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Leicester City have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League this season as they currently sit just four points off the top spot. Their latest win over title contenders Spurs really turned a lot of heads and Brendan Rodgers will not want to take his foot off the gas.

The next hurdle will see the Foxes take on Manchester United, who will be buzzing off the back of their 6-2 win over Leeds. The Red Devils have also shown that they are capable of pulling out some big results, so Leicester must be ready for a tough battle on Boxing Day.

However, despite the convincing scoreline, not every part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team performance was watertight. Luke Shaw struggled in defence, but this was masked thanks to the smorgasbord of goals scored at Old Trafford.

According to Sofascore, the left-back lost 50% of his duels and was dispossessed 13 times. He also made an error that led to a goalscoring opportunity for Leeds, as well as only conjuring up a measly 13 accurate passes.

With Ayoze Perez known for his pace on the ball, he could cause some serious problems for Shaw on Saturday. If he can exploit this weakness in United’s defence, it would raise his confidence massively.

The £45,000 per week speedster is currently struggling for game time, with Rodgers flitting between Cengiz Under and Harvey Barnes on the right wing.

Perez didn’t make it off the bench against Spurs and he has just the one goal across all competitions this season, as per Transfermarkt. If Rodgers starts him against Man United, he could be handing him a huge opportunity to get back into groove and throw his hat into the ring to start every week.

In other news, James Maddison produced creative masterclass vs Spurs…

Mike Ashley must sanction a Newcastle United deal to sign Spezia Calcio striker M’Bala Nzola amid rival interest from West Ham and AC Milan.

What’s the word?

According to Club Dorla 46, Spezia are prepared to brush off any attempts to sign Nzola during the January transfer window as they strive to retain their dynamic marksman.

Nzola has burst onto the scene in the Serie A this season with nine goals and one assist in 13 games, including his side’s initial equaliser in a 2-1 win over SSC Napoli last week, after helping the Stadio Alberto Picco natives secure promotion to the top-flight last term.

Nzola was the star attraction on Monday night when he again found the back of the net to seal a 2-1 win over UC Sampdoria, with Milan said to be scouting the game as they weigh up an offer for the 24-year-old Newcastle and West Ham striker target.

Sampdoria, too, are keen on a deal which would appeal to Nzola, who is highly sought-after through his central expertise and ability to play on either wing, but Spezia are loath to grant a mid-season move and will demand an important offer to sell now or in the summer.

The £3.5m-rated forward initially moved to the Stadio Alberto Picco last January on loan before securing a free transfer to Vincenzo Italiano’s side in October, where his impressive efforts are said to have sparked talk over a new contract and pay rise to ward off any interest.

Imagine Nzola and Wilson

Newcastle could forge a formidable forward line with a successful move to sign Nzola this month, but Steve Bruce will need to urge Ashley to put pen to an important offer with the Toon owner understood to be reluctant to commit to any major outlays in January.

Nzola is proving to be a lethal marksman in the Italian top-flight with his nine goals in 13 games already this season, despite never playing a minute in the Serie A before helping to secure Spezia’s promotion.

His efforts that have sparked table-toppers Milan to be keen have made Nzola irreplaceable in Liguria, yet a price is clearly on the Frenchman’s head, which Ashley must meet to help Bruce deliver a more appealing Newcastle than the defence-first, relegation-worriers currently seen at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle, as a team, are offering just 8.9 shots per Premier League fixture as the division’s third-quietest unit – only Sheffield United (8.4) and West Bromwich Albion (8.2) strike fewer, per WhoScored – and could do with a player of Nzola’s calibre with Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick the only Magpies to have scored multiple top-flight goals this term.

Nzola is offering an average of 2.1 shots and 1.3 key balls a game in the Serie A while making 1.0 successful dribbles and winning 4.5 duels, per SofaScore, as he commands the opponent’s territory in a side that has won just four of their 17 league fixtures thus far.

AND in other news, a Newcastle gem embarrassed his teammates as Steve Bruce’s only positive at Arsenal…

Heavily-linked Celtic transfer target Mark McKenzie officially joined Belgian outfit Genk last week in a deal worth $6million (£4.2m).

The rising 21-year-old starlet will take on a new challenge across the pond in a move that will surely have Nick Hammond and co green with envy.

Coronavirus nightmare at Celtic

As it stands, the Hoops are in a serious crisis when it comes to their first team options. Neil Lennon and an alarming 14 of his senior players have been forced to self-isolate. According to Sky Sports, Christopher Jullien became the latest player to contract the virus, leaving Celtic with a skeleton crew.

