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Bailey Wright may be one of just two Sunderland players at the World Cup but the experienced defender could soon be surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light.

The 30-year-old joins Costa Rica’s Jewison Bennette in Qatar as the Sunderland players on show but is yet to play a single minute for Australia in their two group games so far.

The former Preston North End man played a huge part in the Black Cats finally achieving promotion back to the Championship last season but has been a peripheral figure for much of the Championship campaign thus far, and has struggled on his rare appearances in the first team.

Wright has started just four games for Tony Mowbray’s side in the second tier this term, all of which came in the four games leading up to the World Cup break.

His performances have seen him average a disappointing 6.45 rating from WhoScored, which ranks him as the 15th-best performer at the Stadium of Light so far this campaign.

This emphasises how much he has struggled and with the likes of Ajibola Alese, Luke O’Nien, Dennis Cirkin and Danny Batth all outperforming him according to WhoScored, he arguably needs dropping from the starting side.

Dominic Ballard is also set to return from injury after the World Cup, which could push Wright even further down the pecking order in Mowbray’s thinking, so it might be best just to sell the centre-back in January, rather than potentially losing him for nothing when his contract expires in 2024.

Since joining on a permanent deal in 2020, the Australia international has gone on to make 102 appearances for the Black Cats, scoring four goals and assisting one, but his lack of game time so far this campaign suggests that his Sunderland career could soon be over.

After some strong performances two years ago, Kevin Phillips likened the defender to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, saying:

“Sometimes the manager can only say so much and then you want of your senior experience players to pipe up and put a few people in their place and give encouragement and be a leader. He seems like that.

“The stats just show what an important player he is. He’s almost to Sunderland what van Dijk is to Liverpool at the moment with those incredible stats.

“It’s important he stays fit throughout the season.”

However, much like the struggling Dutch defender, his form has declined this season and with Ballard returning from injury, Mowbray might be best moving Wright on in the January window.

Liverpool will be closely monitoring England and West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice at the World Cup.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claims that Jurgen Klopp will be keeping a close eye on Rice in Qatar to see how he handles the big-game pressure of representing England at the World Cup.

The Anfield side have been linked with the midfielder since before the summer transfer window, with West Ham slapping a £150m price tag on the 23-year-old.

With his contract expiring in 2024, this price could tumble, especially if he stalls in talks over a new deal and Liverpool should be aiming to bring him to Merseyside.

Dream Bellingham partner

Klopp’s admiration of Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham is no secret, and with the club leading the chase for the youngster over Real Madrid, the German could form a dream midfield axis with the two Englishman.

Rice has impressed for West Ham this season, despite their Premier League struggles. He has averaged a rating of 7.27/10, ranking him first in David Moyes’ squad.

He also ranks first for pass success rate (90%) and assists (2), while proving his defensive importance by ranking second for tackles made (2.4) and interceptions made (1.6) per match.

It’s clear he is operating at an extremely high level; however, his potential deserves a team with a greater chance of success than West Ham, and Liverpool could be the ideal option.

Klopp’s side are undergoing a transitional season so far, way off the pace in the hunt for the league title, with their midfield needing urgently rejuvenated.

The likes of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are all out of contract next summer, plus loan signing Arthur Melo will return to Juventus, so the German could be horribly short of options in the centre of the pitch.

Bellingham praised Rice for their partnership with the national side, saying: “I’ve played with him a few times now for England and it’s been a pleasure. He allows me to do the things that I want to do with the ball, going forward, trying to get in and around the box, he gives you protection, so I think we complement each other very well.”

If Klopp can replicate this partnership at Liverpool, the duo could spur the club on to even more success in the future. Rice – who has been dubbed “unreal” by journalist Tommy Wathen previously – would be an ideal signing to revolutionise the Reds midfield.

It’s no secret that Arsenal technical director Edu is keen on enticing Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk to the club, with a report from The Sun last month claiming that the Gunners are among a number of Premier League clubs – which includes Everton, Newcastle United and Brentford – in signing the player.

Ligue 1 side Nice were willing to pay £25m for the winger, although Shakhtar Donetsk are looking for double that figure. His Champions League performances this season have been impressive, as he has scored three times and registered two assists on the elite European stage, suggesting he could shine for a bigger club than Shakhtar.

The price tag may put Edu off, though, and Mikel Arteta could land a potential alternative in Villarreal winger Alex Baena, who was linked with the club in September.

The 21-year-old has a release clause of £31m, which makes him a much more affordable candidate than Mudryk.

Baena has also significantly impressed for the Spanish club this season, scoring eight goals in all competitions while chipping in with a further four assists.

It’s his displays on the continent which have allowed the winger to really showcase his talent, and this has perked up the interest of potential suitors.

