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Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo is back in training ahead of the visit of Aston Villa, reliable journalist Tim Spiers has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing for key period

The Portuguese ace has been an undisputed key man for the Wanderers this season, having started 23 times in a largely positive Premier League campaign.

Semedo picked up a hamstring injury at the end of February and hasn’t played since, however, acting as a blow to Bruno Lage during an important period.

It now looks as though the right-back’s return to action is on the horizon, though, as Wolves prepare to host Villa on Saturday afternoon.

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The Latest: Spiers makes positive claim

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers confirmed in a simple four-word verdict that Semedo is back in the fold:

“Semedo back in training.”

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The Verdict: Big boost for Wolves

Semedo has been a strong performer for Wolves, being hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Spiers himself in the past, so this news is an undoubted positive.

Jonny has been filling in at right-back in his teammate’s absence but he isn’t as natural in that role as he is on the left-hand side, while youngster Ki-Jana Hoever remains a work in progress.

Semedo’s return in the coming weeks should provide Wolves with an extra attacking threat – he has averaged 1.5 dribbles per game in the league this season – as they look to secure European football of some kind at Molineux next season.

In other news, a transfer expert has dropped a key Wolves claim. Read more here.

An encouraging update has emerged on the future of Robin Koch at Leeds United this week…

What’s the word?

Ahead of the winter World Cup later this year, reports have surfaced linking the versatile German defender with a move away from Elland Road as hasn’t been afforded the game time he would’ve liked this season, though that has largely been due to injuries.

Football Insider claim the Yorkshire giants will listen to offers for the 25-year-old in the summer as they plot an overhaul of the squad.

However, according to the ever-reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, he’s heard nothing to suggest that this could be the case – speaking on a recent episode of his podcast show, he said:

“I’ve always liked Koch’s game, I think that there’s a very, very good player there he’s just a player who hasn’t been fit enough and hasn’t been in the team enough.

“I’ve heard nothing from Leeds to say that they would look at moving him on in the summer, but I did see the reports earlier this week. As with quite a few players, it’s going to be quite interesting, isn’t it this window.”

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Marsch boost

Indeed, Koch has been restricted to only 12 league starts throughout 2021/22 but he missed the bulk of the start of the season with a hip injury before picking up an illness and then a concussion.

He did feature from the off during Saturday’s 3-0 win over relegation rivals Watford as he was a surprise inclusion over Adam Forshaw, featuring in defensive midfield with skipper Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente in the backline.

It is clear, however, that Marsch does like the German international as he was selected over the likes of Pascal Struijk, the returning Leo Hjelde, Charlie Cresswell and even Kalvin Phillips down at Vicarage Road.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who has been likened to Javi Martinez, cost the Whites around £13m in the summer of 2020 and could prove to be a solid option under the American head coach going forward due to his ball-playing ability.

Once dubbed a “warrior” by his former Freiburg coach Christian Streich, the eight-time Germany international made 86.2% of his passes last season, where he enjoyed more minutes on the pitch.

Leeds could well lose several big stars this off-season with the likes of Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison all linked with exits, so to lose Koch on top of that would certainly be a blow, irrespective of how little he’s played in comparison to that quartet.

Hay’s comments surely put an end to rumours that Leeds could lose out on another key player heading into next season. Marsch needs to keep hold of everyone he can, so this good news will surely provide him with plenty of encouragement ahead of a busy summer.

AND in other news, Hay drops Brenden Aaronson transfer update…

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According to The Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa’s January window is far from over and the Midlands club will look to bring in three new faces before the end of the month. Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden is a target, while Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings are also on the radar – the latter duo could transform the Villans defence if Dean Smith can get them in.

On the chalkboard

The Birmingham Mail reports that the trio, who are all being targeted with the aim of establishing defensive security at Villa Park, will be moving to the Midlands if Smith gets his way, with Birkir Bjarnason also being allowed to leave should a suitable offer come in.

Villa lost out to Bournemouth in the battle for Brentford centre-back Chris Mepham’s signature earlier this month – the Welshman opted for the Cherries instead – but have identified other targets as they look to plug a defence that has leaked 46 goals already this campaign.

If they can get Mings and Cahill in, we could be seeing a completely new look come February and the Villans may finally start racking up the clean sheets.

How do they change the defence?

