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Burnley secured a vital point away to Leicester City at the weekend to move one point clear of Cardiff in the relegation zone.

The Clarets were the surprise package in the Premier League last year, securing European football at Turf Moor for the first time in 51 years following a seventh-place finish. However, Sean Dyche’s men were knocked out of the Europa League before reaching the group stages, and their dismal form has continued into the Premier League. Fortunately, Dyche was able to stop the rot and secure a vital point against Leicester during the goalless draw at the King Power.

While defensive issues have plagued the club so far this campaign, Burnley aren’t scoring enough goals either. The Clarets lack a true playmaker to get the goals flowing in Lancashire and bring the best out of Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes in the attack. Dyche would be wise to target a new number ten when the transfer window reopens.

One man who should be on his shortlist is Liverpool maestro – Adam Lallana. Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the former England international has finally returned to full fitness after spending many months on the Anfield treatment table. Despite returning to action, it’s clear that the ex-Southampton man no longer fits into Jurgen Klopp’s system following the arrival of Naby Keita and Fabinho in the summer. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Merseyside club look to offload him in the New Year.

Nevertheless, the 30-year-old could still be a wonderful addition to the Burnley first-team. Known for his expert dribbling ability, Lallana would fit right in at Turf Moor. Comfortable with both feet, Lallana’s influence in the middle would certainly help their forwards start scoring more consistently. Lallana also possesses a fantastic engine which would make him an instant favourite with the Burnley fans.

A consistent run in the first-team could also help the former Bournemouth man regain his place in the England setup. Indeed, the success of Steven Defour should prompt into making his most creative signing yet.

Burnley fans, thoughts?

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Swansea winger Jefferson Montero made his long-awaited return from injury as a late substitute against Bolton last time out, but here at Football FanCast we want to know whether he should start in the clash with Norwich on Saturday.

Montero is an Ecuadorian international with an impressive 64 caps and 10 goals for his country. An out-and-out left winger, he was signed from Mexican side Monarcas Morelia in the summer of 2014 and, despite a number of loan moves away, he has managed 77 games for the Swans, scoring only two goals but providing 13 assists in the Premier League and other competitions.

Thogden witnessed Wayne Rooney’s final England cap. Check out his vlog here…

The 29-year-old made four appearances earlier this season before a hamstring injury forced him to miss 10 Championship games, and youngster Daniel James has performed well in his absence.

Last week though James was linked with a January move to Leeds, so if Graham Potter was to take him out of the spotlight for a week it might benefit the youngster as well as allowing Montero to come in as a top quality replacement.

There is no doubt that the 21-year-old will be a hugely important player for Swansea if they are to hang on to him for the considerable future, but for that to happen Potter must manage his development carefully.

So, Swansea fans, who do you think should start at left-wing against Norwich? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

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Fulham returned to the Premier League this season having spent four years in the Championship before winning the play-off final over Aston Villa in May and manager Slavisa Jokanovic was handed a war chest with which to improve his squad.

However, after spending upwards of £100m on fresh faces and signing the likes of Jean-Michael Seri and Aleksandr Mitrovic, the Craven Cottage outfit are languishing at the bottom of the table with just five points from 12 games.

This didn’t sit well with the high-ups and Jokanovic was promptly sacked with Ranieri brought in as his replacement. Many were surely pleased to see the smiley Italian back in the Premier League after he won hearts in the 15/16 season by winning the title with Leicester, but the appointment is a strange one.

Fulham’s scattergun approach to the summer transfer window gave Jokanovic too many players to be able to choose his best eleven, and the Serb’s rotation proved costly as none of his combinations were given time on the pitch to gel. Ultimately, the London side conceded a ridiculous 31 goals in their first 12 games and are on course to leak around 100 by the end of the season if they continue in this vein.

Therefore, it does seem odd that a manager nicknamed ‘the tinker-man’ is whom Shahid Khan and co are pinning their survival hopes upon.

Among other honchos tipped for the job were Arsene Wenger and Leonardo Jardim – huge names in management. It feels as though the hierarchy just wanted someone to grab headlines without thinking too much about what they actually need – similar to their ‘quantity over quality’ spending policy in the summer – and going for commercial appeal over pragmatism.

Ranieri’s success with the Foxes was accomplished by creating a feeling of togetherness and an ‘all for one, one for all’ attitude that is perhaps unrivalled in the league’s history and for that he deserves credit.

However, how easy will it be to replicate this kind of mentality in games when no fewer than 12 new players were brought in in the summer?

If he is to achieve success of any kind, the 67-year-old must do his best to take a polarised approach to that which his moniker suggests by picking, in particular, a backline – Jokanovic didn’t name a single unchanged back four in his 12 games – as soon as possible and keeping faith in it, no matter if they concede four or five in his first match in charge.

Regardless, with Ranieri at the helm the Cottagers will likely be further adrift than they are now by Christmas and it could be a real struggle by then. While there is no doubt that he is a quality manager and a great character, it is a bad appointment in this case.

