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Granit Xhaka has become something of a scapegoat at Arsenal.

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The Switzerland international has been at the club since 2016 and was even appointed captain by Unai Emery earlier this season, but he is far from popular with the supporters. He was even booed during one match – which subsequently led to him losing the captaincy after shouting an expletive at the stands in response.

He has been linked with a move to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga particularly, but former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy believes he would be a “hell of a player” at Anfield if he made the switch. He said: “If Xhaka was in Liverpool’s side with [Jordan] Henderson and Fabinho he would look a hell of a player, because he is technically good, a good passer, has a great shot on him and he has the ability with his great left foot to open you up.”

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

That is a bold claim, and one plenty of the club’s supporters do not appear to agree with. They were quick to slate their ex-player for his views.

Harsh words, especially in regards to a man who made 249 appearances for the club, but it is easy to understand their shock at these comments. It is hard to really think of a time when the 27-year-old has ever looked like a Liverpool player, especially now that they lead the table by 13 points.

Others were quick to pick up on his attitude as a reason why it wouldn’t work.

There are certainly questions over his temperament. The £27m-valued man – as per Transfermarkt – has picked up 10 yellow cards in two out of three campaigns since joining the Gunners, and that incident with the fans – which also saw him take off his shirt and throw it on the floor – shows that he struggles to control it at times.

Either way, this is a question to which we will likely never know the answer – and you get the feeling the supporters of the Anfield outfit are happy to leave it that way.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are said to be planning a move for this £13.5m-valued youngster.

Everton’s reported January transfer target John Egan produced a less than convincing display despite Sheffield United recording a 1-0 win against West Ham United at Bramall Lane on Friday.

The Mirror said last month that Carlo Ancelotti was eyeing up a move for the centre-back during the January transfer window, as he looked to strengthen his defensive options.

Given the Italian only has Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina as senior options to pick from in that position, it is hardly a surprise that a new central defender could be on the agenda before the deadline on the 31st.

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Egan has an average WhoScored rating of 6.91 in his 21 Premier League appearances in 2019/20, but he was down to 6.06 against the Irons.

According to fellow stats-based website SofaScore, he made two errors that led to shots for David Moyes’ visitors, while he was also the player who headed the ball against Declan Rice’s hand in the build-up to the Hammers’ last-gasp disallowed equaliser.

In addition, the former Brentford man also committed three fouls, failed to make a single interception and was also only successful with 71% of his passes – 11% down on his average this term as per WhoScored.

Egan may be a player comfortable playing in a back three under Chris Wilder, but this performance should have only served to raise some concerns among the Everton board and Ancelotti about whether he would be a good addition for them – especially if the 60-year-old continues to play with a four-man defence like he did against Brighton.

The Italian said at the weekend that he feels that Holgate, Mina and Keane are at the same level, and you would surely expect that he would want a potential new central defender to be better than what he already has available.

Indeed, Holgate only became a starting XI regular at the end of October.

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Meanwhile, Keane especially has come under huge criticism from fans for some of his outings and doesn’t look particularly comfortable playing out from the back like Ancelotti wants him to, and Egan’s 71% passing accuracy against West Ham is hardly ideal as a comparison.

Perhaps Everton need to think twice before targeting a move for the 27-year-old this month.

In other Everton news, Alex Iwobi has provided a two-word Instagram update on his injury recovery…

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Wolverhampton Wanderers are ‘desperate’ to sign midfielder Jude Bellingham amidst interest across Europe and the Premier League.

What’s the word?

It is believed that the west Midlanders’ interest just won’t go away despite a lack of encouragement over any potential deal.

The 16-year-old has attracted the eyes of Manchester United as the Mirror claim they are set to offer £12.5m for him to try and tempt him away from his boyhood club, Birmingham City.

Speaking on Twitter, Nixon said:

Fosun, check

Bellingham’s breakthrough has been nothing short of impressive considering he doesn’t turn 17 until the end of the season – he has become a regular under Pep Clotet in the Championship, starting 17 of 23 matches, where he has bagged three goals and provided one assist, per Transfermarkt.

Wolves’ interest is no surprise considering the long-term ambition of the club’s owners, Chinese conglomerate Fosun, who want to start producing from within and breeding youngsters through their system.

There’s no doubt that signing a teenager with such massive potential as this would be the perfect move to meet such goals, especially as he could be part of Nuno Santo’s first-team set up from day one given his senior experience.

Blues teammate Dan Crowley has praised him in the past, and it’s fair to suggest that his midfield counterpart knows a thing or two about rising talents after coming through the academy system at Arsenal.

