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Jannik Vestergaard has enjoyed an excellent season with Southampton and the centre-back continued his impressive form with Denmark at the weekend, as they defeated Moldova 8-0 in a World Cup qualifying game.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has been one of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s top performers in the Premier League so far this season, with his 7.09 average rating in the Premier League only second to James Ward-Prowse in the Southampton squad.

As a result of his performances, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old recently, and Jose Mourinho may well have had his eye on the defender as he impressed for Denmark at the weekend.

As per SofaScore, Vestergaard would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his display in what proved to be a comfortable win for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.

During the game, the colossal centre-back would have 113 touches of the ball and would complete 101/105 of his passes during the game, resulting in an excellent 96% pass accuracy.

This emphasises that, although he is renowned for his ability in the air, Vestergaard is an excellent passer of the ball and is capable of big switches of play, as eight of his 11 long balls would find a teammate against Moldova.

Although you can argue that the standard of opposition made things easy for the Danish defender, his average pass accuracy rate of 83.9% in the Premier League rates him third of any Saints player who has made more than five top-flight appearances.

The 28-year-old was also his usual imperious self in defence against Moldova, as he won all four of his duels during the game, whilst he also contributed three tackles, one interception and one clearance during the 90 minutes.

Despite his lack of pace, Vestergaard also wasn’t dribbled past once, which demonstrates his excellent defensive ability and shows how he has improved his game during his time at Southampton, especially this season.

Therefore, should Spurs, or any other side, make an official bid for Vestergaard in the summer, they should be wary that if he continues to produce displays similar to this one for both club and country, then his current value of £16.2 million will soon be on the up.

And, in other news… Shades of Schneiderlin: Southampton could repeat transfer masterclass with 19 y/o gem

Former Premier League defender Danny Mills believes that Celtic will not get their hands on Rafael Benitez this summer.

Benitez not convinced?

Neil Lennon recently resigned from his position in the hot seat after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Ross County a fortnight ago, which almost certainly ended their hopes of winning 10-in-a-row.

Benitez, formerly in charge of Liverpool and Chelsea and described as a “great” manager by former Real Madrid star Pepe, recently departed from the Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional due to concerns about his health and wellbeing of his family during the pandemic (Sky Sports).

Several big-name figures have been linked to take over Lennon’s role permanently, including Steve Clarke, Roberto Martinez and Eddie Howe.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills doubts that the attraction of Celtic would be strong enough to convince Benitez to make the switch north of the border, saying: “Celtic should wait until the summer.

“They’re not going to overturn Rangers’ lead, Rangers are a couple of games away from winning it. Just take your time now, look around and get your processes in place. Work out what you need. Work out who you need and why. They’ve now got two or three months to do that.

“In all honesty, Rafa Benitez would be great but I think he might be looking at a big job. No disrespect to Celtic, but is that too low for Rafa Benitez?

“It’s a two or three-year project at least. So you need someone with the energy to do that. I’m not sure Rafa Benitez would look at the Celtic job seriously.

“He’s not desperate to get back into football and he certainly doesn’t need the money – we can comfortably say that. Whereas someone like Eddie Howe is very keen to get back into football as soon as possible.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

While Mills raises some good points, his comments almost diminish the true size of Celtic as an institution.

Celtic is a huge football club with an illustrious history behind them. The challenge of managing the Hoops is a big job, as much as Mills wants to argue otherwise.

At the same time, he is correct when he says that the team’s rebuild will likely take time and that fans must be patient with whoever comes through the door. With Benitez possessing an impressive CV, the Hoops could appeal to him. Time will tell.

In other news, Celtic-linked manager responds to Parkhead links; Mourinho once dubbed him ‘incredible.’

This season can essentially be classed as a write-off for Wolves. They won’t achieve European football and they’re looking unlikely to secure a top-half finish too.

With that in mind, Jeff Shi better start preparing for next term.

What’s the word?

Wolves are one of a number of sides vying for the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba this summer.

That’s according to the Express, who began their report this week by stating Manchester United have placed him under their microscope after scouting him.

They suggest that Leicester and Wolves have also scouted the defender on numerous occasions but in recent days, he’s been urged to join Barcelona.

It’s thought that Liverpool also have an interest in Tapsoba, a young defender who could cost a considerable amount. Sport suggests his value is at around €40m (£34.2m), while he currently earns £37k-per-week.

Perfect for Nuno

One of the Old Gold’s biggest problems this season has been their transition between a three-man and four-man backline.

The inconsistency in rhythm it’s caused has plagued the squad and as a result, they’ve struggled this term. Their clean sheet against Leicester last month, for instance, was just their second in the league since October.

