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The return of the Premier League this weekend after the latest international break sees Southampton take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both teams having had rather disappointing starts to the campaign.

The Saints’ previous league outing before the break saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Djenepo should start for Southampton on Saturday

One player who did not feature in Southampton’s starting XI against Chelsea but who should come in against Leeds is Moussa Djenepo, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £55k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Southampton signed the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window on a four-year contract from Belgian club Standard Liege in a deal which could rise to £15m.

Since then, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 58 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has scored four goals and provided two assists along the way.

So far this season, Djenepo – who was described by teammate Nathan Redmond as being a “super-talented” player – has played in all but one of Southampton’s league games, starting four of them, but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Nonetheless, he has managed to rack up 1.2 shots per game so far this season in the Premier League according to WhoScored, showing that he is still very much an attacking threat for the Saints whenever he’s on the pitch, and he could therefore be a potential game-changer against Leeds. Only four players can exceed that tally and there is a strong chance that two of them won’t feature on Saturday through either suspension (James Ward-Prowse) or injury (Che Adams).

After replacing Nathan Tella in the second half of the Chelsea game, Djenepo made two successful dribbles and won five ground duels and two tackles in just 17 minutes, ultimately seeing him earn a match rating of 6.5/10. That was higher than the likes of Tella and Redmond, both of whom started the match according to SofaScore.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that Hasenhuttl should go with Djenepo over Tella on the left wing to see if the Mali international can help the Saints secure their first league win of the season against Marcelo Bielsa’s side – who they would overtake in the table if they manage to do so – based on the decent showing the 23-year-old delivered off the bench against Chelsea.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer

Celtic have made some incredibly strong progress under Ange Postecoglou but the time to properly judge the Australian will be next May.

The Hoops have signed some exceptional players to suit his system and all of that has provided six wins on the spin.

Yet, given how everything unravelled last season, supporters must be realistic about their chances.

What’s the word?

With just over a week to go before the transfer window closes for the month, the Bhoys still have plenty of business they want to conclude.

Odsonne Edouard could still head to the Premier League and if he does depart, a replacement will be required.

Celtic have been in the market for Greek forward Giorgos Giakoumakis but they are also interested in signing a player closer to home; Kevin Nisbet.

The Scotland international has been a target all summer and according to reporter Peter Martin, they are trying to tempt Hibernian with a player swap deal involving Leigh Griffiths.

Whether Hibs decide to bite on a deal, however, remains to be seen.

Must sign him

With Nisbet having expert knowledge of the Premiership, deciding to sign him this summer should be a no-brainer for Postecoglou and Dominic McKay.

Only Edouard scored more goals in the Scottish top-flight than the 24-year-old last season while a further two strikes in 2021/22 has taken him to 20 in Hibernian colours.

Furthermore, Celtic have seen firsthand the damage he can do.

On his way to being described as “wonderful” by Frank McAvennie, Nisbet scored twice against the Bhoys last term, including a last gasp goal in the League Cup.

On that occasion, he embarrassed the catastrophic Shane Duffy late on. A ball was swung into the area but the Irish centre-half typically failed to deal with it.

He lost balance and then instead of clearing the ball sufficiently, played it straight into the path of Nisbet who fired home in injury time.

It was a typical poacher’s finish from a player who has made the Premiership his playground over the last 12 months.

His record might not be as attractive as someone like Giakoumakis who found the net 29 times last campaign, but he knows the SPFL inside out.

Needing little adjustment time, he may well be the perfect heir to Edouard’s coveted throne. Ange needs him for that reason alone.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Kyogo: Ange must seal Celtic swoop for “dazzling” 27-goal weapon…

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will look to bring in a new centre-back and defensive midfielder in the January window.

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, talking to Give Me Sport, with a number of Villa fans reacting to the news on social media.

Gerrard has enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Bodymoor Heath, picking up three wins from a possible four and pushing champions Manchester City all the way in his only defeat at the helm.

Attention is now starting to turn to the January transfer window, and with NSWE promising the manager a huge winter budget last month, many are wondering what areas of the Villa squad he may bolster.

According to O’Rourke, the 41-year-old has identified a centre-back and a defensive midfielder as two priority positions.

Villa fans react

Both Total Villa and The AVFC Faithful shared O’Rourke’s claim on Twitter. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with many unhappy over the apparent plans and some highlighting Marvelous Nakamba’s transformation under Gerrard.

“why would we need a CB”

Credit: @po7ok

“Why? We have 3 seemingly quality CBs…and a capable Hause….and Marvelous has been awesome, with Luiz capable of sitting… main concern is a replacement for Targett (not good enough) and back up for Cash.”

Credit: @TheCount_minusO

“Really? I don’t think we need either of them right now. Surely left back and maybe a winger with one on their way out?”

Credit: @StevieGsVilla

“The disrespect on Marv. LB is a must, CB is secondary rn”

Credit: @DomRay6

“Nakamba been class recently”

Credit: @villafanscentre

“4 quality CBs already? Sounds odd.”

