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Aston Villa and Spurs transfer target Mikkel Damsgaard is now in talks with Serie A giants Inter.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that Dean Smith’s side were one of a number of clubs, both domestically and from abroad, who were interested in signing the Denmark international.

A deal however failed to materialise, and the winger ended up staying at Sampdoria.

Now, Italian publication Calciomercato claim that Inter have held talks with Sampdoria over signing Damsgaard, and have received a positive response in their negotiation attempts.

Imagine him and Bailey

The £18m-rated winger was hailed as “phenomenal” by Denmark teammate, Kasper Schmeichel, for his performances during EURO 2020 over the summer – Damsgaard of course was the man who struck that superb free-kick in the semi-finals against England at Wembley Stadium.

As per Whoscored, Damsgaard averaged an impressive 1.8 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game during the competition – all evidence of someone who’s direct, forward-thinking but also has the creativity to pick out his teammates and set them up.

Despite landing Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, a move for Damsgaard may be the icing on the cake for Villa, especially when you consider how the two could actually work together on the pitch.

Like Bailey, Damsgaard has got an abundance of pace, and according to Norwegian football expert, Martin Mikkelsen, he is “dynamic and can go both ways.”

And, former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell added to his list of lengthy admirers, saying “he looks very sharp on the ball and has an eye for goal too.”

With Damsgaard right-footed, and Bailey left, Villa could have two inside forwards operating at the same time and cutting in for devastating effect.

Having the duo wreak havoc on either side could cause real nightmares for Premier League sides coming up against them, and give Smith a terrifying tandem to work with at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, fresh details have emerged on this Aston Villa swoop…

Leeds United have been fit with a £20,000 fine for failing to control their players against Chelsea, with journalist Phil Hay relaying the news.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ late heartbreak at Chelsea

The Whites suffered an agonising 3-2 defeat away to the Blues earlier this month, losing in stoppage time after a Jorginho penalty. It was a hugely spirited performance from Marcelo Bielsa’s side, but as has been the case too often this season, they came away with nothing.

Tempers flared with Leeds players after the award of the late spot-kick, with numerous individuals surrounding referee Chris Kavanagh.

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The Latest: Leeds hit with £20k fine

The behaviour of the Whites players has seen them receive a hefty five-figure punishment, with The Athletic’s Hay confirming the news on Twitter on Monday as he simply relayed: “Leeds hit with £20,000 fine.”

In the report, it is stated that the Whites have been punished for ‘failing to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion when they surrounded the match referee.’

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The Verdict: Another blow

Not much appears to be going right for Leeds at the moment, with Bielsa’s men sliding ominously down the Premier League table after some heavy defeats and suffering a host of injuries to key players.

This fine is a further blow for the club at a time when money is needed for signings in the January transfer window, although the amount paid shouldn’t affect their budget too much.

In truth, it was nice to see the passion shown by Leeds players on that painful afternoon at Chelsea, showing that they truly care about results and the fate of the club.

In other news, Leeds have received a potential transfer boost. Read more here.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Aston Villa are interested in signing Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin. 

The lowdown: Explosive start

The 25-year-old has been a revelation since arriving in England from Ligue 1 club Nice and is a fan favourite at St James’ Park.

Since making the £16.5m switch (BBC), the mercurial Frenchman has scored 12 times and provided 14 assists in 85 appearances for the Tyneside club. However, the Magpies could be ready to sell their prized asset, and Villa are watching on with intent…

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The latest: Villa interest

As per the Daily Mail, the Villans are believed to be ‘monitoring developments’ surrounding the skilful left winger.

Despite only signing an improved six-year deal at Newcastle in October 2020, it is claimed that the Magpies are ‘willing to cash in’ on Saint-Maximin in order to boost their own transfer budget.

The report stated that Newcastle will ‘listen to offers’ of £50m for the former seven-cap France under-21 ace.

The verdict: Money well spent?

As Steven Gerrard attempts to put his own stamp on the Villa squad, adding a player with the flair and natural ability of Saint-Maximin would be a superb piece of business.

