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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.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left lauding the latest news at Ibrox, after it emerged that their famous home will be allowed to be full for the rest of the season.

As per their official website, the Gers have now confirmed that there will be a full capacity allowed at Ibrox for the remaining games of the 2021/22 campaign, subject to conditions given by the Safety Advisory Group of Glasgow City Council.

This will start in their UEFA Champions League qualifying second leg match against Malmo on Tuesday, where the supporters will hope that they can roar their team on to victory following a 2-1 defeat in Sweden.

It has been a very long time coming, but for the fans to finally be able to go back to a full stadium will be a joyous occasion, and they will hope that it will be able to stay that way throughout the rest of the campaign.

Rangers fans on Ibrox news

These Gers lauded the news as it was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘buzzing’, while another described it as ‘fantastic’:

“Buzzing like an old fridge”

Credit: @KelmanPeter

“Omg I’m gonna cry”

Credit: @DecCairns72

“YASSSSSSS”

Credit: @Andrew_GWilson

“Let’s go”

Credit: @Bail1803

“Fantastic, can’t wait now I need to get out of doing extra shift at work..”

Credit: @Mobell1964Moira

“Aw man. Tears in my eyes”

Credit: @craig_gamble93

In other news, find out whose exit has Gers buzzing here!

Mikael Lustig will be remembered fondly for his time at Celtic but it could have ended so differently.

The Swede’s debut for the Hoops didn’t go according to plan as he was blamed for a goal against Aberdeen.

However, in typical Lustig fashion, the defender bounced back and became an imperious, consistent figure.

Injuries often got the better of him but he became a fan favourite on his way to making 276 Celtic appearances and winning eight Premiership titles in a row.

Lustig eventually departed in 2019 as he moved to Gent in Belgium. With a lack of first-team right-backs now in their ranks, you could argue that the Bhoys miss his experience.

Well, fortunately, they could sign a like-minded player this summer in the form of Carl Starfelt.

Celtic have been linked with a £4m switch for the 26-year-old who also hails from Sweden.

Starfelt is a centre-half by trade, an area of the pitch that Lustig has featured in on the odd occasion. Appearing on 67 Hail Hail, journalist Anel Avdic made the following connection: “If he joins Celtic, I see a little bit of potential in him to be a new Mikael Lustig.”

Avdic made that point with a wry smile but it’s hard to ignore the comparisons, especially from a personality viewpoint.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-news-doig-nketiah-mccann” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

The reporter hailed his work rate and attitude, commenting: “He’s a fantastic man. I only have positive things to say about Carl.”

Lustig’s work rate was second to none as well but in terms of their defensive duels and distribution, they’re fairly similar.

Starfelt won 1.6 aerial duels per match last term, just 0.1 fewer than Celtic’s former Swede in terms of his career average.

Their reading of the play is also vastly similar with the Rubin Kazan defender registering 1.4 interceptions per game, a number that replicates Lustig’s average.

Both reliable and consistent performers, it was perhaps surprising that the latter made Sweden’s European Championship squad at the age of 34, rather than Starfelt.

Either way, the pair are reliable and consistent. You also have to go a long way to find a Swede that’s disappointed while donning the green and white hoops.

All being well, he should be as big a success as Lustig was in Paradise. Ange Postecoglou must ensure the defender becomes a Celtic player.

AND in other news, Celtic open talks to sign “unbelievable” 13-goal gem, he may end Christie’s Hoops stay…

West Ham United appear to be interested in signing Jed Wallace in 2022 after a very reliable source dropped a fresh claim on the situation…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, Football League World reported that the Irons were among several top-flight clubs eyeing up a potential swoop for the 27-year-old Millwall attacker as he’s out of contract in the summer.

Club insider ExWHUemployee has now confirmed that he’s a player that the Hammers have looked at previously, also suggesting that these reports to have some substance.

On a recent episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, he revealed:

“Interesting[ly], there is a guy at Millwall. He’s 27 – Jed Wallace.

“I know that we’ve watched him in the past and the fact that outlets are reporting about our interest suggests that the interest is still there. So that will be an interesting one because his contract is up at the end of the season.”

Should they swoop?

After signing some big-name players for substantial transfer fees, this latest development may seem a little underwhelming. After all, they have just brought in Champions League and Premier League winner Kurt Zouma for £29.8m, as well as the playmaking Nikola Vlasic for a similar amount.

However, it’s a prospective signing which should leave much of the London Stadium faithful excited as the Hammers have enjoyed plenty of success when dipping their toes into the Championship.

