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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has big shoes to fill after Granit Xhaka suffered a devastating injury blow this week.

The 29-year-old midfielder was ruled out for the next three months after he sustained knee ligament damage during last weekend’s north London derby win over Spurs.

Xhaka was withdrawn eight minutes from time following an accidental collision with Lucas Moura and the Gunners have since announced that it was a “significant injury.”

The Switzerland international may regularly divide opinion at the Emirates Stadium but it’s clear that Arteta still trusts him and his talents, having been thrown straight back into the starting XI following a three-game ban.

He and Thomas Partey ran the show against their arch-rivals, so the gutting blow has certainly come at the worst time for the Spanish head coach.

It now leaves him with a conundrum on who is fit to replace that presence in the engine room.

Will he call upon the experience of Mohamed Elneny? He has only just returned from injury himself, whilst there is also summer signing Albert Sambi Lokonga and Hale End product Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is desperate for chances in midfield.

Both have their positives and drawbacks, so it’s a tough call to make.

It could be a golden opportunity to see what the latter has got ahead of the winter window.

The versatile 24-year-old vented his frustrations at not being allowed to leave Arsenal on social media this summer amid interest from Everton, but it seems as if the relationship between player and manager has been repaired.

Arteta must now give Maitland-Niles a fair run in the side and it’ll only benefit everyone concerned. If he plays well, he an become a solid option for the Gunners for the foreseeable future – or he could add several more millions to his price tag before January swings around.

Similarly, if he fails to grasp the chance with both hands, then it’ll make the decision to offload him all that easier.

The five-cap England international, who can play on the wing and in defence too, was once dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by former Arsenal defender Martin Keown.

“You rarely get a player with his pace in that role. I would have loved that as a player. He’s a Rolls-Royce of a player at times,” he claimed.

Maitland-Niles is definitely on Arteta’s radar too, as he revealed to reporters this week.

“Ainsley is certainly one of the options. We have used him quite a lot since the start of the season and he’s doing really well and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen from him.”

During a loan stint at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League last season, the Englishman displayed some key defensive attributes and attacking attributes that would suggest he can be a suitable replacement for Xhaka in the coming months.

As per WhoScored, he averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.1 dribbles per game, so he could definitely fill that box-to-box void in the heart of the pitch.

The £14.4m-rated dynamo, who is thought to be on around £52k-per-week at the Emirates Stadium, won’t be given too many more opportunities after this one, so he surely has to make the most of it.

Forget Lokonga. It’s time to see what Maitland-Niles can truly do. He could be the man to fill Xhaka’s huge void.

AND in other news, Edu could secure Arsenal’s next Alexis Sanchez in swoop for £19.8m-rated “phenomenon”…

Celtic’s B team succumbed to a 1-0 defeat on Wednesday night as the young Hoops conceded a 90th-minute goal to lose the game vs Spartans.

Despite the final result, there appeared to be some positives to come from the game for the Bhoys as Ben Wylie caught the eye in midfield. The youngster was twice denied by the Spartans goalkeeper and set up a good opening for Bruno Davidson in the first half, showing promise in the middle of the park.

Ange Postecoglou will surely be keeping a close eye on developments in the B team as he looks out for talents who could have the quality to make the step up to the senior side. Bringing through an academy player has many benefits; including saving money on signing an established first-team player from elsewhere and appeasing the fans by giving minutes to a promising homegrown gem.

In Wylie, Celtic could have one of those players. Postecoglou could unearth the new David Turnbull by unleashing the rarely-seen 19-year-old at first-team level to see how he adapts to senior football on a regular basis for the Scottish giants.

He can play out wide on the left and through the middle as a central midfielder, mirroring Turnbull’s positional flexibility as a player. Wylie also has the reputation at youth level to suggest that he has the potential to move up a stage into senior football.

Linfield manager David Healy, who is no stranger to Celtic fans with his Rangers connection, gave a glowing recommendation on Wylie. He said:

“Ben is a midfielder who is tidy on the ball.

“He has a swagger about him, which is a good thing. He can play in numerous positions, and I hope he gets the chance to do that at Celtic because it will really bring him on.”

He was also lauded by Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey earlier this year after joining the club on loan. Jeffrey said:

“He has joined us in training and it’s clear he’s a superb young man and an outstanding talent, so to get someone of his ability onboard is fantastic.”

These comments from Jeffrey and Healy suggest that Celtic have a very talented young prospect on their hands in central midfield. He has shown both of them enough to warrant high praise and continues to catch the eye for Celtic’s B team. Like Turnbull, he is tidy and has that arrogance to his attacking play that will no doubt benefit the Hoops moving forward.

It is now down to Postecoglou to unlock his ability in the first-team by exposing him to Scottish Premiership action as he could become a new Turnbull in the middle of the park. Given that they can both play out wide or centrally, Wylie and Turnbull could even link up in the same system for the Hoops.