Villa have been lacking a leader in the backline since John Terry retired at the end of last season having guided them to a play-off final – the Chelsea legend’s presence has been sorely missed at the heart of defence – but the signing of old friend Cahill would help regiment the team immediately.

The 33-year-old might not fit the bill at Stamford Bridge, most likely due to a lack of technical ability, but he is arguably the best defender in the ranks in terms of clearing his lines and getting his body in the way – Villa simply need to do both of those more often and it’s clear to see how he would make a huge impact.

Mings, meanwhile, gives Smith the interesting option of switching to a five-at-the-back formation – the 6-foot-5 defender can play at both left-back and centre-back – and doing so could mean the ball hits the back of the Villa net much less frequently.

If Villa want to push for promotion via the coveted play-off spots, they need to sharpen up at the back – Tammy Abraham can’t fire them to glory if they let in as many goals at the other end – and maybe straying away from the 4-2-3-1 in favour of a 5-4-1, for instance, is the way forward.

However, this only seems possible if Cahill and Mings, in particular, are brought on board; the clock is ticking at Villa Park.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video above…

It’s fair to say that the purchase of midfielder Morgan Sanson from Marseille hasn’t gone to plan for Aston Villa.

The West Midlands outfit signed the 27-year-old Frenchman for £16m last January, but are yet to see any justification for the purchase 14 months later.

Having been bought by former manager Dean Smith, Sanson has been offered limited minutes under current boss Steven Gerrard, with the midfielder starting just two Premier League matches under the Englishman this campaign.

A lack of game time also meant that the 27-year-old was made available for the U23s’, playing in the EFL Trophy win over Wycombe Wanderers, in which the Frenchman registered an assist.

However, the former Marseille maestro has made just 19 first-team appearances for the Villans and is yet to record a goal contribution, which has therefore seen his market value start to decline.

When Villa signed Sanson for £16m, the fee appeared to be somewhat of a bargain with the midfielder valued at the time at £18m by Transfermarkt.

Since being at Villa Park though, the Frenchman’s market value has progressively declined, with the 27-year-old now worth £12.6m.

With the midfielder’s contract set to expire in 2025, Gerrard and the Villa hierarchy will have a decision to make this summer, cut their losses or give the Frenchman another opportunity to showcase his talents and justify his price tag.

Based on the evidence of how the first 14 months of his Villa career have gone, Sanson is unlikely to turn things around, particularly after his constant “raging” in the Midlands.

Gerrard already has a decent number of options in midfield with John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz all having good seasons whilst young Carney Chukwuemeka is coming through and Marvelous Nakamaba could return from injury next month.

Moreover, the West Midlands outfit are expected to make another approach to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer after a January bid was rejected.

Simply put, it seems as though chances are only going to become more limited for Sanson.

The £47k-per-week Frenchman was linked with a return to his homeland this summer by French outlet Foot Mercato, with Ligue 1 outfit Nantes reportedly keen on adding the 27-year-old to their ranks.

Aston Villa have nine games left this season and will be keen to secure their first top-half finish in 11 years with Gerrard’s side currently sat in ninth.

How many of those matches Sanson will play in is unknown, however, it almost certainly feels like this final spell of games will be the Frenchman’s last chance to make an impact at Villa Park with Johan Lange ready to wield the axe on his Villa career.

In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard must now unleash Villa maestro who “can do anything”

Manchester United correspondent Jamie Jackson has pinned the blame on the ‘ponderous’ Nemanja Matic for Everton’s goal in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat. 

The lowdown

United suffered a shock loss against the relegation-threatened Toffees following Anthony Gordon’s 27th-minute strike.

The result leaves them three points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, having played a game more than Antonio Conte’s side.

Ralf Rangnick elected to restore Matic to the starting line-up after naming him amongst the substitutes last time out against Leicester City.

The manager paired the 33-year-old Serbian with Fred in his two-man midfield.

But Matic was dispossessed by Everton midfielder Allan in the attacking half, and The Toffees proceeded to launch the attack that led to Gordon’s goal.

The latest

Jackson, who covers United for The Guardian, felt Matic had been punished for dwelling on the ball.

“All from Matic, more ponderous than a pond,” he tweeted after the goal.

The verdict

It was a difficult 65 minutes for Matic at Goodison Park before Juan Mata replaced him.

He lost three of the four ground duels he contested and also conceded possession 14 times overall (via SofaScore).