You only have to look at the success of Aaron Cresswell, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio to realise that.

Wallace would surely join them in that list eventually, given his undoubted and impressive ability.

The £6.3m-rated winger has already started the 2021/22 season on fire, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the Lions’ opening six league games, adding to his ten goals and eight assists in all competitions last term and ten goals and 12 assists in 2019/20, as per Transfermarkt.

Furthermore, as per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.5 dribbles every game since 2015/16, proving to be a mark of consistency in attack.

He’s a player who has been lauded as a “game-changer” by his current boss Gary Rowett as recently as August this year and you can never have enough players of this ilk to either start or come off the bench.

The fact that ExWHUemployee is confirming that the club have followed him in the past and is even suggesting that the interest still remains is a hugely encouraging sign heading into the January transfer window and beyond.

Wallace could well be available for a bargain given his contractual situation and if they’re willing to wait a little longer, he’ll be free to join for absolutely nothing, so it certainly seems like a low-risk signing for the Irons.

Therefore, the West Ham fanbase should be buzzing by this fresh claim.

AND in other news, Moyes must now axe his favourite from his West Ham starting XI…

Writing on Twitter, dropping his piece for football.london, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared a transfer development coming out of N17.

The Lowdown: Sell-to-buy…

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Tottenham are one of the clubs who will need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer with their finances hit hard.

The Lilywhites posted an ‘irrecoverable’ loss of £63.9 million for the year ending June 30, 2020 due to their state of the art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remaining closed with no fan entry (Evening Standard).

As such, the club missed out on untold amounts of matchday revenue and even took out a £175m loan through the Bank of England last year.

Many surplus-to-requirement Spurs players now need to be trimmed from the squad to fund any marquee additions this summer.

The Latest: Gold shares Spurs transfer development…

Writing on social media, sharing a piece he wrote for football.london, Gold has lifted the lid on a development coming out of N17.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, he explains that Tottenham have already taken steps in their sell-to-buy transfer mission.

“Big summer of change at Spurs,” Gold said on Twitter.

“As I understand a number of players have now been told they can leave and their agents instructed to find moves.”

The north London outfit, as Gold says in his accompanying article, are looking to shake up their squad with centre-back the priority for this window.

Any funds raised through player sales will immediately be invested into bolstering that problem position first.

The Verdict: Spurs hustle underway…

Amid the imminent arrival of new sporting director Fabio Paratici, the Italian will have a big job on his hands at Spurs and supporters will be overjoyed to hear the transfer hustle has begun.

Juan Foyth is already out the exit door after Villarreal activated his €15m euros (£12.8m) option-to-buy clause, with the club announcing it on Friday.

The likes of Serge Aurier, Erik Lamela, Harry Winks and Lucas Moura are other names linked with a possible north London exit this summer (football.london).

Winks and Lucas look like the most profitable names out of that list with the former still young and homegrown.

The Brazilian, meanwhile, enjoyed some great flashes of form at the end of the season and is now attracting real interest from Saudi Arabia.

In what will be an interesting summer, Lilywhites supporters will be hoping they can raise as much money as possible and finally start the rebuild.

In other news: ‘Sources close…’ – Journalist lifts lid on exciting Tottenham transfer development, find out more here.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has been nominated for the PFA Fans Player of the Year award [Aston Villa FC Official].

Making an instant impact in his debut Premier League season, the 25-year-old notched an impressive 16 goals and five assists in 40 appearances [Transfermarkt], eventually helping the Villains to a commendable 11th placed finish under Dean Smith.

A member of Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man England EURO 2020 squad, the former Brentford man was unfortunate not to make the final cut considering his exploits [Evening Standard].

Further adding to the adulation, he has now been nominated alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Patrick Bamford, Harry Kane and Bruno Fernandes respectively for the prestigious award [Leeds United].

No doubt buzzing with these developments, loads of Aston Villa diehards took to social media as they revel in their hero’s recognition.

Villa Fans react:

Replying to the Aston Villa FC Official Twitter outlet, here is what some fans had to say following the nomination:

“Who deserves it more? A quite brilliant first season in the Premier League”

Credit: @jonnygould

“Just think Ollie is being mentioned in the same conversations as De Bruyne, Kane and Salah. Villa are on the up”

Credit: @fanboy82

“Fully deserved”

Credit: @Davidomahony18

“OLLIEEEE”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“What a signing”

Credit: @av_reece

“Click the link and vote for Watkins!”

Credit: @ultimateAVFC

In other news, Aston Villa fans react to their interest in a midfield beast.