After Bellingham netted the winner against Charlton back in September, the 22-year-old said:

“He’s unbelievable, I can’t speak highly enough about Jude as a lad” before going on to compare him to Tottenham Hotspur ace Dele Alli: “I used to play with and against Dele Alli and he reminds me of Dele. Dele is quite tall, and so is Jude. Dele with the ball at his feet is really good. I’ve not seen a young lad who is so tall and big so good with his feet.”

Call yourself a Wolves expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Forget Morgan Gibbs-White, if Bellingham were to join, he could be the future at central midfield for Wolves, and at just £12.5m, he’d be a steal.

And in other news, Wolves’ chances of breaking into the top six lies solely in the hands of one man, and one man alone…

Phil Hay has spoken about Leeds United’s striker pursuit during a Q&A on The Athletic.

What did he say?

Leeds have been in need of another striker since Eddie Nketiah was recalled from his loan by Arsenal earlier in the January transfer window, leaving Patrick Bamford as their only real striker option.

The Englishman was slammed for his performance against Queens Park Rangers, which included a penalty miss during the 1-0 loss.

That performance will not have helped fans to maintain their patience as United look for another option, which was indicated by one of them asking Hay whether there are any updates on the pursuit of a frontman.

The Athletic journalist replied: “Still haven’t given up on Adams but they can’t stick that one out indefinitely. If it’s not happening it’s not happening – because something else has to.”

He then followed that up by stating: “Bielsa speaking now – saying no more news on signings yet.”

Vital business

Bamford had a total of six shots against QPR, with four of those going off target, while he also failed to complete any key passes or dribbles.

Despite those poor statistics, as well as the unconfident penalty kick that was saved by Liam Kelly, the 26-year-old completed the full 90 minutes.

It can be suggested that this shows how much Leeds need somebody to be brought in, as there was no alternative option for a player who was underperforming.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

In addition to the pursuit of Adams, Leeds had been looking into signing Andre Gray on loan, but it has been reported by Football Insider that the interest has ended after Watford demanded £2m was paid, as well as the entirety of his £80,000-a-week wages.

Whether it is either of these two names or someone else, it is imperative that Leeds sign a striker before the window comes to an end.

Meanwhile, one player could have an unhappy start to life at Leeds.

Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd reacted to a seemingly pointed goal celebration from Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths by claiming that the 29-year-old needs to improve the standard of his performances.

In the immediate aftermath of his goal against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, the Hoops forward ran in the direction of the TV studio where Boyd was sitting and made a ‘shush’ gesture (as per The Scottish Sun), which appeared to be in response to comments from the pundit last month. In early December, Boyd told Sky Sports [via The Scottish Sun] that Griffiths was “at a crossroads” and had four weeks to save his Celtic career, and he again took aim at the Hoops man following this week’s win at Rugby Park.

Speaking on Sky Sports [via The Scottish Sun], Boyd remarked: “He doesn’t need to prove to me. I’ll go by stats because you can’t argue with them. Brendan Rodgers was appointed manager in 2016 at Celtic Football Club and we heard the professionalism, the standard, the training levels went through the roof.

“I’m doing him a favour here, because I’ll only include league games… there’s been 135 league games played, Leigh Griffiths has played 34 of them. That suggests to me that you’re not doing it in the training field.”

Boyd added: “Never mind coming for us, go and do it yourself. Perform on the pitch, score goals and actually get back to the level that you should be playing at.”

Considering what Griffiths has endured off the pitch in recent months and the rate at which he has scored goals for Celtic this season, Boyd is wrong to condemn the 29-year-old so forcefully. The Hoops attacker took time out of football in 2019 due to a battle with depression (as per BBC), a topic about which the ex-Rangers striker ought to be very considerate given that his eponymous Kris Boyd Charity offers support to people with mental health issues.

That was a factor in Griffiths’ appearance figures being reduced last season, although Boyd has done the Celtic man a disservice with the numbers that he was quoted. Since Rodgers took over at Parkhead in the summer of 2016, the Hoops striker has played in 73 Premiership games and 117 appearances in all competitions, so the Sky Sports pundit is way off the mark with his “Leigh Griffiths has played 34 of them” assertion.

