jamie Vardy by  The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein, in terms of his relentless work rate in leading the line on his own.

That much is merely emphasised by his former head coach, Bruno Labbadia, who said: “[Wout] runs a lot, he’s tireless.”

The Dutch late-bloomer appears to be right up Mourinho’s street, perhaps more so than Vinicius – a rangy, direct and different threat to the norm.

He could certainly be unleashed as a secret second-half weapon in the title run-in.

AND in other news, Mourinho surely left embarrassed by ace who ONLY made 32% of passes vs LFC…

For Celtic, they have somehow managed to get their season back on track.

Only a few weeks ago their supporters had gathered outside Parkhead in protest against Neil Lennon and the club’s ownership but the Northern Irishman has turned things around.

Celtic have now won five games on the trot which included an impressive win over Lille and also victory in the Scottish Cup final. Of course, the Hoops are still considerably off the pace in the league but it’s encouraging that they’ve been able to change their fortunes in such a short space of time.

One of the reasons they’ve been able to do that is the renewed fitness of Leigh Griffiths. A man with “unquestioned” talent according to Chris Sutton, Lennon hasn’t always been able to call on the striker.

He started just ten times in the SPFL last season and this term, the forward has only managed two league starts. However, possessing 121 goals for his club, it’s clear he has the necessary qualities.

His instinctive finish against Hearts in the Scottish Cup final summed up the attributes he possesses and then he took his start against Hamilton with both hands.

Griffiths found the back of the net but did endure a mixed afternoon on Boxing Day. He lost 66.7% of his duels and could have had a hat-trick but it was promising that he got in such good areas.

It was a display that has provided Lennon with a huge problem, albeit a welcome one in the final third.

Odsonne Edouard hasn’t been his usual self this term but after being involved in all three goals last time out, it was a welcome return to form. Yet, his goal-scoring performance came from the left-wing as Griffiths played through the middle.

The dilemma, therefore, is whether to keep Edouard in a new position and stick with Griffiths or put the Frenchman back in his preferred role. Considering the Bhoys beat Hamilton 3-0, making changes would be foolish.

Yet, he has to consider the impact Mo Elyounoussi can make. Having contributed to 17 goals this campaign, it’s incredibly difficult to leave him out too.

Lennon has a lot of thinking to do ahead of the New Year.

AND in other news, Celtic must swoop for “extraordinary” colossus, he’s better than Barkas…

David Sullivan must sanction a January transfer for rumoured West Ham United target Rico Henry amid claims David Moyes snubbed a summer deal for the Brentford full-back.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Moyes turned away the chance to sign Henry in the off-season after deciding to prioritise the arrival of an additional centre-half.

The Hammers were in contention to sign the 23-year-old amid rival interest from long-term suitors Aston Villa, while more Premier League clubs are poised to express their interest in a mid-season swoop once the winter market opens for business.

Henry joined Brentford for what now appears a bargain £1.5m in 2016, and is expected to follow Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma in sealing lucrative top-flight transfers after the Bees agreed £28m and £25m deals for the pair this summer.

West Ham have scouted Henry to assess his suitability for a move to the London Stadium but chose against submitting an offer ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, only to see the Birmingham-born full-back turn in consistently impressive displays in the Championship.

It remains to be seen if Moyes is more open to a move in the January window or if Sullivan does present a formal offer after West Ham lost first-choice left-back Arthur Masuaku for the foreseeable future following knee surgery.

Forget Johnson, sign Henry

Moyes initially favoured a return to wide defensive duties for Aaron Cresswell following Masuaku’s operation, but failed to see the former England international thrive and turned to academy product Ben Johnson for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Johnson stole the show at home to the Seagulls, yet Moyes can find his long-term solution in Henry and not the natural right-back who “ticks every box”.

Henry has shown throughout the season that he can serve as Moyes’ long-term Masuaku replacement, with the former U20 international offering one goal and two assists from 0.3 shots and 0.7 key balls a game over his 20 Championship outings to date, per SofaScore.

