After enjoying a superb debut campaign in the Premier League last year, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins would have fancied his chances of kicking on again for the new season.

Instead, the man who was dubbed a “machine” by The Athletic’s Gregg Evans simply hasn’t been at the races this term, and it’s quite incredible to think that after seven appearances in the top flight in 2021/22, he has managed just the one goal and hasn’t provided a single assist either.

A number of Villa fans were critical of Watkins’ ineffective performance against Arsenal last time out in the Premier League when Dean Smith’s men fell to a dismal 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

During a discussion for the Birmingham Mail before that game against the Gunners, Ashley Preece delivered his verdict on why the striker appears to be struggling this season, saying: “The injury he picked up in pre-season hasn’t helped, nor has Dean Smith’s decision to flip the script and play him with Danny Ings in a two-man attack. The pair appear to be on different wavelengths at the minute.

“Watkins, for me, is still adjusting to Smith’s new system. I think his confidence has taken a hit while it can’t be too nice seeing new signing Ings banging them in already, as opposed to Watkins, last season’s main man. You would have hoped his strike at Spurs would have given Watkins a new lease of life but, against Wolves, he struggled once again.”

If Smith opts to revert back to a four-man defence with two wingers, then Watkins dropping out would allow Danny Ings to operate as the lone striker and the likes of Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia to be utilised in their more natural positions.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The £34m-rated Watkins could even do with being dropped just to light a fire under him, too.

Meanwhile, Villa must give this academy starlet a chance in the Premier League…

A notable development has emerged on Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic regarding his situation heading into the international break.

What’s the latest?

The midfielder has been left out of Australia’s squad for their upcoming matches. Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold explained the 28-year-old’s absence, putting it down to injury after he sustained a knock in the win over Hibernian last month.

He said: “Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy and Adam Taggart were unavailable for selection this window due to injury or quarantine, however we have developed good depth in the Socceroos over the past few years and the squad that has been selected is one that we have full belief in to perform strongly for the Australian public.”

Ange will be buzzing

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will surely be buzzing with this news, as it appears to align with his plan to get Rogic back fit. Whilst a player being left out of their national team due to injury may be a blow in other situations, this time it could be a huge boost for the Hoops.

Last month, the Celtic manager revealed that the midfielder will be out for two to three weeks and outlined his scheduled return. He told the Daily Record: “He had a scan on his hamstring. It’s going to put him out for at least two to three weeks. It’s not a major one but he definitely won’t be involved in these games.

“Then obviously we have the international window, and if everything goes to plan he should be available once we get back from that.”

Rogic going halfway across the globe to play for Australia during the break could have ruined Postecoglou’s plan for multiple reasons. For starters, he would be flying around the world and returning late ahead of Celtic’s return to action, which could set him back in is recovery, while he could also aggravate his injury by playing for his country.

The £16k-per-week gem could have caused further issues by trying to play through the knock for Australia, which could then have forced him to miss more competitive matches for the Hoops. That is why the Celtic boss will be delighted that Rogic has been left out of the squad, as it gives the 28-year-old the time he needs to recover.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In the Premiership this season, the midfielder has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.97 across 11 appearances despite only starting seven of those matches. He has chipped in with one goal and two assists and his statistics show that he is capable of performing consistently to a high level, which is why his lack of involvement for Australia and the reduced chance of him aggravating his injury is a huge boost for Celtic.

AND in other news, Forget Jota & Kyogo: “Quality” Celtic gem who made 5 key passes ran the show for Ange…

The future of Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha is still far from clear despite reports suggesting he’s set to be offered a new contract, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

What’s the story?

Zaha’s current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2023, leading to speculation that this season will be his last with the south London outfit.

However, The Sun’s Alan Nixon recently revealed that fresh terms were set to be placed on the table by Palace’s hierarchy, sparking hope that the capital club’s talisman will commit his future.

But there is no guarantee that Zaha will stay put, and Barclay claimed ‘it’s not clear’ what is going to happen next regarding the Ivory Coast international’s future.

