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Sevilla are determined to sign Anthony Martial from Manchester United, Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna reports.

Aouna tweeted on Friday morning that Martial ‘remains Sevilla FC’s number choice’ as the January transfer window nears its final week.

Julen Lopetegui has made it his top ‘priority to strengthen his attack’ before trading ceases.

Sevilla are currently 2nd in La Liga, four points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.

But their tally of 32 goals in 21 matches is the lowest of any of the sides in the top four.

What’s Martial’s situation at Old Trafford?

Martial has only managed to find the net once in what’s been an injury-disrupted 2021/22 campaign.

He’s made 268 appearances in all for United since his £36million move from AS Monaco in 2015, scoring 79 goals and assisting 50 more.

The Frenchman has recently been at the centre of a dispute with interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick claimed that Martial had refused to play against Aston Villa, prompting him to take to Instagram and issue a firm denial (via Manchester Evening News).

Fan feed Utd Report relayed Aouna’s claims, and here’s what supporters made of them.

These Man United fans desperate for Martial move to go through

“Just let it happen”

Credit: @amonmrk

“Great, best for all parties, United make this happen”

Credit: @S1234567_617

“Get it done so Martial can have a title charge.”

Credit: @Prometheus12122

“Please”

Credit: @YoungKingFavou2

“This is gonna be good”

Credit: @isa__42

“If we actually get shut of Martial and Lingard AND WOODWARD this month, and Pogba in the summer, things are definitely getting better”

Credit: @joggy21

In other news, fans react to reported interest in this defender.

Celtic forward Mikey Johnston has been spotted training with the squad ahead of this afternoon’s League Cup final against Hibernian.

The Lowdown: Ange’s attacking woes

Ange Postecoglou has had to deal with plenty of injury issues during his first season in charge and has been without a number of his attacking players in recent weeks.

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Jota, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti, James Forrest and Karamoko Dembele are all sidelined, whereas Johnston also missed the 2-1 win over Ross County in the week.

The 22-year-old, who has been described as ‘sensational’ by Callum McGregor, had been involved in the previous nine Premiership matchday squads, but it seems as if his absence may only be a short one.

The Latest: Spotted at Lennoxtown

On Friday afternoon, Celtic’s official Twitter channel shared footage of the squad training at Lennoxtown.

As reported by Celts Are Here, Johnston was pictured back in training, which may mean he is ready to feature at Hampden Park today.

The Verdict: Boost

Postecoglou had to shuffle his pack massively during the week, with full-backs Adam Montgomery and Josip Juranovic playing further forward and winger Liel Abada lining out in a centre-forward role. [SofaScore]

On that basis, having a forward like Johnston ready to go against Hibs should come as a big boost for the Hoops manager.

It’ll be interesting to see what Postecoglou goes with at Hampden Park, with another option using Abada and Johnston out wide with either David Turnbull in a false nine role as he has done recently or even risking Furuhashi, with the Celtic manager set to give the Japan star as long as possible before making a call on whether he can feature today.

In other news: Postecoglou wants 49-cap colossus at the peak of his powers to cap Celtic’s January business 

Newcastle United could do a ‘simple’ deal for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa this month, according to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder. 

The lowdown

Barbosa, who goes by the nickname Gabigol, is a long-term ‘Newcastle target’, having been scouted extensively by head of recruitment Steve Nickson.

The 25-year-old has previously had stints at Inter Milan and Benfica, but he made little impact at either club. At least he is highly regarded by his country, though, with 17 caps under his belt, and he was most recently called up for October’s World Cup qualifiers.

The latest

Writing for The Chronicle, Ryder claimed that Barbosa has been made available for loan and is ‘eager’ to test himself in Europe once again.

It would be a quite straightforward transfer – an initial loan with ‘a £17million deal on offer’ at its culmination.

Sources close to the player have indicated that he ‘likes’ the idea of joining Newcastle, and the 25-year-old would apparently relish the idea of linking up with his compatriot Joelinton at St James’ Park.

Newcastle made an enquiry pre-Christmas but have not gone any further for now. They’re waiting to find out how long the injured Callum Wilson will be sidelined, with the club hopeful that Eddie Howe’s initial prognosis of a ‘months’-long absence may prove overly pessimistic.

The verdict

Even if Wilson’s current injury isn’t as bad as first feared, Newcastle could certainly do with stronger cover. Based on the 29-year-old’s injury history, there’s a very real possibility that he could be sidelined again before the end of the season.

