Journalist Ashley Preece has lauded the improved form of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, saying that the Jamaican has been a ‘standout’ performer so far this season.
The Lowdown: Bailey impressing for Villa
The Villans head into the World Cup break full of renewed confidence, having battled their way to a 2-1 win at Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.
While some Villa players have struggled to hit top gear this season, hence why they found themselves near the relegation zone and Steven Gerrard was sacked, one player who has found his groove is Bailey.
The winger made a slow start to life in the Midlands but he has three goals and two assists to his name in the league in 2022/23, already an improved output on the whole of last season, scoring in the recent 3-1 victory at home to Manchester United.
The Latest: Preece lauds Bailey
Writing in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail on Monday, Preece hailed Bailey’s form, picking him out as a star player for Villa this season.
The journalist gushed:
“Leon Bailey has really kicked on. Been a standout from the season so far, definitely.”
The Verdict: Much more like it
Bailey arrived as an exciting signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 but there is no denying that he flattered to deceive in his first campaign at Villa Park, only scoring once in 18 league outings.
This is now much more like it from the 25-year-old, though, who is not only providing more end product but also working harder in his all-round game, making him a far more effective option who has been Villa’s best outfield player this term according to WhoScored.
That improvement has manifested itself in recent goalscoring displays against Brentford and Man United, for which the 25-year-old earned by far his highest WhoScored ratings of the season, illustrating how he has ‘kicked on’, as Preece put it.
Hopefully this is only the start of a blistering run of form for Bailey, who could excel under Unai Emery and thrive after the World Cup following a well-earned break.
Liverpool want Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus and will scout him at the World Cup later today, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
The Lowdown: Kudus selected by Ghana
Kudus was named in Otto Addo’s 26-man squad to represent Ghana in Qatar over the next couple of weeks, with their opening group game taking place this afternoon against Portugal.
Despite still having three years remaining on his contract, the 22-year-old admitted that he was open to moving to the Premier League over the summer to find more game time, and the Reds appear keen to capitalise on this.
The Latest: Liverpool scouting Kudus
According to Sports World Ghana (via Sport Witness), Liverpool ‘will send scouts’ to watch Kudus in action today, with Anfield officials set to be ‘in attendance’.
Jurgen Klopp is believed to have been ‘keeping an eye’ on his target ever since the two sides met in the Champions League back in September, and the report states that FSG ‘hope to bring him’ to Merseyside in January.
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The Verdict: Perfect addition
Liverpool are said to be targeting a blockbuster midfield signing in the New Year, so with Kudus having been dubbed ‘electric’ by Jacek Kulig and even likened to Clarence Seeforf, he would be the perfect addition.
The Accra native has already racked up 12 goal contributions across all competitions for Ajax this season and currently averages 1.8 shots and 1.6 dribbles per league game (WhoScored).
Klopp loves his central players to be creative and contribute in the final third, and Kudus is someone who fits the bill and would flourish under the leadership of the German boss.
Newcastle United are monitoring Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic ahead of the winter window, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Summer contact made
The Premier League ace, who is currently representing the USA at the World Cup in Qatar, has now entered the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge, and there has been no suggestion that he’ll be signing an extension.
The Magpies made an enquiry for the 24-year-old over the summer, and despite a deal failing to materialise before the deadline, it seems as if they are now ready to take a second bite at the cherry.
The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Pulisic
According to The Daily Mail, Newcastle, alongside Manchester United and Arsenal, are all ‘monitoring developments’ ahead of the January window, with Pulisic possibly on the market for offers in the region of £35m.
The Tynesiders have been ‘alerted’ to their target’s situation, and with Graham Potter having only used the American as an impact substitute, this indicates that he ‘may be sold’ in the winter market.
Pulisic has been dubbed a ‘dragon’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and whilst his valuation could increase due to his impressive international performances, PIF may still look to splash the cash.
