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Following the 3-0 win over BATE Borisov on Thursday night, which saw Arsenal progress into the Europa League last 16, Alex Iwobi was quizzed on what the out-of-favour Mesut Ozil brings to the side.

The game against the Belarus-based side was only the second time the German playmaker had started in 2019, and was the first time he had completed 90 minutes since December.

There seems to be somewhat of a rift going on between Ozil and Gunners boss Unai Emery, but Iwobi’s latest comments suggest that some of the players are on the former Real Madrid star’s side – or at the very least, aren’t fully backing their manager over the midfielder’s regular exclusion.

What did he say?

The Nigerian international said: “We know what Mesut is like because we see him in training every day.

“He’s world class. We scored three goals as a result of him playing. I know if I make a run he has the vision to find me. Hopefully he can keep on playing.”

What do Iwobi’s words suggest?

Well, for a start, the fact that Iwobi credits his side’s goals to Ozil and not to the management and tactics of Emery speaks volumes alone.

Arsenal have won four and lost four of their last eight games across all competitions, struggling for form and looking devoid of any attacking identity or creativity in Ozil’s absence.

If Iwobi is feeling this way, the chances are a few more Arsenal players share the same opinion. Whilst the Gunners don’t seem like the sort of club to have the players capable of a dressing room revolt, such as we’ve seen Chelsea do in the past, the situation could worsen unless Emery finds a speedy solution.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss has told Ozil that he ‘needs to be consistent in training and for matches, without injury or being sick’, implying that the 30-year-old’s Arsenal future is in his own hands and that he must be more professional.

However, the fact that Iwobi said ‘hopefully he (Ozil) can keep playing’ suggests that the squad feel the decision lies with Emery, and that Ozil should be more involved in the first-team right now. Iwobi, at least, appears a little bemused that the German playmaker isn’t taking a starring role at the moment.

Aston Villa have suffered a potentially significant injury blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road this evening.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury, although the seriousness of the issue is not yet known.

He tweeted: “Big blow for Nakamba sustaining a knee injury. The severity will be revealed later in the week but if it is bad, #AVFC may consider sourcing a replacement in the transfer window.

“Villa have acted on injuries before in the Jan window and will be flexible enough to do so again.”

The in-form 27-year-old has been a key player for Steven Gerrard’s charges in the opening period of the current campaign, and his absence from the matchday squad to face Norwich will come as a huge setback.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

News that Nakamba is expected to be unavailable for the trip to Norfolk and potentially beyond will leave Gerrard feeling gutted, given his importance to the first-team squad.

The Zimbabwe international has forced his way into the starting lineup in recent weeks, featuring from the off in Villa’s last seven top-flight fixtures – including all five games of Gerrard’s short tenure.

And when taking a closer look at the defensive midfielder’s underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he has become a mainstay for the Midlands outfit.

As per WhoScored, Nakamba has averaged two tackles per league game throughout 2021/22 – the third-highest total compared to his teammates – and 1.5 defensive dribbles, the highest tally amongst his colleague.

The midfield gem has also produced 0.8 interceptions and one clearance while recording a passing accuracy of 86.6%, highlighting his hugely effective displays of late.

With the busy festive schedule set to kick in, Gerrard will be disappointed to lose such a pivotal player at this moment in time, and he’ll be hoping the likes of Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey can step up in his absence.

And, in other news…Imagine him & McGinn: Gerrard can form scary AVFC duo with £21k-p/w “special talent” 

West Ham boss David Moyes has revealed that they are dealing with further injuries ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash at Arsenal…

What’s the latest?

The Irons make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium later this evening, where they will be looking to bounce back from the weekend’s disappointing 0-0 draw with Burnley, while their place inside the top four is now at risk, especially if the Gunners pick up three points.

And speaking ahead of kick-off, the Hammers boss has claimed that he has a few more injuries.

“I think we’ve got some people who have got injuries,” he told reporters during his pre-game press conference (via the club’s official website).

Of course, he’s not going to say exactly who is doubtful because that would give Mikel Arteta a massive advantage, though Said Benrahma and Manuel Lanzini were the two players to make way in the second half. It remains to be seen whether that was tactical or due to knocks.

Meanwhile, central defender Craig Dawson did miss last week’s final Europa League group game with a problem but he was involved again on Sunday.

Injuries piling up

Indeed, if Moyes is without further first-team players tonight, then he is having a bit of a nightmare with the bulk of his defensive line on the treatment table.

Both of his first-choice centre-backs, Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna, are expected to miss the majority – if not all of – the rest of the 2021/22 season, whilst full-back duo Aaron Cresswell, who has been absent since colliding with the post against Man City, and Ben Johnson have been missing in recent games.

That’s an entire back four absent for Moyes, so if he is claiming that he has further players with injuries, then he must not only be worried but also quite angry as he seemingly cannot catch a break right now.