Therefore, the addition of a player like Tapsoba could be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Not only is he adept in a back four but he’s also been very capable of playing in a back three. Crucially, he usually plays as the left centre-back, the clear weakness in the Wolves defence with Willy Boly and Conor Coady on the right and in the middle.

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Blessed with enormous levels of strength and pace, his ability to recover and batter opponents aside is truly eye-catching. A quick look at the statistics tells you all you need to know.

So far this term, the 22-year-old has won an impressive 2.1 aerial duels per game and produced 1.9 tackles per match. For context, no centre-back at Wolves has won more in the tackle department than Tapsoba has.

He’s a player that’s earned rave reviews and thus, it would be a big surprise if Wolves could lure him away from the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona to Molineux instead.

Germany legend and Leverkusen managing director Rudi Voller once said: “His really big potential makes Edmond Tapsoba a very interesting proposition as a player.”

Their sporting director, Simon Rolfes, added: “Edmond Tapsoba was a regular first choice at Guimaraes at the age of 20 and, in addition to his defensive ability, he’s also dangerous in front of goal.”

Because of his pace, he is able to recover incredibly quickly. Last season, the young centre-back made 13.05 recoveries per 90 minutes. For context, the highest in the Bundesliga was 16.21.

He also made 5.03 counter-pressing recoveries per 90 minutes, something that demonstrates his ability to fit into even the most demanding and intense teams.

The Burkina Faso international is clearly blessed with a lot of talent. Wolves must do as much as they can to secure his signature. He’d surely fit seamlessly into their defence.

AND in other news, Wolves could find another Neto by swooping for “unpredictable” £101k-p/w Mendes client…

Liverpool picked up their first three points of 2021 with an impressive 3-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, which puts their ambitions of winning a second successive Premier League title back on track.

Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane gave Jurgen Klopp’s side the victory in North London but it was perhaps the performance of James Milner that stood out the most.

As per SofaScore, the experienced midfielder would earn a strong 7.5/10 match rating for his performance, which was only bettered by Mane and Alexander-Arnold.

Jordan Henderson playing in defence meant that the former Manchester City man earned a rare Premier League start in midfield but he certainly made the most of his opportunity.

The 35-year-old would make three interceptions and two tackles from midfield during the game against Jose Mourinho’s side, which is far better than his season average of 0.5 interceptions and one tackle per game.

In the Spurs midfield, meanwhile, Tanguy Ndombele would make no interceptions and just one tackle, which emphasises that Milner’s performance was on another level at times last night.

The former England international would have 77 touches of the ball during the 90 minutes and contributed 56/65 passes, resulting in an 86% pass success rate.

Again, this was higher than Ndombele, who would you normally expect to be Spurs’ chief creator from midfield.

Perhaps most impressively, Milner would contribute as many as four key passes during the game at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which was more than any other player on the pitch, and also comfortably more than the 0.8 he has averaged per game in the Premier League so far this season.

Back in 2018, midfield partner Georginio Wijnaldum labelled Milner a “machine” and that was reiterated on Thursday night as he showed that he can still produce excellent performances in the top-flight despite being 35.

Therefore, although Alexander-Arnold may steal the headlines after his goal and assist on Thursday, it was arguably the performance of Milner that will have impressed Klopp the most.

And, in other news… Edwards must swoop for 24 y/o beast who has the “quality” to play in the CL; he tackles more than any LFC player

With the transfer deadline on the horizon, West Brom have entered the running to secure a last-gasp loan move for Premier League wonderkid Billy Gilmour.

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain (via the Mirror), the Baggies are one of several teams eyeing up a late swoop for the Chelsea midfielder, though it won’t be easy given the interest in him.

The likes of arch-rivals Wolves and Aston Villa as well as West Ham and Crystal Palace are all keen on securing him before tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline.

Forget Sawyers

Albion boss Sam Allardyce only has one more domestic loan space available. Given the club’s success with Conor Gallagher this term, he would be wise to pair up his former academy teammate in the middle of midfield.

Gilmour is a unique prospect with the world at his feet, as Roy Keane told Sky Sports last season (via talkSPORT):

“As the game started I literally got out of my seat, which I very rarely do, and I thought, ‘Who is this kid?’ There are certain traits you want from a midfielder, quality on the ball, football intelligence, composure. He had everything. It was one of the best performances I have seen in a long, long time.”

The 19-year-old, valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, can play various roles in central midfield. Against Liverpool and Everton, he thrived as an anchorman, but a record of 16 goals and 13 assists across the U23s and U18s suggests he can also contribute further forward.

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Indeed, the young Scottish starlet has taken inspiration from a plethora of midfield greats, namely Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets.

