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With Sheffield Wednesday currently sitting in eighth place in the League One table with 40 points, 12 points behind league leaders Wycombe Wanderers, Darren Moore’s side will need to have a very strong reminder of the season if they’re going to have any hope of winning promotion to the Championship.

To help them have a strong final push towards promotion, the Yorkshire club could look to do some business while the current January transfer window remains open to help Moore strengthen his squad.

However, it seems as though things may not be quite so easy for the Owls this month in that regard, with Moore recently sharing an update on the current state of play that will have some fans concerned.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Yorkshire Live after seeing his side beat Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in their latest League One fixture, Moore had this to say on the current transfer situation at the club.

He said: “It would be nice to add to the squad. I have been told players are available from January 28 and 29 but I want to get players in now. Nobody wants to let players go. It has been really difficult but we will keep trying.”

Concerning

Having drawn more games (10) than any other League One side so far this season alongside Cheltenham Town, it would seem as though Wednesday could do with adding some players to their squad that can be clinical in front of goal or make them stronger at the back so they can have a better chance at winning games rather than drawing.

Therefore, with the Owls finding life difficult in the market and not looking likely to conclude any deals until late in the window, it will be hugely concerning to fans who are eager to see a return to the second tier.

Taking a closer look at their current squad, it’s rather imperative that they strengthen the backline.

With just three players that predominantly play in the centre-back position including Lewis Gibson who has struggled with his fitness for the majority of the season, as well as just three full-backs, it seems as though defensive reinforcements should be at the top of the club’s priority list if they are to sign some new players before the window closes.

However, with Moore claiming that the club may have to wait until the later stages of the window to finally get some new recruits in, this means it’ll be an anxious period for the supporters that could end up being a big factor in how the remainder of their season goes.

In other news: “As things stand”: Journalist drops SWFC transfer update that’ll have fans sweating – opinion

Following Steven Gerrard’s appointment as Aston Villa’s new manager last month, one man who will be desperately hoping to revive his career at the club is Morgan Sanson.

Speaking after his signing back in the January transfer window, former Villa boss Dean Smith raved about the kind of qualities the midfielder could bring to the club, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”The self-proclaimed “warrior” showed his qualities as a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille.Before his move to the Midlands, he averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranked him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad. In fact, only two other Villa players averaged more tackles per match than him, while only four others had averaged more key passes.However, since his switch to Villa Park, things have failed to take off, to say the least. He played just nine Premier League games last season following his January move and has had just 26 minutes of top-flight football this term, although those appearances have both come under Gerrard.Football Insider revealed that there is a belief behind the scenes at Villa Park that the club “haven’t done their homework” on Sanson, and as well as being difficult to manage, he does not seem to have the technical ability that they had expected initially.Of course, under a new manager in Gerrard, the internal view could well be different now, and Sanson could once again come into the reckoning. However, with the January transfer window opening soon, this could well be last chance saloon for the £48k-a-week Frenchman to salvage his Villa Park career.Given the numbers he posted at Marseille, the midfielder deserves a prolonged chance to prove his worth, so Gerrard must unleash him soon to see whether the 27-year-old can demonstrate why he was brought to the club in the first place.Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a Villa transfer update…

West Ham United have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast (via West Ham Zone) that, despite the Hammers initially believing that Aaron Cresswell was close to making a return to action, scans have now shown that the left-back has chipped a bone in his back, which could rule out the former England international for a number of months.

Speaking about the defender’s injury, the Irons insider said: “His injury seems to be worse than originally feared. First, I was aiming to get information from the club [saying that they are] expecting he’ll be back [soon]. But, then [there] were scans and the bone has been chipped. That’s a massive loss.”

Moyes will be fuming

Considering just how important Cresswell has been to this West Ham side, the news that the 32-year-old could be sidelined for a substantial part of the season will surely have left David Moyes fuming.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances so far this term, the £3.6m-rated defender has helped his side to keep three clean sheets, scored one goal and provided his teammates with one assist. He has also averaged 1.2 key passes, 0.9 interceptions and 1.1 tackles and won 64% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the 32-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as David Moyes’ third-best performer in the top flight.

As such, with both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna already ruled out of action for a number of months due to injury, the further loss of Cresswell will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Moyes and his side – particularly ahead of a vital fixture against Watford this afternoon, as the Hammers are in desperate need of three points to keep themselves in the top-four race after the turn of the year.

In other news: Moyes must ruthlessly axe “incredible” £34m-rated flop, he could cost West Ham dearly

Antonio Conte has been dealt a further injury setback ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with NS Mura in the Europa Conference League this evening…

What’s the latest?

