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Southampton extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to four matches as they held the champions Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Saints have not lost a competitive match since the opening day defeat to Everton and now have four points on the board after five games.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side gave as good as they got from Manchester City on the day. Whilst the home side took six more shots than the Saints, the visitors managed two shots on target to City’s one, showing how competitive they were in the game.

There were a number of impressive performers for the Saints, but one player whose performance may have gone under the radar was Nathan Redmond.

Keeping a clean sheet away at Manchester City will rightly draw attention to the back four and goalkeeper for being able to keep the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish at bay, but Redmond was selected out wide ahead of Nathan Tella and Moussa Djenepo and repaid Hasenhuttl’s faith in him.

The ex-Norwich winger put in a superb display and showed that he can fulfill the defensive side of his duties whilst also carrying an attacking threat in the final third. Defensively, Redmond was excellent for the Saints and helped to limit City’s full-backs going forward.

As per SofaScore, he won 86% of his duels, winning all five of his ground duels and one of his two in the air. He also made three tackles and was not dribbled past once all game. This shows how strong he was in 50-50 battles, proving that he has the defensive nous to provide support for his full-back to ensure that they are not ripped apart by overloads out wide.

Offensively, he also pulled his weight and attempted to win the game for Southampton. As per SofaScore, he completed both of his attempted dribbles, had one shot and created two chances for his teammates to shoot. This shows that he was able to merge a diligent defensive display with creativity going forward, which is why he repaid Hasenhuttl’s faith in him on the day.

Hopefully he will be able to maintain that level of performance throughout the rest of the season whilst chipping in with goals and assists, as he could become a key member of the team if he is able to do so. It is now up to him to keep performing to convince the manager to continue selecting him in the starting XI.

In other news: Semmens must sanction deal for “dangerous” Saints beast, Ralph would be buzzing

Celtic goalkeepers Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard could leave the club in January, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Lack of game time…

Both Barkas and Hazard featured in stages last season under Neil Lennon but have fallen out of favour during the current campaign.

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Barkas, labelled as ‘horrendous’ by pundit Tam McManus, made 22 appearances last season but has started just twice under Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Hazard, described as ‘jittery’ by pundit Natasha Meikle, is yet to feature in 2021/22 after making six appearances last season.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a transfer mailbag on The Athletic on Wednesday, answering numerous questions from Hoops fans ahead of the January window.

He was asked about the club’s goalkeepers, with Devlin admitting Celtic ‘will attempt to move Barkas on in January, although his wages might make a permanent transfer difficult.’

Devlin then said that Hazard ‘might be moved on too, again depending on what kind of loan bids or permanent offers comes in’.

The reliable reporter revealed that there are no immediate plans to replace Scott Bain, with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi.

The Verdict: The right calls?

It seems as if Barkas and Hazard aren’t in the club’s long-term plans, so looking to move them on next month appears to be the right call.

Hazard only penned new Parkhead terms back in March, but it doesn’t look like he’s fancied by Postecoglou given he hasn’t even featured under the gaffer, with youngster Oluwayemi possibly identified as the first-choice in the long run.

On that basis, selling or moving the pair out on loan could be a wise decision, but even though they’ve hardly played this season that doesn’t mean the club should accept any old lowball offers that come in.

In other news: Print newspaper reveal Celtic now want left-footed ace who’s racked up £20m in transfer fees. 

Sharing news midweek, 90min journalist and ‘insider’ Graeme Bailey now has a major player update for Manchester City supporters out of Eastlands.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues in contract flurry…

City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and the club have seemingly been renewing contracts left, right and centre over 2021/2022 as Pep Guardiola aims to tie down both future and first team stars.

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The likes of John Stones, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, James McAtee and Ederson, to name a few, have all put pen to paper on fresh terms in the past 12 months.

According to reports, Guardiola and co aren’t done there, with the likes of Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan also tipped to receive the option.

Superstar playmaker Phil Foden is yet another, and if Bailey is to be believed, a major development has come to light on City’s attempts to tie down the England international.

The Latest: Bailey shares Foden development…

Taking to Twitter, the 90min insider says Man City are now closer to agreeing a new deal for the 21-year-old.

“Man City close to finalising Phil Foden contract extension,” he explained.

