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Southampton are eyeing a move for Olympiacos right-back Omar Elabdellaoui, according to the Daily Mail.

Cedric Soares left the club to join Inter Milan on loan, per BBC, earlier this month and the Saints are now trying to recruit a replacement before the transfer deadline on Thursday.

On the chalkboard

The aforementioned Mail report claims that the Saints are ready to pay £6million to sign Elabdellaoui, who previously played for Hull City on loan in the second half of the 2016-17 season.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is said to believe that the full international has more experience than current right-back Yan Valery, but it remains to be seen if the Norwegian will be able to dislodge the 19-year-old from his starting position.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The 27-year-old, who has won 34 caps for Norway, made just eight appearances in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, and was on the winning side twice, in a shock win over Liverpool and a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Elabdellaoui also played 90 minutes on the final day of the season, as Hull lost 7-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Just for depth?

Previous showings do not bode well for Southampton, here.

His last performance in English football saw his side ship seven goals, and this may merely be a move for a back-up.

Elabdellaoui has been almost ever-present for Olympiacos this season, missing just one Turkish Super League game, but his history in English football is such that it is difficult to foresee him being thrown straight in by manager Hasenhuttl.

Valery has impressed when given the chance to play at St Mary’s and can only benefit from an extended run in the first-team, regardless of transfers.

Hasenhuttl would be wise to place his faith in the 19-year-old, and use Elabdellaoui as little more than cover.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Basel striker Arthur Cabral, although a number of clubs are keen on acquiring his signature.

The Lowdown: Cabral’s stunning form for Basel

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a magnificent start to the 2021/22 season, scoring 13 goals in just 12 Swiss Super League starts.

Cabral’s current Basel deals expires in 2023, so the Swiss side will be aware that they are running out of time to receive good money for the Brazilian.

Having been linked with a move to Barcelona, it now appears as though Leeds are also in the race to sign him.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with move

According to ESPN Brasil [via Sport Witness], the Whites are one of the clubs keen on snapping up Cabral, with AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen also mentioned in the report.

Leeds were actually linked with a move for the youngster last year, too, but the transfer never materialised, so this is one Victor Orta and co have clearly been eyeing for a while.

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The Verdict: Good competition for Bamford

One area where Leeds are clearly lacking depth is up front, with Patrick Bamford relied upon too much for goals, having registered 17 league efforts last season – more than double that of second-placed Stuart Dallas and Jack Harrison.

Cabral could be an ideal man to come in and not necessarily start every week but provide competition, allowing Marcelo Bielsa to rotate more often and perhaps reduce the risk of injuries for Bamford in the process.

Granted, the £13.5million-rated Basel attacker isn’t proven in one of Europe’s top leagues yet, but at 23, he could mature as the years pass and become a key man.

Cabral’s superb record this season speaks for itself and it could be a transfer to keep an eye on given the long-term interest.

In other news, a pundit has hailed the return from injury of one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Coming off the back of Anfield victories against Arsenal in the Premier League and FC Porto in the Champions League, Liverpool have another home clash on their hands this afternoon against Southampton. 

Speaking ahead of the match against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, Jurgen Klopp revealed that the Reds will still be without Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, Naby Keita, Harvey Elliott and Roberto Firmino through injury. 

With this in mind, here’s how we feel Liverpool will line up against the Saints this afternoon, with six changes from the side which started against Porto on Wednesday night. 

In goal, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Alisson Becker in the team on this occasion given that he’s played in the majority of their league games so far this season. 

Despite Neco Williams putting in a good shift against Porto in midweek, it seems likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold will come back and start given how impressive he has been this season. 

For the centre-back positions, we think Klopp will go with Joel Matip, who also impressed in midweek, but bring Virgil van Dijk back in ahead of Ibrahima Konate, who is currently earning a wage of £70k-per-week according to Spotrac.

At left-back, we expect Andy Robertson to be restored ahead of Kostas Tsimikas to see if he can win his place back in the team after replacing the Greece international in the second half against Porto. 