The Italian will be without three players after delivering a fresh update to reporters during his pre-game press conference over in Slovenia.

“[Dane] Scarlett in this moment is not available. During the international break he had a problem in his ankle and is not available. He’s injured in the same way like Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso,” he revealed (via football.london).

But to make matters worse, it appears the injury to the Atalanta loanee is a lot worse than first feared, handing the 52-year-old a crushing long-term blow.

On Romero’s absence, he then added: “We are waiting for another scan. I think his injury is a bit serious and we have to wait. It’s an injury that is more serious that Lo Celso and Scarlett.”

So not only will Conte be without Romero for the foreseeable future but he is also without two players that would’ve most likely earned some minutes on the pitch in an encounter like this one in young striker Dane Scarlett and attacking midfielder. Lo Celso.

Devastating setback

This update will surely leave the Spurs boss absolutely gutted, if not slightly annoyed and frustrated by the international break because three members of his first-team squad are now on the treatment table.

And one of his key starters in Romero is now facing a serious stint out.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Indeed, the Argentina international started both of Conte’s first two games in charge, making 12 starts across all competitions this term but now the manager is going to be light on options in defence – a big worry because of his three-at-the-back system.

The fact that Conte believes it is ‘more serious’ is a huge cause for concern right now.

Meanwhile, Lo Celso has found it hard to pick up regular minutes for the club this campaign but has featured regularly in Europe, starting four times when fit. He would have certainly been in line to lessen the burden on some of the usual starters, who will be feeling the effects of Conte’s fitness work in recent weeks.

Similarly, Scarlett is really the only alternative to Harry Kane upfront, so the England talisman may no longer be able to be rested with the teenager out injured, thus for all of the reasons mentioned above, it makes it a very frustrating and significant blow to Conte ahead of kick-off.

He’ll need to be a little wary with team selection as his side face a tough trip to Burnley on Sunday afternoon but with three players missing, that task isn’t going to be an easy one.

AND in other news, Conte could repeat Cesc Fabregas trick with “unplayable” Spurs dynamo…

Liverpool will take on AC Milan tonight in a Champions League clash that means very little to the Merseyside giants’ campaign but will mean everything to their opponents who desperately need to win this game to boost their chances of moving forward in the competition.

Jurgen Klopp will go into this game with full confidence and nothing to lose, as Liverpool have taken maximum points and subsequently qualified with ease from their group in the Champions League after five wins out of five so far.

Despite being through to the knock out stages already, the German manager is not the type to happily concede a game and will be fully intending to continue the unbeaten run Liverpool find themselves holding on to in Europe this season, with the potential to qualify on maximum points.

If the Reds beat AC Milan at the San Siro this evening, they will become the first English side in the history of the Champions League to win every single group stage game, a record that we’re sure Klopp would love to have under his belt.

With that being said, Klopp will be buzzing to learn that his opposition go into this game with a number of injury concerns that could have a negative impact on their chances to put goals past the in form Reds, and will only encourage the German coach further to rotate his team with ease.

Milan have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of hosting the six-time Champions League winners, with both Pietro Pellegri and Rafael Leao set to miss out on the action due to sustaining muscular injuries.

These fresh injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Italian giants, as they need to take all three points off the Merseyside outfit in the upcoming clash to qualify for a spot in the final stages of the competition, currently on four points in third position of the group, one point behind Porto.

It also represents a huge boost for the 19-time English champions as Leao has proven to be a devastating asset in the final third this term, scoring five and assisting three times. Thus, Liverpool’s defence will likely have an easier night defending their own goal, presenting them with the opportunity to perhaps field a young makeshift backline.

Not only will Milan need win tonight’s game, but they will also need to hope Porto do not take maximum points from their last game against bottom of the group, Atletico Madrid, who are also only on four points.

Atletico still have their chance to qualify too despite being bottom of Group B, needing to take three points from their last fixture against Porto and will need Liverpool to beat Milan.

Whilst the rest of their Champions League group remains open, Liverpool are now in a position to give their key players a rest and let their squad from the bench and youngsters step into cover positions, gaining a start in the line up and some much-needed game time on Tuesday evening.

In other news: Klopp could finally sign Wijnaldum replacement

Everton have been linked with a move for Inter forward Ivan Perisic as manager Rafael Benitez looks to add further reinforcements to his threadbare frontline.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Toffees are among several clubs interested in securing the highly-rated 32-year-old’s services, with fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United also credited with an interest.

Perisic has entered the final year of his current contract at San Siro, and his impressive performances of late have reportedly attracted the attention of several potential suitors, although signing a new deal with Inter has not been ruled out.