The Hershey native has netted 26 goals and provided 21 assists during his time in London, with three of those coming across all competitions this season. (Transfermarkt)
Chelsea’s maestro also has the versatility to operate in five different positions which is surely an attractive attribute to Eddie Howe, making it a no-brainer of a decision to bring him to St. James’ Park.
Everton have suffered a number of huge injury concerns to key players over the last 18 months which left them not only with the worst injury record in the Premier League last season but has also contributed to their struggle for consistency in their performances.
Indeed, the Toffees signed eight new players in the summer to bolster their squad depth following constant fitness concerns to key players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina, however, it hasn’t stopped the team from continuing to be weakened over the campaign so far.
One of the biggest causes of concern for Frank Lampard as he prepares for Everton’s return to action in the Premier League after Christmas is James Garner’s back injury which left him unable to join the squad during their Australian tour over the World Cup break last month.
Premier League injury expert Ben Dinnery made a concerning claim last week when he revealed that the young midfielder could now be out of action until at least February.
“The initial sort of prognosis was relatively okay, but subsequent evaluations and testaments reveal that it’s probably going to be towards maybe the end of January or even early February before Garner is back in contention.”
Tom Davies has also suffered an injury whilst in Australia with the squad meaning that Lampard’s depth in the centre of the pitch has been severely compromised ahead of the second half of the season and will require some immediate thought on how to address the situation.
One way that Lampard could bolster his midfield presence is by promoting Everton academy talent Isaac Price, who was given the golden opportunity to join the senior Blues on their trip to Australia.
The 19-year-old midfielder has already clearly impressed the 44-year-old manager and could now be the saviour in his midfield dilemma whilst Garner and Davies recover on the sidelines.
Price has been part of the Everton youth academy since he was seven years old and has risen through the ranks to become a key player in the U21s team, making 71 appearances over his career so far and this season he has been a stand-out performer in the Football League Trophy.
Over three appearances, the talented youngster has scored one goal and completed 80% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.7 key passes, two interceptions, two tackles, three clearances 7.3 touches and four duels won per game, proving that he has been a huge presence in midfield for his team.
Lampard gave an assessment on Price’s impact dubbing the midfielder’s capabilities “natural” during the friendlies in Australia:
“His energy is amazing, wins a lot of second balls & is calm when he gets there. Finds passes & pockets which is natural knack. He puts himself in the frame now.”
With that being said, the future is looking bright for Price and his rise to the senior team could be fast-tracked if Lampard gives him the opportunity to shine in Garner and Davies’ absence when the Toffees return to action later this month.
Manchester United are believed to be one of the clubs who are in the running to land Croatian defender, Josko Gvardiol, with the Red Devils said to have made an approach for the 20-year-old.
What’s the word?
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Premier League giants are currently in the mix for the RB Leipzig man’s signature, although are set to face intense competition from both Manchester City and Chelsea.
The report suggests that those at the Etihad have made an offer of around €100m (£86m) ahead of the January transfer window, while both United and the Blues have submitted offers of around €90m (£77.5m) and €95m (£82m) respectively.
The piece goes on to add that the ‘bidding has only just begun’ for the former Dinamo Zagreb ace, with the centre-back having previously appeared close to sealing a move to Stamford Bridge over the summer.
‘Incredible’ in Qatar
The 6 foot 1 ace – who can also feature at left-back – could well help to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s defensive options, amid continued uncertainty surrounding the future of club captain Harry Maguire, as well as the persistent injury woes of Raphael Varane.
Despite his youth, Gvardiol has already emerged as a leading figure in European football as a result of his displays in Germany over the past year or so, notably showcasing his quality in possession as he ranks in the top 1% in Europe for dribbles completed among those in his position, as well as in the top 5% for progressive passes.
The aforementioned Maguire ranks in just the bottom 12% for dribbles completed and the top 24% for progressive passes, while even a fully fit Varane can seemingly not match that ball-playing quality, as the Frenchman ranks in the bottom 34% and the top 13% for the same two metrics respectively.