In just five Europa Conference League matches, he averaged a sensational SofaScore rating of 7.8/10 and registered five goal contributions (four goals and one assist) for Villarreal.

By making two key passes per match and creating two more big chances, Baena has a creative spark which allows him to provide opportunities for others, and he has shown wonderful maturity in his performances at just 21 years of age.

The Spaniard is currently the highest-rated player in the Europa Conference League this season, and this could well be a sign of things to come from him in the future.

If Arsenal are priced out of a move for Mudryk in the near future, then Baena is the ideal alternative, and he could excel in the Premier League.

Southampton are reportedly considering a move for Toulouse winger Zakaria Aboukhlal ahead of the January transfer window, and he could be Ralph Hasenhuttl’s own version of Arsenal star Bukayo Saka should he make the move to St Mary’s.

According to Football Insider, both Southampton and Leicester City are keen on signing the young winger after an impressive start to the season with Toulouse in Ligue 1.

It is suggested that both Premier League sides will keep tabs on the 22-year-old ahead of next month’s World Cup, where Aboukhlal is expected to feature for Morocco.

Toulouse only signed Aboukhlal from AZ Alkmaar during the summer transfer window for a fee of £2m but they could soon lose the youngster after his superb start to life in France, with three goals and three assists in 12 league appearances so far this season.

It is easy to see why Hasenhuttl and Southampton are keen on attacking reinforcement, considering that they have managed just 11 goals in the Premier League so far this season, while only Che Adams and Joe Aribo have scored more than once in the top flight.

Should Southampton bring Aboukhlal to the Premier League in January, he could prove to be Hasenhuttl’s very own Saka, with FBref suggesting that the England international is the fourth-most similar player to the Moroccan in terms of style of play.

So far this season, the two wingers have registered very similar numbers in terms of expected assists (both 1.6), shots per 90 (2.57 vs 2.42) and successful dribbles (14 vs 16).

WhoScored also suggests that both Saka and Aboukhlal like to cut inside, provide layoffs and play short passes, so it is clear that they are both technically gifted wingers.

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Considering the Arsenal man has been one of the star performers in Mikel Arteta’s table-topping side so far this season, with WhoScored ranking him as the second-best player in the squad, Aboukhlal would surely be an exciting addition to Hasenhuttl’s side.

Therefore, director of football Matt Crocker should definitely look to bring the Moroccan to St Mary’s in January.

Celtic have a long history with regards to their development of young talent, with current captain Callum McGregor one such figure who has risen from promising academy gem to first-team regular in recent years.

The 29-year-old notably won four Scottish Youth Cups during his time in the youth set-up, memorably netting a hat-trick in an 8-0 showpiece victory over Queen of the South back in 2012, with that foreshadowing the brilliance he has showcased since.

After enjoying an impressive loan stint at Notts County during the 2013/14 season – where he netted 14 goals in 41 games in all competitions in a side that included a certain Jack Grealish – the midfielder established himself in the first-team following his return to Parkhead, remaining a hugely reliable presence ever since.

The Scotland international has now racked up 387 appearances in all competitions for the Old Firm outfit thus far, scoring 58 goals and registering 68 assists, while winning a plethora of major honours including seven Scottish Premiership triumphs.

The 49-cap gem – who was handed the armband last summer following Scott Brown’s departure – is a shining example to any young hopeful in the Hoops’ academy ranks, with his stellar career thus far showcasing that there is a clear pathway from youth level to the senior side.

One youngster who will be looking to follow in his footsteps and make his way into Ange Postecoglou’s side is fellow midfielder, Ben Summers, with the 18-year-old already on the cusp of the first team despite failing to make a senior outing thus far.

The promising playmaker was one of a handful of exciting prospects included in Postecoglou’s travelling party for the pre-season trip to Austria, with that inclusion a sign that he is certainly in the manager’s thinking.

An attack-minded asset – as McGregor was prior to taking on a deeper role in recent seasons – Summers has already showcased his quality so far this term having laid on four goal contributions in just nine Lowland League games for the Celtic ‘B’ team.

That talent has also been lauded by youth coach Greig Robertson, who suggested the young Scotsman is “beautiful on the ball and aesthetically pleasing”, while one that the club certainly have “high hopes for.”

Robertson also went on to reveal that the emerging gem also shares a likeness for club legend Tommy Burns – a player idolised by McGregor – having previously played a younger version of the iconic figure in a TV series.

It would no doubt be some challenge to reach the heights of both Burns – who played for and managed the Glasgow side – and the current Celtic skipper, although the suggestion is that Summers is certainly a player to keep an eye on moving forward.

Galatasaray are interested in making a move for Manchester United forward Anthony Martial before their transfer deadline this week.