Marcel Brands must sanction Everton swoop

Despite Perisic’s age, there is little doubt that the Croatia international would still be a valuable addition to Benitez’s ranks should he make the move to Merseyside over the winter transfer window.

Throughout his career, the hard-working winger has scored 131 goals and provided a further 100 assists in 512 appearances for various clubs, winning one Champions League crown, two Bundesligas, one Serie A title and three DFB-Pokals along the way.

He was lauded as a “top-quality player” by compatriot Dejan Lovren prior to playing a pivotal part in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in 2018, before then joining Bayern Munich on loan a year later.

Perisic enjoyed a fabulous 2019/20 at the Allianz Arena, with the £9m-rated beast featuring 35 times in all competitions as Hansi Flick’s charges pulled off an incredible treble-winning campaign.

The attacker’s impressive performances for the Bundesliga giants caught the eye of Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who lauded Perisic’s efforts.

“Ivan has had a good season and is very reliable. He doesn’t necessarily do something spectacular, but statistically, he does show up with goals and assists. Flick is really counting on him,” Rummenigge gushed.

“We really appreciated that when we qualified for the Final Eight of the Champions League, he, Philippe Coutinho, and the others on loan agreed to remain even with a pay cut. We haven’t decided yet if he’s staying, but the coach and I really like him.”

Bayern eventually chose not to make Perisic’s stay in Bavaria permanent, but that didn’t stop him from continuing his good form on the pitch. He helped Inter claim their first Scudetto in 10 years last season and has already bagged two goals and laid on an assist in 11 outings for the Nerazzurri in the current campaign.

Therefore, Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands must sanction a swoop for the experienced forward, providing Benitez with the strength in depth he desperately needs in order to challenge for a top-six place.

In other news… Bye-bye Mina: Everton step up interest in “blessed” 22y/o starlet, fans would love him 

Crystal Palace have suffered a potential blow in their pursuit of Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old in recent weeks after a string of impressive displays during a season-long loan spell at Napoli.

However, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Serie A league leaders are keen to sign Anguissa on a permanent basis in January, tying down one of their star performers in 2021/22 for many years to come.

The report claims that Napoli’s sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is ‘working with the English club’ to sign the £67,000-per-week engine room operator as they aim to secure their first Scudetto since 1990.

Vieira will be gutted

Despite being labelled “first-class” by former Fulham boss Scott Parker, Anguissa struggled to ever make an impact with the west London outfit during his 66 appearances for the club.

But his fortunes have dramatically changed after making the switch to Italian football over the summer.

The Cameroon international has been one of the standout performers in Serie A since moving to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in June, playing a pivotal part in the Azzurri’s rise to the top of the table.

As per WhoScored, the tough-tackling midfielder has averaged two tackles per league game, 1.1 interceptions and 1.3 clearances for Luciano Spalletti’s charges.

But he’s also heavily contributed to his new side’s attacking play as well. In his ten top-flight appearances, Anguissa has averaged 0.9 key passes, a whopping 2.3 dribbles per game and a 91.5% passing accuracy.

His eye-catching displays for Napoli have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including his manager.

“That kind of physicality and stamina is normal in the Premier League, whereas in Italy we tend to favour other characteristics. We were lacking that aspect at Napoli, so he stands out here,” said Spalletti.

“He always comes into the locker room and talks about what happened in the first half, what was going on around his position, paying close attention to the movements that the opposition do. He is very tactically intelligent.”

It’s believed that his parent club are hoping to receive a £20m fee for Anguissa’s services, although with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2022, they could be willing to compromise.

If Palace chairman Steve Parish is unable to fend off the competition, then Patrick Vieira is likely to be left gutted at missing out on his transfer target in consecutive windows, leaving his charges light on numbers in the centre of the pitch as a result.

And, in other news…”At the moment..” – Journo delivers big CPFC update that should leave fans worried 

Manchester United could secure the ideal midfield partner for Paul Pogba after being linked with a move for Monaco ace Aurelien Tchouameni.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils were reportedly interested in the highly-rated 21-year-old’s services over the summer, although no formal offer was ever made for the Frenchman.

Now though, according to The Express, United are one of three European heavyweights vying for Tchouameni’s signature after a string of impressive performances.

The report also states that fellow Premier League side Chelsea and Serie A giants Juventus are keen to snap up the youngster, meaning a bidding war could be on the horizon.

Imagine him & Paul Pogba

After rising up through the ranks at boyhood club Bordeaux, Tchouameni joined Monaco in a big-money move in January 2020 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The youngster made 42 appearances in all competitions for Niko Kovac’s charges last season, scoring three goals and providing a further four assists for his teammates.