This sort of Spanish flair is something he’s been able to display in relatively short game time, and you’d struggle to liken that sort of profile to any of Allardyce’s current options.

“He’s so talented on the ball. He looks so comfortable; the minute he moves, he manipulates it,” said Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp. “He’s a big talent for Chelsea and Scotland going forward – and a really well-rounded kid.”

The only deep-lying playmaker in the squad right now is Romaine Sawyers, but he rates out as Albion’s second-worst player per WhoScored ratings (6.13).

He has struggled to have much of an influence at either end of the pitch – on average, he is dribbled past 1.8 times per 90 and only pulls off a successful tackle 50% of the time. The Hawthorns graduate provides the least number of key passes per 90 of all of the Baggies’ midfield options too, via WhoScored.

Gilmour, based on his ten competitive appearances, is only dribbled past 0.8 times per 90 and makes 71.4% of his tackles. Adding to the aforementioned creative aspect, the teenager has delivered two key passes per 90, on average, also via WhoScored.

West Brom sporting director Luke Dowling would be wise to make a move for Gilmour before the end of the day, as evident above, the £10k-per-week dynamo would alleviate some of those midfield struggles.

Allardyce can forget about Sawyers’ struggles by landing Gallagher’s Blues teammate in a last-gasp swoop. It could prove to be beneficial for all those involved.

AND in other news, Exclusive: West Brom backed to seal PL striker before deadline

Carlo Ancelotti must unleash Anthony Gordon in Everton’s Boxing Day trip to Sheffield United with the Toffees potentially without Richarlison.

The Blues travel to Bramall Lane looking to match last season’s 1-0 win over Chris Wilder’s Blades but could be without game-winner Richarlison, after he was substituted off during Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United.

And according to The Guardian, the Goodison Park natives are awaiting the results of further tests to determine whether or not Richarlison can feature against Sheffield United as the club refuses to breach the Football Association’s concussion protocols.

Richarlison has claimed in a message shared on Twitter that “everything is fine” after receiving an accidental elbow to the head in a collision with Eric Bailly, which saw Everton’s club doctor instruct Ancelotti to withdraw the Brazilian from the game.

Everton are yet to win a top-flight fixture without Richarlison featuring at some stage since his £50m arrival from Watford in 2018, including all three Premier League fixtures this season whilst the 23-year-old was suspended after a red card in the Merseyside Derby.

Ancelotti will be eager to avoid a repeat string of results should Richarlison not be eligible to face Sheffield United, and therefore must turn to Gordon and hand the academy product his first league start of the campaign.

Gordon has played just 32 minutes of Premier League football this season, including a sole one-minute cameo since October, despite offering three assists in two Carabao Cup appearances during the early rounds in September.

The 19-year-old was clearly surprised by his limited opportunities to impress after catching Ancelotti’s attention last term, but looked positively on the situation having spoken with the Everton boss to discuss a route back into the Italian’s plans.

“I didn’t go and bang his door down, I went and asked politely: ‘What can I do better to get in the team?’,” Gordon told EvertonTV. “I always want to get better and improve as a player. I just wanted his views on that – he gave me his view and I am trying to work on that every day.”

Ancelotti had noted after a sublime display against Leicester City in July how he felt ready to invest “a lot of trust and confidence” in Gordon, believing the England U20 international is “physically good and has a lot of ability and technical skills”.

That confidence has clearly not returned the chances Gordon would have liked this season, but the potential loss of Richarlison perfectly re-opens the door for Ancelotti to usher the teenage prospect back into the fold.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands will have to ditch his favoured Everton approach to sign a sought-after £18m enforcer.

West Brom’s season could truly get kickstarted with a victory this weekend as they head to arch-rivals Wolves for the first Black Country derby in nine years.

The Baggies are yet to pick up three points since Sam Allardyce was appointed as Slaven Bilic’s successor a month ago, whilst overall it’s been just one win in 17 outings, and that was to the only side below them in the standings, Sheffield United.

Big Sam has it all to do if he’s to turn around their situation and avoid that first relegation on his CV, but a win over the Molineux-based outfit could spark a much-needed reaction.

Though, he’ll have to get his team selection spot on to even stand a chance.

Latest signing Robert Snodgrass is in line for his debut after swapping West Ham for the Hawthorns last week, though his lack of game time this term is worrying.

The 33-year-old veteran has played just four minutes in the top-flight, so maybe he’ll have to wait to start from the off. It’s no wonder David Moyes sanctioned his departure.

That said, Allardyce’s current options out wide are clearly not working as they aren’t scoring or creating many goals.