“Talks have been ongoing since last year but Premier League champions confident their prized asset will re-sign by end of the season.”

The Verdict: Absolutely huge…

As perhaps best summed up on Tuesday night, Foden looks set to be an absolutely crucial player for City for years to come.

The Sky Blues struggled to break down a resilient Atletico Madrid side in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie in Manchester, but thanks to their homegrown starlet’s cameo off the bench, Guardiola’s men eventually found a way through.

Foden’s delicate through ball to Kevin De Bruyne, who subsequently fired home past Jan Oblak, gifted City a 1-0 aggregate advantage as they gear up for their Wanda Metropolitano visit next week.

The midfield gem’s introduction was a crucial one and this is just one example of his importance at the Etihad Stadium.

As City take one step closer towards tying him down further, it’s safe to say this midweek update could be looked back on as massive for years to come.

In other news: Blues now preparing bid to sign ‘special’ £67m star alongside Haaland! Find out more here.

Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas will leave Parkhead in the January window, according to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos.

The Lowdown: Barkas’ Hoops career

It’s safe to say that Barkas hasn’t lived up to expectations in Scotland after joining from AEK Athens for £4.5m in 2020.

The 27-year-old was in and out of the side last season under Neil Lennon, making just 13 Premiership appearances. He hasn’t managed to turn things around this season under Ange Postecoglou, with his only appearance coming against FC Midtjylland.

He hasn’t featured following his blunder at Celtic Park in the Champions League qualifier, and it now seems as if he will leave over the coming months.

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The Latest: Chorianopoulos’ post

Chorianopoulos, a Greek reporter, had his say on the shot-stopper on Wednesday night, revealing that a loan or a permanent exit are both options at this moment in time.

He tweeted: “Vasilis Barkas is about to leave from Celtic on January. On loan or permanent.”

The Verdict: The correct decision…

Celtic brought in Joe Hart over the summer and also have Scott Bain and Conor Hazard sitting around, so shipping out one of the three who aren’t playing is a shrewd call.

Barkas is on £9,000-a-week in Scotland, while Bain and Hazard are on £10,000-a-week combined, so it makes sense to move on the big earner.

Things haven’t worked out in Scotland for the Greek goalie, and the Hoops may face a battle to recoup the £4.5m they paid for his services, especially with his Transfermarkt valuation plummeting since moving to Lennoxtown.

In other news: Nicholson now looking at signing ‘strong’ beast for Ange who ‘would suit playing for Celtic’

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing exciting Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho, but they are not alone in being linked with a move for the starlet.

The Lowdown: Carvalho shining for Fulham

The 19-year-old has been a key player for a Cottagers side currently leading the way in the Championship this season, scoring eight goals and registering two assists in 14 league starts. He has also represented England at various youth levels, including six caps for the country’s under-18 side.

The attacking midfielder’s performances have caught the eye of a number of clubs, and according to a fresh report, Leeds are among the suitors.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with Carvalho move

According to The Daily Mail, the Whites see Carvalho as an exciting option to bring in during the January transfer window, with a move to the Premier League this month potentially ‘too tempting to turn down’. Indeed, the 19-year-old rejected the offer of a new contract at Craven Cottage in November.

Liverpool and West Ham are also credited with taking an interest in the Fulham starlet, so it may not be easy for Whites to get a deal over the line if they are battling with two of the top flight’s current top five.

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting prospect

It is crucial that Marcelo Bielsa plans for both the present and the future, ensuring Leeds that continue to grow after he has left the club, and Carvalho could be a great prospective signing in that respect.

He possesses huge long-term potential, already a standout performer for a team who have scored a ridiculous 73 goals in just 27 league matches this season, and he has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his current manager Marco Silva.

The lure of Liverpool in particular could act as a stumbling block for Leeds, but a greater prospect of first-team action at Elland Road – where young talents like Charlie Cresswell, Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt have all earned Premier League starts this season – could possibly give the Whites an edge.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for another talented attacking player. Find out who it is here.

With current Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster currently set to see their contracts expire next summer, the club have had their eye on adding a new shot-stopper to their squad in the past with previous reports linking them with a transfer move for West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

With Johnstone’s contract at the Midlands club also set to run out in 2022, there’s every possibility that he could be on the move at that point unless Johnstone puts pen to paper on a new deal at The Hawthorns before then.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Tom Barclay had his say on the possibility of Southampton making a move to sign Johnstone in January if West Brom would rather let him go for a fee instead of as a free agent in the summer.