Ryan Fredericks is another name that has been missing from the matchday squad for several weeks now, only adding to his defensive woes and that ultimately gives the Scot a substantial lack of options ahead of tonight’s encounter.

This will be the Hammers’ fifth game inside two weeks, with another two matches to play before their Boxing Day clash with Southampton at the London Stadium.

The hectic festive fixture list is doing the manager no favours whatsoever, so you can understand if he was a little anxious over the coming days and weeks.

AND in other news, Moyes could land another Tomas Soucek in West Ham swoop for “extraordinary” 6 ft 5 colossus…

An update has emerged regarding the Ibrox future of Rangers dud John Lundstram…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the Gers could sell the midfielder this month in order to make a quick profit on him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously he was signed by a different manager, in Steven Gerrard.

“So for Rangers, they might decide to cash in on Lundstram right now and they make a bit of money out of it after getting him on a free transfer.”

This comes after The Daily Record claimed that Chris Wilder is interested in signing Lundstram for English Championship side Middlesbrough. The pair worked together at Sheffield United in the Premier League and a reunion could be on the cards in the coming weeks.

Fans will love it

Rangers fans will surely love this update from O’Rourke, as Lundstram has struggled since his move to Glasgow, so selling him for an instant profit could be a great move for the club from a footballing and financial perspective.

In terms of the off-field benefits, it would mean that Ross Wilson managed to bring a player in for nothing before selling him for a profit just six months later, handing him more funds with which to improve Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

On the pitch, it just has not worked out for the English midfielder, and fans could well love to see him being moved on. He has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has only started twice since Van Bronckhorst took over from Steven Gerrard, suggesting that the Dutchman is not a fan of his style of play.

Last month, Frank McAvennie has suggested that the end to Lundstram’s Blades career foreshadowed what has happened at Ibrox this season, saying: “He’s dropped off the map. Rangers made a big fuss of signing him in the summer and to me, it seems like he never gets a game.

“I know he’s scored a couple of goals so clearly he can hack it up here. I remember Sheffield United fans being happy he was leaving, that was never a good sign.”

This highlights how much of a disaster the last 12-18 months have been for Lundstram, as he seemingly had a poor end to his spell at Bramall Lane and could now be dumped by Rangers. Hopefully, if he does leave Ibrox, he is able to find his feet and enjoy a good run of form to rejuvenate his career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could land the new Prso as Rangers submit offer for “groundbreaking” January transfer…

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for left-back Jamal Lewis…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope claimed on deadline day that the Northern Ireland international has been omitted from the club’s list of players heading into the second-half of the campaign.

He Tweeted: “Also understand Ciaran Clark & Jamal Lewis have turned down moves away from NUFC despite not being in the 25-man squad to be submitted to Premier League.”

D-Day clanger

Whilst fans may want to focus on transfers the club missed out on, such as the deal for Hugo Ekitike collapsing, this decision on Lewis’ future represents a huge clanger from Eddie Howe.

Forget missing out on the French striker for now, the call to brutally axe the former Norwich defender from the squad appears to be a baffling one on paper.

Howe has seemingly decided to pick Matt Ritchie, 32, among others, ahead of him in the 25-man list. The 24-year-old is still a prospect and could have benefitted from battling with Matt Targett for the left-back spot over the next few months.

Meanwhile, Ritchie is well into his 30’s and has been poor this season. He has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.43 across 16 Premier League appearances, showing that he has been far from good enough over an extended period of time.

Lewis, on the other hand, showed signs of promise prior to picking up an injury in December. In the 1-0 win over Burnley, he was given a WhoScored rating of 7.00 as he made four tackles, four clearances, one interception and one block.

Ex-England striker Darren Bent previously lauded the £50k-per-week flyer’s talents, saying: “Jamal Lewis, when you think about it, defensively I think he’s a little bit better than Max Aarons. I think going forward and defensively he’s very good, and underrated as well.

“I’m telling you, if he keeps progressing at Newcastle, he might be a dark horse. He could turn out to be one of the best left-backs in the country this season.”

This highlights the player’s potential and why Howe has dropped a clanger by refusing to include him in his squad for the rest of the campaign. He is a young talent with potential and he is now set to waste away on the sidelines until the summer.

Lewis will be forced to play for the U23’s or simply work hard in training for the next five months, unless he is able to secure a move to a country where the transfer window remains open. For example, the Turkish market does not slam shut for another week and it could be an avenue worth exploring for the full-back instead of stunting his development with no competitive football for months.

AND in other news, “I heard a slight whisper”: Downie drops big NUFC claim on live TV, Howe surely gutted…

Wolves have reportedly submitted a transfer bid for Tottenham wing-back Matt Doherty, as they look to bring him back to Molineux this month.