The Lowdown: Martial out of favour

The Frenchman has had an up-and-down seven years at Old Trafford, producing moments of quality but also struggling to match the hype when he arrived in 2015.

Martial has still only featured for 45 minutes in the Premier League this season, admittedly not helped by injuries, and it appears as though he could be down the attacking pecking order under Erik ten Hag, especially after the signing of Antony from Ajax.

A new claim even suggests that his time as a United player could be coming to an end in the very near future.

The Latest: Galatasaray keen on move

According to Yeni Acik TV on Twitter, Galatasaray are keen on signing Martial before the Turkish transfer window closes on Thursday evening:

“Galatasaray is interested in Anthony Martial of Manchester United and Adama Traore of Wolves. Galatasaray wants to add one of these two players to its squad.”

The Verdict: Right time to leave?

In truth, Martial’s overall spell at United should be deemed a disappointment, given the money spent on him and the expectations that many had when he joined.

That’s not to say that the 26-year-old hasn’t shone at times, with Robin van Persie describing him as ‘world-class’ not long ago and the forward scoring 79 goals in 270 appearances.

With injury problems not going away and consistency still lacking, however, selling Martial makes sense, though perhaps they would be best placed waiting until January when Ten Hag can bring in an adequate replacement.

Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is being linked with a move away from St Mary’s and it could prove to be a mistake by Ralph Hasenhuttl if he is allowed to leave.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spain, via Sport Witness, Girona are currently in negotiations with Southampton over a move for the former Chelsea man.

He suggests that Michel, the Girona manager, is very keen to add Romeu to his squad before the transfer window shuts and considering his contract at St Mary’s is set to expire at the end of this season, a deal could well be on the cards.

A big mistake?

While Southampton have recruited Romeo Lavia as a new defensive-midfielder this summer, the former Manchester City man is just 18 and it feels like a big risk for Hasenhuttl to put his faith in so many youngsters.

At 30, Romeu is one of the few experienced heads in Southampton’s dressing room right now and has shown in recent seasons how important he can be to the Saints.

Last season saw the midfielder make 36 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.87 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was only bettered by James Ward-Prowse in Southampton’s squad.

This emphasises how important he can be to Hasenhuttl, and yet the Austrian manager favoured Lavia in midfield in last weekend’s draw against Leeds United, which suggests that he feels Romeu doesn’t have a long-term future in his side.

The average age of Southampton’s lineup in both Premier League games thus far has been 24.7 and if Alan Hansen’s famous remark that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ is true, then Hasenhuttl’s side could be in real trouble this season.

Romeu has been a key player at Southampton in recent seasons and has consistently impressed, with Pep Guardiola dubbing him “one of the best” defensive midfielders in the league, while Hasenhuttl also sang his praises in 2020, saying:

“I have never seen a professional like him before in my entire managing career.

“He’s one of the most professional guys I’ve ever seen.

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“When you see him as a professional, how he reacts when he’s not first choice, it’s unbelievable.”

Romeu is exactly the sort of character you would want to have in the squad when things aren’t going your way and letting him leave could be a big mistake by Southampton if they continue to struggle this season.

Everton have ramped up their activity in the transfer window over the last two weeks, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s potential fourth signing of the summer.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain are keen to get a deal done this week to sell Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Romano tweeted: “PSG want both Wijnaldum and Gueye [Everton] to leave this week.”

On Monday, Romano had confirmed that Gueye was in Merseyside ahead of his medical with the club:

“Idrissa Gana Gueye’s in Merseyside in order to undergo medical tests and sign as new Everton player. Deal in place with Paris Saint-Germain, just final details to be resolved.”

Lampard can finally axe Gomes

It is no secret that Everton struggled in the Premier League last season, and Frank Lampard will be keen to improve the squad and upgrade key areas of his team to ensure the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated to lead the side into a more comfortable position when they return to action this week.

The move for Gueye to return to Goodison Park will be one that is likely to be warmly welcomed as the 32-year-old midfielder has gone from strength to strength since joining PSG in 2019, and last season, in particular, was a key player in the Ligue 1 champions’ title victory.

Over 26 league appearances, the Senegalese star scored three goals, delivered one assist and created one big chance. From a defensive point of view, he made 2.3 tackles and won four duels per game, as he proved that he is both effective in defensive and attacking play.

The AFCON winner’s contributions to his French team did not go unnoticed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino who hailed Gueye in a post-match interview following a victory over Clermont last season (via GOAL):

“He [Gueye] is an important player in the balance he gives the team, he also scores goals now.

“Faced with stiff competition in the midfield, the Senegalese continues to score points at the start of the season.”

The potential £8.4m signing of Gueye means that Lampard could finally axe Andre Gomes who was dubbed “a walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe after a disastrous season for the Toffees over the last campaign. He became more of a hindrance than a help in an important moment.