AND in other news, Lawwell disaster: Celtic dud’s value has plummeted 60.8% in under 2 years, he’s a flop…

Paddy Kenny thinks Everton have a chance of pulling off ‘an unbelievable deal’ for Real Madrid’s Isco. 

The former Sheffield United and Leeds United goalkeeper was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo last week, Isco is facing an ‘untenable situation’ at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are keen to sell him in January in order to prevent him walking away for nothing when he reaches the end of his contract come June.

And so it’s down to the player to decide whether he’ll leave mid-season, with Everton one of his ‘more likely’ destinations.

Isco was limited to just eight La Liga starts last season in Zinedine Zidane’s final season at the helm, and new boss Carlo Ancelotti has only picked him for two of the first eight top-flight fixtures (via WhoScored).

The 29-year-old, who’s valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt, has made 342 appearances for Los Blancos, scored 52 goals and provided 56 assists.

The latest

Kenny was effusive in his praise of Isco despite his struggles for gametime in the Spanish capital.

He thinks the player’s previous experience of working with Rafael Benitez could give Everton an ‘edge’ if there proves to be a battle for his signature.

“I think if this one comes off, it would be an unbelievable deal,” he said.

“You don’t play all those games for Real Madrid over the last ten years without being an absolute superstar.

“He is a talented player, someone I’ve always looked up to as a fantastic midfielder. What a player.

“If there is an opportunity to sign him, he’s someone the fans would like to see play for them.

“Benitez managed him when he was at Real Madrid too, which could give them a bit of an edge.”

The verdict

The parallels with the James Rodriguez are hard to ignore.

James was also 29 when he swapped Madrid for Merseyside, having fallen down the pecking order.

The Colombian did show his quality on the pitch, but his wages soon become a real problem for Everton.

Isco’s £225,000 pay packet should force the Toffees to think twice, especially when they compare his extensive injury history to that of Rodriguez.

In other news, Greg O’Keeffe offers his insight on reported Donny van de Beek interest.

A fresh update has emerged on Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Rangers head coach is on a three-man shortlist Newcastle have prepared to replace Steve Bruce at St. James’ Park.

The report claims that Bruce is set for the chop and PIF, who have completed their takeover from Mike Ashley, are eyeing three managers to replace him.

Brighton’s Graham Potter and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers join Gerrard on the list, with German Ralf Rangnick also being eyed for a sporting director position.

Concern

This update on Gerrard will surely leave Rangers fans feeling concerned about the situation. Newcastle’s takeover has seen them linked to players like Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Philippe Coutinho and Mauro Icardi, with that level of spending power potentially an attractive prospect for managers being approached for the job.

Gers supporters will be particularly worried as this fresh development follows on from a report earlier this month claiming that Gerrard is ‘intrigued’ by the Magpies’ head coach position. The ex-Liverpool man has been put on alert by PIF’s takeover and has shown an interest in learning more about their plans, with this latest update now revealing that the interest is mutual.

Rangers fans would be devastated if Gerrard departed for Tyneside as he has been brilliant for the club. In 185 matches to date, he has won 2.15 points per game and won the Scottish Premiership title in style last season as they went unbeaten and achieved 102 points. This shows that he has been able to build a winning squad, as the Gers sealed their first domestic crown since 2010/11.

He helped to end Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football and is now on course to retain the crown as Rangers sit top of the Premiership after eight games, with six wins, one draw and one defeat.

Gers fans would not want to see their leader leave before the end of the season as it could potentially derail their title challenge and allow the Hoops to reclaim the title.

This is why supporters will be concerned that Newcastle have now narrowed down their search to three names, with Gerrard being one of them. Hopefully, from a Rangers perspective, they go with Potter at Brighton or Rodgers at Leicester and the Gers will be able to watch the Liverpool legend lift another trophy next summer at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Morelos 2.0: Gerrard could save Rangers millions by unleashing 19y/o “big talent”…

Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun sent a strong message to sporting director Ross Wilson on Sunday as he put in a sublime performance against St Mirren.

Steven Gerrard admitted that the centre-back was a doubt heading into the game after he suffered an injury against Brondby last Thursday.

He told The Herald: “We are hoping we have got to it before there is a tweak or any muscle damage.

“We are hoping it is a little bit of tightness and we will know in the next 24 hours. I will certainly be praying tonight. He felt something in his hamstring. That’s what he came off with, but he wasn’t sure if he felt something or whether it was a bit of tightness.

“We will work that out in the next 24 hours and hopefully he will pull through because he is important for us. I thought his performance was top tonight as well.”

The Nigeria international was able to pull through and produce an excellent display at the back alongside Connor Goldson to ensure the Gers won 2-1 and it should serve as a reminder to Wilson that he has a big decision to make.

