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Former West Bromwich Albion striker Kevin Campbell believes that Trevoh Chalobah would be a good signing for the Championship club amid reports that he could join the Baggies.

The Lowdown: West Brom get busy ahead of 2021/22

Moving into 2021/22, Valerien Ismael will be desperate to bring in high-profile signings to boost his side in their promotion push following Premier League relegation two months ago.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the West Midlands club have acquired the services of former Barnsley captain Alex Mowatt on a three-year-contract [BBC].

They are now in the hunt for another potential summer recruit in Chalobah [Football Insider], and Campbell has offered his take on the nature of this scenario.

The Latest: Campbell backs ‘great’ Chalobah to sign

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the 51-year-old stated: “I think he’d be good signing for West Brom.

“Let’s be honest, Trevoh doesn’t want to come back to Chelsea and not be playing games. He would rather go out on loan and play football.

“He did a great job at FC Lorient last season and now perhaps he wants a different challenge.

“Remember he has played in the Championship before so he knows what it’s all about. I think he would be a smart signing.”

The Verdict: Chalobah would be an ideal signing for West Brom

Campbell correctly indicated the need for the Sierra Leone-born centre-back to play regular football at a critical stage of his development, something he is unlikely to attain at Chelsea.

In 2020/21, Chalobah enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Ligue 1 side Lorient, registering four goal contributions in 30 appearances with two goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

He has also demonstrated quality within his capacity to prevent dangerous attacking situations. He managed 2.4 interceptions per match during his loan spell in France last term [WhoScored], a better average than anyone who played for West Brom in 2020/21 [WhoScored].

At 22, the defender still has many years ahead of him to develop into an established top-level player. He could be afforded that opportunity at The Hawthorns and, with 79 previous Championship appearances to his name, it seems that he would be an ideal addition for West Brom heading into the forthcoming campaign.

In other news, these West Brom fans react to an update on one Baggies player.

Celtic and West Ham United have both been linked with a move for Northern Ireland defender Paddy McNair, The Northern Echo report.  

The Lowdown: McNair profiled

McNair is 26 years of age and is primarily a centre-back who can also turn out as a holding midfielder. A 49-cap international, McNair has been with Championship side Middlesbrough since 2018, making 133 appearances for the club.

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He appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £5.4m and has contributed to five Championship goals this season.

Celtic are after three Japanese January signings in Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda, while they are also expected to make Jota’s loan permeant. Football Scotland believes that could be all of their January business, but it seems as if the Hoops may have room to swoop for McNair as well.

The Latest: Hoops keen

The Northern Echo shared a story on Wednesday regarding McNair and his future ahead of the January window.

They claimed that both the Hoops and the Hammers are monitoring his situation at The Riverside, with Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder keen to keep hold of McNair in the New Year.

The Verdict: Avoid?

Ange Postecoglou already has plenty of centre-backs on the books at this moment in time, so a move for McNair doesn’t appear to be desperately needed.

Christopher Jullien will be Postecoglou’s sixth option at the back when he returns from injury, and the Hoops boss also has a number of defensive and central midfield options, especially with Hatate and Ideguchi on the radar.

McNair was also pictured wearing a Rangers scarf outside Ibrox back in 2019, so his name may not exactly be a popular one with Celtic supporters, so it could be wise to allow West Ham to win the race for his services.

In other news: ‘Could be a long time’ – Devlin shares worrying injury update on Celtic ace after bone ‘break’. 

Nottingham Forest have a potential plan in mind if they cannot stop Joe Worrall from departing this summer.

What’s the news?

According to Claret and Hugh, Forest boss Steve Cooper has scouted West Ham’s Emmanuel Longelo on “several occasions” and he could be used as a “makeweight” in a deal that would see centre-back Worrall head the other way.

The report also claimed that the East Midlands club had a “ridiculously low” bid for the 21-year-old rejected back in January, but the Championship outfit remain keen on bringing him to the City Ground.

Time to replace Colback

Jack Colback has been filling in for Nottingham Forest at left-back, with Max Lowe currently out with a groin injury, and unlikely to return until late April.

The 32-year-old Sunderland youth academy graduate has earned praise for stepping in for the ex-Derby prospect, living up to the “bulldog” comparison made by teammate Phillip Zinckernagel earlier on in the season, averaging a 6.89 match rating according to SofaScore, in the second tier – playing in an unfamiliar position.

However, he may not have to fill in on the left side of defence for much longer, as the club eye up a transfer for Longelo.

Valued at £135k by Transfermarkt, the youngster could potentially prove to be excellent value for money – particularly if he is included as a sweetener in the Worrall deal.

