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After securing a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona, it didn’t take Aston Villa long to set their sights on trying to secure another incoming transfer this month with Everton left-back Lucas Digne heavily linked with a move to Villa Park.

With this in mind, it seems as though the Villa fans may not have to wait for too much longer to see the Frenchman join Steven Gerrard’s side.

What’s the latest?

In a recent Twitter post from French Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, he revealed that Newcastle United have “raised their offer” to sign Digne but that a medical with Villa “could take place in the next two days” and that a move to the Midlands club is “close” to being done.

Gerrard would love him

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Barcelona in a deal worth £18m, the 28-year-old has gone on to make 127 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, cementing himself as an important figure in the team.

Digne also proved himself as a useful attacking outlet for Everton by chipping in with six goals and 20 assists, which explains why Villa have been looking to sign him this month.With Digne having racked up a higher average of key passes per game (1.7) in the Premier League than current Villa left-back Matt Targett (1.2) as well as more crosses per game despite playing four games fewer than the Englishman this season, it provides an indication as to why Gerrard would love to have a player like Digne in his squad.Not only would he provide extra defensive attributes and experience, but he’d add a vital attacking presence in his team down the left-hand flank in the process.Labelled as an “exceptional” player by pundit Jamie Redknapp in the past, Digne’s potential arrival would prove once again just how serious Villa’s owners are about strengthening the squad and pushing the team forward. That would supply Gerrard with the fuel required that this was indeed the right decision to move to the Midlands.However, with Everton manager Rafa Benitez accusing Digne, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £110k-per-week according to Salary Sport, of prioritising his own interests above the interests of the team after a reported falling out between the pair last month, the Liverpudlian boss will have to make sure that this sort of situation doesn’t happen under his watch at Villa if the defender does join the club.In other news: Gerrard can repeat AVFC’s Coutinho masterclass by signing “relentless” 69-goal machine – opinion

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri insists under-fire manager Rafa Benitez will not be sacked by the Premier League outfit as he ‘needs more time’ to turn their poor form around.

What’s the story?

The British-Iranian businessman responded to talkSPORT host Jim White’s text message asking for an update on the 61-year-old tactician’s future following their 4-1 thrashing in the Merseyside Derby on Tuesday night.

“This was my message to Farhad”, said White live on air. “‘Can you text me a message to the fans? Do you still back Rafa?’

“He replied: ‘Yes. Football is about crisis one day and glory the following day. Rafa is a good manager and underperformance is largely due to the injuries.

“’Next two weeks, we will get to a full squad and, in the meantime, results will improve. Rafa needs time to have his mark on the squad. He will be supported to add depth to the squad. Managers need time. I have no doubt that we will have a strong second-half to the season’.”

The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland then relayed the update online, tweeting: “Farhad Moshiri tells Talksport that Rafa Benitez “needs more time” and will not be sacked”.

Everton fans will be gutted

News that Benitez is set to stay in the Everton dugout for the foreseeable future may leave large sections of the Everton fanbase feeling gutted, given his recent struggles.

The Blues are currently enduring an eight-game winless run, have scored just one goal in their last four fixtures and are now hovering only five points above the relegation zone.

Benitez was already an unpopular choice with the club’s supporters upon his arrival due to his previous connections with fierce rivals Liverpool, and his inability to produce quality results has failed to endear him further.

With key players such as Yerry Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to return to action soon, the next few weeks could be crucial in Benitez’s Everton tenure. For now, however, he feels like the wrong man for the job.

And, in other news…Everton line up “leader of the year” to succeed Benitez, Toffees fans will be ecstatic

West Ham United manager David Moyes will recall Pablo Fornals for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Burnley, The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has predicted. 

The lowdown

The Irons travel to Turf Moor looking to re-establish the three-point gap between themselves and Manchester United in the race for the top four. They beat title-chasing Chelsea 3-2 last time out, but did lose Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson to injury.

Fornals had started every single Premier League game prior to that London derby, and Sky Sports co-commentator Tony Gale has declared him a ‘workaholic’ with ‘phenomenal’ fitness levels.

The latest

Rosser’s predicted line-up features two changes from the one which beat Chelsea.