Albeit often flattering to deceive when it comes to end product, as borne out by providing just eight direct goal contributions this season having completed the most successful dribbles per game (4.3) in the entire top-flight (Sofascore), the dazzling Frenchman would be a welcome addition to the Villa ranks.

Predominantly a left winger, the man once hailed as ‘unplayable’ by Rob Lee would likely act as an alternative option to Leon Bailey, who has endured an injury-ravaged first campaign in the Midlands.

In other news: Journalist drops updates on the pursuit of multiple summer deals. Read more here!

Crystal Palace are set to reward winger Wilfried Zaha with a new Selhurst Park contract.

That’s according to Eurosport, and the update has had a number of Palace supporters talking on social media.

Zaha, who has now made more than 400 appearances for the club across two spells, is currently on £130,000 per week. His contract is set to expire in 18 months’ time, and it seems as if Steve Parish and co want to tie down the speedster to new terms following his solid start to the season.

The 29-year-old has started in 11 of Palace’s 13 Premier League games this season, contributing to five goals under Patrick Vieira.

According to Eurosport, the Eagles want to reward Zaha with a new deal amid fears that he could be on the radar of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. The report namechecks the likes of AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund with an interest over the past 12 months, with the Ivorian thought to be keen on remaining with Palace.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news regarding Zaha on Twitter on Saturday morning. Here is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with a few excited and one labelling his current deal, which is close to £7m per year, as ‘obscene’.

“Oh my”

Credit: @CPFCtomm

“give him a blank cheque”

Credit: @localpla6tic

“Why? Because 7 million a year is not enough?? Obscene already!”

Credit: @pete_algar

“Give him the whole club”

Credit: @christylord7

“YESSS”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“omg”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

In other news: ‘Shadow of his former self’ – Many Palace fans slate ‘shaky’ ace in defeat to Villa

Fabio Paratici is reportedly now ‘incredibly keen’ to sign Paulo Dybala for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Showing what he can do

The 28-year-old put on a masterclass for Juventus in their 2-0 win at home to Udinese in Serie A on Saturday night, scoring the opening goal and putting in a real captain’s performance.

The Argentina international was rated as the best player on the pitch (7.9) by SofaScore, winning eight of his duels in total while also recording four shots, three successful dribbles and seven accurate long balls.

Nonetheless, with his contract up in the summer, he can now agree a pre-contract agreement with a club outside of Italy…

The Latest: Paratici keen on Dybala

As per Football Italia, Paratici is now ‘incredibly keen’ to bring Dybala to Tottenham in the summer. The news outlet does not specify whether this would be on a pre-contract agreement, but Antonio Conte ‘would be happy’ to work with him.

However, both Inter Milan and Barcelona are also interested in his signature, so Spurs are likely to face some heavy competition for the player.

The Verdict: No-brainer

If the Lilywhites can sign Dybala on a free transfer, given that he is currently rated at £45m by Transfermarkt, then it is surely a no-brainer.

Described as a ‘formidable talent’ by Inter and Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last month, it is hard to believe that the Argentine is still only 28 years of age, as it feels as if he has been around forever.

He has scored 140 goals in total so far over the course of his club and international career and won plenty of trophies along the way.

Former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is still loved by the Spurs faithful, once called fellow countryman Dybala a ‘wonderful’ player. If he rates the striker that highly, then he is surely who Daniel Levy should be targeting.

In other news, find out what ‘bizarre’ Tottenham transfer update has emerged

Journalist Stuart Hodge has dropped a major claim on Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, regarding his future at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

The Scottish reporter has claimed that the 2021/22 campaign could be the head coach’s last season in Glasgow as he attracts admirers from elsewhere unless the Gers fail to win the Scottish Premiership title.

Newcastle were recently touted with interest in Gerrard, but appear to have moved their attention towards Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca.

Hodge told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think this will be his last season at Rangers.

“The only way I think it might not be is if they didn’t win the title. If that were the case, it could be a case of where he wants to win it back.”

Worries

These comments will surely frustrate Rangers fans as there appears to be a growing belief that this could be his final campaign at the club.

