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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

Edinson Cavani’s time at Manchester United appears to be up, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that the club have “no intention” to hand him a contract extension past the end of this season, along with Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford could also be heading through the departure doors of Old Trafford, with Arsenal interested in offering him a way out of Manchester this summer – according to The Daily Mirror.

With the duo both potentially lining up for other clubs next season, and Anthony Martial not yet impressing or beginning to show signs of resurrecting his career on-loan at Sevilla, the Red Devils could find themselves short in the striking department – and thus, a move for Roma star Tammy Abraham could be on the cards.

What’s the news?

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) have claimed that United are “ready to make a big investment” in Abraham, who has scored 19 goals for club and country in all competitions this season, impressing since moving to Italy.

The report also states that “many clubs” have asked about the £40.5m-rated striker, including Tottenham – who have been linked with making a move for the Englishman should another United target, Harry Kane, depart the north London club this summer.

Made for Manchester

United fans are longing for a clinical, natural striker who can emulate the great Wayne Rooney and be the team’s primary goal-getter, and should Kane not be available this summer or choose to stay with Spurs, Abraham would be an excellent alternative.

Managing editor of The Athletic’s Tifo Football, Joe Devine, said that Abraham currently “owns the big stage”, which is evident by him netting two goals in Roma’s fierce ‘Derby della Capitale’ game with Lazio on their way to winning 3-0.

That’s as well as scoring the goal against Vitesse that sent the Serie A giants through to the next round of the UEFA Conference League – both coming in the club’s last two fixtures.

Among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, the 24-year-old who was dubbed “Drogba-esque” by Rio Ferdinand, ranks incredibly highly in some key barometers.

He is in the top 2% for xG per 90 (0.69), top 16% for through balls per 90 (0.18) and top 15% for tackles per 90 (1.28) – proving that he is a complete striker still in the making, who will only get better and better – and would most likely be a huge success in Manchester.

Made for the big stage, this is exactly the type of forward that United need heading into next term. Not only will he provide more goals; but he could also be the Premier League’s next Drogba. A very exciting prospect indeed.

In other news: Man Utd now plotting bid for £90m-rated “animal”, he’s even better than Haaland

Newcastle are on the trail of Huddersfield midfielder Lewis O’Brien, and could be set to make a move for him in the summer.

What’s the story?

Prior to the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, the Magpies had enjoyed a bit of a revival, with two wins and two draws in four games – much of that inspired by some late heroics from Arsenal loanee Joe Willock.

Now, The Sun claim that Steve Bruce’s side are eyeing up O’Brien as a potentially less expensive option if they can’t land their no.1 transfer target in Willock.

The report adds that even though Huddersfield have now secured survival in the Championship, they will struggle to keep hold of the £4m-rated O’Brien.

Bargain deal for Bruce

While of course the priority is to sign Willock given his goal-scoring form in recent weeks, O’Brien would still be quite the shrewd signing for the Magpies.

The 22-year-old offers a similar sort of box-to-box presence like the Gunners starlet, and has bagged three goals and provided a further three assists in the Championship this season.

But, it’s not just his contributions going forward that really make him stand out however, with Huddersfield Town writer Steven Chicken waxing lyrical about the kind of intensity that he plays with.

He said: “O’Brien is a left-footed, tough-tackling central midfielder. Former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley often praised O’Brien as being “like having two players”, with the midfielder receiving particular praise from his manager and fans alike for his ability and willingness to rush back and win the ball with a clean sliding tackle whenever his side were caught on the counter-attack.

“He certainly has the potential to be (a Premier League player), if he’s not already. His fitness is incredible and he just never seems to get tired, which is one of the biggest difficulties Championship players have when stepping up to the Premier League.”

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At 22, O’Brien also has the time to grow and develop into a real Premier League star just like Willock, but crucially would come much cheaper. If Bruce is looking for a cheaper alternative this summer, then he could land a real smart deal in signing the Terriers ace.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are heading for a major disaster over this Premier League star…

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.

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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.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has been discussing David Coote’s decision to rule out Luke Ayling’s goal in Leeds United’s victory over Fulham.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage last Friday in what represented an impressive result against a team who have improved in recent months.

Patrick Bamford and Raphinha got the goals for Leeds prior to this week’s international break taking place and a number of players being afforded a rest.

As seems to be the case far too often, however, the Whites’ victory couldn’t be completed without controversy, with VAR again taking centre stage at one point.

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Halsey discusses VAR decision

Ayling thought he had given his side the lead in the first half, only for Coote to rule it out on advise from VAR.

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Halsey gave his take on the incident, claiming that the rule needs to be changed outright:

“The one thing is with VAR, it’s back to you’re off, or you’re on. The new handball law has made this offside law; they now measure the line with the armpit and the t-shirt line so that now comes into play because you can score now with that part of the arm.

“So for me, it’s got to be looked at; the whole of the arm has got to be included in handball, not just down to the t-shirt line. That’s why [we see] a lot of these goals ruled out, and we don’t want to be seeing them ruled out because ultimately, fans are important to the game want to be entertained and see goals.

“Now, we put these lines down, and they put them across, and for me, if you cannot tell with a naked eye on the first replay that it’s offside and it takes 2/3/4/5/6 looks, then we’ve got to be [giving the goal].

“Take away the lines, use the naked eye, you can tell straight away whether he’s off or on and obviously, we need to change the handball law to the whole of the arm, and that nullifies the t-shirt line and the armpit for judging offsides.”

Transfer Tavern take

It was the latest in an endless stream of baffling decisions this season, with the offside rule proving to be particularly head-scratching.

The hope is that it is ironed out moving forward in order to stop VAR being discussed negatively on such a regular basis.