Balogun is out of contract at the end of the season and the club hold an option to extend it by one year. Firstly, Wilson must trigger this extension and ensure that he stays for another season at least. Secondly, the Gers chief must negotiate a longer-term deal and keep him at Ibrox in the long-run.

At the age of 33, he is still going strong and producing consistently impressive performances in the Scottish Premiership. This suggests that he is not slowing down, despite his age, and could have more than one year left in the tank.

The defender recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.0 against St Mirren and was a rock at the back in front of Jon McLaughlin. Per SofaScore, he won nine of his 14 duels, whilst making two tackles and four clearances throughout the game as no opposition player managed to dribble past him. He also completed 89% of his passes, highlighting the quality he provides in possession as well as out of it.

This was not a one-off performance from the experienced battler. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Premiership this term, winning 62% of his duels and completing 86% of his passes over the course of the campaign so far.

He is proving that age is merely a number and Wilson must act now to ensure that he does not end up leaving Rangers and weakening Gerrard’s squad. His departure would be a huge blow for the club, given the nature of his performances on the pitch, and that is why they must act now to secure his future in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe & Morelos: Rangers beast with 82% duels won was immense vs St Mirren…

Manchester City fans are far from happy with the news that Brendan Rodgers is eyeing the Citizens managerial position when Pep Guardiola departs the club.

Since making the move to the Citizens in 2016, Guardiola has had huge success. He has already won ten trophies during that period, including three Premier League titles, one of which came after the Citizens racked up 100 points (Goal.com).

He has yet to get his hands on a European trophy, with last year the closest City have come to the Champions League as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

However, the five years he has spent at City is his longest spell at one club, and so perhaps the club do need to start considering long-term plans. And, according to Caught Offside, Rodgers is reluctant to enter negotiations with Manchester United as he would like to succeed Guardiola instead.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Rodgers news below

“Let’s all have a laugh at this? Nah thank you Rogers.”

Credit: @MarionEsther9

“Just no I don’t want Rodgers. I want Enrique or Ten Haag. Nagelsmann and Flick would be great but I can’t see them leaving Bayern and Germany NT in next 5 years.”

Credit: @Jerarudo1

“Yea no thanks, Nagelsmann or Ten Hag for me.”

Credit: @JMC_Official

“Will be biggest downgrade in history. I’ll even consider stop supporting city”

Credit: @gotcakemate

“Please no”

Credit: @7Mcfcmax

“Rodgers is a big no for me. He could not perform at Liverpool despite having a good squad and you expect him to perform at Man City. Nope.”

Credit: @IrepApril6

In other news, City fans were gutted with this United news.

West Ham United’s final Premier League fixture before the upcoming international break sees them take on Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, who are currently two points ahead of the Hammers in the table and have yet to lose a league game this season with 10 matches played.

In terms of David Moyes’ starting XI for the match, after seeing his side draw 2-2 in their Europa League match against KRC Genk on Thursday, one player who featured in that game but who we feel should not be in the starting XI against Liverpool is defender Craig Dawson.

Why Dawson needs dropping

The 31-year-old, who played the full 90 minutes against Genk, failed to win any of his ground duels, completed just two of the five long balls he attempted and failed to make even one defensive contribution throughout the game such as a tackle, interception or clearance, according to SofaScore. He also committed two fouls and picked up a yellow card in the process, making him somewhat of a liability at the back.

This performance earned the defender, who is currently earning £42.5k-per-week according to Spotrac, a rather uninspiring overall match rating of 6.3/10, making him the lowest-rated West Ham player to started the game according to SofaScore.

All in all, Dawson’s lack of defensive contributions on Thursday should convince Moyes to take him out of the starting XI tomorrow considering that Liverpool have scored an impressive 29 goals in 10 Premier League games so far this season.

Additionally, with West Ham conceding five goals in the four league games where Dawson has played the full 90 minutes, it could be argued that the Hammers are a better defensive unit as a whole when he’s not in the team.

In terms of who Moyes could select ahead of Dawson on this occasion, we feel that putting both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna back in the team would be the best option considering how they were both unused substitutes in Belgium and should be well-rested to take on the Reds on Sunday.

In other news: Moyes must start “unplayable” West Ham beast tomorrow, he could scare Liverpool

Despite having an average squad age of 27.1 according to Transfermarkt, some of Liverpool’s oldest players are located in their midfield with the likes of Jordan Henderson (31), James Milner (35) and Thiago Alcantara (30) being three of the four oldest players in their squad.

With this in mind, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be adding a young midfielder to their squad as a potential long-term replacement for one of those three previously mentioned players.

What’s the news?

In a recent report from the Daily Mail, football agent Jorge Mendes has been trying to get Fulham midfielder, Fabio Carvalho, a move to Liverpool with the youngster in the final year of his contract at the west London club.