In midfield, we can see Klopp putting Fabinho and Jordan Henderson back in the starting XI next to midweek goalscorer Thiago Alcantara, leaving Tyler Morton and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to drop down to the substitutes’ bench.

For the front three, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah start on the wings given how they are currently Liverpool’s top two scorers in the league. 

Through the middle, with Takumi Minamino failing to have a big attacking impact in midweek after recording no shots at goal, we think Klopp will start Diogo Jota instead. 

With Southampton conceding just three goals more than Liverpool with 12 league games played, the Reds will need to be in clinical form if they want to secure the three points on offer today and put the pressure on league leaders Chelsea ahead of their match tomorrow. 

In other news: Matip 2.0: Edwards must seal Liverpool move for £22.5m-rated tank who “has everything”

Leeds United have been told that Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien “would jump” at the chance to move to Elland Road.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that the 23-year-old featured prominently on Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s shortlist, but a deal failed to materialise before the August deadline, with suggestions that the Whites’ final offer failed to meet Huddersfield’s demands.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has now claimed that the Terriers star would still be interested in making the switch to Elland Road if Leeds came back in for him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “He signed a new contract at Huddersfield but I’m sure if the opportunity came to go to Leeds, it would be something that he would jump at. Let’s see if Huddersfield are able to turn down any offers for the midfielder.”

Could finally replace Klich

With 158 games played for Leeds, “unsung hero” Mateusz Klich has been a valued servant for Leeds over the years, but at 31, he is one of the players who Bielsa might look to slowly ease out of the side in the near future.

Speaking in February 2020, Bielsa raved: “He cannot do better. Klich is a player with very, very much skills physically. A player who runs more, more intense movements and makes more movements at maximal speed. His values are now linked with how he prepares mentally. This is the fact that makes him run. More hungry he is, the more he runs.”

That same intensity and energy is exactly what O’Brien brings to the table, and he could ultimately replace Klich at Elland Road.

Former Huddersfield shot-stopper Matt Glennon has raved about the 23-year-old’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

Nearly a decade his junior and clearly a man held in high esteem, O’Brien could well be the man to usurp Klich in the midfield engine room for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta could solve a big issue by signing this star…

Glasgow Rangers have made an offer to bring Andreas Skov Olsen to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Ibrox News), who claimed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have submitted a €6m (£5m) offer for the Bologna right winger.

Previous reports had suggested that Gers were considering a bid for the Denmark international this month, and it would now appear that Ross Wilson has pulled the trigger on a move for the 22-year-old.

Rangers’ next Prso

Following his £5.4m move to Bologna in 2019, Skov Olsen has not enjoyed the most successful spell of his career, but the forward nevertheless proved during his time at Nordsjaelland that he could make an excellent addition to Van Bronckhorst’s current options out wide.

Indeed, over his £5.85m-rated wizard scored an astonishing 22 goals and registered five assists, directly contributing to a goal every 114 minutes of league football he played that season.

Furthermore, the £28k-per-week winger also bagged one goal over two outings in the Sydbank Pokalen, as well as netting three goals and providing one assist across six Europa League qualifying matches, taking his total to 26 goals and six assists over 44 outings during that campaign.

As such, should Skov Olsen go on to rediscover such form following a potential switch to Rangers this month, Van Bronckhorst could well have the club’s next Dado Prso on his hands. The legendary Croatian centre-forward – who also operated on the right wing – boasts a similar seasonal-best record to that of the 22-year-old, scoring 19 goals and providing five assists over 42 appearances in all competitions for Rangers back in 2004/05.

Indeed, should the Gers be able to get a “groundbreaking” deal for the Danish talent over the line this month, it would undoubtedly provide their chances of going on to win the Premiership title this season with a considerable boost, an outcome which would delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Jordan Campbell drops huge January transfer update which will have Rangers fans buzzing

With just one Premier League win under their belt so far this season, there’s a big chance that Newcastle United’s new owners could dip into the January transfer market to try and give Toon manager Eddie Howe a boost to his squad by bringing some new faces in to turn their season around.