Arthur Masuaku, scorer of the winning goal against the Blues, replaces Johnson at left wing-back in the 3-4-2-1 system.

With Declan Rice shifted into the back three, Manuel Lanzini drops into a deeper midfield berth. That leaves one of the two slots behind Michail Antonio vacant for Fornals to occupy.

The verdict

It would be no surprise to see Fornals earn a recall. According to WhoScored, he has been the Hammers’ fourth-best performer this season with an average rating of 6.98/10.

Only Antonio has bettered his record of four goals and 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes, while the £67.3k-per-week attacking midfielder contributes defensively too by averaging 1.6 tackles per game, which puts him fifth in the Irons’ ranks.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in Rosser’s mooted 3-4-2-1 system, though, given that all his previous starts this term have come in a 4-2-3-1.

In other news, West Ham are willing to fork out £17m to land this target

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Tyrone Mings to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that the Aston Villa centre-back is one of the names on PIF’s shortlist of Newcastle transfer targets ahead of the winter market.

The report goes on to state that, while Eddie Howe did not afford the 28-year-old much game time when both men were at AFC Bournemouth, Mings’ development into a “defensive leader” at Villa Park could see Howe offer the England international the chance to work together once more at St. James’ Park.

He’d solve Howe’s biggest issue

Considering the fact that Newcastle have already shipped 24 goals over their opening 11 fixtures of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, it is evident that, if Howe has any chance of keeping the Magpies in the top flight come next May, defence is an area in which he must strengthen in January.

And, while Aston Villa have not exactly been rock solid at the back so far this season, having conceded 20 goals over their own 11 league fixtures, Mings would nevertheless be a signing who could help to solve Howe’s biggest issue at Newcastle.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances for Villa last time out, the £27m-rated man helped his side keep 14 clean sheets – double the amount Newcastle managed last season – as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 4.7 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the player who Gareth Southgate dubbed an “outstanding” defender earn a seasonal SofaScore rating of 6.95, ranking him as Villa’s joint ninth-best performer in the top flight.

As such, as long as the £67k-per-week Mings can refind this level of form after his potential switch to Newcastle, the 28-year-old could well be the man to solve Howe’s defensive crisis at St. James’ Park.

In other news: Howe must make “perfect” £120k-p/w dynamo his first NUFC signing, he’d love it at SJP

Liverpool are among a host of top clubs still interested in signing Fiorentina sensation Dusan Vlahovic, according to a report which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Vlahovic shining for Fiorentina

The 21-year-old is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting young attacking players currently, having caught the eye hugely in Italy.

Vlahovic has scored has scored 10 goals in just 13 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina this season – only one league goal fewer than Mohamed Salah in 2021/22 – taking his overall tally for the club to 41 in 98 matches.

It looks as though one of Europe’s top clubs will snap up the Serbian eventually, and Liverpool look set to be in the race to sign him.

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The Latest: Reds in the hunt

According to 90min, the Reds are ‘keeping close tabs’ on Vlahovic’s current situation, with his Fiorentina deal expiring in the summer of 2023.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors as well, though, highlighting how difficult it could be for the Reds to acquire his signature.

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The Verdict: Massive potential

Vlahovic seems to not only be an incredible long-term prospect but also someone who could immediately become a key performer for Liverpool, having been hailed as ‘incredible’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy.

With Roberto Firmino now 30 years of age, and Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both 29, the Reds’ attack will need freshening up at some point in the foreseeable future.

Vlahovic could be the man to lead the line for years to come, with the youngster averaging one key pass, 2.2 headers won and 1.1 dribbles per game in Serie A this season, showing his all-round effectiveness as a striker in addition to his Salah-esque scoring return.

In other news, a journalist has tipped a Premier League player to join Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has not held back in criticising Tottenham’s players amid reports that some are unhappy with the managerial style of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The lowdown: Spurs players not happy with Nuno

A club source had told Football Insider last week that a few players in N17 were “unimpressed” and “unhappy” with how the 47-year-old is going about his job in north London, with apparent concerns over his training methods and communication with the squad gaining him “few allies” within the dressing room.

Nuno has had a difficult start to life at Spurs, suffering three consecutive heavy league defeats in September to fellow London clubs, including a comprehensive loss to arch-rivals Arsenal. There had even been reports of his job being under threat despite him only taking the reins in the summer.