No winger has managed above an average rating of 6.49 per WhoScored, whilst Grady Diangana, Callum Robinson and Matty Phillips have only contributed towards 36% of their 11 goals scored in the league.

For comparison, the trio bagged 18 goals and 14 assists between them last term – 41% of their total, so clearly there has been some regression there.

As neither of those options are working, an instant berth for Snodgrass would be ideal but considering his lack of fitness, it’s time for Big Sam to turn to Kamil Grosicki.

After all, he’s an 80-time Polish international who has delivered five assists in 16 Premier League appearances, and was also one of the only players to come away with any plaudits in their FA Cup exit last weekend.

Only Matheus Pereira matched his SofaScore rating of 7.4, and in 120 minutes, he provided three key passes, but without a striker named, it was hard to convert those chances into goals.

Once dubbed “unplayable” by his former Hull teammate Jackson Irvine and a “massive threat” by Nigel Adkins, it would be a risk worth taking to unleash him on Wolves despite the £25k-per-week outcast only playing three times this campaign.

Snodgrass could well feature too, but Grosicki must be given a fair opportunity before he’s truly written off by Allardyce and let’s face it, he surely can’t do worse than Phillips, who has failed to contribute towards a goal or manage above a 6.55 rating in five straight starts.

It’s time to unshackle the 32-year-old on that right flank.

AND in other news, Albion can finally replace Nathan Ferguson with £65k-per-week “top player”…

It’s no secret that Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has a Ianis Hagi-shaped problem on his hands. Namely, a lack of self-belief, with recent reports revealing that the Romania international’s confidence has taken a knock. However, Adrian Mutu may have the answers to Gerrard’s problems…

What’s the story?

The Romania U21 boss has heaped praise on Hagi for his work ethic this week, recently describing his young charge as a “super” talent. He said: “Ianis Hagi is a super, professional footballer.

“I have nothing bad to say about him, he came here back to the Under 21s squad with exactly the right attitude.

“He’s trained very well. He’s not under any special pressure to perform because we all know what we get from him.

“He has the ability and skill to make the difference in any match he plays.”

The Gers winger captained the national development side on Tuesday night as they secured a berth at the Euro 2020 Championships next summer.

Mutu gave Hagi a huge confidence boost by handing him the captain’s armband and the former Chelsea midfielder was rewarded almost immediately as a 1-1 draw proved to be enough to seal their second-place spot with their opponents Denmark finishing first in the group.

Lessons to learn

Before we get started, let’s just make one thing clear – we’re not saying that Gerrard should strip the captaincy from James Tavernier to give Hagi some much-needed confidence, as that would be preposterous. However, he needs to know the needs of each and every member of his squad, whether they require a rollicking or an arm around the shoulder to encourage them to perform to their very best.

If it isn’t obvious already, it seems like Hagi requires the latter treatment, which should be expected from a young player who is still at the early stages of his professional career and is still trying to grow and develop as a player. Getting him back to enjoying his football at a club level would at least be a good start.

In 16 appearances in all competitions, the 22-year-old has scored one goal and supplied eight assists so far this season, which is a pretty impressive return, especially when you consider the fact that he has provided the second-highest amount of assists in the first team, just behind the club captain.

Despite these statistics, the Ibrox boss benched Hagi several times before the international break, as he has spent two of the past four games on the bench, whilst he last made an appearance as a substitute in the second half in the 8-0 win at home over Hamilton Academical.

As the famous saying goes, ‘let the boy win his spurs.’ His father Gheorghe Hagi has insisted that he “is a No.10 who can do everything”, whilst Hagi is trying to work his way back into the fold after a successful stint with the national youth squad.

He’s clearly making all the right noises, as he has laid out his ambitions for his club and country after joining the Gers in January. Now Gerrard must put his faith in the youngster if he is to perform to the best of his abilities on a regular basis for the rest of the season.

AND in other news, Rangers receive huge injury boost as Leon Balogun survives unscathed against Sierra Leone…

David Moyes’ “absolutely dominating” titan Declan Rice will be key to West Ham United beating Crystal Palace in the midweek London Derby clash.

The Irons host the Eagles on Wednesday night looking to move within the top-four of the Premier League table, with a Champions League place potentially up for grabs by the end of the night depending on results elsewhere should Moyes orchestrate a seventh win of the season.

West Ham have struggled to get the better of Crystal Palace in their recent meetings, having claimed their only win in their last six encounters back in 2018 when Manuel Pellegrini’s men edged a 3-2 victory after overcoming an early James McArthur goal.

Shutting down McArthur will be key to Moyes taking his first win over the Selhurst Palace natives whilst in charge of West Ham, and maintain a fierce record over the south London side that features just one defeat in nine career meetings.