Gomes was the fifth worst-rated player in the entire Everton squad last season according to SofaScore, and it’s not hard to see why when you look at his statistics over his 14 Premier League appearances.

The midfielder was dribbled past 1.7 times and lost possession of the ball every 3.8 touches on average per game, as well as losing the majority of his duels (64%), proving that the player has become a liability in the team.

As a result of his poor performances, the 29-year-old was rarely-seen following the former Chelsea boss’ appointment at Goodison Park, making just four appearances under the management of Lampard, so it is clear that the player is not in his plans.

With that being said, the signing of Gueye has given Lampard the perfect opportunity to finally upgrade on Gomes and replace him in the team, which could make a huge difference to the effectiveness in the centre of the pitch for the Toffees over the upcoming Premier League campaign.

Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing free agent defender Dan-Axel Zagadou, according to French outlet Media Foot Marseille (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 having come through the youth system in the French capital, Zagadou made 91 appearances for Borussia Dortmund before leaving the club as a free agent last month.

The 23-year-old former France youth international played a part in the side that lifted the German Cup and the German Super Cup during his time in Germany, as well as making 14 UEFA Champions League outings for the Black and Yellows.

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Now seeking a new club, a fresh claim has emerged suggesting that Old Trafford could be a potential landing spot for Zagadou…

The latest: ‘Very interested’

As per Media Foot Marseille, translated by SW, Manchester United are believed to be ‘very interested’ in the six-cap France Under 21 ace.

It’s claimed that Inter Milan are also attempting to sign Zagadou as a replacement for the potentially PSG-bound Milan Skriniar but will need to ‘watch out’ for the competition from the Red Devils.

The report also states that the Ligue 1 club ‘hope that Manchester United will not’ move for the man described as a ‘great talent’ by German football writer Adam Khan to avoid complications in their ongoing move.

The verdict: No brainer

Still holding a market value of £8.1million (Transfermarkt), without the need for a transfer fee, signing Zagadou represents a wholly viable opportunity for Erik ten Hag to strengthen the defensive depth and leave money in the coffers to further bolster other positions.

Last season, the 6 foot 4 Frenchman made 22 appearances across all competitions for Dortmund, earning a 6.71 average Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.9 duels, making 2.5 clearances and completing 53.1 accurate passes on average per Bundesliga outing – highlighting strong defensive qualities as well as ball playing ability that would suit Ten Hag’s preferred style of play.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with Liverpool phenomenon Ibrahima Konate, Leicester City giant Caglar Soyuncu and Barcelona star Eric Garcia (Fbref), Zagadou would be a shrewd addition to the United squad to supplement the capture of Lisandro Martinez, particularly as the club are reportedly willing to allow central defensive trio Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly leave the club.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot recently, but the Frenchman could be a disastrous addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

According to reports from Italy, the Reds are considering a swap deal for the France international this summer which could include either Naby Keita or Roberto Firmino.

While midfield reinforcements should arguably be a priority for Klopp this summer, especially if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ends up leaving Anfield, the club should avoid a move for the 27-year-old at all costs.

One of the main reasons for Liverpool’s success in recent years is the morale and atmosphere that Klopp has established both on and off the pitch, and Rabiot’s history suggests that he could well disturb the harmonious vibe.

During his time at Paris Saint-Germain, the 27-year-old was heavily criticised by sporting director Antero Henrique, as he was spotted partying just hours after their Champions League exit to Manchester United in 2019.

Henrique said of the now-Juventus player: “I find his attitude and lack of professionalism towards the club, his teammates and supporters unacceptable.”

The midfielder was also cited as one of the key issues in France’s Euro 2020 squad, while he also refused to go on a standby list for the 2018 World Cup after being left out of Didier Deschamps’ squad.

Surely Klopp would not want to have a player with this sort of attitude at Anfield, as his lack of professionalism and inflated ego may well remind Liverpool fans of a certain Mario Balotelli, who managed just four goals in 28 appearances for the Reds in the 2014/15 campaign.

The Italian – who had a reputation for poor discipline – would later described joining Liverpool as “the worst mistake of my life”.

With a 6.82 WhoScored rating last season – lower than many Reds midfielders – there is little to suggest that the £15.3m-rated midfielder is better than any of the options that Klopp already has available to him, and we have already seen that he doesn’t react well to being overlooked by managers.

Last season emphasised the importance of Liverpool having a strong squad on whom Klopp could rely, as his side played every possible fixture, and the last thing the German needs is someone like Rabiot disrupting the squad harmony that he has developed in his time at Anfield.

In other news… Forget Salah: FSG can solve key LFC issue with bid for “top-class” gem loved by Klopp