Despite miraculously drawing against Hibernian with a makeshift starting lineup, the reigning Premiership champions are still in a huge rut.

Three of Lennon’s four first team centre-backs are in quarantine and it has forced the Bhoys to rely on the likes of reserve player Stephen Welsh. However, even without the impact of coronavirus, Celtic have struggled with the fitness of Jullien.

The Frenchman has missed a total of 16 matches this season, as per Transfermarkt. Shane Duffy is only contracted on a temporary basis and Hatem Abd Elhamed has slipped down the pecking order.

As for Kristoffer Ajer, interest from rival clubs continue to emerge and Celtic may be forced to cash in if he doesn’t pen a new deal soon. His contract runs out in 2022 and with Rangers all but confirmed winners this term, the Norwegian colossus could be headed out the door.

Ajer vs McKenzie

McKenzie would have been a fine replacement for Ajer. The two are similar in terms of their no-nonsense defensive style and commanding presence across the backline. According to WhoScored, the pair have a similar passing percentage this season, with McKenzie registering 82.2% and Ajer with 89.5%.

However, the former Philadelphia Union man has more clearances (4.6), tackles (1.6) and interceptions (2) compared to Ajer’s respective 2.9, 1.5 and 1.2 per match.

Had Celtic signed a similar player of a similar age to Ajer, he would have almost certainly served as an ideal replacement. If the 22-year-old does leave for pastures new, Lennon will be left with a thread-bare defensive roster and that could seriously harm Celtic’s chances of reclaiming their league title.

AND, in other news, Celtic’s Cameron Harper let Neil Lennon down against Hibernian…

After a difficult start to the Premier League campaign, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang just appeared to be getting back to his best form in the past couple of weeks.

The 31-year-old broke an almost month-long goal duck with a strike against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round, and then followed it up with an impressive brace against the same opposition just a week later.

So when he was missing from the Gunners’ FA Cup fourth round tie against Southampton at St Mary’s at the weekend, it was a damaging blow to the north Londoners, who bowed out of competition with a 1-0 defeat.

And now, ahead of their return clash against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, this time in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta has been handed a big blow.

The club confirmed via their official website that Aubameyang will once again be missing from the squad due to “personal family reasons”, and Arteta himself admitted recently that he is unsure of when the Gabon international could make his return.

Speaking in his post-match press conference after the FA Cup defeat to the Saints, the Gunners boss said: “I don’t know (when he will return). He needs to address that issue, we’ll see how it evolves. We’re here and we have to support him and he needs to take the time that is needed because that is a priority at the moment.”

Even without his recent return to form, the £36m-rated gem is the man who wears the armband for the Gunners, and the player who others rally behind.

Granit Xhaka said after the recent 3-0 Newcastle win: “Everyone knows how important he is for us – not only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well. Of course, every player has these moments where it is not going well for them. But he has kept going and training hard.”

His goal-scoring record over the years is second-to-none – after all, he was the Premier League Golden Boot winner a couple of seasons ago and just missed out last year – and when he’s on song, he’s a devastating threat.

For him to be missing will really worry Arteta, who not only has he lost his most potent goal threat, but also his leader on the pitch. It also has the added consequence of raising the burden on Gabriel Martinelli, who has only just returned from a lengthy injury and played an hour against Southampton at the weekend.

Throwing back him into the starting line-up on Tuesday night would further risk the Brazilian re-injuring himself or suffering an untimely setback.

Aubameyang’s absence is a major blow ahead of a crucial game in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign their next Ashley Cole in this Premier League starlet…

According to Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United are one of the clubs that have been offered the chance to sign Edin Dzeko from Roma.

What’s the word?

The 34-year-old finds himself surplus to requirements at the Stadio Olimpico after a public spat between the Bosnian international and boss Paulo Fonseca.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be on the lookout for a striker following the recent departure of Odion Ighalo, despite the fact that his side have scored the second-highest amount of goals in the Premier League this season.

And now, Corriere dello Sport claim United have been offered the chance to bring Dzeko to Old Trafford.

Must avoid at all costs

Whilst the centre-forward position could be a particular area of need in the summer, this is a potential signing the Red Devils should stay away from before the transfer window closes this week.

United will look to strengthen their squad in the next transfer window, and have already signed Amad Diallo from Atalanta, but have Edinson Cavani out of contract this summer, although there is the option to extend his stay at Old Trafford for a further year.