Credit: @TimAsson1

In other news: ‘I am desperate’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt over ‘dream’ fixture news

Leeds United grabbed a vital three points in their aim to steer clear of the relegation zone with an injury-time penalty from Raphinha to beat Crystal Palace.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team had to be patient in the end as they dominated possession and shots at Elland Road, as Raphinha eventually got them out of jail to secure a 1-0 win. While the three points are what matters most, some players may not have been too pleased with their own individual performances, as The Transfer Tavern use statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the home side:

Raphinha

It certainly seems strange that the match-winner was ranked as the third-worst player for the Whites, and Raphinha’s 6.5 rating from SofaScore is actually the same rating as second place, but has been put in third for his goal contribution.

Aside from the late penalty, it was a frustrating night at times for the Brazilian, who lost out on 10 of his duels, the most out of his teammates, while he also ranked the highest in terms of unsuccessful dribble attempts (five).

Raphinha was also inaccurate with seven of his crosses, and lost the ball on no fewer than on 31 separate occasions in the game, by far the most out of any player on the pitch.

Mateusz Klich

Klich only played the first half, but ranks in second with a 6.5 overall rating given by SofaScore.

The central midfield player lost two duels, and failed to record a single shot on goal, blocked shot, tackle, key pass, cross or accurate long ball.

His mere 16 touches was the lowest recorded out of a starting player, while he was guilty of losing possession six times.

Rodrigo

Again, considering he only played in one half, Rodrigo’s 6.3 rating from SofaScore may be deemed a little harsh, but he was the lowest rated out of his teammates.

The Spaniard also lost two of his duels, while failing to hit a shot on target or make a successful dribble, and losing the ball on seven occasions in total.

In other news, find out what position Phil Hay wants LUFC to sign here!

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing as it was confirmed that Jordan Jones has left the club.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the winger has joined Wigan Athletic on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

Jones was sent out on loan to Sunderland in the 2020/21 season, and so was clearly not part of Steven Gerrard’s plans.

It has not quite worked out for the Englishman with the Gers, scoring just one goal and making two assists in 19 games in total over all competitions across the last two campaigns (Transfermarkt).

Thus, it was a wise idea for them to let Jones go permanently, and they can use the money recouped from his sale to reinvest back into the squad.

Rangers fans on Jones exit

These RFC supporters buzzed as the news of Jones’ exit was confirmed by the club on their Twitter page, with one claiming that it was ‘good news’:

“Yesss wasted his chance”

Credit: @scottrm93

“Thank Christ for that”

Credit: @dippiecookie

“ANNOUNCE MORE GOOD NEWS”

Credit: @croft1972

“THANK GOD”

Credit: @Hagis_Left_boot

“Excellent work by Ross Wilson.”

Credit: @glasgowsportsfa

“Excellent news”

Credit: @AzzurroWolf

In other news, find out which Gers signing one pundit has been left impressed by here!

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Sam Clucas to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that the Baggies have registered their interest in the Stoke City central midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that, with the 30-year-old entering the final year of his contract at the bet356 Stadium, should the Potters receive an offer of around their £3m asking price for Clucas, they would be willing to greenlight his departure this summer.

Ismael must move

With it appearing increasingly likely that Valerien Ismael will be taking over at The Hawthorns in the coming days, the Frenchman will almost certainly be dipping into the transfer market in a bid to fire West Brom back to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.

And, considering just how impressive the former Swansea City midfielder was for Michael O’Neill’s side last season, there would certainly seem worse candidates to become Ismael’s first signing as the new West Brom manager this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Championship appearances for the Potters last term, the £2.25m-rated Clucas scored two goals, provided three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £33k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Stoke’s joint third-best performer in the second tier of English football.

And, with Conor Gallagher having moved back to Chelsea following the completion of his loan deal with the Baggies, central midfield could well be an area in which Ismael will look to bring fresh faces over the coming months.

As such, with Stoke reportedly only wanting a rather modest £3m in order to part with the man whom Gabriel Agbonlahor dubbed a “quality” player, it would appear to be highly advisable for the Frenchman to do all he can to get a deal over the line for Clucas, as not only would the midfielder add some quality to the Baggies midfield, but he would also be a signing who would represent incredible value for money.

In other news: Get it done: Lai must sanction West Brom summer swoop for “outstanding” 32 G/A machine

Albian Ajeti’s first-half display against Ross County has angered loads of Celtic fans. 

Celtic were looking to return to winning ways after falling to defeat away at arch-rivals Rangers prior to the international break.

Visitors Ross County, meanwhile, were aiming to pull off an upset in Glasgow and land their first victory of the 2021/22 season.

Ajeti led the line for Celtic, with Liel Abada to his right and new signing Jota to his left.

He’d only played seven Scottish Premiership minutes before this fixture, having come on as a substitute in the 6-0 rout of St Mirren.

Ajeti had a chance to put Celtic in front midway through the half after being set through on goal, but he could only direct his shot straight at the goalkeeper.