Speaking about the 29-year-old’s contract situation to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “From what I’m told, at the moment, it’s not clear where we’re going to go with this. But what is clear is that his contract is winding down, so a decision is going to have to be made.”

Crystal Palace fans should be worried

The £13m-rated gem has established himself as Palace’s star performer since re-joining the club in 2014, scoring 51 goals and providing 42 assists in 253 Premier League appearances for his boyhood side.

And he’s thriving under Vieira’s tutelage in the opening weeks of 2021/22. Zaha has bagged four top-flight four goals already this season after benefitting from the arrival of several exciting acquisitions, but the feel-good factor surrounding Palace could soon end.

Zaha’s standout displays have seen him continually linked with a Selhurst Park exit amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, and just last summer, he openly expressed his desire to have another chance at playing for a top team in order to compete for silverware.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Only time will tell whether the creative talent chooses to seek pastures new over the coming months, but Palace’s fanbase will be hoping he puts pen to paper on a new deal soon. At the moment, however, they will be deeply concerned about their star man’s future.

And, in other news…40 duels won, 37 clearances: £18m-rated “absolute tank” has been pivotal for Palace

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left excited by an update involving defender Angelo Ogbonna.

The Italian, currently sidelined due to an ACL injury, as confirmed by the club, will be a sore miss for manager David Moyes as he aims to maintain his side’s impressive start to 2021/2022.

Having just beaten Liverpool 3-2 at the London Stadium, West Ham are also top of their Europa League group and into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Losing Ogbonna will come as a bitter blow to their fight on all fronts but some positive news has now emerged on the 33-year-old and his contract situation in east London.

Currently set to expire in 2022, West Ham risk losing Italian on a free deal next summer as things stand, but Calciomercato say this won’t be the case for long.

According to their sources, Ogbonna is in fact ‘close to renewing his contract’ with Moyes potentially set for a major boost in that regard.

Flocking to this claim, it’s little wonder West Ham supporters have become excited on Twitter given how crucial of a first team player he has been for Moyes over the past year.

Only ex-Hammer Fabian Balbuena averaged a higher rate of clearances per 90 in the Premier League last term and Ogbonna is one of just eight West Ham untouchables to start every English top-flight match this season (WhoScored).

Find all of their best verdicts on this new contract development down below.

West Ham fans flock to Ogbonna news…

“We just can’t miss atm”

Credit: @issacwt2004

“OH?!?”

Credit: @JrTheSaviour87

“Inject it”

Credit: @MarshyBoy26

“Siuuuuuu”

Credit: @Tom_coyi

“As if this week could get any better for us hammers”

Credit: @leggy_lp

“Well deserved”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Credit: @WillRobo1990

“Oh wow great news if it’s true where did you hear that? He is out of contract in the summer 2022 I believe so right? So how long is this new contract for? One year? Or two years? Bearing in mind he is now 32 years old but is so important to us in the system we play under Moyes?”

Credit: @Michael28183223

“Need a keep hold of him..he’s a gem”

Credit: @Martin_COYI

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham move for ‘world class’ 32-goal striker could now be on the cards, find out more here.

After saying goodbye to Georginio Wijnaldum at the end of last season, Liverpool didn’t sign a replacement for the Dutchman who joined French club Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after making a total of 237 appearances across all competitions.

One midfield player, however, that has been linked with a move to the Merseyside club that could be a potential heir for Wijnaldum is LOSC Lille star Renato Sanches.

Recently, the Portuguese international has made a claim that could excite a lot of Liverpool fans that may be hoping to see him in a Reds shirt in the near future.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with French media outlet L’Equipe (via Liverpool Echo), Sanches revealed that he feels ready to join a big club again after admitting that he was too young to join Bayern Munich when he did back in 2016.

During his time in Germany, Sanches made 53 appearances for Bayern across all competitions in which he also had a loan spell at Swansea City where he made just 15 appearances before eventually arriving at Lille in 2019.

Since joining the French club, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has managed to score five goal and provide six assists in 67 appearances in all competitions.

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

In the recent Euro 2020 tournament over the summer, Sanches’ performance in Portugal’s 2-2 draw against France earned him a lot of praise from pundit Jermaine Jenas who said that the midfielder has got “a lot of character.”