Current deputies Joelinton and Dwight Gayle have only managed 33 goals in 228 combined Premier League appearances, and while Barbosa still needs to prove that he can do it in Europe, his record for Flamengo is mighty. He netted 29 goals last season, taking him to 84 in 124 appearances for the club.

Bringing him to St James’ Park may seem a gamble, but based on his recent record and the dearth of firepower currently available to Howe, it appears a gamble worth taking.

In other news, Newcastle have made an offer for this Champions League ace

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa faces an anxious wait over Pascal Struijk after the versatile midfielder’s recent injury against Crystal Palace.

What’s the story?

The Dutchman has been a virtual ever-present for Bielsa’s side this season in the Premier League, making 12 appearances in the competition, but was forced off at half-time in the 1-0 victory over Palace at Elland Road.

And, as relayed by journalist Ben Dinnery on Twitter, Bielsa said after the game: “Yes it’s the same (injury). All of us value that he played with a physical limitation that he played with, that’s very generous and shows how important a teammate he is to all of us.”

Bielsa will be worried

With the number of injuries that Leeds have faced across the park this season, it’s been no surprise to see Struijk’s versatility really come to the fore, doing stints in holding midfield, centre-back and even at left-back too.

And, after a particularly impressive display against Manchester United last season, former Leeds man Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the young starlet.

He said: “I thought he was phenomenal at the back. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this kid. He went through a stage of playing in Kalvin’s role but that was the wrong choice by Bielsa for me. He is a centre-half all day long. You can see him growing in that position.”

Dominic Matteo has also gone on record to admit he’s a big fan of the towering Dutchman, saying: “He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for. He’ll get even better too. Struijk is one to look out for.

“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield. He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”

Being without Struijk against a side like Brentford who boast some real aerial threats in the likes of Ivan Toney et al would be a major blow, and leave Bielsa seriously worried about how his team will cope.

It would be yet another injury blow for a side who have been decimated this season on that front.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has given his thoughts on Leeds United star Tyler Roberts…

Sunderland’s previous League One outing saw them comfortably beat Morecambe 5-0 thanks to goals from Ross Stewart, Nathan Broadhead, Alex Pritchard and Leon Dajaku, making it the second league game of the season where they’ve managed to put five goals past their opponents with the first being their 5-0 victory over Cheltenham Town back in September.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Sunderland have the opportunity to add even more firepower to their squad after a recent report from The Northern Echo claimed that Lee Johnson is “considering recalling Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes from their respective loan spells in order to increase his options in the second half of the season.”

Taking into account how many injuries Sunderland have at the moment, particularly in the defensive areas, Johnson could have the mindset of overpowering their opponents in an attacking sense, in the same way they did with Morecambe, to make up for their defensive weaknesses, which could make it a smart move to have the likes of Diamond and Hawkes at his disposal again.

In 12 League Two appearances for Tranmere Rovers, Hawkes has managed to score one goal and provide two assists whilst playing in a number of different midfield and attacking positions.

For Diamond, he has racked up five goals and four assists in 17 appearances for Harrogate Town across League Two and the FA Cup.

This shows why Johnson reportedly wants the duo back at the Wearside club in January to see if they can continue their good starts to the season back at Sunderland and help the Black Cats win promotion back to the Championship.

If Johnson can guarantee Diamond and Hawkes regular playing time back at Sunderland for the remainder of the season, then Kyril Louis-Dreyfus should definitely bring them back in case his squad are struck down with any more injuries that could be a setback for their promotion hopes.

Providing the duo do return in the winter and are able to have a positive impact on the team and their results moving forward, this would be a massive boost for the fans who would undoubtedly be thrilled, especially if the team manages to secure promotion.

In other news: Johnson could solve major SAFC predicament by unleashing “terrific” 21 y/o sensation – opinion

Celtic were quoted a fee of £6.8m to sign left-back Aaron Hickey this summer, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: January links

Hickey, who spent time at Parkhead as a youngster, has been with Italian side Bologna since 2020.

He’s started every Serie A game this season, scoring twice, taking his appearance tally with his current employers to 23.

The left-back, who is ‘like Busquets’ according to former coach Austin MacPhee and has been hailed as an ‘extraordinary talent’, has been linked with a return to Celtic Park in the January window.

Both Aston Villa and the Hoops have been rumoured with a winter window swoop, but it seems as if former Celtic CEO Dominic McKay may have missed the best chance to bring the defender back to the club.

The Latest: £6.8m summer fee

The Daily Record shared a report on the 19-year-old on Tuesday, claiming that the Hoops were quoted a fee of £6.8m to sign the full-back in the summer.

He appeared to be a man on Ange Postecoglou’s radar, however, reports in the summer suggested Celtic’s bid was worth just £3.5m, so they are well short of that valuation.