The Lowdown: Doherty struggles at Spurs

The 29-year-old traded Wolves for Spurs in 2020, having been a hugely popular figure at Molineux, making 302 appearances and scoring 28 goals, proving to be an absolute bargain for the meagre £81,000 fee he cost the club in 2010.

Things haven’t gone well for Doherty at Spurs, however, with the Republic of Ireland international struggling for playing time and appearing just 39 times to date.

It appears as though the defender will be allowed to leave in the January transfer window and an exciting update has now emerged from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Wolves submit bid

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them that Wanderers have made an official bid for Doherty, as they look to seal a reunion with him.

Wolves and Spurs are ‘set to hold talks’ over a move, although it isn’t specified if the transfer will be a loan or permanent deal.

The Verdict: Great news for Wanderers

Doherty was such a consistent performer for Wolves, so the idea of him coming back to the club is hugely exciting, especially at a time where Bruno Lage’s side are thriving, winning 1-0 away to Manchester United on Monday night.

Granted, the right-back has struggled at Spurs, but sometimes a move simply doesn’t work out and coming back to the club he shone at could be ideal for all parties.

His record of 69 goal involvements as a Wolves player speaks for itself, and Lage will need more depth if they are to truly push on and become a regular challenger for European football.

Doherty, who has been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jermaine Jenas in the past, would provide competition for Nélson Semedo at right wing-back, meaning the manager would have two quality options on both flanks with Rayan Aït-Nouri and Fernando Marçal competing on the other flank.

In other news, Tim Spiers has hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.

With David Moyes’ side heading into Saturday afternoon’s 12:30 kick off in something of a poor run of form, having picked up just one point from their last three Premier League fixtures, the 58-year-old must have quietly been dreading table-topping Chelsea’s visit to the London Stadium.

This feeling would certainly not have improved when Thiago Silva headed home Mason Mount’s corner in the 28th minute of the match, with Thomas Tuchel’s side very much dominating the opening half-hour.

However, the Hammers grew into the game as the first half wore on and were gifted a chance to equalise from the spot when Jarrod Bowen latched onto a sloppy Jorginho backpass before Edouard Mendy brought down the 24-year-old. Manuel Lanzini did not waste the opportunity, sending the Blues ‘keeper the wrong way with a near-perfect penalty.

Alas, parity in the fixture did not last long, as Mason Mount turned from provider to scorer in spectacular fashion, volleying a side-footed finish past Lukasz Fabianski from Hakim Ziyech’s whipped cross, seeing the visitors take a 2-1 lead into the interval.

Moyes was forced into a change at half-time, with Ben Johnson coming off due to injury and Arthur Masuaku taking his place at left wing-back – something which The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas dubbed as a “big chance for Masuaku to impress.”

And impress he did.

While Chelsea inevitably enjoyed more possession of the ball upon the restart, West Ham nevertheless proved resolute in defence, with Masuaku’s performance at the back particularly standing out.

Indeed, the £6.3m-rated defender made one clearance and five tackles, blocked one shot and won seven of his eight attempted duels – all while up against arguably the best right-back in the league at present in the form of Reece James.

These efforts played a key role in keeping the Irons in the game, something which ultimately led to Bowen drawing the home side level midway through the second half, the winger netting with a low drive from the edge of the area in the 58th minute.

Against the odds, the afternoon would get even better for Masuaku and his side, when the left-back who Aaron Cresswell dubbed a “fantastic” talent fired a dangerous ball into the Chelsea penalty area with just three minutes remaining, catching Mendy out at his near post and sending the London Stadium wild.

As such, with match-winner earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.9 for his efforts against the Blues – the highest of any West Ham player on the day – it is clear for all to see that Masuaku did indeed seize his chance on Saturday, and he is undoubtedly deserving of a starting spot against Burnley next weekend.

In other news: Rob Newman could secure West Ham’s next Carlos Tevez in swoop for £18m-rated “poacher”

According to Spanish news source El Nacional, a major update has come to light involving Liverpool and soon-to-be free agent Denis Zakaria.

The Lowdown: Reds eye Zakaria move…

The Switzerland midfielder is on his way out of Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of 2021/22 as a plethora of clubs, including Liverpool, take a keen interest in signing him.

Zakaria can sign a pre-contract with overseas clubs this month or opt to wait until summer before deciding his next destination, with the Reds, Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona all linked with a move (El Nacional).

The Bundesliga ace, once likened to Bernabeu star Toni Kroos by German football legend Lothar Matthaus, could come as a real snip for no transfer fee as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp apparently eyes a move.

Sharing an update on Zakaria’s potential move to Anfield, El Nacional have provided a promising piece of news.

The Latest: Spanish source makes promising Zakaria claim…

According to their sources, as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez aims to bring Zakaria to the Spanish capital, Liverpool could well and truly throw a spanner in the works as they ‘upset’ the La Liga club’s plans ‘in recent days’.