That performance, in particular, highlighted just how impressive Sanches can be on the big stage as an all-round midfielder, a role Wijnladum thrived in at Anfield.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In the 88 minutes he was on the pitch for, Sanches managed to complete 69 of the 74 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, made one key pass, won nine ground duels, made three tackles and completed all of the three dribbles he attempted, ultimately earning himself a solid overall match rating of 7.1/10 according to SofaScore.

Consequently, this would be an excellent piece of business from the Merseyside club if they can sign him for a relatively low fee considering how his current contract at Lille is set to expire in the summer of 2023. Certainly, it would give them a potential long-term replacement for Wijnaldum given his age and ability in the middle of the pitch.

In other news: FSG may be heading for a big Liverpool disaster in January on “outstanding” 26 y/o ace – opinion

Amid Aston Villa’s recent interest in signing Juventus star Adrien Rabiot, Morgan Sanson could well be looking over his shoulder at Villa Park…

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that Steven Gerrard’s side had scouts watching him during Juventus’ 1-0 defeat to Atalanta last week ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window.

And, with claims earlier this year that Villa chiefs have felt they may have made a mistake over signing Sanson, the writing could well be on the wall for the Frenchman.

Bye-bye Sanson

Football Insider revealed that there is a belief behind-the-scenes at Villa Park that the club “haven’t done their homework” on the former Marseille man, and that as well as being difficult to manage, he does not seem to have the technical ability that they had hoped for.

In Rabiot, Johan Lange could find someone who has played at the very highest level, plying his trade for the likes of PSG and Juventus and competing in the Champions League year-in and year-out – it’s no surprise that former Bianconeri boss Andrea Pirlo has waxed lyrical about him.

He said: “He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically. He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”

The rave reviews however don’t stop there, with legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who saw him up close for Juventus, hailing the ability that Rabiot possesses, claiming: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio.

“He is incredible, extremely strong. He needs to improve his timing when approaching the opponent’s penalty area but he can become a player with 10 goals per season. He’s also a good boy and a great team-mate.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The £34m-rated star could be exactly the kind of signing that eases the frustration surrounding Sanson, and see the Villa man finally head for the exit door at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, this Villa star had a “rough night” vs Man City…

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow regarding Jota.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou confirmed that the 22-year-old Benfica loanee looks set to be sidelined for a number of weeks, after the winger pulled up with a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Hearts on Thursday night.

Speaking about the Portugal U21 international’s injury, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss said: ” Jota will miss a few weeks, but that’s why we carry a squad.”

Fans will be devastated

Considering just how impressive Jota has been for Celtic since making a move to Parkhead this summer, the news that the electric forward will miss at least a few weeks of action is sure to have left fans devastated.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the 22-year-old average an incredible SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the seventh-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

The £7.1k-per-week winger has also impressed in Europe, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances over his five Europa League appearances, with these metrics seeing him average a SofaScore match rating of 7.40.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As such, with the busiest month of the football season now upon us, the news that Jota will be ruled out until after Christmas is undoubtedly a major blow for Postecoglou and his side, as the absence of the forward will almost certainly reduce Celtic’s chances of keeping pace in the Premiership title race – something that will leave everyone associated with the club gutted.

In other news: Exciting Celtic January transfer update emerges, fans will be buzzing

West Bromwich Albion correspondent Steve Madeley has named Daryl Dike as a potential January transfer target for The Baggies. 

The lowdown

West Brom, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are pushing for promotion at the first opportunity and currently find themselves in the playoff spots.

They did bring in reinforcements during the summer window, but they were all either free transfers or loan signings.

Meanwhile, they banked £18.97million from sales, with £16.2million Matheus Pereira the headline departure. It was the second most lucrative exit in West Brom history, behind Salomon Rondon in 2019.

Dike is a player with whom Ismael is certainly familiar, having been part of the Barnsley squad that reached last season’s playoff semifinals before returning to parent club Orlando in the United States.

The latest

The Athletic’s Madeley ponders whether there is ‘any scope’ to furnish Valerien Ismael with a player he likes in January.