If you haven’t seen Patrice Evra’s bizarre new Instagram post then you need to check out the video below….

Rangers stormed to a 3-0 win over Livingston in the league yesterday as Steven Gerrard’s side kept up their hunt for the title and remain two points behind Celtic. 

Under Steven Gerrard, Rangers look like a side reborn and although at times their domestic form is slightly exaggerated, Gerrard has changed the club.

Over the summer, Gerrard was heavily backed in the transfer market with the arrivals of Ryan Kent, Kyle Lafferty, Joe Worrall and Nikola Katic to name just a few.

Rangers also brought in AS Roma forward, Umar Sadiq and although much was thought of the 21-year-old striker when he joined, the forward has been pretty poor.

Alfredo Morelos has been in superb form this season but in January, Gerrard must look to add to his attacking options.

Rangers had been linked with a move for Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke but according to talkSPORT host Jim White, Solanke will not leave to join Rangers in the New Year.

The Breakdown

A forgotten man at Liverpool, Solanke starred for the England under-21s over the international break but despite that, the young striker has been unable to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s side and is yet to make an appearance this season.

Another player who performed at a high level for the Chelsea youth side, Solanke has found it hard to break into first-team football and a move to Rangers would’ve presented a great opportunity for Solanke to gain valuable first-team minutes.

With Umar Sadiq set to return to Roma, Gerrard needs another forward and Solnake would’ve been a good move.

Thoughts Rangers fans? 

As reported by Football Italia, Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri has suggested in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport that he has not ruled out a return to Italy.

What’s the word?

The Switzerland international has been an impressive addition to the Liverpool team since his summer move from Stoke City.

The 27-year-old has had limited first-team starts but he has become quite the fan favourite already.

Now that Jurgen Klopp has a bigger squad, some players will have to settle for periods on the bench.

Shaqiri has only started five matches in all competitions and has come off the bench in a further seven.

In that time, the attack-minded star has made an impact by scoring twice and registering three assists.

Despite only joining Liverpool a few months ago, Shaqiri has dropped a hint about his future while discussing his time at Inter Milan, where he spent a short spell in 2015.

“I had fun in Serie A and Italy’s an amazing country. I’m happy at Liverpool, but you can never say never in football…”

Could Klopp lose him?

It would be a huge shock if Shaqiri was seriously considering a move away from Anfield at this moment in time.

To be fair to the Switzerland international, he has not suggested that he wants to leave, but Klopp should be wary.

Shaqiri has shown in only small bursts that he has the quality to thrive on Merseyside, but if he continues to be warming the bench, he may have to reassess his position.

It is likely that the versatile star would have known that his place in the team was not guaranteed when he signed on the dotted line.

However, he has been showing enough to warrant more minutes on the pitch, and if he is already open-minded to the possibility of leaving in the future, then that could be accelerated if Klopp doesn’t give him a chance to shine.

Haven’t seen Paul Pogba’s latest strange photoshoot? You need to check out the video below…

It will be an absolute miracle if Morgan Gibbs-White hasn’t caught the eye of Gareth Southgate by now. The versatile 18-year-old won the man of the match award for his heroics against Chelsea on Wednesday evening and he’s starting to look like an accomplished Premier League star at Molineux.

Most young players don’t get a sniff of senior football at a Premier League club at the age of 18, however, Gibbs-White is made of different stuff. The classy young midfielder has made an impressive nine appearances for his club this season in the league, although last night was his first start for them. Nuno Espirito Santo obviously rates the youngster very highly, and when he’s winning the man of the match award against Chelsea who can blame him.

The win over Maurizio Sarri’s side has ended what was a six-game winless run for the Wolves supporters, and it lifted Molineux in a way you couldn’t have imagined. It was another young England star with a double-barrelled surname who got the ball rolling n the clash, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek put Chelsea 1-0 up, but a quick second-half turn around saw Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota score within four minutes of each other to give Nuno’s side the win, and the supporters were in raptures with the performance of Gibbs-White throughout.

You can see what they had to say about the youngster’s performance here:

Wolves fans everywhere absolutely love their 18-year-old maestro and will be desperate to see him keep his place on Sunday.

Claude Puel is adamant that Leicester won’t be adding to their squad during the January transfer window.

The Frenchman is reportedly happy with his current crop of players and doesn’t plan on bolstering his ranks in the upcoming window. The Foxes are determined to keep hold of their key players and will focus on offloading a number of fringe players to generate funds. Despite Puel’s claims, Leicester are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements.

Without Jamie Vardy in the attack, Leicester look toothless with Kelechi Iheanacho managing just one Premier League goal in 15 appearances. The Nigeria international has struggled massively, and the former Southampton boss would be wise to sign another striker in the New Year. A poll conducted by the Leicester Mercury found 78% of readers believed that Leicester needed to strengthen their attack in January.