In other news, one Premier League manager has paid Leeds a huge compliment – find out who it is and what he said here.

West Ham United are ready to offer €30m (£25.8m) to land Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenković, as reported by Juve Live (via Sport Witness).

Enjoying a superb 2020/21 campaign, the 6 foot 5 giant registered 37 appearances for La Viola, chipping in with four goal contributions with three goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Believed to be ‘one step away from West Ham’, the Irons are now ready to offer a considerable sum to tempt the Serbian international to the London Stadium this summer. Italian giants Juventus are also recently said to have an interest in the 23-year-old defender [Juve Live, via Sport Witness].

However, the Irons look set to be in pole position to land what would be a marquee signing as they kickstart their recruitment drive moving into 2021/22.

Unsurprisingly given his height, Milenkovic offers a powerful aerial presence, winning three headers per match last season [WhoScored]. Only Tomas Soucek could beat that among David Moyes’ current squad [WhoScored].

In light of these recent developments, plenty of West Ham diehards took to Twitter to express their delight at the latest update.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to Sport Witness’ Twitter account, here is how some Hammers fans summarised their opinions on the latest news on Milenkovic, with one believing that it could be a potentially “huge” development:

“What a signing this would be”

Credit: @whuabz

“Huge if true”

Credit: @AnthonyDRegan1″Please God”Credit: @1999_JRD”the wait for this Patreon update is so so long, please be true”Credit: @whujoe”Please”Credit: @willearle_”The next Vidic”Credit: @CarslakeTaylorIn other news, a La Liga expert talks up the ability of a reported West Ham target.

Manchester City appear set to spend big this summer with key targets Harry Kane and Jack Grealish potentially costing more than a combined total of £200 million, so moving players on will have to be done and Dean Windass believes that Riyad Mahrez could be one of those to leave.

There have been reports suggesting that the Gunners may move for the Algerian winger who impressed for Man City last season, especially in the Champions League games against both PSG and Borussia Dortmund.

Mahrez made a name for himself during Leicester City’s title-winning campaign which saw him have a stunning season netting 12 goals and registering 11 assists, and he eventually got his move away to Man City where he has won eight pieces of silverware.

Arsenal are making a lot of positives moves this summer and it is needed as they struggled last campaign when they missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years so, adding someone like Mahrez could change their fortunes and he may be tempted to join the Gunners according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“Going to Arsenal would appeal to him but, I can’t see Pep letting him go as he scores a lot of goals from wide areas and even if Grealish goes to Man City, I can’t see him leaving.”

The Gunners are trying to turn themselves into serious challengers at the top end of the table once again with moves for both Ben White and Manuel Locatelli already looking like they could happen this summer.

The £120,000 per week winger would add world class quality to an Arsenal side who often relied on their young players last season so having someone of experience and quality would also only help develop players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe.

Leeds United have joined the race to sign exciting Sheffield United youngster Kyron Gordon, according to fresh reports.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are still basking in the glory of Saturday’s amazing 2-1 victory away to Manchester City in what was one of the results of the season. Stuart Dallas’ last-minute winner was a memorabnle moment for Leeds supporters as their team continue to thrive back in the Premier League.

Leeds don’t want to rest on their laurels in the summer transfer window, though, with Bielsa likely keen to make new signings.

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Leeds enter the race to sign Gordon

According to the Daily Mail, the Whites are now in the race to snap up Gordon from the Blades, with Manchester United also believed to be interested.

The 18-year-old is a highly-rated prospect who has been in and around the first team at Bramall Lane this season, albeit without being given his senior debut.

Transfer Tavern take

Signing talented homegrown talent tends to be exciting for any club, so Leeds’ rumoured interest in Gordon should be considered a positive. The hope is that Bielsa is looking towards the future and not just the present, eyeing up individuals who can take take the team forward when current stars drift past their best.

Gordon could fit into that category, and the fact that the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are monitoring the situation speaks volumes about his potential.

Also, in a season which has seen Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Robin Koch all succumb to injuries, it is little surprise that Bielsa wants to add centre-back depth at Elland Road, even in the form of a raw youngster in Gordon.

In other news, one Leeds defender has come in for huge praise after his display against Manchester City. Find out who it is here.

Manchester City take on Everton on Sunday afternoon in the final Premier League game of the season, with Pep Guardiola’s side to be handed the trophy in front of City supporters at the Etihad.

The Citizens have enjoyed a superb campaign and wrapped up the Premier League title earlier this month, whilst they also tasted success in the Carabao Cup.

Although the Spanish manager will undoubtedly have one eye on the Champions League final against Chelsea later this month, his team have lost two of their last three games now, so he may well revert to his strongest eleven when his side take on Carlo Ancelotti’s side this afternoon.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against the Toffees, with six changes from the team that started in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton last time out…

Ederson keeps his place in goal after wrapping up the Golden Glove award in midweek, despite the defeat against Graham Potter’s side.

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There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker comes in for the suspended Joao Cancelo at right-back, whilst Aymeric Laporte replaces John Stones at centre-back, with the Englishman rested for the final.

In midfield, Fernandinho replaces Rodri, as the “perfect” Spain international has disappointed in recent performances, and is arguably behind the Brazilian in the pecking order after his excellent displays against PSG recently.

Kevin De Bruyne also earns some much-needed match fitness in attacking midfield, with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez supporting him on the wings.

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The final change sees Sergio Aguero replace Ferran Torres up front, in what will be his final appearance for the Citizens at the Etihad, so he deserves an almighty send-off.

And, in other news… Imagine him and KDB: Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “spectacular” £39.6m-rated beast

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.