The Verdict: Missed opportunity…

Left-back has recently been described as the ‘problem position’ at Parkhead by Frank McAvennie, and with Greg Taylor sidelined, it now appears as if McKay made a blunder by not signing Hickey.

Hickey’s Transfermarkt valuation, which was £4.5m in the summer, now stands at £7.2m, and as The Daily Record mention, the £6.8m summer asking price will only increase.

As Kieran Devlin states, none of Boli Bolingoli, Liam Scales or Adam Montgomery has made the left-back role their own with Taylor out, so the Hoops may live to regret not bringing Hickey back over the summer.

With Aston Villa recently confirming the appointment of Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s successor in the Villa Park dugout, attention has immediately turned to the business the 41-year-old manager could look to do in the January window, with one name having already cropped up on a number of occasions – that of Ryan Kent.

Indeed, upon Gerrard’s increasingly strong links with a move to Villa on Tuesday, Birmingham Live reported that the Rangers manager’s appointment could see him reignite Aston Villa’s 2019 interest in a move for the then-Liverpool winger – who was ultimately convinced of a permanent move to Ibrox by Gerrard.

A similar report by the Liverpool Echo also suggested that the 41-year-old could go on to realise Liverpool’s prediction that the winger would be making a return to the Premier League before too long – with this being the reason behind a 20% sell-on clause negotiated by the Reds upon his departure from Anfield.

The Sun have also jumped on the bandwagon of claiming that the former Liverpool captain could look to make a move for Kent in the January transfer window, going as far as to include the 25-year-old in a predicted Aston Villa lineup under the new leadership of Gerrard.

It is easy to see why so many outlets are suggesting that the new Villa boss could be plotting a move for the former England U20 international this winter, as Gerrard is clearly a huge fan of the forward – who flourished under the leadership of the 41-year-old at Ibrox.

Indeed, after scoring six goals and registering six assists over his 27 Scottish Premiership appearances during a loan spell in 2018/19, Gerrard fought off the likes of Leeds United and Villa to bring that season’s PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year back to Glasgow on a permanent basis the following summer, spending £7.5m on the winger.

Kent proved worthy of this hefty fee almost immediately, scoring seven goals over 21 appearances in the curtailed 2019/20 Premiership campaign, as well as bagging a further goal and four assists over 12 fixtures in the Europa League, SFA Cup and Scottish League Cup.

However, it was undoubtedly over his 37 Premiership appearances during Rangers’ title-winning campaign last term that the £12.6m-rated man proved his ability as a top-level talent, scoring 10 goals, registering 11 assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates.

These returns saw the £18k-per-week forward earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.23 – ranking the 25-year-old as the seventh-best performer in the top flight of Scottish Football.

As such, it is easy to see why Gerrard is such a fan of the Oldham-born attacker, with the Villa boss dubbing Kent as a “dangerous” player, as well as revealing how crucial a part of the Rangers side he believes the former Liverpool man to be.

During the winger’s recovery from a hamstring injury earlier this season, Gerrard claimed: “Missing a player of Ryan’s quality, with what he gives us on both sides of the game, is always going to have an effect. It’s always going to be a challenge for other people to step in because of his high quality and his standards.”

And, with Villa’s regular options on the wing, Emiliano Buendia, Bertrand Traore, Anwar El Ghazi and Leon Bailey having scored just three Premier League goals between them so far this season, as well as providing a total of just three assists, the argument can easily be made that Gerrard’s new side are in need of a fresh face out wide this January.

So, when taking into account Kent’s highly impressive returns north of the border, Gerrard’s obvious fondness of the winger and Villa’s lack of both goals and creativity from the wing, it would indeed seem highly advisable for the 41-year-old to do all he can to make the 25-year-old his first signing this winter, as the Englishman would appear to be exactly what Villa are missing at present.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big 7-word claim that’ll surely excite Aston Villa fans

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a double injury boost ahead of Friday night’s Championship clash at The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Valerien Ismael revealed that both Alex Mowatt and Matt Clarke are in contention to start the fixture against Birmingham City tonight.

The midfielder has recovered a foot injury picked up in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City before the international break, while the defender has missed Albion’s last seven fixtures with a hamstring injury.

Regrading Mowatt’s injury, Ismael said: “For us it’s good news – it’s a relief for us that it’s not broken. It’s good for us that he has trained these last two days with the squad and he’s back in the squad. Normally, as long as something doesn’t happen and change overnight, he’ll be okay for the game.”