That composure on the ball does not seemingly come at a cost with regards to the Zagreb-born sensation’s defensive strength, however, with the £18.5k-per-week menace – whose current deal in Saxony runs until 2027 – having proven himself a real “monster and a warrior” at the World Cup of late, according to one journalist.
The exciting talent has started all five games for the 2018 finalists in Qatar thus far, playing a vital role in the surge to the semi-final stage after averaging 1.2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, while also recording a remarkable haul of 6.4 clearances per game as a marker of his dogged determination to keep the opposition at bay.
That aggression and desire was particularly evident in the shock win over a much-fancied Brazil side in the quarter-final, with Gvardiol recording seven clearances and two blocked shots in that outing, having been lauded for his “incredible” display by journalist Nizaar Kinsella.
For a player of relative youth, the central defender has shown remarkable maturity to continue to perform in such a pressurised environment, notably losing possession on just six occasions from his 83 touches last time out.
Such form in front of a global audience has likely only piqued the interest of Ten Hag and co even further, with the race now on to see just who can win the race to secure his services.
While United may well have other priorities – including signing a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo – the addition of Gvardiol would certainly be a wise investment for the long term.
Every World Cup has its breakout stars, with players suddenly having hundreds of millions of people watching them globally, turning them into superstars overnight.
In 1958, Pele introduced himself to the world, scoring six goals from the quarter-final to the final. In 2014, it was James Rodriguez for his career-defining volley against Uruguay, earning him a huge summer move to Real Madrid.
So, who are the breakout stars of the Qatar World Cup 2022 so far?
Sofyan Amrabat
Amrabat has been Morocco’s breakout star in a tournament where they have beaten FIFA world ranked 2nd, 7th and 9th teams in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, respectively.
Morocco’s defensive ability has been their most talked about quality, with their only goal conceded so far being an own goal. That defensive quality begins with Amrabat in midfield. His no-nonsense tackling and tireless running led to fans making memes of Amrabat holding onto and picking up Spain’s midfield three like children, which he reposted on his Instagram story.
In the 2022 January transfer window, Amrabat was close to joining Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side on an initial loan with an option to buy for £14m. Tottenham are reportedly still interested in the midfield destroyer; however, other reports suggest Liverpool are keeping tabs on the Moroccan, too.
Unfortunately for the teams interested, Amrabat’s increased reputation has increased his value too, with Fiorentina rumoured to be valuing their World Cup semi-finalist at around €40m.
Amrabat’s midfield partner, Morocco and Angers midfielder, Azzedine Ounahi, deserves a shout-out, too, his performance against Spain garnering interest from Barcelona. Ounahi is an industrious, but stylish player combining energy with inventiveness to drive Morocco forward when Amrabat inevitably wins the ball in the midfield.
Josko Gvardiol
Despite being destroyed by Lionel Messi for the third goal in Croatia’s 3-0 loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, Gvardiol’s stock has risen significantly during this tournament. His goal-saving tackle against Romelu Lukaku and his first-half performance against Brazil have been the 20-year-old’s highlights of his first World Cup.
After breaking into Croatia’s European Championships squad in 2021, Gvardiol’s performances at left-back secured him a move to talent factory RB Leipzig. However, it is performances at centre back in this World Cup that have led his national team manager, Zlato Dalic, to call him the “best central defender in the world” because “he is so strong, confident and elegant at the same time, and does everything with incredible ease.”
With his World Cup performances proving his world class quality, and his manager’s words of praise, Chelsea will be kicking themselves for not signing him for £75m last summer, with reports now suggesting that Manchester City are prepared to pay more than £90m for the young Croatian.