The perfect addition to the squad could be Kasimpasa forward – Mbaye Diagne. Valued at just £2.25m by Transfermarkt, the striker joined the club back in January and made an excellent start to life in Turkey. In the new campaign, the 27-year-old has truly taken his game to the next level, earning plenty of plaudits for his impressive showings.

Diagne has started the new season in blistering form, leading the Turkish goalscoring charts with a fantastic return of 16 goals in just 15 appearances. His performances have not gone unnoticed with the forward receiving his first call-up to the senior Senegal national team. Diagne is extremely strong, an instinctive finisher and a massive aerial threat meaning he would have no issues adapting the physicality of the Premier League.

If Leicester want to climb the table in the New Year – Diagne is the man that can help them on their way.

Leicester fans, thoughts

Arsenal are in desperate need of reinforcements next month following a host of fresh injuries which has left Unai Emery with the bare bones of a squad. 

Unfortunately for the club, Rob Holding will now miss the rest of the season with a serious injury while Emery has also lost Hector Bellerin and Shkodran Mustafi recently. Although Laurent Koscielny has returned, he will need time to get into a rhythm after missing so much time due to his Achilles injury.

Going forward, Unai Emery also needs to add some numbers, especially on the wing and according to the Leicester Mercury, Arsenal are interested in a move for Villareal winger, Samuel Chukwueze.

The Breakdown

The Gunners were interested in a move for the Nigerian winger two years ago but signed his international team-mate Kelechi Nwakali instead. Chukwueze is having a breakthrough season with Villareal this season and has scored four goals in 13 appearances for the La Liga side.

The Nigerian is incredibly talented with the ball at his feet and was described as a ‘jewel’ by his coach, Luis Garcia. Although he’s incredibly talented with the ball at his feet, he’s still raw in front of goal and needs to improve on his end product.

Arsenal do need to add some depth on the wing but the under-17 World Cup winner isn’t the man the Gunners should be targeting. He may develop into a top player over the next few years but Arsenal should be targeting a more developed player.

Thoughts Arsenal? 

Leeds are absolutely desperate for another goalkeeper in January, and reports claim they are chasing Fulham shot-stopper Fabri.

What’s the story?

According to Turkish journalist Serdar Saridag, Leeds are one of two teams chasing Fabri.

Fabri is wanted by Besiktas fans, as the Spaniard was very successful in his two years there, but Saridag says there is no chance he will return to Turkey with both Leeds and Rayo Vallecano on the chase.

The 30 year-old has lots of competition for places at Craven Cottage with Sergio Rico and Marcus Bettinelli, and a move to Elland Road could be a win-win for all parties.

Bad news for Peacock-Farrell?

Fabri has featured just twice for Fulham this season, but the Cottagers’ woeful defensive record is certainly not a stick to beat him with, as both Jokanovic and Ranieri have been unable to find an effective centre back pairing.

The Spaniard made the jump to the Premier League this summer after two fantastic years in Istanbul, where he racked up 66 appearances and one league title.

He conceded just 30 goals in 34 league games last season, and his experience and leadership could be a huge boost for the Whites with Bailey Peacock-Farrell having an unconvincing season.

So, Leeds fans, do you want to sign Fabri? Is he good enough to replace BPF? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has insisted that the club have no need to buy a centre-back in January after Dejan Lovren’s recent injury blow.

The Croatia international picked up an injury during the club’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Wolves, leaving Virgil van Dijk as their only fully-fit centre-back, but Klopp has no intention of dipping into the transfer market.

What’s the word?

Liverpool have a selection crisis ahead of this weekend’s clash with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Lovren are all injured ahead of the game, and Fabinho may again be deployed at centre-back after being dropped into defence against Wolves.

Teenager Ki-Jana Hoever made his debut as a replacement to Lovren, and is another option to play against Wolves, with Klopp insistent that the club will not buy a centre-back in the current transfer window.

Speaking to TalkSport, he said: “The only country that asks a question like this is England. Everything is sorted with buying players.

“We have four centre-halves. Three, maybe, two-and-a-half are injured so we’ll have to try and come through in the moment.

“We need them back but you cannot buy a fifth centre-half and say ‘so you play two weeks and after that the others come in’.”

Opportunity for Hoever

Hoever became the youngest Liverpool player to feature for the club in the FA Cup as he came on against Wolves, and he may well have a golden opportunity here.

Klopp’s unwillingness to dip into the transfer market is understandable; deals to replace injured players are usually reactive and knee-jerk, particularly if they are permanent ones instead of loans.

Hoever, then, is the second fit centre-back available to Klopp behind Dutch compatriot Van Dijk, and it could be interesting to see the pair play together.

Van Dijk has repeatedly showed his ability to improve those around him, and there can be no better learning opportunity for the teenager than to take his place on the pitch beside the colossal 27-year-old.

Of course, should Klopp opt against that, Fabinho may again be trusted to play.

Indeed, given that Liverpool are playing Brighton and not a title rival, it should not prove the most important decision; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane can be backed to outscore any opponent.

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Pl>ymaker FC squad think in the video below…