Of all the United players on the pitch, only Marcus Rashford (seven) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (four) came off second best in more ground duels than the midfielder.

You could argue, however, that he wasn’t solely to blame the goal that Everton scored.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Adam Crafton suggested that Harry Maguire’s attempt to block the shot was ‘really bad’, with the ball cannoning off the Englishman and beyond David de Gea.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped this manager insight.

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a fresh setback in their bid to bring John Souttar to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, which relayed a claim made by Hearts manager Robbie Neilson stating that it would take a “crazy bid” for his club to part ways with the centre-back this month.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side recently won the race to sign the 25-year-old on a pre-contract deal, beating the likes of Sheffield United and Blackburn to the defender’s signature for a free transfer at the end of the season, although it is reported that Ross Wilson is now weighing up an offer to bring the Scotland international to Glasgow in the current window.

However, in a recent statement, Hearts backed up their manager’s claim that they are firmly against letting Souttar leave Tynecastle in January, with the club announcing: “The club reiterates that John is an important member of the squad and will remain so until the end of the season unless a significant and satisfactory offer is made during the January transfer window.”

Van Bronckhorst will be fuming

Considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Hearts so far this season, in addition to the fact that Van Bronckhorst is currently experiencing issues in the heart of his defence – with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander out injured and Connor Goldson being free to discuss a move away from the club – the news that the Jam Tarts look set to play hardball over sanctioning the 25-year-old’s departure this month with have left the Dutchman fuming.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £900k-rated defender has been in remarkable form, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring three goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The £3.1k-per-week centre-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 4.4 clearances and 44.9 passes and winning 71% of his duels per match.

These returns have seen the Scotland defender average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.43, not only ranking him as Neilson’s best performer in the league, but also as the fifth-best player in the entire division.

As such, it is clear to see that bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month would undoubtedly provide Rangers’ chances of going on to secure a second Premiership title in two years with a considerable boost.

However, following the latest update from Tynecastle, it would appear as if Wilson has a lot of work to do if he is to get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old in the current window, while missing out on the centre-back in January would certainly come as a blow to Van Bronckhorst and his side.

In other news – Negotiations ongoing: Report delivers huge update on Rangers dud which will delight fans

Roberto Firmino may consider leaving Liverpool this summer due to Sadio Mane’s shift into the middle, says former top flight manager Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Firmino down the pecking order

The Brazilian has become an undisputed Reds legend since joining from Hoffenheim back in 2015, winning the Premier League and Champions League, not to mention leading the line superbly.

Firmino finds himself down the attacking pecking order these days, however, with Mohamed Salah, Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota all arguably seen as stronger options by Jurgen Klopp, especially since Mane moved to a central role after Diaz’s arrival in January.

The 30-year-old’s current Liverpool deal runs out at the end of next season and the idea of him leaving this summer hasn’t been completely ruled out.

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The Latest: Pundit casts doubt over future

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish admitted that he could see Firmino moving on due to the shift Klopp has made in recent weeks with Mane, moving Firmino further down the striker pecking order.

Ultimately, he says, the decision will be up to the player himself:

“I think he’s still making an impact. You see him in games coming on and getting a couple of goals and assists. He’s still, I think, very integral to their success this season.

“Like everybody else, he will want to maybe play more football at the end. Who knows, maybe it suits him, the way it is just now. One thing’s for sure, Liverpool are a great club and will do the right thing by their players.

“They will do whatever Firmino wants to do, I would think. Maybe keep him on and keep doing his cameo. Or does the guy want to play more football? I think that would be in Firmino’s hands.”

The Verdict: Don’t leave, Bobby

While it would be understandable if Firmino decided to enjoy a fresh challenge this summer, the hope with the vast majority of Liverpool fans is that he stays put.

At 30, he still has a huge amount to offer, even if his best days are behind him, and he is a perfect foil for different styles of players around him in attack. If he is content being a squad player, the matter should be settled immediately.

Firmino isn’t a player who is reliant on pace, which further highlights why he can be a force for years to come, and the idea of such a popular player leaving doesn’t bear thinking about.

In other news, an exciting Liverpool transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope and Simon Jones, the Magpies are discussing a potential deal to sign the forward before the end of the current window.

His contract at the Camp Nou expires in the summer and the Toon could snap him up now to hand Barcelona the chance to cash in on him before it is too late.