Looking ahead to next month, it seems as though PIF have their eye on bringing someone to St. James’ Park who a lot of Toon fans would recognise.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from AS, former Magpies midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum apparently wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain after just a few months at the club with a potential return to the Premier League on his mind.

The report also claims that Newcastle are the first team to show an interest in signing him from the French club.

Cabaye 2.0

During his time at the Tyneside club before moving to Liverpool, Wijnaldum made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in the process.

Labelled as a “complete” player that is “unbeatable” on the pitch by Ryan Babel, Wijnaldum has started ten of the 20 games he’s appeared in for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

In terms of a potential return to Newcastle in January, this could be just what they need to get their season fully on track after only recently managing to secure their first league win of the season by bringing an experienced Premier League player with a knack for scoring goals into Howe’ side.

Even though he’s already played for Newcastle before, signing him again in January could see Wijnaldum become their next version of Yohan Cabaye, who they also signed from Ligue 1. Like the Dutchman, he also had a knack for scoring and providing goals from midfield by racking up 18 strikes and 14 assists in 93 appearances during his time with the Magpies.

With Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin scoring nine out of Newcastle’s 16 league goals between them this season, it would be good for Howe to have someone like Wijnaldum, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, in his squad that has the ability to carry the load in terms of goalscoring for the team.

Looking ahead to January, if PSG are willing to negotiate for a potential deal that would see Wijnaldum leave the club, then Newcastle and PIF should be doing everything they can to bring him back to St. James’ Park. He could just be their next Cabaye.

In other news: “We understand”: Craig Hope drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Aston Villa are once again targeting Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara after the appointment of Steven Gerrard, according to The Daily Record.

The lowdown

The 26-year-old was nearly the subject of a £6m bid from the Villans during the most recent transfer window and the Birmingham outfit have now successfully lured Gerrard south of the border after sacking Dean Smith last weekend.

The Finland international is a key player at Ibrox, having started 11 of Rangers’ 13 league games this season, as well as three of their four Europa League matches (via WhoScored).

Rangers are at least in a strong position contract-wise given that Kamara’s £21,000-per-week deal runs until 2025 after an extension in September.

The latest

According to The Daily Record, Villa’s sporting director Johan Lange apparently remains ‘a big fan’ of Kamara, and Gerrard’s arrival could set a pursuit in motion.

The report claimed that ‘the groundwork has already been put in’ for a potential move from Glasgow to the Midlands for the 26-year-old. Rangers need to sell players due to the financial model under which they operate, and Gerrard could take advantage by swooping for Kamara as well as Ryan Kent.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Gerrard is keen on a reunion with Kamara, a player he described as ‘excellent’ and with a ‘fantastic attitude’, but this is the scenario that Rangers fans may have feared when it became clear that the 41-year-old was bound for Villa Park.

Replacing him with a figure of similar stature could be crucial to persuading some of the Gers’ biggest players to stay put. Having signed the Finnish midfielder for a paltry £50,000 in 2019, the Scottish champions may need to have a similarly shrewd eye for a bargain if Kamara goes and they want to adequately replace him while not compromising their financial model.

In other news, this controversial figure is keen on the Rangers managerial job

Celtic are willing to sell Stephen Welsh for just €2m (£1.7m) amid interest from Serie A outfit Udinese, according to Messaggero Veneto. 

The lowdown

Udinese are looking for a replacement after their Brazilian defender Samir joined Premier League side Watford, and they believe that the 21-year-old Parkhead academy graduate fits the bill.

The Hoops have allowed to two youngsters to leave already this month, sending Euan Henderson and Liam Shaw on loan to Hibernian and Motherwell respectively.

The latest

As per Messaggero Veneto, Udinese owner Gino Pozzo has apparently been making ‘phone calls’ to the ‘Celtic headquarters’ as he looks to strike a deal for Welsh.