Indeed, the Reds have apparently made a lucrative offer, putting a ‘higher salary on the table’ than Madrid as Klopp personally believes Zakaria would be a ‘good recruit’.

While the 25-year-old takes his time to consider all proposals, El Nacional stated that ‘everything indicates that he will end up landing in Anfield’.

The Verdict: Promising update…

As all signs point towards Liverpool being favourites to land the defensive midfielder, we believe he could certainly be a great acquisition for Klopp if they can win the race for him.

According to WhoScored, Zakaria has averaged a tidy 90.1% pass accuracy over his 15 league starts for Monchengladbach this season. By comparison to Liverpool’s regular starters in the English top flight, only Curtis Jones has racked up a higher success rate (92%), perhaps supporting the theory that the Swiss beast would be an astute addition.

Highly versatile, the 25-year-old can also operate as a centre-back when required, so the 6 foot 3 powerhouse could potentially kill two birds with one stone for Klopp.

Lauded as ‘devastating’ by Italian football coach Uli Forte, this could be one of the best free deals of the summer, and we urge Liverpool to get it done.

In other news: ‘Ooooo’, ‘Making moves’…Liverpool fans buzz as FSG now eye ‘perfect signing’, find out more here

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ronnie Edwards to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Daily Mail, who claim that both Spurs and Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on the Peterborough United centre-back ahead of a potential move at the end of the season.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

The report goes on to state that the relegation-threatened Championship side are believed to value the England U19 international at a figure of around £15m, with Posh likely being unable to keep hold of the youngster following their seemingly imminent return to the third tier of English football.

Conte can axe Rodon with Edwards

Considering the sheer amount of potential Edwards quite clearly possesses, in addition to the style of defender the centre-back is, it is easy to see why both Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte would be interested in a move for the 19-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances this season, the £270k-rated talent has been imperious in the Peterborough backline, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 3.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

The £2.7k-per-week prodigy has also impressed with the ball at his feet, enjoying an average of 60.2 touches and completing 44.2 passes, 3.7 long balls and 1.5 chipped passes per fixture – with scoutedfootball listing the centre-back’s primary strengths as his composure, his elegant passing and his one-on-one defending.

These returns have seen the youngster who Barry Fry dubbed a “Rolls Royce” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.75, ranking him as Posh’s 11th-best player in the second tier of English football.

Regarding his signing of the teenager back in August 2020, Fry went on to state: “I used to watch a lot of U18s football at Barnet as well as Posh and I told [Darren Ferguson] about him. When we brought him in for a game, Darren watched him for 20 minutes and told me to sign him.

“Spurs were watching him at the time… it’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set-up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the U23s at our stadium. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game.

“A couple of good seasons in the Championship would make him worth £10m to £20m. He was outstanding on what was a great day for the club [in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City in September]. He is so calm and composed and his passing is unbelievably accurate.”

As such, considering the fact that Tottenham’s £24k-per-week Joe Rodon – who John Wenham dubbed a “real issue” for Spurs back in April of last year – has reportedly decided to quit the north London club this summer – having featured just three times under the management of Conte – Edwards would certainly appear to be a fantastic replacement for the 24-year-old Wales international in the Italian’s backline.

AND in other news: Talks underway: Paratici in negotiations for £41.5m deal, it’d be a big coup for Spurs

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed Kyogo Furuhashi was fit and firing at Lennoxtown before Sunday’s win, ultimately deciding the Hoops could win without risking their star man.

The Lowdown: Celtic seal priceless win

The Hoops visited their biggest rivals on Sunday afternoon looking to go six points clear at the top of the table.

It didn’t look like that would be the case when Aaron Ramsey fired Rangers in front early on, but goals from Tom Rogic and Cameron Carter-Vickers earned Celtic a huge and deserved three points.

They did it without Furuhashi, too, with the Japanese starlet having only just recovered from a long-term hamstring issue.

The Latest: Ange provides Kyogo boost

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game (via Republic of Football), Postecoglou confirmed that the forward is now fit, even trying to persuade his manager to use him during sessions at Lennoxtown:

“I thought today we could handle it without him. He popped up everywhere in front of me at Lennoxtown to remind he was fit.”

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The Verdict: What a day

It was a memorable three points for Celtic and this news is an added bonus, suggesting Furuhashi is now ready to play a prominent role between now and the end of the season.

The 27-year-old has scored eight goals in 12 league starts in 2021/22 to date, and while he may take time to find his rhythm having not featured in 2022, it shouldn’t be long until he is a regular again, ranking as one of the best eight players in the squad this term (Whoscored).

With Celtic battling in both the league and the Scottish Cup, opportunities should certainly come Furuhashi’s way, even if they come from the bench initially.

In other news, Ally McCoist slammed one player in the Rangers-Celtic clash. Find out who it is here.