The speculation surrounding the Newcastle job and now this claim from Hodge plays into the narrative that Gerrard could take the next step in his managerial career within the next 12 months and that could be a horrible thought if you are of a Gers persuasion.

Gerrard is a key figure for the club and has achieved great success since his move to Ibrox in 2018. He ended Celtic’s domination of Scottish football by leading Rangers to the title last season and that, on its own, is surely enough to be deserving of immense admiration from the fanbase.

After years of the Hoops being the most successful side in the country, the Gers have been able to seize back control of Glasgow and the Liverpudlian has played a major role in that.

In 114 Premiership matches in charge of Rangers, the ex-Liverpool man has led his side to 82 wins and 267 points – averaging 2.33 points per game. They won the title last term and are currently sat top of the table on 23 points after winning seven of their opening ten matches.

This illustrates just how important Gerrard is to Rangers, with the retired England international re-installing a winning mentality at Ibrox and piecing together a side capable of winning trophies. His impressive management is exactly why supporters will be worried by the speculation over his future.

AND in other news, Possession lost 20x: Rangers lightweight with 75% duels lost let Gerrard down badly…

Some Liverpool supporters are willing to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leave the club following an update regarding his Reds future.

The 28-year-old has slowly fallen out of favour at Anfield as the years have passed, becoming an increasingly peripheral figure despite previously being called ‘outstanding’ by Jurgen Klopp.

It could be argued that Oxlade-Chamberlain has never fully recovered from the cruciate ligament injury he suffered back in 2018, with other midfielders at the club seen as more influential these days.

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The Englishman has only managed one start in the Premier League so far this season, as well as making just two in the top flight in the whole of 2020/21.

According to The Mirror [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], Oxlade-Chamberlain believes he may have to leave Liverpool in order to get more playing time elsewhere.

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Liverpool fans react to Oxlade-Chamberlain update

These Reds fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news, admitting they would be happy to see the midfielder move on given his unenviable injury record and lack of impact in recent years.

“He had his period in 2018 where he was so good but that’s it really”

Credit: @thanospv

“Yessss”

Credit: @CliffordEweka

“Omw to take him to wherever he wants”

Credit: @Dan_Davo5

“Another step closer to a proper midfield signing”

Credit: @ABxLFC

“Let’s sell him for a good price to Newcastle then”

Credit: @Seyjith

“Cool. Later Ox”

Credit: @kian_malone

In other news, some Liverpool fans are against the idea of the Reds signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Japhet Tanganga’s strong start to the season was seemingly influential in the decision by Tottenham Hotspur to not sign Takehiro Tomiyasu. 

The Lowdown: Tanganga impresses as Royal signs

Spurs were linked with Tomiyasu during the transfer window as Nuno Espirito Santo sought to add quality to the right-back position.  

However, the Japan international – who was dubbed “amazing” by football commentator Ben Mabley, joined north London rivals Arsenal for £16m on the final day of the window as Emerson Royal was brought in instead for £25.73m from Barcelona. 

Tanganga started the opening three games of the season and was impressive in an unfamiliar right-back role as Spurs earned three straight 1-0 victories over Manchester City, Wolves and Watford to go top of the Premier League table, earning a solid 6.96 WhoScored average rating for his performances.

The Latest: Ability to excel 

In an article published by The Athletic (via The Spurs Web), Tanganga’s strong start to the season was a telling factor in the decision not to bring in Tomiyasu. 

Royal’s attacking qualities and prowess, alongside the Englishman’s ‘ability to excel in the defensive right-back role’, means that Spurs now have three solid choices at right-back with Matt Doherty still at the club. The report added that Nuno didn’t think the Ireland defender was effective enough at moving the ball’ when at Wolves. 

The signing of Royal may mean the end of Tanganga’s stint at right-back, but with his natural position being in the centre of defence, he could be considered to partner Davinson Sanchez in the coming months. 

The Verdict: Good call by Daniel Levy 

Once praised by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for his ‘very impressive’ Premier League debut, Tanganga has been one of Spurs’ best players in the first month of the season and it may have seemed unfair if he were suddenly dropped. However, the arrival of attacking wing-back Royal could mean that the 22-year-old gets to play more often in the centre of defence. 