The latest: Kenny blasts Tottenham players

However, Kenny has sympathy for Nuno and believes that Tottenham’s players need to take a hard look at themselves over the team’s woes in recent weeks and months, with the 2019 Champions League finalists finishing six and seventh in the last two campaigns.

The ex-Sheffield United goalkeeper told Football Insider: “We find this, don’t we? We find this at the clubs when you’re struggling.

“Listen, they had a great start, won three out of three 1-0 then lost three out of three 3-0. They won again the other weekend.

“You find that when you’re struggling, you hear these little stories coming out. Listen, the players need to man up, for me, and get on with their job.

“They’ve got a job to do at the end of day and if they moan about their manager all the time, they’re not doing their own jobs properly.

“At the end of the day, you’re the one that goes on the pitch. You’re the one that crosses that line and puts your foot in there. You need to take more responsibility.

“He’s the manager of that club, he should be in control. The players need to look at themselves and get on with their own jobs.”

The verdict: Kenny has a point

While Tottenham recovered from the concession of an early goal to win 3-2 at Newcastle on Sunday, a result which lifted them to fifth in the Premier League and puts them just four points behind leaders Chelsea, Kenny’s criticism of the players is somewhat justified.

Many of the squad which came within 90 minutes of being European champions two-and-a-half years ago are still at the club, with both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho being sacked in the meantime, which suggests that some players may have dropped their performance levels with the subconscious knowledge that their managers were going to be first in the firing line.

Players have a right to privately express constructive criticisms of a manager if they think it would enact a change on his part for the betterment of the team, but they too need to show with their performances on the pitch that they are not shirking responsibility and leaving their boss to worry about his future while they are locked into lucrative contracts.

In other news: Daniel Levy has come under fire following one recent development

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed the latest on Leeds United star Raphinha amid recent transfer speculation linking him with a move away from Elland Road.

What’s the story?

Reports have suggested that the likes of Liverpool are interested in making a move for the recently-capped Brazil international, and Hay has now indicated that the Whites will expect to receive offers for him.

He said: “Very hard to say. He’s bound to attract bids. All a case of what they are and when they arrive. Needless to say, no way in the world that Leeds would want to lose him in January.”

How long can Leeds keep him?

As is probably the case with another one of Leeds’ talismanic figures, Kalvin Phillips, it’s really now a case of when those bids arrive, and what those respective clubs will be looking to pay for them.

Had the Whites really pushed on from last season when they finished in the top-half of the table in their return back to the top-flight, then keeping the likes of Raphinha and Phillips for a while longer would seem much more plausible.

But if their current form continues, and they look short of contending for a place in Europe, then it will be inevitable that interest will increase – something former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has said about Raphinha in particular.

He said: “His stock is rising all of the time. Let’s not forget, there was already some interest in him last summer. Whether you like it or not, Leeds are not where they were 20 years ago. They are not what they once were.

“If one of the big boys comes in for him, Leeds will sell. They will sell. I think it is just a matter of time. I cannot see him being a Leeds player at the beginning of next season. If he continues to perform like this he will be gone.”

Hay’s claim is sure to worry fans about how much longer the Whites can keep hold of their talismanic winger. After all, it will be incredibly hard to replace his 19 goal involvements since arriving in Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Graham Smyth has dropped an encouraging four-word Leeds United update…

Rangers will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday night as they face Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership today.

Steven Gerrard’s side host third-placed Hibernian at Ibrox as they attempt to reclaim their spot at the top of the Premiership table, having fallen behind Hearts on Saturday.

The Gers’ loss to Sparta was their first in four matches, with Rangers now having lost both of their group stage matches in Europe this term.

How many changes will Gerrard make to his side from the defeat? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make four changes to his team, with Connor Goldson, Jon McLaughlin, Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos all coming into the XI.

Starting between the sticks, we believe that McLaughlin will play ahead of Allan McGregor. The pair have been rotating throughout the campaign, with the former of four Premiership appearances and the latter on two. McGregor also started the last match, against Sparta Prague, which indicates that McLaughlin will now come in for him for this match given their rotation so far this season.