A rapid full-back who loves to attack, in many ways he is similar to fan-favourite loaned-in Djed Spence – just operating on the opposite flank.

Described as “very impressive” by London Evening Standard journalist Jack Rosser, Longelo has made 14 Premier League 2 appearances this season, grabbing three assists and earning a start in the Hammers’ 1-0 home loss in the Europa League to Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.

Having also been named as one of three players set for breakthrough years at West Ham by the Evening Standard in late December, alongside Sonny Perkins and Ben Johnson, it’s clear that the East London club rate him highly.

But, the promise of first-team football, even if Forest earn promotion to the top flight, could prove enough to persuade him to become a part of the Cooper project and East Midlands revolution.

In other news: Nottingham Forest plot bid for 23 y/o “real leader”, he’s an ideal Worrall replacement

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches as new manager Bruno Lage looks to bolster his engine room options.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Portugal (via BBC Sport), the Midlands outfit are the ‘most interested’ party in the highly-rated 24-year-old and are also reportedly in the best position to sign him.

Sanches was heavily linked with a summer move before an injury ended plans he had to depart the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but with the winter window fast approaching, an imminent exit could be on the cards.

He’d transform Wolves

The Portugal international has already experienced several highs and lows in his short career after bursting onto the scene with boyhood club Benfica after making his first-team debut back in 2015.

His impressive performances at club level saw Sanches make six appearances throughout his nation’s victorious run on their way to claim the trophy, resulting in him being named Young Player of the Tournament and winning the Golden Boy award.

A big-money move to Bayern Munich followed, but the youngster struggled to find his best form under the immense pressure that playing for the Bavarian giants brings.

Sanches then joined up with Swansea City for the 2017/18 campaign in an attempt to get his career back on track, yet things just went from bad to worse for the £47,000-per-week beast in south Wales.

He made just 12 Premier League appearances for the Swans before heading back to Munich, and many pundits, journalists and fans alike understandably questioned whether the box-to-box dynamo would ever fulfil his potential.

However, his second stint at the Allianz Arena was slightly more fruitful. Although he only scored two goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances, Sanches impressed several onlookers with his performances both in training and on the pitch.

Former Bayern boss Niko Kovac heaped praise on the midfielder by comparing him to German legend Lothar Matthaus, saying to ​Sky Sports: “Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body

“It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus. I’m delighted for Renato – I said yesterday that he was excellent in pre-season, and it wouldn’t be long before he plays.”

But he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot at Bayern, leading to his permanent exit in the summer of 2019. And it’s in Lille where Sanches has truly begun to resurrect his career.

As per WhoScored, the Portugal international completed 1.7 dribbles per league game last term and 0.8 key passes while recording a passing accuracy of 85.8%, highlighting his effective use of the ball as he played a pivotal part in Les Dogues first title victory in 10 years.

His exceptional passing range, dribbling ability and work rate would have the potential to transform Wolves’ options in the centre of the pitch, especially with Joao Moutinho now 35 years old.

It remains to be seen whether Fosun follow up their interest with a concrete offer, but Sanches certainly has the ability to take Lage’s charges to new heights.

And, in other news…Bruno Lage drops promising Wolves update which is sure to have fans buzzing

Eddie Howe must axe Allan Saint-Maximin after a poor showing against Wolves to free up space for several new recruits in the summer.

The Newcastle United star performed disappointingly against Bruno Lage’s side and it has led to discussions around whether now is the time to cash in and let him leave the club.

During that contest, he failed with all three of his dribbles, lost the ball a whopping 23 times and lost a mighty 15 duels. He can be “breathtaking” on his day in the words of Gary Neville but this was fine evidence of why he has the tendency to drive club legend, Alan Shearer, absolutely “mad.”

Also described as the “jewel in Newcastle’s crown” by their former player David Ginola, the Magpies would be looking to get at least £50m for the player who prior to the takeover was a key part in the club’s future.

However, the new owners have shown in January that they have money to spend and want to be in the market for Europe’s best players.

Selling Saint-Maximin would present them with an opportunity to reinvest the profit and put it towards signing a better player, and it would also free up space in the squad.

Even though he’s been involved in more Newcastle goals than any other players this season, if the Toon are serious about competing with the top teams then you have to compare him to the other Premier League players in his position.

The Frenchman ranks in the bottom 50% in Europe this season when it comes to goal creating actions compared to others in his position. It does beg the question, is he really the man to take Newcastle to where they want to be?

He’s proved he isn’t an awful player, and he may still be able to play a part if Newcastle becomes more successful, but if it’s as a squad player then his value will lessen which is why Newcastle should sell now.

One player they have been linked with is Jarrod Bowen. The West Ham United star has shone this season and as a result, has attracted interest from big clubs.