At the moment, Spurs only have Sanchez, new signing Cristian Romero, Joe Rodon and Eric Dier as centre-back options to sit in front of Lloris.  

With his impressive performances in recent weeks, Tanganga will have impressed Nuno in the early days of his reign and has warranted the chance to continue playing. It seems that Spurs chief Daniel Levy was right to opt out of signing Tomiyasu given how well the English youngster has performed.

In other news, Spurs given potential boost over one summer target – find out more here.

Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis could be out for three more weeks, Ange Postecoglou has revealed.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis’ struggles

The 26-year-old has struggled during his first season as a Celtic player.

Signed on transfer deadline day for £2.5m after scoring 26 Eredivisie goals last season, Giakoumakis struggled to get up to fitness and even picked up an injury during the warm-up in Celtic’s clash with Raith Rovers in September.

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He has made just two starts in green and white and has been missing recently due to a knee issue.

The Latest: 2-3 weeks away…

Postecoglou was talking to the media, as relayed by The Go Radio Football Show, following Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Hearts on Thursday night.

He stated that defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will be available against Dundee United this weekend before revealing that Giakoumakis, labelled as ‘special’ by Dutch reporter Rik Elfrink after a four-goal performance in one match last season, is another two or three weeks away from returning.

Should he miss three more weeks of action, that would keep the striker out until Christmas, and he would therefore miss Celtic’s next six games in all competitions.

The Verdict: Ange needs a break

The latest news regarding Giakoumakis has theoretically kicked Postecoglou while he was down following injuries to Anthony Ralston, Jota and Stephen Welsh against Hearts.

Celtic have a busy schedule in December and the 56-year-old has had little luck when it comes to injuries ever since making the move to Scotland.

He could have done with having a fully fit squad before the winter break, but it seems as if he will need to keep relying heavily on top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi in a central role following the news on Giakoumakis.

In other news: Nicholson ‘plans’ to sell ‘terrific’ Celtic ace in record-breaking £25.5m deal. 

Celtic have opened new discussions with Ryan Christie over the possibility of him signing a new deal at Parkhead, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Celtic build their way into the 2021/22 season

With 2021/22 in full swing, Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will be evaluating all avenues to ensure that the best quality possible is at his disposal as the new campaign progresses.

In terms of acquisitions, the Aussie has managed to bring in seven additions in the form of James McCarthy, Liel Abada, Joe Hart, Carl Starfelt, Kyogo Furuhashi, Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide [Transfermarkt].

However, he could now be set to carry out another important piece of business from an internal perspective following recent developments.

The Latest: Celtic re-open contract talks with Ryan Christie

The Celtic Park hierarchy are said to have re-opened talks with Christie over the prospect of extending his stay in Glasgow [The Scottish Sun].

There had been previous negotiations in 2020/21, but no such agreement has yet been finalised.

The 26-year-old has yet to receive a concrete offer from the Hoops, whilst he is free to talk to other clubs ahead of his January contract expiry, with Crystal Palace, Burnley and Nice waiting in the wings.

Despite this, the 1.78m (5 foot 10) Scotland international is reportedly open to staying at Celtic and has enjoyed his time working under Postecoglou in recent weeks.

The Verdict: Celtic should look to tie down Christie as soon as possible

Needing to safeguard every inch of attacking intuition moving forward, this news should come as a massive boost to Celtic supporters.

Fitting seamlessly into his manager’s pressing style of football, Christie has again shown why he is one of the most highly-regarded players in his native country. Starting off the 2021/22 season tremendously, he has delivered four goal contributions from five appearances, with one goal and three assists [Transfermarkt].

In his limited time on the pitch so far this year, Christie has been a constant thorn in opposition defences at Premiership level, making nine key passes in the Hoops’ two league games so far [WhoScored].

Once labelled as “a manager’s dream” by Celtic icon Chris Sutton [Daily Record], the Bhoys should do everything in their power to tie down the 26-year-old before it is too late.

In other news, Celtic have suffered a blow in the pursuit of a reported target.