Marcus Rashford, who can also play the role, appears to be in fine form this season, having made 20 top-flight appearances with seven goals and eight assists to show for his 18 starts, with United currently in Premier League title contention just past the halfway point of the season.

While Dzeko is a proven Premier League goalscorer – 50 goals in 130 games is a solid return – he just simply isn’t the right man for the Red Devils.

Would he be any better than another older head in Cavani? Probably not.

They are of a similar age but there isn’t much to choose between them if you take a closer look at the numbers. Both players produce high numbers of shots and key passes per game, with Dzeko slightly ahead at 2.7 and 1.1 in Serie A respectively, but he is also dispossessed more frequently, 1.2 to Cavani’s 0.2.

At 34, it’s fair to say that it just wouldn’t be worth the risk, especially when you consider the fact he earns a whopping £7.5m per year with Roma, per Fabrizio Romano via the Here We Go podcast, which works out at around £127,000-per-week.

AND in other news, Manchester United striker Anthony Martial was shocking in Sheffield United defeat…

According to Radio Solent’s Sports Editor, Adam Blackmore, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is keen on a move to Southampton, but Arsenal “will have the final decision”.

What’s the story?

Recent reports have suggested that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are very much interested in signing the England international, but that they face competition from the likes of West Brom and Leicester City.

Now, Blackmore has claimed that the 23-year-old is “keen to come” to St Mary’s, but that Arsenal will be assessing their own injuries before making the final call.

Semmens’ priority

If there’s any deal that Martin Semmens should be prioritising on transfer deadline day for Southampton, then it’s the one for Maitland-Niles.

Given the Arsenal academy product’s incredible versatility – he can fill in at full-back, central midfield and even out wide – he would tick a lot of boxes for Hasenhuttl who is in the midst of an injury crisis at St Mary’s.

Even in this past week’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa, the likes of Ibrahima Diallo, Oriol Romeu and Theo Walcott were all forced off, and given the recent injury troubles to Kyle Walker-Peters too, Hasenhuttl will be desperate for some added reinforcements.

Completing multiple deals on deadline day to address all those separate issues would be difficult, but in Maitland-Niles, Semmens can go a long way to ensuring Southampton’s boss isn’t left short heading in this second-half of the Premier League campaign by swooping for the Arsenal man.

It’s the one player the Saints should be focusing most of their efforts on transfer deadline day.

Meanwhile, David Ornstein has revealed Saints are in talks over this “complete package”…

Tottenham Hotspur return to Europa League action with a trip to Hungary to face Austrian outfit Wolsfberger AC at the Puskas Arena later this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side will be looking to bounce back from their poor domestic form to put themselves in a strong position for the second leg in north London next week.

The Spurs boss has plenty to consider in terms of team selection as they’ve won just once in their last six outings in all competitions.

And the 58-year-old could bolster his chances of picking up a victory in Europe tonight by axing Erik Lamela from the starting XI after a disappointing outing last time out…

On the Chalkboard

The Argentinian winger has started three successive matches for the first time under the ‘Special One’ but was found wanting as a mere passenger in their 3-0 defeat to Man City at the weekend.

No other attacking player received a worse rating than his 6.2 per SofaScore, and by the 72nd minute, he was hooked having picked up a yellow card and not much else.

Lamela was a bit of a liability on the night, picking up a match-high four fouls, a disappointing consequence of his somewhat industrious work-rate while no visiting star was as weak as him in his battles as he lost 73% of his duels both on the ground and aerially, via SofaScore.

Earlier in the season, the former Roma sensation was dubbed “pathetic” by Graeme Souness on Sky Sports (via football.london) for his role in getting Anthony Martial sent off, while Seb Stafford-Bloor claimed he has a “provocative attitude” to the TIFO podcast – only adding to his livewire nature.

In a career tormented by injuries – he has missed 108 games since joining for £30m in 2013 – the 28-year-old has failed to prove his worth in what game time he has had, it’s often a purple patch of a game or two, which gets curtailed by niggles and inconsistencies, as seen by the fact that he hasn’t been rated above a 6.77 in any game since late October, as per WhoScored.

Given the quality of tonight’s opponents, it would be a surprise to see many regular starters feature, but as Lamela has been in the lineup frequently, he is someone who can be ‘rested’ or in this case, dropped.