Enzo Fernandez
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Group C – Argentina v Mexico – Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar – November 26, 2022 Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Matthew Childs
After losing to Saudi Arabia in Argentina’s first group game of the World Cup, Lionel Scaloni knew he had to make changes to his Argentina team if they were to get out of their group. During Argentina’s second group game against Mexico, Fernandez came off the bench at 0-0 and changed the game.
The 21-year-old midfielder’s goal secured the three points, and he has started every game since. His introduction has coincided with Lionel Messi’s upturn in form and Argentina now look like a team capable of winning the World Cup. A fate that would be inconceivable from their opening performance against Saudi Arabia.
Fernandez brings creativity and accurate, defence-splitting passing from deep in midfield. Drawing attention from markers to him allows the forwards in front of him the space to wreak havoc on opposition defences, which Messi has benefited from greatly.
With Jude Bellingham’s valuation increasing to around £130m, Liverpool have become increasingly interested in the young Argentine. However, as Liverpool already know after signing Darwin Nunez for £75m, Benfica don’t sell for cheap either, with reports suggesting that any clubs wanting to sign Fernandez would have to activate his £103m release clause.
If Benfica manage to fetch this price it will prove to be amazing business by the Portuguese giants once again ,having signed him for around £10m in the summer from River Plate.
Everton will return to action in the Premier League on Boxing Day when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park.
The Toffees have had a disappointing start to their season with a poor run of performances ahead of the World Cup break and are now just one point clear of the relegation zone in 17th.
Their opponents on Monday are the only side that have scored fewer goals than Everton this season so far, however, with new manager Julen Lopetegui leading his first ever top flight fixture it will be hard for Frank Lampard to predict how Wolves will threaten.
As a result, the Everton boss must be clever in his approach to the fixture and match Wolves’ unpredictability by perhaps bringing in some fresh perspectives of his own during the clash.
One player that Lampard could unleash in the first home league game since October is youth prospect, Stanley Mills.
It has been reported that Tom Cannon, Isaac Price and Mills missed out on the action in the Everton U23s clash with Colchester earlier this week, hinting that the trio are being saved for the Boxing Day clash against Wolves.
The 19-year-old talent is having the season of his career so far in the U23s with the “outstanding” forward – as dubbed by Paul Tait – scoring seven goals in just 12 appearances.
Over 55 career appearances in the Everton youth set-up, Mills has scored 15 times and delivered six assists with a goal contribution every 170 minutes, an output that could be hugely valuable to Lampard.
Upon signing his new contract at the club in August this year, Everton Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell lavished praise on the player for his progress in the academy:
“This new contract is a reward for Stanley’s encouraging progress at Everton.
“He took his chance to impress Frank and his staff during the summer and we are looking forward to him continuing to develop and keep pushing to be involved with the First Team this season.”
Mills – who was hailed “versatile” by Adam Jones – was recently invited to impress the former Chelsea boss on the Australian tour last month alongside a select few youth players and if he makes an appearance in the matchday squad at Goodison on Monday it would suggest he was successful.
Now Lampard can give Mills his chance to shine in front of the adoring home support and it will be a great opportunity for the manager to get an idea of whether the youngster is ready or not to feature in the first team more regularly over the second half of the season.
Everton’s on-loan left-back Ruben Vinagre could look to make an early departure from Goodison Park during the upcoming January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Vinagre’s time with Everton
The Toffees signed the defender in July on a season-long loan from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon. Since then, the 23-year-old has made just four appearances for the Merseysiders across the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
With the January transfer window set to open in just over a week’s time and with Everton already terminating Salomon Rondon’s contract after he had barely a look-in during the campaign, the club could now see Vinagre swiftly follow the striker out the door.
The Latest: Vinagre eyeing Everton exit
According to a recent report from Portuguese media outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness), Vinagre could look to join another club in January due to the lack of regular playing time he has had at Everton so far this season.
The report adds that Frank Lampard’s side have an option to sign the defender on a permanent basis for a fee of €20m (£17m), but are unlikely to do so as things stand.