As a product of Fulham’s youth system, the 19-year-old, who is currently valued at £225k according to Transfermarkt, made his senior debut for the club back in September 2020 in a Carabao Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Since then, the teenager, who has been described as a “fantastic” player by current Fulham manager Marco Silva, has made 13 appearances for the first team where he has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking talents from midfield at such a young age.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-liverpool-news” title=”Check out the latest Liverpool news!”]

In addition to this, in the seven Championship appearances he’s made this season, the youngster has managed to rack up an average of 1.9 shots per game and 1.7 key passes per match, showing that he is certainly an attack-minded midfield player.

With all of this in mind and given how Thiago has only managed to rack up an average of 1.2 shots per game and one key pass per game in the Premier League, Carvalho could well be a perfect long-term replacement for the Spaniard at Anfield with his young age giving him plenty of time to grow and develop into the finished product.

Also, with current Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards revealing that he will be leaving his position at the Merseyside club at the end of the season, securing a low-price deal for Carvalho that could well go on to have a big future at Liverpool would be a great leaving present to the club.

In other news: FSG could seal perfect Salah heir at Liverpool with “unpredictable” £63m-rated machine – opinion

Many Everton fans have been loving what Anthony Gordon has said in a recent interview.

Speaking to The Athletic earlier in the week, which has since been shared by Toffee TV on their Twitter profile, the youngster talked about his recent run of form but claimed that he is ‘nowhere near’ the level that he wants to be.

The 20-year-old said: “I see myself as a game-changer and a matchwinner for Everton.

“At the minute, I’m playing really well but I’m not winning games for us. I am still nowhere near where I want to be.”

Gordon has started in first call-up to the England under-21 team a few days ago.

He scored two goals on his debut for the Young Lions under former Toffees player Lee Carsley, and at 20 years of age, he will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham in getting a senior call-up by Gareth Southgate despite being so young.

Everton fans on Gordon comments

These Everton supporters showed their appreciation for Gordon’s comments as they were shared on Twitter, with a few claiming that they ‘love’ his attitude, while another described him as a ‘real talent’:

“Boss attitude, what we need and want at Everton”

Credit: @damian_wyatt

“Love this attitude. Not happy with just being in the team and recognises what he needs to do to improve. Encouraging signs!”

Credit: @RyanOHanlon1

“Nice to see some grit & determination”

Credit: @IanRobEfc1878

“This lad”

Credit: @jamie_byrom

“Love it. Go Ed Anthony lad! #efc Coyb”

Credit: @tedsdad63

“Love this attitude, starts adding goals and assists to his game and we have a real talent on our hands”

Credit: @GMB1878

In other news, find out what FFP news has left these Everton fans fuming

The life of a mid-table team like Everton can be a draining and arduous affair. Disappointment follows on from the hollow hope all too often before another set of false promises appear.

However, teams such as Leicester City and West Ham United have shown in recent years that treading water and settling for mediocrity doesn’t have to be the sum of their existence.

Sometimes, on rare occasions, the glass ceiling to football’s elite can be broken and dreams are not just distant prospects dangling out of reach.

There are a couple of proven methods that allow sides such as Everton to cross the bridge from the Premier League’s road to nowhere that is mid-table and into the upper echelons of the division.

The Hammers have done so primarily through a set of clear, astute tactical instructions from a manager that has his players well organised and producing results and performances far above the sum of their parts.

Whereas Leicester have predominantly prioritised efficient work in the transfer market, adopting the approach of buying low and selling high, before reinvesting the proceeds wisely in the first-team squad.

And it’s the latter approach where Everton have so often come short in recent years.

The Merseyside outfit have made big losses on the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin while failing to maximise the revenue from talented prospects such as Ross Barkley, weakening their financial might in the market.

But director of football Marcel Brands has also pulled off a handful of masterclasses during his tenure in the Everton boardroom.

In the summer of 2019, the Toffees secured a £30m fee for Idrissa Gana Gueye after extracting 108 appearances from the defensive midfielder over a three-year period.

Although the Goodison Park outfit were weaker for his departure, in reality, they were in a position to turn down the advances of a Super Club such as Paris Saint-Germain, so when a side like that comes calling, achieving the highest price possible becomes the priority.

Given Gueye had signed for just £7.1m, had only one year left on his contract and was 29 years old, Brands certainly did that. That can’t deter us away from the fact that he’s a mightily good player, though, with PSG defender, Presnel Kimpembe, calling him a “monster.”

That said, if the Dutchman could complete similar deals on a regular basis, then Everton would be able to join the exclusive group of sides punching above their weight and upsetting the established elite, rather than constantly looking up the table with envious eyes.

And, in other news…Everton could find a new Holgate in £50k-p/w dud who’s an “accident waiting to happen”