He additionally plays 0.3 accurate crosses, 32.5 accurate passes, makes 0.9 successful dribbles and wins 5.2 duels, while helping to eight clean sheets with 1.3 successful tackles, 1.2 clearances, 0.9 interceptions and commits just 0.4 fouls a game.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank firmly believes the Walsall product, who made his senior debut aged 17, is among the best left-back’s in the second-tier, and he’d certainly be a valuable addition to West Ham in January.

“Is he the best in the division? Others must judge that, but he’s definitely up there among the best,” Frank said, via quotes by The Athletic.

“You always love your own children. He’s one of my 25 sons in my squad. Of course, I absolutely love him.”

AND in other news, a West Ham gem who’s “not been at the races” betrayed David Moyes vs Brighton.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former EFL marksman Dean Windass has revealed what he’s heard surrounding the vacant managerial job at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls are looking for their fifth boss in three years following the shock sacking of Tony Pulis two weeks ago.

Thai chairman Dejphon Chansiri pulled the trigger on the veteran Welshman after just one win in ten matches and has since left coach Neil Thompson in caretaker charge.

According to Windass, the Wednesday owner is set to go down the foreign route this time around.

In the last few days, several names have been linked with the role, ranging from the Paul Cook to former Bayern Munich midfielder Thorsten Fink.

Other names mentioned include ex-Anderlecht boss Rene Weiler, the recently-sacked Joey Barton, Jose Morais and Gus Poyet.

Speaking to FFC, Windass said:

“I don’t know who’s going to get the job.

“I’ve heard on the grapevine – not by Josh – that they are going to go down the foreign market after Tony.

“So only time will tell when we hear. I’m sure we’ll know before the players will know.”

Under Chansiri, the Owls have appointed two managers from outside the UK, both turned out to be either side of the performance spectrum.

Carlos Carvalhal guided the Yorkshire giants to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, something they’ve not achieved since, whilst Jos Luhukay only lasted 48 games in 2018.

Wednesday have not achieved a better finish than 12th since the 2016/17 campaign and currently face an uphill battle to survive in the division, though Thompson now has them unbeaten in all three matches under his stewardship.

Heading into this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Exeter City, the Owls are only outside of the drop zone on goal difference with two teams below them holding at least one game in hand.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Sheffield Wednesday star ruled out for AT LEAST 10 days

Reports by The Athletic earlier in the week claimed Jarrod Bowen has received a significant pay rise as a reward for his encouraging first year at West Ham United, who appear to have struck a dream deal in their 2020 acquisition of the former Hull City forward.

Bowen is understood to have been gifted a lucrative increase to his £96,000-per-week, five-year contract that already placed the 24-year-old among the top-three earners of those currently at the London Stadium.

The pay rise was triggered by Bowen reaching 30 appearances in claret and blue, which he met on New Year’s Day when earning his 16th start of the Premier League season as David Moyes’ men claimed a 1-0 win at top-four chasing Everton.

His more lucrative terms are not said to have extended the length of time that Bowen is tied down at the London Stadium, but will serve to show West Ham’s commitment to a player who is fast becoming a key figure of the young and hungry side Moyes is aiming to build.

Bowen’s performances alone would soon have seen the £25m-rated maestro deserve improved terms, anyway, in the eyes of former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.

“I like the way he runs at people. He can dribble with the ball, he can cut inside off that right-hand side. For me, he’s a quality player,” he told Football Insider. “The pay rise he’s got he deserves because he’s been outstanding this season.

“I’m sure now he just wants to get a few more goals and assists now to back up these great performances because he’s definitely going to be a star.”

Bowen is currently West Ham’s most productive player in the Premier League this season after scoring four goals and providing two assists in his 17 outings thus far.