Boyd is also mistaken in having a go at Griffiths for apparently not performing for Celtic. His goal against Kilmarnock was his second in five days and his fifth in 683 minutes of game-time this season, an average of one goal every 136.6 minutes. While the 29-year-old might not have played a whole lot in 2019/20, that owes largely to Neil Lennon often starting with one centre-forward, usually Odsonne Edouard. The Frenchman’s 17-goal tally has been achieved in 2,692 minutes of action this term, with one goal scored every 158.35 minutes – so Griffiths actually has a better scoring rate than Edouard in terms of goals per minute and has been effective with the game-time he has been given.

With all those factors taken into account, Boyd’s stinging remarks about the Celtic striker are inaccurate, insensitive and misguided.

Celtic fans, what have you made of Boyd’s renewed criticism of Griffiths? Give us your opinion in the comments section below!

Sheffield Wednesday’s dire run of form in the Championship continued on Monday night as they suffered a fifth loss in six matches.

Garry Monk’s side succumbed to late defeat at Wigan Athletic after a point was snatched from their grasp in the 90th minute.

Loan winger Jacob Murphy handed the Owls the lead just after half an hour, but the Latics came from behind to steal all three points thanks to Kieffer Moore’s equaliser and Jamal Lowe’s well-timed headed winner.

In attack, Monk stuck with Sam Winnall and opted for a different partner next to him this time around – Atdhe Nuhiu.

But it is the 29-year-old that has come in for criticism from sections of the travelling support.

Here’s what they have had to say…

Winnall was described as a “disgrace” following the full-time whistle by one supporter who was in attendance whilst others said the striker would fall over his own shadow, calling him “weak” and that he was playing like he’s never seen a football before.

Another fan even labelled him “powderpuff” which surely backs up the above point that he isn’t strong enough to lead the line.

It has also led to more extreme claims with the former Barnsley man failing to score during the match…

A further fan said he was the worst striker at the club whilst one went a step more by saying he is the worst in the entire Championship.

Winnall has scored just once in 12 league games this campaign, and his overall record at Hillsborough is hardly inspiring either as he’s bagged only five goals in 41 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

The Owls forward was substituted in the second half for Jordan Rhodes leaving these two supporters pondering who was the better option before claiming they were both “League 1 level.”

Some supporters took a moment to look at the team as a whole – who should stay, or should go? Winnall was frequently mentioned throughout as a “gutless” squad member that needs to exit the club.

“Terrible” and “not good enough” were phrases used in the same light as Winnall’s name.

With top goalscorer Steven Fletcher out injured for the foreseeable future, Monk will have a race against the clock to find someone he can trust to fill the void – it’s clear based on this reaction that the 29-year-old will not be that man.

Calling all EFL experts: Can you get full marks on this stadiums quiz?

While in other news, this Sheffield Wednesday striker is reportedly free to leave the club before Friday’s deadline…

Before a ball had even been kicked in the encounter between Crystal Palace and Sheffield United last time out, we detailed why Jairo Riedewald deserved to keep his place in the starting XI despite Patrick van Aanholt’s return to training.

The former Chelsea and Sunderland left-back had been out with a hamstring injury for several weeks, enabling Riedewald to step in over the festive period and beyond, with good effect.

His first outing following injury to Van Aanholt came when he replaced the Dutchman against West Ham on Boxing Day, where the former Ajax man leapt in front of a Robert Snodgrass snot which looked destined for the net in the 87th minute – it appeared to prevent a goal, and then Jordan Ayew went on to net a winner in the 90th minute.

Excellent displays against Norwich and Arsenal ensued – both of which were met with praise by Crystal Palace supporters on Twitter – while the 23-year-old even won the club’s Player of the Month award for January.

So, after Roy Hodgson dropped the No.44 to the bench as soon as Van Aanholt returned ahead of the Sheffield United game, it left a sour feeling.

After all, Riedewald had been forced to wait for his chance. With no reported injury problems, he failed to make a single Premier League appearance last term, and almost joined SC Paderborn last summer.

So, when a chance arose, he did nothing but grab it with both hands – it was unjust of Hodgson to immediately remove him from the lineup upon Van Aanholt’s return.

What sort of message does that send out? One which says: “Thanks for your extreme patience and efforts, but you will never have a chance of becoming a first-team regular no matter how well you perform”?

Premier League experts will get full marks: The ultimate quiz on top flight transfer flops…

It was cruel of the former England manager, and may well have sent out a negative vibe to the rest of Crystal Palace’s fringe players as well.

In other news, this piece of transfer news is a testament to Dougie Freedman’s scouting ability…

Wolves boss Nuno Santo has provided an encouraging injury update over one of his key stars this week after concerns surfaced during their latest league outing.

What’s he said?