Connor Goldson missed the defeat to Sparta with a knock and could make his return at centre-back against Hibernian. He is in contention to feature and his availability would allow Gerrard to axe Calvin Bassey, who played out of position as a central defender, to the bench and start Goldson alongside Balogun in the defence.

In midfield, Juninho Bacuna is an injury doubt and could be forced out of the XI. This means that Joe Aribo could slot back into his favoured central midfield position alongside Steven Davis and Glen Kamara, opening the door for another player to enter the front three.

We are predicting that Ianis Hagi will be recalled to the team to take up a position in the front three. This could be as an advanced midfielder behind Morelos and Roofe, but we have predicted that it will be as part of an attacking trident. Hagi managed seven goals and 11 assists in 33 Premiership appearances last term, showing that he does have the quality required to make a positive impact at this level.

Finally, we published an article explaining why Alfredo Morelos should be unleashed upon Hibs. The striker has the quality to be a match-winner for the club and Sakala could drop out of the team in order for the Colombian to lead the line this afternoon.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, with the Englishman falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

The Lowdown: Barkley out of favour

The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, but since returning, he has struggled to impress Blues manager Thomas Tuchel.

Barkley has played just seven minutes of Premier League action this season and hasn’t made a single start in any competition to date.

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The Latest: Leeds eye up move

According to 90min, Leeds are one of several clubs eyeing up a move for Barkley, with a potential January exit on the cards, and Marcelo Bielsa actually wanted him last year too.

Burnley and Newcastle United are also credited with showing an interest in the 33-time capped England international, who wants to leave Chelsea.

The Magpies may be one to watch with their new found riches, especially as Callum Wilson hailed Barkley as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘unreal’ earlier this year.

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The Verdict: Risky

Barkley has outstanding natural ability – he has ‘magic’, according to Clinton Morrison – but he has never reached his potential as a player, enjoying promising runs of form but ultimately never making the grade at Chelsea.

He could be a superb signing for Leeds, bringing drive and unpredictability in midfield areas, but Bielsa would have a tough job getting consistently strong performances out of him if his recent form is anything to go by.

Given the price the Blues would likely want for what is an English talent entering his prime at 27, we believe this is one the Whites should avoid.

In other news, Gary Neville has mocked Leeds for one key reason. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur will be without a further three first-team stars when they face Stade Rennes in the UEFA Europa Conference League later this evening…

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-game press conference, Spurs boss Nuno Santo revealed that Eric Dier, Heung-min Son and Ryan Sessegnon have not travelled to France.

“I can tell you the players that did not travel. Son did not travel, Dier did not travel and Sessegnon did not travel. That’s the team news,” he told reporters, via football.london.

According to the club’s official website, the trio have remained in north London to continue their rehabilitation.

Dier was forced off early during Saturday’s disappointing defeat to Crystal Palace with a dead leg, whilst Sessegnon and Son returned from the international break carrying knocks and missed the trip to Selhurst Park.

Neither will feature against Rennes.

Hammer blow

This will be yet another annoying setback for the Portuguese head coach as he was already without a number of usual first-team players, and he will want to see a reaction from the weekend’s first league defeat.

South American trio Giovani Lo Celso, Davinson Sanchez and Cristian Romero, who would all normally be in contention for this fixture are still unavailable following the international break as they are in Croatia until the weekend.

So it leaves Nuno with a threadbare squad with very little options to choose from, particularly in defence, where it’s likely to be the inexperienced duo of Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon, neither of whom have played as much as Dier, Sanchez and Romero in Europe.

Similarly, Spurs struggled immensely in the absence of Son, recording just two shots against Palace, who themselves racked up 18 attempts.

The South Korean attacker is currently their top goalscorer so far this season, so his presence will be sorely missed once again and without Sessegnon to replace him, it’ll be down to Bryan Gil, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn for that left-sided role, the latter of which has only just returned from his own injury troubles.

Nuno will know the pressure he’s under to deliver in this inaugural competition too, as they are among the favourites to win it and the north London outfit are still without a piece of silverware since 2008.

His chances of securing a positive result are seriously dented by this latest setback. To be without as many as six potential starters is massively worrying for any manager.

AND in other news, £100k-p/w Spurs star sees value crash by £63m in 3 years, he was a “freak of a talent”…