Comparing the two shows that the Englishman could be a perfect replacement for Saint-Maximin. He has better goals and assists average per 90 minutes at 0.35 compared to 0.18.

Newcastle could use the money generated from selling the £93k-per-week Saint-Maximin to buy Bowen and improve their side.

IN other news: Downie drops NUFC transfer claim involving “four or five players”, it’s great news – opinion

Celtic enjoyed a 2-0 win at Motherwell in the Premiership on Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Jota and David Turnbull.

However, not every player put in the kind of performance that they would have liked, and The Transfer Tavern have picked out the three worst Hoops players based purely on Sofascore statistics (players must feature for at least 45 minutes in order to be considered).

Joe Hart

Statistically, Hart was Celtic’s third worst player on the pitch.

This seems very harsh considering that he managed to keep a clean sheet in between the sticks. However, as a ‘keeper who likes to come out of his goal at times, emphasised by his one successful dribble and one ground duel won (Sofascore), he may have been disappointed to not play any key passes and only have 43 touches of the ball in total.

Sofascore decided to give him an overall rating of seven out of ten.

Liel Abada

Abada was the Celts’ second worst player with a 6.8 rating on Sofascore.

The Israel international lost out on two of his duels and also failed to record a single dribble, key pass or accurate cross, the latter from seven attempts (Sofascore).

Abada was also guilty of losing possession on 12 separate occasions throughout the match, and recorded just 40 touches of the ball in total, the second fewest out of any Bhoys player to have started the match (Sofascore).

Kyogo Furuhashi

Despite his heroics so far this season, Kyogo was statistically the worst player in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI at Fir Park, with a 6.6 overall rating.

The 26-year-old lost three duels and failed to record a shot on target, dribble or key pass during his 82 minutes on the pitch (Sofascore).

He also had a mere 16 touches of the ball, nine fewer than substitute Nir Bitton, who only featured for 17 minutes (Sofascore). That highlights how isolated the Japan international was up top at times.

In other news, find out who could be back for Celtic in the ‘next couple of weeks’

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a big injury boost ahead of their Championship fixture on Wednesday night.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by West London Sport, Mark Warburton revealed that he is “very optimistic” that Charlie Austin will be fit enough to play a part in QPR’s trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old has not featured for the Rs since his withdrawal midway through the second half of the club’s 1-1 draw with Millwall on the opening day of the Championship season, having taken a heavy knock to his knee.

However, it very much appears as if the centre-forward could well be back in action at the Riverside Stadium, with Warburton stating: “Charlie will be training [on Monday] and we’ll see how he goes.

“It was a whack on the knee, some bruising and it had to calm down. We’ll see how he is, but I’m very optimistic.”

Fans will be buzzing

While QPR demonstrated in their 3-0 win over Hull City last weekend that they do not have much of a problem finding the back of the net in the absence of Austin, the striker’s prospective return to first team action this week will nevertheless have the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man was in fantastic form over his 21 Championship appearances while on loan in west London last season, bagging eight goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.3 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week forward earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Warburton’s eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the return of the former Southampton hitman will undoubtedly provide the QPR manager’s chances of continuing his side’s impressive early-season form with a rather substantial boost, with the Rs boss – along with the club’s fans – undoubtedly hoping that Austin can bag a goal or two upon his potential return to action on Wednesday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast that will have QPR fans buzzing

Manchester United secured a crucial victory over Arsenal in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking his career goals tally up to 801.

The visitors took the lead in bizarre circumstances in the 13th minute when Emile Smith Rowe fired the ball home with goalkeeper David De Gea laid stricken on the floor injured.

It was Fred who trod on the Spanish shot-stopper’s ankle in the build-up to the visitor’s opening goal, but the midfielder made amends on the stroke of half-time, teeing up Bruno Fernandes for the equaliser.

Ronaldo then expertly finished from Marcus Rashford’s cutback shortly after the interval before the game swung back in Arsenal’s favour.

Martin Odegaard’s near-identical strike levelled things up once again until the five-time Ballon d’Or winner smashed a winning penalty down the middle of the goal after VAR advised referee Martin Atkinson to go to the pitchside monitor.

Despite Ronaldo’s brace, though, it was perhaps his compatriot Fernandes who stole the show in this entertaining midweek encounter, proving to be Michael Carrick’s final Old Trafford hero.

As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old received a match rating of 7.8 out of 10 for his impressive exploits, the second-highest total awarded amongst his teammates to feature on Thursday night.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Fernandes made a whopping four key passes to his grateful teammates, made two tackles, and picked out a colleague with two of his three attempted long balls, highlighting his influence over proceedings.