Regarding Clarke’s recovery, the Frenchman added: “He’s back in training, back in the squad and trained very well. Now we need to manage him through these games.

“The Championship is ruthless. We play every three days, so we must learn from the first block with him and what happened to make sure that he can come through the games without another issue.

“He is fine, he is available, he trained well. We’re happy he’s back in the squad, but we need to find the balance and to manage him now. He’s very motivated, he wants to play, but we learn from the first block.”

Big double boost

Considering just how impressive both Mowatt and Clarke have been for West Brom since joining the club this summer, the news that the duo are available for the derby against Birmingham is sure to have Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Championship appearances this season, the £6.3m-rated Mowatt has scored three goals, provided one assist and has created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 1.5 key passes per match.

The central midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.9 interceptions, two tackles and 0.7 clearances and winning 5.5 duels per game. These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as West Brom’s second best performer in the Championship so far.

Meanwhile, over his three league fixtures for Albion, the £2.7m-rated Clarke has made 2.3 interceptions, one tackle and 2.7 clearances per game and has won 7.3 duels per match.

These metrics have seen the centre-back earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Baggies’ joint eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, the return of both players will undoubtedly increase Ismael’s chances of securing a positive result against Birmingham, something the Frenchman will be desperately seeking following his side’s first league defeat of the season against Stoke City last time out.

In other news: Ismael must unleash “quality” £21k-p/w beast vs Blues, he’s what West Brom are missing

Micah Richards has picked out Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira as a ‘potential successor to Pep Guardiola’. 

The lowdown

Vieira only took charge at Palace this summer, replacing Roy Hodgson in the Selhurst Park dugout.

They’ve won only one of their first nine matches, but equally their only defeats have come away to league leaders Chelsea and second-place Liverpool.

Having racked up a Premier League-high six draws, they find themselves 15th in the table.

While the team is still ‘a work in progress’, Vieira has won plaudits for making the Eagles ‘entertaining to watch’ (via London Evening Standard).

Meanwhile, current City boss Guardiola suggested in August that he would leave The Etihad when his contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Vieira played for the Cityzens shortly before his retirement, helping them win the FA Cup in 2011 (via BBC Sport).

The latest

Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, Richards expressed excitement at the trajectory of his former team-mate’s career.

He thinks the five-time Premier League champions may consider Vieira when Guardiola decides to move on.

“Should his managerial career continue to progress the way I hope it will, I see no reason why his name wouldn’t at least be in the conversation as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola,” he wrote.

The verdict

Clearly, Vieira is winning appreciation for his work at Palace in spite of his team’s mediocre league position. It’s good to see observers looking beyond the results at this early stage of his tenure.

There have been some impressive performances against quality opposition. They put three past Spurs and restricted them to two shots, they edged the ‘expected goals’ in their draw with Leicester City and they were only denied three points at The Emirates by a 95th-minute Arsenal goal.

But could the City job, and the opportunity to compete for titles at his former club, persuade him to abandon his Palace project? Potentially.

In other news, fans reacted to this major development for the club.

Gabby Agbonlahor has been left slamming the training ground leaks which emerged from Newcastle United last week.

The Lowdown: Leaks

As per The Daily Mail, both Graeme Jones and Dwight Gayle had to be broken up by Jamal Lascelles after a bust-up on training ground last week.

Some of the players were also reportedly unhappy with Steve Bruce’s training methods after their poor start to the season which has left them in 19th spot in the Premier League table after picking up a mere two points from their first five games (Premier League).

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England international striker Agbonlahor has now slammed the fact that the bust-up was leaked, although he claimed that they are ‘normal’ in a football club:

“That’s normal.

“I fell out with Gary McAllister badly on the training pitch at Aston Villa when he was with Gerard Houllier and nobody ever found out about it.

“It happens every week on the training ground, especially when you’re not playing. I fell out with Gary McAllister because I wasn’t playing and we had a fallout, you’re not meant to be happy when you’re not playing, you can be sulking.

“I don’t see a problem with Dwight Gayle and Graeme Jones doing that.

“The problem is the leaks at Newcastle, it’s embarrassing. Steve Bruce should try and find out who is leaking it and sack them.

“What happened to privacy?”

The Verdict: Doom and gloom

It all seems like doom and gloom at St. James’ Park at the moment, considering their start to the campaign coupled up with the leaks coming out of the training ground.

The club need to get a hold of how these leaks happened, and thus take any necessary action in order to make sure that they do not happen again.

Nonetheless, it just puts more pressure on Bruce and the team to get results on the pitch, and get the Toon Army back on their side.

In other news, find out whose display against Leeds United was slammed here!