Steven Bergwijn should be fresh having not started just one of Spurs’ last three games, whilst an opportunity for Gareth Bale could help alleviate some of the speculation surrounding his place at Spurs – and beyond.

Ultimately, 19 goals in the previous five seasons isn’t good enough, and that’s something Gabby Agbonlahor alluded to when speaking to Football Insider last week, he claimed that Lamela has “not really lived up to expectations.”

Considering his £14.4m value and £80k-per-week wages, the Andre Villas-Boas signing really should be doing a lot more and based on both his recent performances and his long-term returns, he should not warrant a place in Mourinho’s starting XI tonight.

Brutal. Ruthless. Mourinho must axe Lamela in Budapest.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Verdict dropped on emerging Gareth Bale issue…

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have offered a verbal 18-month contract to Birmingham City ‘rising star’ Rico Browne – but London rivals West Ham are allegedly in pole position to seal his signing. 

Browne’s future with the Championship club, despite showing plenty of promise bursting through the academy ranks, is currently in ‘major doubt’ as Birmingham look to overhaul their youngsters according to this report.

Tottenham offered contract for Browne

Fellow promising up-and-comer Calum Scanlon joined Liverpool from Birmingham in January for around £500,000 – with Browne looking likely to head out the exit door alongside him.

He was on trial at Tottenham, a spell which ended last month, and after impressing in a match against Arsenal, he was offered a verbal 18-month contract with the Lilywhites.

However, they apparently have yet to offer a more formal, written proposal – which has opened the door for London rivals West Ham to make a move and take him on another trial across the capital.

As a result, West Ham are in pole position to sign the promising 17-year-old defender – with Tottenham in danger of missing out.

Transfer Tavern take

Browne is apparently nearing the conclusion of his two-year scholarship with Birmingham, and as they ponder overhauling their academy set up, he could be set to leave as per this report.

Tottenham did make an offer to take him to Hotspur Way, but it looks like West Ham are now favourites given the club’s lack of follow up action – will Daniel Levy and co live to regret their dithering?

In other news: Alasdair Gold lifted the lid on this promising youngster, find out more here.

According to a West Ham source, speaking to Football Insider, Irons manager David Moyes and his coaching staff have been wowed by January signing and promising youngster Frederik Alves behind the scenes – with the Hammers coaches now planning a more senior role for him next season. 

Alves, who was snapped up from Silkeborg at the start of January, has reportedly ‘excited’ Moyes and his staff, as explained by Football Insider, with a more prominent first team place being lined up over 2021/2022.

West Ham source reveals Moyes plan for Alves

Indeed, the Danish defender has apparently made a big impression at Rush Green since signing, with a West Ham source explaining how coaching staff have earmarked him for the senior squad.

Moyes and co are apparently in ‘no doubt’ the 21-year-old is capable of playing at the very highest level, coming after just a few cameos for the clubs Under-23s so far.

Transfer Tavern take

The Hammers boss believes that Alves has made so much progress already at West Ham that he will soon be able to compete with defensive regulars in the first team.

Lifting the lid on this Moyes plan, it appears Alves has been earmarked for a genuine first team role over 2021/2022 – and this report suggests Irons fans could soon see the centre-back in action.

In other news: West Ham fans flocked to this ExWHUemployee claim, find out more here.

Steve Bruce has dropped a potential double injury blow for Newcastle United ahead of their trip to West Brom in the Premier League at Sunday lunchtime.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against Sam Allardyce’s men, the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss said: “We’ve got one or two knocks. We’ll see how Isaac Hayden is, he’s been carrying an ankle injury for a week or two. Emil Krafth has got a nasty shin injury so we’ll see how they are today and tomorrow.”

Newcastle injuries pile up

With Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron all out injured already, it would be a big blow if the St. James’ Park faithful lost two other players in both Hayden and Krafth.

The former has been a mainstay in the Premier League side so far in the 2020/21 term with no fewer than 21 games played, and he has also performed quite well, winning no fewer than 5.3 of his duels a game and also averaging two clearances, 1.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per match (Sofascore).

Krafth has also done a decent job stepping in for the injured Javier Manquillo, playing in the last four games in the top flight, and more injuries is certainly not want the North East club need at the moment.

The match at the Hawthorns is a huge one in terms of the battle to avoid being relegated down to the EFL Championship, and the Tyneside club will need as much help as they can get against the Baggies.

In other news, find out what inside claim Ben Jacobs has dropped on the potential takeover here!