He has reportedly asked if there is any room for manoeuvre on Celtic’s aforementioned valuation, and that request allegedly indicates that the player ‘likes’ the potential move.

The verdict

If these reports are accurate, then Celtic’s valuation seems surprisingly low.

First and foremost, Welsh is under contract in Glasgow for another three-and-a-half years. He has also become an increasingly important member of Ange Postecoglou’s squad this term, making 19 appearances overall and starting Celtic’s last two Premiership games and their last three European ties.

His potential to develop even further is quite evident, too – he has amassed six caps for Scotland at under-21 level, while Celtic youth coach Martin Miller has hailed the ‘fan favourite’ as ‘phenomenal’.

It feels like selling Welsh for £1.7m – barely putting him in the club’s top 30 sales – could backfire horrendously.

In other news, Celtic are close to sealing their next transfer

Celtic have been pretty consistent when it comes to spending money to bring new players to Parkhead throughout previous transfer windows.

However, as happens with a lot of clubs, not just in Scotland but in other leagues across the world, not every deal ends up being a successful one.

One prime example of a less than fruitful transfer from a financial point of view for the Hoops is their 2019 move for defender Hatem Elhamed.

Signed from Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in a deal worth a reported £1.6m three summers ago, the defender ended up making just 30 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions. In February 2021, Celtic sold the 31-year-old back to his previous club for a fee of £800k, half of what they originally paid for him.

The 2019/20 season saw the Israel international make just 15 appearances then came in the first half of the 2020/21 campaign before his eventual return to his homeland.

His eight Premiership appearances last term saw the defender, who is currently valued at £450k, earn a middle-of-the-road overall performance rating of 6.9/10 from WhoScored. In addition to his underwhelming performances, the former Hoops player was struck with numerous injury issues which resulted in him missing a total of 43 games according to Transfermarkt.

Speaking about Elhamed’s exit from the club, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon said: He said: “He was going through a really difficult time, his wife and son were back in Israel and he was here on his own. He was really struggling with life away from the training ground and stadium.”

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Elhamed’s transfer to Celtic just didn’t work out and was not a good move for anyone apart from Hapoel Be’er Sheva, who ended up banking quite a lot of money for him.

From Celtic’s point of view, it can be said that a grand total of £2.7m from his original transfer fee and £14k-per-week wages ended up going down the drain.

In other news: Ange must now seal Celtic deal for “magic” £21.5k-p/w ace, he’s an “absolute dream”

Phil Hay has dropped a promising claim concerning Raphinha’s links with a move away from Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

What’s been said?

In a recent Q&A on The Athletic, Hay revealed that, despite reports suggesting that the Brazilian has a release clause in his current contract at Elland Road, this is in fact not the case – with the only clause in the winger’s deal relating to relegation – before the journalist also went on to claim that, at present, Barcelona are yet to submit any offers for the 25-year-old.

In his article, the journalist said: “What we can say at this stage is that [Barcelona] have not submitted any offers to Leeds.

“You’ll have read in various places about a release clause in Raphinha’s current deal. I’ve asked about this several times and been told consistently the only release clause in the contract relates to relegation (and in that scenario, it goes without saying that he would be leaving the club anyway).”

Great news for Leeds

Considering just how important a part of the Leeds United side Raphinha has become since his £17m move to Elland Road back in October of 2020, the news that there is no release clause – aside from the one relating to relegation – in the forward’s deal is undoubtedly great news for everyone involved with the Whites.

Indeed, over his 27 Premier League appearances this season, the £36m-rated dynamo has been one of Leeds’ standout performers, scoring nine goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week winger average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the Whites’ second-best performing outfielder this term.

As such, the fact that there is no set price at which Victor Orta will be forced to accept a bid for the 25-year-old is undoubtedly good news for the Premier League side, as this provides the sporting director with a fantastic opportunity to command what will more than likely be a record-breaking fee for a talent who is one the most gifted players to have graced the Elland Road pitch in recent memory.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Phil Hay drops 7-word behind the scenes Leeds update, Marsch will be gutted