Only Tomas Soucek (5) has scored more often, while Aaron Cresswell leads the charts in east London for goals created (4) in top-flight fixtures ahead of the Hammers’ meeting with relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

West Ham’s decision to spend £22m to take Bowen out of the Championship a year ago has certainly proven to be a dream deal thanks to the winger’s Premier League efforts, which have seen the 24-year-old bring more than his goals and assists to the London Stadium.

Bowen was already a proven goal threat in the second-tier 52 goals over two-and-a-half seasons, but the way he has taken to driving at opposition players, like Agbonlahor lauds, is what has helped ensure his move paid off.

The Leominster-born attacker ranks joint-15th among all Premier League players this season for accurate crosses, with 17 of his deliveries finding an Irons player in the box. Bowen’s tally is just six less than that achieved by Manchester City’s £108m-rated Kevin de Bruyne and four fewer than Tottenham Hotspur’s £81m-rated Heung-Min Son, per SofaScore.

Bowen has also won 52 ground duels and counting this term, enough to rank fourth at West Ham in a close-fought contest to be the Hammers’ best player with Declan Rice (56), Vladimir Coufal (55) and Soucek (53).

Only Soucek (28) and now-AFC Ajax striker Sebastien Haller (23) have attempted more shots than Bowen (19) to date, while trailing only Cresswell (26) and Coufal (19) for key passes (15) having fashioned the most clear-cut chances to score (4) so far this season.

Take away Bowen’s position on the right-flank, then, and Moyes’ side instantly loses much of its threat in the final-third and direct attacking output, which West Ham were able to acquire for what could easily be regarded as a bargain sum 12-months on.

AND in other news: Exclusive: West Ham’s Declan Rice tipped to join Chelsea on one condition.

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers may need to pay just £500,000 if they want to lure Siriki Dembele to Ibrox.

Dembele update

The Gers are said to be interested in taking the 24-year-old north of the border, but it had previously been reported that Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony was looking for £3m for the forward (Rangers News).

However, it has now been revealed that Ross Wilson and co may only need to pay £500,000 for his services, which represents an 83% reduction.

Absolute bargain

This could well be an absolute bargain for the Gers. The London native has been in terrific form in League One so far this term, scoring five and providing seven assists in 19 games (Transfermarkt). Throughout his career, he has 23 goals and 28 assists in 138 games – solid numbers that the man called “brilliant” towards the end of 2020 by Posh manager Darren Ferguson can improve upon (Evening Express).

There is plenty of interest in his services – Celtic, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham and Crystal Palace have all been mentioned alongside the Gers. However, the lure of Champions League football, a competition in which Steven Gerrard’s side should be participating in next season as they lead the Premiership by a huge 20 points (BBC), could give the 54-time Scottish champions the edge. It remains to be see what the future holds for Dembele.

In other news, Rangers fans love this video of a former X Factor star.

Liverpool’s transfer deadline day is looking like it could be a hectic affair, one that could run right until the deadline closes at 11pm tonight.

What’s the word?

The Reds are close to wrapping up a deal to sign Preston’s Ben Davies but they seemingly have plenty of other irons in the fire too.

Ozan Kabak is reportedly the leading name that Liverpool are chasing in the final stages of the window. It’s thought that personal terms have been agreed with the Turkish centre-back, who could join on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.

If Jurgen Klopp likes the look of him he could then be signed on a permanent basis. However, if things go south in their pursuit of the Schalke defender, then it looks like they have another player in mind.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, that’s a centre-back at Braga. He took to Twitter to reveal the following:

“LFC have also contacted Braga today for David Carmo, serious option in the list.” 

A defensive beast

If Liverpool do eventually lose out on Kabak then signing Carmo certainly wouldn’t be a bad option.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/liverpool-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more!”]

After all, he is a colossal frame, someone capable of bringing incredible qualities to Anfield. For starters, the 21-year-old stands at a massive height of 6 foot 5.