The Swiss striker actually recorded fewer touches than Hoops ‘keeper Joe Hart and his SofaScore rating of 6.4 is the second-lowest in the team after the opening 45 minutes.

Here’s what fans had to say.

These Celtic fans rip into Ajeti

“Ajeti needs to do better in every aspect of his game.. offering nothing at the moment”

Credit: @steo_kelly89

“We are missing Kyogo’s movement big time… Ajeti like a statue”

Credit: @grimbobaggins1

“Ajeti positioning is criminal at times”

Credit: @dalehayward1

“Be nice if Ajeti tried a leg today”

Credit: @michaelmcp

“Long way to go but Ajeti just offers absolutely nothing when we want to play like this. So static.”

Credit: @CalMcl

“Ajeti couldn’t finish his tea”

Credit: @o_sneddon

In other news, Chris Sutton has floated this intriguing CEO idea.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke has revealed Nathan Patterson has returned to Glasgow Rangers after picking up an injury during international duty.

The Lowdown: Patterson playing for Scotland

Despite being just 19 years of age, Patterson was selected by Clarke to start against Moldova, and he provided the assist for Lyndon Dykes’ strike, the only goal of the game.

However, there has now been a worrying update on the right-back.

The Latest: Clarke reveals injury

Following the Moldova result, Clarke spoke about the status of his squad. He said (via Ibrox News):

“Nathan Patterson and Kenny McLean have injuries from the game, and Ryan Fraser has picked up a knock in training.”

The Tartan Army boss did not give any specific indication of how serious the issue is.

The Verdict: Another blow

Patterson has a promising future at both club and international level – Clarke called him “excellent” earlier this year (via The Daily Record) – and he has already proved his ability. As such, it will be a blow to Steven Gerrard that he has picked up a knock, especially when the injuries issues appear to be piling up at the back.

Filip Helander is also struggling for fitness on international duty, while the Gers recently had to deal with a coronavirus outbreak at the club (BBC). Gerrard will be desperately hoping Patterson’s issue is nothing too serious and he will be able to feature as soon as possible.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this latest Heart and Hand update.

David Wagner is edging ever-closer to being announced as the new West Bromwich Albion manager, according to The Athletic.

Three weeks after Sam Allardyce elected to leave the Hawthorns following Premier League relegation, Wagner has emerged as a serious candidate to replace the former England boss after almost a year in exile following his Schalke exit [The Athletic].

Coming as a surprise to many, the German-American head coach has come out of nowhere after links with Chris Wilder, Michael Appleton and even former Chelsea captain Frank Lampard [GIVEMESPORT].

As pre-season rolls around the corner, West Bromwich Albion are set to formalise an appointment of a manager within the next few days; potentially within the next 48 hours [Sky Sports].

Enduring an underwhelming spell in Gelsenkirchen, it’s no wonder loads of Baggies fans have took to Twitter to fume at these latest developments.

Baggies fans react:

Here are how some of the West Brom support summarised their feelings upon hearing the news:

“Nooooooooooo”

Credit: @NickAston6

“Kill me now.”

Credit: @luke_millichamp

“Lukewarm is very generous. More like mortified !!!!”Credit: @GrahamCroom”Should have been Appleton for me.”Credit: @seanmcsport”Depressing appointment #Wba”Credit: @itsocheagain”Was a bit of a busted flush at Huddersfield and then was a total disaster at Schalke. Like the bloke though so hope it works out for him.”Credit: @Smashyeggman71In other news, a Leeds United defender has agreed an exit from Elland Road.

Alasdair Gold has shared some bad news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters involving midfielder and homegrown sensation Oliver Skipp amid his recent injury woes.

The Lowdown: Skipp setbacks…

The 21-year-old, who recently put pen to paper on fresh terms with the club, hasn’t been able to contribute for manager Antonio Conte since late January due to ongoing fitness issues.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Skipp’s last minutes for Spurs came during a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in the first month of 2022 with his pelvic injury keeping him sidelined.

The Englishman has suffered setbacks in his return to action since, coming as a source of real frustration for Conte, who has remained in the dark over his starlet’s recovery timeframe.

After the Lilywhites confirmed brilliant news of his new contract, Gold has now shared a damning update on Skipp and his injury, coming as the player himself admits it’s been a real problem.

The Latest: Gold shares Skipp update…

The reliable football.london correspondent, taking to Twitter, says that he’s still no closer to returning to Conte’s starting eleven.

Sharing an update on his recovery, in response to Skipp’s official reaction to signing fresh terms, Gold explained:

“Understand he’s not closer to a return yet.”

The Verdict: Bad news…

The promising youngster’s continued availability delay will come as bad news for both Conte and supporters as Spurs fight to finish in the Premier League top four.

Currently locked in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification with north London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham will need any quality at their disposal to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, no Spurs starter has averaged a higher pass accuracy than Skipp (90.1%) in the top flight this season, backing his real composure and assurance in Conte’s midfield.

Tipped as a future club captain, those inside and outside N17 will be hoping he can return to the grass as soon as possible.

In other news: Big name source: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 ft 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.