He said: “You’re looking at probably less than £10m. I’m speculating there, but I imagine it’d be less than £10m.”

Fans surely thrilled

Johnston signed for West Brom back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Manchester United for a fee of £6.5m. Since then, the 28-year-old, who is currently valued at £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, has gone on to make a total of 145 appearances for the Baggies, firmly cementing himself as their first-choice goalkeeper.

On the international stage, Johnstone has made three senior appearances for England, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Even though Barclay made it clear that the potential price tag of under £10m for Johnstone was merely speculation, we feel that if this is true and West Brom would be willing to part with their goalkeeper in January, the Saints should definitely look to see if they can add him to their squad rather than wait until the summer.

Additionally, we feel that if Ralph Hasenhuttl does sign Johnstone in January for the price that Barclay has suggested, we feel the supporters would be thrilled by this swoop.

After all, he is a proven international ‘keeper and performed incredibly well for West Brom last term. For instance, no goalkeeper made more saves (161) than the England stopper in the top-flight throughout 2020/21. That type of record would be crucial for the south coast side who find themselves near the bottom of the table.

With The Athletic claiming that McCarthy has agreed a new deal at St. Mary’s, we feel that Johnstone would be a good replacement for Forster if he leaves in the summer when his deal expires. Crucially, he would provide some healthy competition to the former for a number one spot in Hasenhuttl’s side.

In other news: Ralph must unleash “explosive” £16.2m-rated Southampton machine, he’d terrify Villa – opinion

As confirmed by Tottenham Hotspur on their official website, Nuno Espirito Santo will still be without defender Matt Doherty for their highly anticipated London derby clash against West Ham United today.

The Lowdown: Doherty injured…

Looking to reignite his Spurs career under the manager who made him a success at Wolves, it’s safe to say that the 29-year-old hasn’t exactly achieved that so far.

Once labelled ‘fantastic’ by Nuno, the Republic of Ireland international has cut a bit-part figure yet again so far and is arguably third-choice right-back behind the likes of Japhet Tanganga and summer signing Emerson Royal.

He also isn’t helped by his fitness levels as Spurs shared an update prior to today’s match.

The Latest: Doherty out of West Ham clash…

As confirmed in an update from Tottenham on their official website, Doherty will miss the clash against West Ham today, and Nuno is expected to bring back many of the players who missed their midweek trip to Vitesse Arnhem.

As well as the 29-year-old, Spurs will also still be without left-back Ryan Sessegnon, who still hasn’t recovered from a knock sustained during the torrid September international break.

The Verdict: Blow for Doherty…

Doherty will be personally gutted to miss out on one of Tottenham’s highly-anticipated London derby clashes of the year against bitter rivals West Ham, especially as his future hangs in the balance.

While it is a point of contention whether he would have actually featured, the right-back represents a different outlet for Nuno, and it has been a debate whether the Portuguese could start using him in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 system akin to his time at Molineux.

Alas, the Irishman will not get the opportunity to do so this afternoon.

In other news: Paratici may now be willing to offer ‘frightening’ player more than £200k-p/w to join Tottenham! Find out more here.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is expecting to have Aston Villa pair Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez for all three World Cup qualifiers during the international break.

And a number of Villa supporters have been quick to give their thoughts to the latest update on social media.

Villa released a statement over the weekend regarding Buendia and Martinez, claiming the pair would be available for matches against Venezuela and Brazil but not a third against Bolivia.

The arrangements Villa thought they had agreed on would mean both would miss one Premier League game against Chelsea due to quarantine restrictions.

However, Scaloni, talking to the media, posted on Twitter by Roy Nemer, believes he will have both Buendia and Martinez available for selection for all three qualifiers.

“We gave the list for the three matches and there’s no doubt about it. The players are here for the three matches.”

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Scaloni’s comments on Twitter regarding the Villa duo on Wednesday evening. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many not exactly thrilled.