And 90min journalist Craig Vickers was equally as impressed, writing: “A couple of gorgeous lofted balls in behind the Arsenal defence, taking his goal well,” after awarding him a seven out of 10.

With winnable fixtures against the likes of Crystal Palace, Young Boys and Norwich City up next, new manager Ralf Rangnick will be hoping Fernandes can maintain this sort of form in the weeks ahead.

And, in other news…Rangnick must end MUFC’s striker search by signing “special” £45m “incredible talent”

A key Rangers transfer claim has been made ahead of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first window in charge of the Glasgow giants…

What’s the talk?

Retired Scotland international Frank McAvennie has claimed that he would ‘certainly expect’ the Gers to bolster their defence in the January transfer window.

The 62-year-old has pointed to their struggles against Martin Boyle, who scored a hat-trick in Hibernian’s 3-1 win over Rangers last weekend, as evidence as to why they need to dip into the market.

He told Football Insider: “I should think there will be deals.

“Martin Boyle is a very good player but if one player is running rings around your entire defence, you have a problem. The same quality hasn’t been there this season and sometimes the best way to amend that is with fresh blood.

“Maybe things have gone stale but look at the number of times they have conceded first this season.

“It’s a shocking drop off from last season. I don’t know if Van Bronckhorst will have taken the job if he wasn’t going to be backed. Let’s see what happens in January but I would certainly expect some movement to fix that defence out.”

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this claim from McAvennie as the team’s defence has faltered at times this season, so bringing in defensive reinforcements in January could delight those who want to see the backline improved.

So far this season, the Gers have only kept three clean sheets in their 13 Premiership matches. In the 2020/21 campaign, Steven Gerrard’s side managed 26 shutouts in 38 games on their way to the title, but the 41-year-old was unable to carry the impressive defensive record into the current season prior to his departure for Aston Villa earlier this month, with Van Bronckhorst tasked with improving that statistic.

The Dutchman also has to deal with Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson both being out of contract at the end of the season, although the former has an option to extend by a further 12 months. This means that Goldson could be on his way out the door next summer, so signing a replacement for him in January could be an ideal situation for the club and would surely please the fans.

Rangers could bring in a centre-back during the January transfer window to slowly take over from Goldson throughout the second half of the campaign. The former Brighton man could then leave next summer, with his replacement already in the door and accustomed to Van Bronckhorst’s tactics and his teammates.

AND in other news, Forget Morelos: “Special” Rangers beast with 91.6% duels won stole the show vs Sparta…

Tottenham Hotspur could make a move for Lautaro Martinez in this summer’s transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Spurs have an interest in the Inter Milan striker if Harry Kane were to depart North London before this month’s deadline.

The Lilywhites will have stiff competition from their arch-rivals Arsenal, who are exploring the opportunity to sign Martinez, with the Serie A outfit looking to sort out their financial problems.

Inter need to sell players this summer and the 23-year-old is someone who could garner plenty of funds, although it remains to be seen how much would tempt them into a sale.

Transfermarkt currently value him at a whopping £72m, whilst his wages are thought to be around €2.5m-per-year – around €52k-per-week (£45k-per-week).

Life after Kane?

If Spurs are trying to plan for life without the England talisman, then Martinez is a pretty outstanding contingency plan and one man who they should absolutely push to sign.

Kane’s future is in doubt right now, with fresh reports from the Telegraph suggesting that the 28-year-old will insist on joining Jack Grealish in a move to Manchester City.

The long-serving youth product has made no secret of his desire to add silverware to his glistening goalscoring record, and with Spurs’ barren run without a trophy stretching back to 2008, it’s no wonder he wants to leave now.

New sporting director Fabio Paratici will know first-hand the credentials of Martinez, who has excelled for Juventus’ rivals in recent seasons.

On Inter’s way to their first league title in 11 years, the 28-cap Argentina international provided 19 goals and 11 assists, averaging a direct contribution every 108 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

This is similar to the sort of importance that Kane carries in North London, having provided 54.4% of all their league goals scored last term, whilst he averages a goal or assist every 98 minutes throughout his whole Spurs career.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is a big fan of his fellow countryman as he once described him as “an impressive forward” to Mundo Deportivo, before adding: “He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player, and he is showing that. He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals, and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own. He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete.”

That final word is one you’d very much associate with Kane, as the Englishman offers so much more than just goals. He can drop back and find any player with his impressive range of passing, so the pair are in a similar mould.

If the 28-year-old does leave N17 in this window, then Spurs should absolutely launch a swoop for the Inter Milan sensation. He’d be a dream replacement, whatever the costs.

AND in other news, Nuno dealt huge Spurs blow as worrying transfer report emerges, fans will be furious…