Immediately, we’d know he’d be a beast in the air and that’s reflected in the statistics. Cormo has won a mighty 2.8 aerial duels per game this season. For context, that’s a better record than both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip recorded in 2020/21 prior to their injuries.

For a further indication of the youngster’s qualities, you only need to assess how good he is in the tackle. Cormo has won an eye-catching 1.8 tackles per game in the Portuguese top-flight for Braga. That’s a tally that usurps every single Liverpool player this term, besides Fabinho.

With those two qualities in mind, he’d add a great deal of steel to a Reds defence who have been lacking bulldozer type figures at the back this term. Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips had to be relief upon last weekend while we’ve also see Fabinho and Rhys Williams deputise at the back.

Truth be told, any decent level central defender arriving would be good news for Liverpool at this point but a move for Cormo would top plenty of their other options.

AND in other news, Pearce claims there are “other options” for Liverpool besides Kabak, Edwards must act…

Ex-referee Mark Halsey has admitted that he has “doubts” over the red card that was given to Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno during Wolves’ 2-1 win against them on Tuesday night.

Halsey unsure

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side came from behind to beat the Gunners who finished the game with nine men, after David Luiz was sent off during first-half stoppage time.

But Leno was dismissed after racing out his area to dispossess Adama Traore charging up the right-hand side, only for the ball to strike his hand which saw him given a straight red card.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Halsey revealed his doubts about the decision, regarding whether the German shot-stopper was denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

“It’s not about the last man, we keep going ‘oh he’s the last man’, it’s nothing to do with that,” he said.

“It’s about did the player deny a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity. In those situations, the referee must consider the distance between the offence and the goal, the general direction of play, the likelihood of gaining and keeping control of the ball and the location and number of defenders around at that moment.

“The one part of that criteria I felt was in doubt was is he going to gain control of the ball? If you take Leno out of the picture and he misses that, on the wet and slippery surface, I think there’s a bit of doubt there whether he (Traore) would have gained control of the ball.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We have to agree with Halsey here. If Traore was barrelling down the middle of the pitch at the edge of the penalty box, then the red card would be unquestionable, but that wasn’t the case.

There were no guarantees from that position that Traore was going to score, due to the angle and where he would have ended up if Leno missed it. The Spaniard still would have had a lot to do to find the net from there.

Despite this, Wolves supporters won’t care one bit, as it was a huge win that pushed them far away from the relegation places and put a cork on their recent slump in form.

In other news, Key Wolves asset attracting interest from PL duo who left England international feeling ‘powerless.’

Many Liverpool fans reacted in their droves as Takumi Minamino scored once more for Southampton.

The 26-year-old made the move from Merseyside to the South Coast in pursuit of playing more first-team football, following his bit-part role in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

From his first three games for the Saints, the Japan international has scored twice. His latest effort came during his side’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Saturday, running onto a through ball from Nathan Redmond and calmly slotting the ball home.

Klopp decided to stick with Divock Origi instead of Minamino, who has become deeply unpopular with segments of the Kop faithful in recent months.

Because of this, supporters were flabbergasted by the club’s decision to offload Minamino rather than sell Origi during the January transfer window.

Fans fume at club decision-making

“Minamino scored a goal today. #LFC didn’t, Had to bring Origi on again. No excuses on that, should’ve kept Minamino.”

Credit: @LfcFan258

“Every time Origi comes off the bench, it is a painful reminder that we sent Minamino on loan.”

Credit: @Zonal_Marker

“It’s his fault why did he let Minamino go instead of Origi. I blame him for lacking options.”

Credit: @fatsolexx

“Who is better to replace him? Origi? We should have kept Minamino”

Credit: @Mensana88

“Minamino getting loaned out instead of origi is absolutely criminal”

Credit: @alex_twiss

“I completely agree how he let minamino go over origi I’ll never know”

Credit: @qwertyuiop672

In other news, Liverpool in four-horse race to sign 138-goal star in blockbuster deal – report.