The Verdict: Everton should keep hold of Vinagre
Having been given the chance to prove his worth in the Carabao Cup by playing the full 90 minutes in Everton’s matches against Fleetwood Town and Bournemouth, the Portuguese full-back didn’t show why he deserves to be a regular figure in the team.
His performances in those two games earned him a rather underwhelming overall rating of 6.26/10 from WhoScored, leaving 13 other Everton players who featured in the competition with higher ratings.
However, even though Vinagre has not been particularly impressive this season, letting him leave next month could be a risk for the Toffees given how they only have one other predominant left-back in their squad, namely Vitaliy Mykolenko.
While it would be understandable if the Portuguese defender has not been pleased with his spell at Goodison Park so far, Everton should keep hold of him until the end of the season and then make a decision regarding what they want to do with him.
Aston Villa are thought to be progressing in talks with Real Betis over a move for Alex Moreno.
The Lowdown: Contact made
NSWE have promised Unai Emery a ‘huge’ transfer budget this year, and it seems as if Moreno is one of a number of players on the Villa Park radar.
Reports towards the end of December claimed that Villa contact has been made with the left-back’s representatives over a winter window move.
The 29-year-old appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €20m Transfermarkt valuation, but it looks as if NSWE could bring him to the Midlands for less than that figure.
The Latest: Transfer update
Sports Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet Goal regarding Moreno on Wednesday.
They claimed that ‘talks seem to be going well’ over a transfer, with the report citing a fee of around €15m.
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The Verdict: First arrival?
It looks as if a swoop for Moreno is gathering real pace, and should he arrive at Bodymoor Heath, the player would give Emery an option in numerous areas and become the manager’s first signing.
Described as ‘quality’ by journalist Ethan Lamb, Moreno is primarily a left-back but can also turn out as a left midfielder or left winger and has contributed to 20 goals in 121 appearances for his current employers.
He has plied his entire club career in his native country, though, so it may take him a while to adjust to life outside Spain, where he could rival Lucas Digne in the long term.
An update has emerged on Arsenal and their interest in signing Evan Ndicka from Eintracht Frankfurt…
What’s the talk?
German journalist Christian Falk has revealed that the Gunners are one of three clubs in talks with the player’s representatives as they eye a potential swoop for the central defender.
His current deal with Frankfurt is due to expire at the end of the season and Arsenal could snap him up on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer.
Falk told CaughtOffside: “I think there’s a good chance that he’ll sign this contract but there are many clubs interested at the moment, one of them is Arsenal. It’s not so concrete that Frankfurt are really afraid of losing him.
“They also know what his qualities are at the moment, so perhaps it’s too much of a big step for him at this point. They hope that they will sign him up on another contract. Arsenal, Tottenham and AC Milan – I think they’re all talking to the agent but it’s not massively concrete at the moment as Gladbach are confident about their chances of extending his contract.”
Big upgrade
Arsenal could land a big upgrade on current centre-back option Rob Holding by securing a swoop to sign the 6 foot 2 colossus from Frankfurt.
The Englishman has been called upon five times in the Premier League this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.57, after managing a score of 6.79 across 15 appearances in the top-flight last term.
Ndicka, meanwhile, averaged a score of 7.12 in 32 appearances for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga in 2021/22. He won 60% of his individual duels and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per match, whilst Holding has averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game throughout his entire career.
Former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur once claimed the colossus “shows no nerves” and his former boss, Adi Hutter, previously lauded his progress, saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”
These comments suggests that the gem could be a dream to work with for Mikel Arteta and, at the age of 23, he still has plenty of developing left to do, which means that Ndicka could be an excellent long-term signing for the club.
Meanwhile, Holding, 27, is not a promising young player and his performance levels over the past 18 months indicate that he is not at the same level as the Frankfurt tank, which is why Arsenal can improve their side by bringing in the Frenchman to replace the English dud.