The west Midlanders played out the third game in a month against Manchester United as they drew 0-0 at Old Trafford.

During the first-half, Adama Traore’s shoulder popped out of place once again but managed to continue on after assistance from the club doctor, before suffering a leg injury that forced him to be substituted in the 76th minute.

Speaking after the game, Nuno somewhat allayed fears.

He said:

“I know he’s in a lot of pain. He dislocated his shoulder and Matt [Perry], the doctor, managed to put it back again.

“He had another kick in the end, so he’s on ice now. But I think it’s nothing serious.

“It happened before, Tottenham. He’s a strong boy. He’ll be OK, hopefully.”

Wolves boss Nuno Santo, post-game vs Man Utd.

Time to recover

Wolves now embark on the Premier League’s first winter break, which means they are without another fixture for the next two weeks – next up is Midlands rivals Leicester City on Valentine’s Day.

This gives the side a perfect opportunity to recharge their batteries, and above, recover from any outstanding injuries. So whatever Traore picked up against United will surely be fine to have him fit in time for their next outing.

Nuno is taking his side back to Marbella for warm-weather training, although it will be far from a holiday as it’s more of a training camp, as the Portuguese boss explained in a recent interview.

Someone’s got to own them: Who do these incredibly unwanted PL records belong to?

Traore’s breakthrough this campaign has been impressive, resulting in him being integral to the 3-4-3 system they deploy, with his 15 goal contributions in 36 matches a small mark on his impact so far.

No player in the top-flight can match his dribbling numbers with the 24-year-old averaging 5.5 per game, next best is Wilfried Zaha with 4.8 per game, via WhoScored.

And in other news, Wolves fans compare this forward to Eden Hazard following 0-0 draw with United…

Tottenham Hotspur have joined Sheffield United in the chase to sign Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, per Turkish Football.

What’s the word?

Spurs are said to have approached the Turkish club over a possible deal, as have their Premier League rivals and a number of Bundesliga sides.

The report states that both Spurs and the Blades made an enquiry when Damien Comolli was still the Sporting Director, before he left the club at the end of January.

Comolli, of course, worked with Spurs earlier in his career, beginning in 2005, helping the club sign the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric during his tenure at White Hart Lane, which ended in 2008.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Rapid growth

Bayindir has some impressive statistics at the age of 21.

That is practically an infant for a goalkeeper, but he is already playing regularly for Fener.

He has made 22 appearances in total for the club, having joined them from Ankaragucu in the summer, and has also been called up to the senior Turkey squad, sitting on the bench for the 2-0 win over Andorra in Euro 2020 qualifying.

This would be an investment in potential, then, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £5.4m.

Spurs do have Hugo Lloris as their current No.1, with Paulo Gazzaniga as his back-up; bringing in a youthful presence behind that pair would be a shrewd move, particularly if Bayindir can keep growing and improving at his current rate.

Meanwhile, Spurs have missed out on an absolute baller!

Sheffield Wednesday have been terrible recently.

There’s no nice way of putting it – the Owls have been atrocious – they’ve won just one of their previous 11 league games, and any thoughts of a playoff push must now seem like a distant memory.

However, the Yorkshire club may have just been handed a boost that could see them rediscover the form that saw them sitting third in the Championship after 23 games.

What’s the latest?

Steven Fletcher is on his way back.

Garry Monk spoke about the striker’s return to fitness in his pre-match press conference.

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“It is one real positive. He is back in training this week, so it is good. He looks good,” Monk said.

“We will make a decision on him. But he has come through his fitness (work) really well and done his rehabilitation brilliantly and has been back in training this week.

“It is only his first week, but he is a fit lad anyway. We will make a decision on him.

“I think he has to be (in consideration). I have not spoken to him yet and have let him get on with it, so I will speak to him later today or tomorrow morning in terms of how he feels.”

Huge boost

It’s no coincidence that Wednesday’s decline coincided with Fletcher’s spell on the sidelines.

The Scot is the Owls’ top scorer this season, netting 12 times, but that’s not all he contributes.

The Yorkshire club’s overall play is better with Fletcher on the pitch, they pick up 1.63 points per game when the former Sunderland man plays, compared to just 0.72 without him.

Monk has really missed the presence of his first-choice number nine, and once he’s back he could help the Hillsborough outfit have a strong end to the season.

If Fletcher returns with a bang on Saturday that could lift everyone at the club, and hopefully this piece of injury news will act as a catalyst for a rejuvenation from the Yorkshire outfit.

In other news, Wednesday fans have been discussing one man’s future.