“This could get nasty”

Credit: @SebastianBacon8

“Selfish beyond belief”

Credit: @MisterGuilbert

“Welp”

Credit: @LionsVilla

“oh crikey”

Credit: @tiwari0216

“Very poor from Argentina if they’ve already gone back on the agreement.”

Credit: @JonahB90

“What a terrible manager and a coach to put two of his players in such a position.”

Credit: @deanmoulder

In other news: ‘Not happy with this’ – Many AVFC fans react as news is confirmed.

After it was recently reported by The Athletic that the San Francisco 49ers have a deal in place to buy Leeds United for more than £400m with an option for 100% control of the Yorkshire club to pass to 49ers Enterprises by January 2024, which includes ownership of Elland Road, it seems as though fresh details have emerged on the matter.

What’s the news?

Leeds journalist Adam Pope recently shared a post on his Twitter page with some fresh details on the proposed takeover deal.

He said: “I understand that due to a multiple of revenues the overall price to take over Leeds could rise to £500m or more depending on factors such as future spending and league status.”

Pope also said that Andrea Radrizzani’s company Aser have the option to void the deal if they wish and that the current message seems to be 49ers and Leeds are “still working closely.”

Radz buzzing

Radrizzani completed his takeover of Leeds back in May 2017, ending Massimo Cellino’s three-year spell as the club’s owner after buying a 50% stake in January of the same year.

Since then, the Yorkshire club have managed to rise from the bottom half of the Championship at the end of the 2017/18 season to a top-half finish in the Premier League last season under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance.

With the future in mind, it seems as though the club could be welcoming new owners in the near future to presumably push the club even further than they’ve managed to come under Bielsa and Radrizzani, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

However, taking into account what Pope had to say in his recent tweet, it seems as though the club’s final league position this season could have some sort of financial impact on what the takeover deal could look like.

Consequently, if Leeds can finish as high up the table as possible, this would lead to more money being put into the club, which would surely be music to Radrizzani’s ears. Not only would he have generated some fantastic results behind the scenes, keeping them in the division, but his pockets will be larger as a result.

Of course, the Italian’s first thoughts should be with the club but he will surely be motivated by the opportunity to gain an even greater source of income from Leeds’ accomplishments this term. The end goal for Radrizzani was always to cement their Premier League status and if he ends his tenure at Elland Road with that achieved, he will be a very happy man indeed.

However, the fact that Leeds are currently sitting in 15th position in the Premier League table with 16 points on the board from their opening 15 games of the season suggests that there is still some work to be done throughout the second half of the season if they want to match or even improve on their ninth-place finish in the league last season.

In other news: Time to shine: Bielsa must now unleash “superb” £17k-p/w prodigy after big Leeds blow – opinion

Jurgen Klopp is reportedly prepared to give 18-year-old winger Harvey Elliott a first-team break in 2021/22, potentially utilising him to fill any prospective void that would be left if Xherdan Shaqiri departs for Lyon [Daily Mail].

Staking his claim for senior involvement admirably on loan at Blackburn Rovers in 2020/21, the youngster registered 18 goal contributions in 41 Sky Bet Championship fixtures; seven goals and eleven assists [Transfermarkt].

Following on from these exploits, he could now be set to be given his long-awaited opportunity this campaign.

He is reportedly in contention for a starting place against Norwich City this weekend, whilst Klopp has been impressed by his progress at the Reds’ summer training camp [Daily Mail].

Should Shaqiri leave, Elliott would likely be his direct replacement, negating the need to dip into the transfer market to purchase an alternative.

In light of this news, loads of Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to call on their owners to invest in a new signing instead.

Liverpool FC fans react:

Replying to popular Liverpool fan outlet LFC Transfer Room on Twitter, here is what some supporters had to say about the situation:

“Fsg hate us, this is one hell of an inside job”

Credit: @oni_kzz”This is appalling.”Credit: @tomtayl60265946″I though Elliott was a replacement for Gini”Credit: @wearewinnin

“Can’t wait until next season when Salah leave and where told Kaide Gordon will be his replacement”

Credit: @LKingofeurope”Excuses already coming in even tho they said they would sign if we sold them”Credit: @LukeFC_FSGOUT”Clowns, don’t want to hear any complaints when we start falling apart next season”Credit: @SnowHalliburtonIn other news, Liverpool fans react to a transfer update.