McArthur has been on top form for the Eagles this season as one of Roy Hodgson’s most heavily relied on players, with appearances in 10 top-flight fixtures and the fourth-most minutes played by any Crystal Palace player.

Only defender and former West Ham man Cheikhou Kouyate has recorded more passes than McArthur, with Hodgson seeing the ball fall at the Scottish midfielder’s feet for 410 passes, per WhoScored, as he spreads play to the Eagles’ influential forwards Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze.

The 33-year-old has been pivotal off the ball, too, with a team-high 31 successful tackles, 14 interceptions and the second-most passes blocked with 13.

Moyes preventing McArthur from getting on the ball and dictating the flow of the game will be key to West Ham avoiding a third-straight defeat to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, and that is where Rice steps in.

The Irons will need to rely on the defensive side of Rice’s talents when they host the Eagles at the London Stadium, which should be no issue for the man ex-Hammers defender Rio Ferdinand can only wax lyrical about.

“They [West Ham] have got some good players. Declan Rice, at the moment, is a standout player,” Ferdinand said on his official YouTube channel. “He is absolutely dominating the centre of the park.”

Arthur Masuaku is the only West Ham player to have won a greater number of ground duels than Rice in the Premier League thus far this season, with the DR Congo international ranking top with 46 to his England international teammate’s 37, per SofaScore.

Rice’s success in the duel has seen the 21-year-old average 3.1 a game, plus 1.2 in the air, for an overall success rate of 51%, while recording 2.3 interceptions, 1.6 successful tackles and 1.0 clearances. And building on those numbers will be key to keeping McArthur quiet and West Ham beating Crystal Palace.

AND in other news, West Ham are showing short-term vision in the transfer market by targeting a £52k-p/w star who won’t cost David Sullivan a penny.

Glasgow Rangers have churned out plenty of talented teenagers from the academy ranks in recent years, including current Chelsea star Billy Gilmour, but none may be as exciting as Kai Kennedy.

The Rangers loanee, who is currently on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, could join the ever-reliable Ryan Kent as an alternative option on the left wing.

Standing at 5 foot 4 inches, the 18-year-old isn’t exactly the biggest player on the pitch, but he has been described as a “fabulous little player” by Steven Gerrard.

The Rangers boss has insisted that the sky is the limit for the Scotland U19 international. He told The Daily Record: “He earned the right to be the 19th man. His training performances and his cameo against Leicester – I was thinking about putting him in the 18. All of our lads at the academy should take note of what he’s done this week. I think he’s been outstanding.

“He’s been the most consistent and he’s a fabulous little player. It wasn’t just a token gesture because he’s a kid.

“It’s also to send a message to some of the players who are outside of the 18 that Kai was next from what I seen the majority of this week in training. He deserved to be out there.”

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Kennedy has also admitted his excitement at one day playing for the club, he said: “I can’t wait, I am just buzzing to get on the pitch at Ibrox and I think all the boys are as well and I hope there is a good atmosphere,” he told Rangers TV.

“Going down to Solihull was good in the last round, the atmosphere was great for us and I think on Saturday the atmosphere should be good as well and we are all looking forward to it.

“The boys are all confident, we have had good results so far in the Youth League and in this cup and I think you can tell that all the boys are confident and we are playing well at the moment.”

The fact that Kennedy has made it clear that he wants to play at Ibrox as much as he possibly can should thrill Rangers fans, especially when you consider the fact that Kent continues to be linked with a move away from the club, amid interest from Leeds United.

The teenager just needs to be guaranteed game time, which is something Gerrard has been unable to provide so far.

On Saturday afternoon, Kennedy made his debut for Caley, coming off the bench for the final 19 minutes. It’s small steps, but encouraging ones at that.

Glasgow legend Barry Ferguson has heaped praise on the prodigy in the past and urged him to stay with Gerrard’s side despite recent reports suggesting that he could be destined for the exit.

“A lot of these young players have advisors who maybe try and push them a bit too quickly,” Ferguson told PLZ Soccer.

“I like young players to stay about and fight for a place. There’s no doubt the young kid has huge potential so I would like him to stay about. At this stage in his career it’s not about money.

“We’ve seen it with various young players moving far too quick for my liking, I’d like to see him stay for a while longer.”

High praise indeed from one of the club’s greatest players of all time.

Now they just need to reach a resolution with his representatives, which will be no easy task. However, if he can impress at Caley Thistle, it may not be too long before he is challenging Kent for a spot in the squad.

AND in other news, Better than Kranjcar: Glasgow Rangers must secure deal for Lovro Majer…