Shades of Ben Arfa & Ronaldo

Newcastle could find Hatem Ben Arfa 2.0 in Dembele as they are both players who love to dribble with the ball and take defenders out of the game with their fancy footwork and tricks.

The ex-Magpies attacker, who currently plays for Lille, has a career average of 4.1 key passes and dribbles per game and this shows his willingness to cause chaos in the final third with his dribbling and passing.

Dembele, meanwhile, has a career average of 4.0 in the same statistics. This shows that they have a similar play style and both produce moments of magic in matches for the fans to enjoy. Thus, the Newcastle supporters would surely love to see another left-footed Frenchman dribbling past players in the Premier League, even if they already have the right-footed Allan Saint-Maximin to enjoy.

Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre once compared him to a young version of a current Premier League attacker. He said: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

Barcelona legend and current PSG forward Lionel Messi also previously praised the winger, saying:

“On the pitch (Dembele) is a phenomenon and it depends on him (how good he becomes). He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best.

“On the other hand, he’s a young guy who is adapting to the city and the club. The less you speak about it, the better. It’s necessary to leave him so he can be calm.”

The £27m-rated gem has 31 goals and 23 assists in 129 matches for Barcelona, showing that he is capable of delivering in the final third at the top level. Couple this with his Ben Arfa and Ronaldo-like ability to create chances and beat opposition defenders with trickery and you have the makings of what could be an excellent signing for Newcastle.

AND in other news, Howe could find his own “Vidic” as NUFC plot move for £32m “extraordinary” colossus…

Newcastle United are one of the clubs interested in Fenerbache centre-back Attila Szalai, according to Sky Sports News. 

The lowdown

With less than two weeks remaining in the January transfer window, the Magpies are in the market for a central defender. Newcastle have conceded 43 goals in their 20 Premier League matches so far – an average of 2.15 per game – and their record for expected goals against is the worst in the division.

They had hoped to sign Sven Botman from Lille, but encountered so much resistance from the reigning French champions that they opted to move on to other targets.

Szalai was at the centre of a bizarre episode last month when Hungary manager Marco Rossi declared that a move to Chelsea was a ‘done deal’, only for no transfer to materialise.

The latest

According to Sky Sports News, Newcastle are rivalling fellow Premier League club West Ham United and Serie A giants AC Milan in the race for Szalai’s signature.

The expectation is that he would cost somewhere ‘in the region’ of £16.7m.

The verdict

Szalai has been a regular in his first full season in Turkey following a move from Apollon Limassol a year ago, starting 17 out of a possible 21 Super Lig matches and four out of six Europa League group stage games.

His ‘progression’ in Istanbul has been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by football journalist Ben Bocsak, while he also played every minute for Hungary in their ‘Group of Death’ at last summer’s European Championship, taking on Portugal, France and Germany.

The defender was one of his country’s standout performers at the finals, leading the way for passes into the final third over any other player and also ranking highly for ball recoveries. That was enough to earn him a spot in Squawka’s under-23 team of the tournament.

This is all really encouraging for Newcastle fans as their club pursue a much-needed defensive reinforcement.

In other news, Newcastle could swoop for this Manchester United target

Leeds United, Everton and Newcastle could all sign Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley this summer, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Barkley’s struggles

Barkley has struggled for game time under Thomas Tuchel, starting just one Premier League fixture all season.

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Labelled as a ‘liability’ during his Aston Villa loan spell last year, the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation has dropped from £27m to £11.7m in the space of two-and-a-half years.

He’ll be entering the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract in the summer, and it looks as if a permanent cut-price exit could be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds links

90min shared a story on Monday, looking at possible midfield incomings and outgoings for Chelsea this summer.

Barkley was included in the report, with Leeds, Everton and Newcastle named as possible destinations for the 28-year-old in a cut-price deal.

The Verdict: A shock

Leeds and Barkley have previous after a failed loan move back in 2012/13 where he made just four appearances, so the news of a potential summer return does come as a surprise.

The attacking midfielder, on £100,000-a-week (no Leeds player makes more), has plenty of Premier League experience, however, you have to go back to 2016/17 for the last time he contributed to ten goals in a league season.

It would be a big risk signing Barkley following his lack of playing time this season and previous injury history, but it looks as if it could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: ‘Set to leave…’ – Journalist says Leeds midfielder will now quit Elland Road this summer.