However, it’s his work off the ball that really catches the eye. As per WhoScored, Tchouameni averaged a whopping 3.5 tackles per league game in 2020/21, by far the highest tally amongst his teammates.

He also made 1.7 interceptions, the joint-highest total when compared to his teammates, and the £27m-rated colossus not only dominated proceedings on the ground but in the air as well, winning 67% of his aerial duels.

Tchouameni’s domineering displays have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas, who praised the youngster.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter. And now his compatriot and United star Paul Pogba has lauded his talents.

“He’s not a boy; he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him; he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality. I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side,” the World Cup winner said.

Tchouameni got the ideal opportunity to show just how effective his partnership with Pogba could be at Old Trafford after lining up alongside him during France’s National League final victory over Spain.

The duo worked extremely effectively throughout the 90 minutes, with the United star enjoying the attacking freedom that his more disciplined colleague allowed him.

It’s a duo that has the potential to transform Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stuttering engine room, and therefore, football director John Murtough must swoop for Tchouameni over the coming months.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer big injury blow ahead of PL return, Ole will be absolutely gutted

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has dropped a major claim on Newcastle’s transfer budget following the takeover by PIF this month.

What’s the talk?

Waugh has claimed that the Magpies could spend £200m on new signings before worrying about any Financial Fair Play regulations. The new owners are also able to invest as much money as they would like to in the infrastructure of the club without being penalised for it.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“The suggestion is that they could quite comfortably spend £200m before you can even really need to worry about FFP. Now that money does not include investment in infrastructure, or in the academy, or in the women’s team.”

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be left delighted after reading these comments from Waugh. For starters, the fact that FFP has no say over how the owners develop the club off the pitch will be music to their ears as Mike Ashley failed to make the most of it.

In the 2019/20 season, the Magpies were rock bottom for infrastructure spend in the Premier League, with £200k spent.

Leicester, for example, spent £76.6m as they looked to build a top-class facility to go along with having a great team on the pitch. This should provide footsteps for Newcastle to follow in as PIF look to stamp their authority on Tyneside, with a brand-new training centre on route they could go down to ensure everything is where it needs to be off the pitch.

Newcastle supporters will also be buzzing with his claim about ‘comfortably’ spending £200m. This does not mean they will splash all of that money out in the January window, but it does suggest that the fans can get excited about some real investment in the playing squad in the next few windows.

Spanish outlet Fichajes ran a story earlier this month naming a number of players on PIF’s watchlist ahead of the upcoming transfer windows. Chelsea’s Timo Werner, Man City’s Raheem Sterling, PSG’s Keylor Navas and Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic were among those included on the list of targets. It will be interesting to see if any of these players are actively pursued by PIF in January or if they will wait until the summer to make big moves.

AND in other news, PIF must secure £15m deal for “very mobile” £34k-p/w beast, NUFC fans would love him…

Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has revealed the extent of an injury picked up by the Black Cats centre-forward Nathan Broadhead on Tuesday evening.

What’s been said?

In comments cited by the Sunderland website, the 40-year-old boss revealed that the Everton loanee was withdrawn in the club’s 5-0 demolition of Cheltenham Town on Tuesday evening due to a hamstring injury, as well as suggesting that the 23-year-old could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines if his upcoming scan reveals muscle damage.

Speaking about the condition of the forward, Johnson said: “The good news is that Nathan has felt better having slept on it, and he will have a scan before the Portsmouth game.

“He was really frustrated having to come off after playing so well on the night – he performed magnificently. The reality of the issue is that it could be anywhere between two and six weeks if there is muscle damage.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering how bright Broadhead has looked for Sunderland since his season-long loan switch to the Stadium of Light back in August, the news regarding the potential absence of the striker is sure to have left Sunderland fans gutted.

Indeed, while the £450k-rated man is yet to score over his four League One appearances for the club – only one of which has come as a start – the youngster has nevertheless demonstrated his ability in Sunderland’s Carabao Cup campaign this season.

The Wales U21 international particularly impressed in the 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic, scoring one goal, completing both of his two attempted dribbles, making two key passes and winning five duels over his 90 minutes on the pitch, with these returns seeing the striker receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.8.

As such, should the man who Everton U23 manager David Unsworth claimed is “one of the best” players he’s ever worked with be ruled out for a number of weeks, it would undoubtedly come as a blow to Johnson, who will require his strongest players to be available as often as possible if he is to maintain his team’s automatic push for promotion this season.

In other news: “Athletic” £450k-rated Sunderland beast who won 100% duels ran the show vs Cheltenham