Dike stands out as an ‘obvious target’, particularly with the MLS season now finished.

But the problem is that the deal would involve ‘a hefty loan fee at the very least’.

The verdict

West Brom could perhaps use some more firepower in January. Their tally of 30 goals in 23 matches is the lowest in the division’s top five and, after Karlan Grant, their second top scorer is four-goal Irishman Callum Robinson.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Could Dike provide the answer? Yes, based on his Barnsley tally of nine goals in 19 games, averaging one every 143 minutes.

The £9million-rated 21-year-old has been billed as a ‘powerful lad who knows where the back of the net is’ by PL 100 club member Emile Heskey, while Ismael has hailed his goalscoring exploits as ‘unbelievable’.

In other news, fans slammed this man’s performance at Oakwell.

Wolves remain interested in signing towering Lille centre-back Sven Botman in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Botman a past Wolves target

Wanderers have been linked with the Dutchman in the recent past as Bruno Lage eyes up January and summer reinforcements. The 21-year-old may still be a very young player but he is already a hugely important figure for Lille, making 12 starts in Ligue 1 so far this season.

It looks as though Botman could still be on the move next month, though, with an encouraging update provided from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Interest in defender remains

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Wanderers and Roma are both interested in acquiring Botman’s signature and they continue to track the 21-year-old, with AC Milan and Newcastle also now joining the race for his services.

However, the Lille defender’s current deal with the reigning French champions doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025, so a hefty free may be required to prise him away.

The Verdict: Fantastic potential signing

While centre-backs Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss have all impressed for Wolves this season, the opportunity to sign Botman should not be dismissed. The monstrous defender has averaged 2.3 successful headers and 4.6 clearances per game in the league in 2021/22, with only Saiss (2.6) averaging more aerial duels won among those in Lage’s squad.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Moroccan is also the only Wanderers player to outdo Botman in terms of clearances (5.2), highlighting how good a signing the Dutchman could be in making competition for places even stronger at Molineux.

In other news, some Wolves fans have fumed over a transfer update. Read more here.

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece shared a story regarding a possible exit for striker Wesley Moraes in January.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the update on social media.

The 25-year-old made the move to the Midlands back in 2019 from Club Brugge in a deal worth £22.5m. However, the Brazilian struggled in England and was just beginning to show what he was capable of before he picked up a serious knee injury against Burnley back in 2020 – he has played just 120 minutes of senior football since.

Wesley was then sent on loan to Brugge over the summer but is yet to score and has started just one game, and it seems as if a return to his native country could be on the cards.

Birmingham Live cited reports from Brazil in a story on Monday evening, where Wesley’s agent claimed that Internacional and Sao Paulo were keen on a January move. He’s reportedly cut short his loan spell with Brugge, with Sao Paulo making a direct proposal to Villa.

Villa fans react

Preece shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday morning. This is what these Villa fans had to say, with a number still not over Ben Mee’s challenge and one describing the severity of the impact the injury had on Wesley’s career as ‘crazy’.

“Blokes was awful before his horror injury, and as a result of that he’s even worse now”

Credit: @CarlReevesAVFC

“This is what happens when you have teams who play the way Burnley do. It continues to be an absolute disgrace that he wasn’t punished for that “tackle”.”

Credit: @BillBones84

“Such a shame what happened to Wesley. Crazy how an injury can completely derail everything. Mind you surely worth keeping around as a 3rd choice striker for the season?”

Credit: @Benjmeister85

“Best thing for all concerned I think. Ben Mee ruined this guys career and didn’t even get a yellow card”

Credit: @coleman83avfc

“I’m surprised anybody is prepared to take that gamble. Since he came back from that injury he looks like he can barely run”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Credit: @DavidSmithAVFC

“It was an awful injury – and one that was recklessly inflicted – it will take a long time to recover from it – if he ever recovers. My loathing of Burnley and their thuggish ways is incapable of increasing.”

Credit: @Son_Lyme

In other news: Gerrard desperate to bring 19 y/o sensation to Villa; his last goal was watched 350k times.