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Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has been hailed by journalist Jacob Tanswell for having his ‘best’ performance for the club against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Important point

The Saints faced a very tough test travelling to Old Trafford on Sunday, but they did enough to secure what could be an important point, with the game finishing 0-0 after neither side were able to create a great deal of good opportunities.

Given that Casemiro was shown a red card in the first half, Southampton fans may have been hoping their side could snatch all three points, but on paper a point is still a very good result, and they now sit just two points from safety.

The Latest: Bazunu hailed

Taking to Twitter after the match, Tanswell praised the fine work from Bazunu to keep Man United at bay, saying:

“Rewatched Bazunu’s stop from Fernandes again. Stunning athleticism – best save & performance at #SaintsFC. Club were excited when got him ahead of Leicester, Benfica & others. Has perhaps played more & been exposed too much, but his character to bounce back shows great maturity.”

The Verdict: Fantastic display

Given that the young goalkeeper has been much-maligned for some of his performances this season, it was fantastic to see him put in a quality display in a particularly tough game.

The 21-year-old received a 8.2 Sofascore rating for his efforts, the highest of any player of the pitch, making three saves from inside the box to prevent United from scoring either of the two big chances that they created.

Southampton have two home games this week, coming up against Brentford on Wednesday before welcoming Tottenham Hotspur to St Mary’s on Saturday, and Ruben Selles will no doubt be hoping for similar performances from Bazunu.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke has described an injury to Aston Villa player Philippe Coutinho as ‘a blow for Unai Emery’.

The Lowdown: Muscle issue

The Brazilian has struggled under both Steven Gerrard and Emery this season, starting just seven Premier League fixtures. Coutinho got the nod against Arsenal last month however and ended his long wait for a goal or an assist by netting Villa’s second in the first half.

He was then missing for the win over Everton last time out, with Emery revealing the 30-year-old has a muscular injury and will be sidelined for a month.

The Latest: O’Rourke reacts

O’Rourke was talking to GiveMeSport where he gave his thoughts on the injury to Coutinho. He described it as a ‘blow’ for Emery and Coutinho, believing he was starting to improve with his display against Arsenal.

“It’s a blow for Unai Emery and Philippe Coutinho. He’s had a really difficult season at Villa Park this year, and it just looked like maybe he was starting to show some form with that performance and goal against Arsenal.

“Now to pick up this injury is a real frustration for him, and I’m sure it’ll be a frustration for Unai Emery as well.”

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The Verdict: Not ideal

As O’Rourke says, frustration will be the word to describe the news on Coutinho, who missed games earlier in the season with a hamstring problem.

Hailed as ‘quality’ by Gerrard, Coutinho showed last season he still has what it takes to star in England, contributing to eight goals in 19 games. That resulted in a move from Barcelona becoming permanent, but it just hasn’t clicked during the current campaign.

His long-term future in the Midlands could be in doubt as a result, with Christian Purslow expecting an extremely busy transfer window at Villa Park this summer when it comes to incomings and outgoing.

Coutinho has been Villa’s 17th-best player this season, as per WhoScored, averaging less than one key pass and dribble per match, so Villa and Emery may feel they aren’t getting their money’s worth, with Coutinho the third-highest earner at Villa Park.

West Ham United could move for a Premier League midfielder this summer as they look destined to lose Declan Rice at the end of the current season.

What’s the latest on Scott McTominay to West Ham?

According to Football Insider, West Ham could make a move for McTominay this summer after Manchester United revealed they are prepared to listen to offers for the midfielder.

The Old Trafford side believes they could get £25m for the 26-year-old and with David Moyes preparing for life after Rice, a summer swoop for the Scot could potentially be on the cards.

The Englishman has admitted he wants to play Champions League football and with the Hammers looking for in excess of £100m for their prized asset, they will have plenty of funds to lure McTominay to London.

Would signing McTominay be the end for Rice at West Ham?

The United player has been a one-club man for his entire career, just like Rice, yet he hasn’t enjoyed the finest of seasons under Erik ten Hag this term.

The midfielder has played 25 times this term, yet completed 90 minutes in just eight matches and he could well see this campaign as his last at the Red Devils.

Having played 195 matches for United, scoring 18 goals, it looks like a fresh start is what’s needed, and Moyes could potentially land a player who has yet to hit his peak years.

McTominay enjoyed his finest football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, especially during the 2020/21 season where he averaged a rating of 7.08/10 across 32 Premier League appearances, ranking him as the fifth-best player in United’s squad that term.

He scored four goals, created three big chances, and made 0.5 key passes as he displayed his attacking talents while also averaging 53.1 touches per match, showing extreme confidence in his ability to dictate possession.

By winning 59% of his total duels and making 1.6 tackles and 1.3 clearances per match, it was arguably his defensive skills that were most of use to United, screening the back four with his ability and physical presence.

Indeed, he was even dubbed a “physical monster” by Solskjaer following a match against Manchester City and despite recent seasons not quite living up to expectations, if Moyes could return him to that kind of form, he will be an excellent addition, even if it may well mean the end for their captain’s time in the east of London.

With proven Premier League experience, however, McTominay would be the logical replacement for Rice should he depart the club this summer and for a £25m fee, it would be a bargain.

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Sander Berge to St. James’ Park on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), who revealed in a live update on Tuesday morning that the Sheffield United central midfielder remains a target of Eddie Howe heading into the final hours of the January transfer window.

This claim comes despite it being reported on Monday that Fulham looked to be closing in on a £20m deal for the Norway international, with it appearing as if the Magpies have now hijacked the Cottagers’ swoop for the 24-year-old.

Regarding Newcastle’s interest in Berge, presenter Bela Shah said: “Newcastle a considering a late swoop for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge after Jonjo Shelvey completed his medical at Nottingham Forest.”

Gallagher alternative

With it being reported that Newcastle could be priced out of a £50m move for Conor Gallagher – with Chelsea appearing adamant not to strengthen a direct rival for a top-four finish in the league – the argument that Berge would represent something of a dream alternative to the England international is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship appearances so far this season, the £14m-rated talent has been in sensational form going forwards, having already scored four goals, registered three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles – at a success rate of 55% – per game.

The £33k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, enjoying an average of 49.3 touches, playing 1.1 long balls and completing 27.7 total passes – at a success rate of 79% – per match, as well as making an average of 1.2 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and winning 4.0 duels – at a success rate of 48% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the 24-year-old – who Scouted Football claimed would “fit well at most European-level clubs across the top five leagues” – average an extremely impressive Sofascore statistical rating of 6.98, ranking him as the Blades’ seventh-best performer in the league – playing a key role in his side’s charge for automatic promotion this season.

Furthermore, the aforementioned Scouted Football quite clearly believe that Berge more than has the ability to play his football at the very highest level of the European game, with the media outlet tweeting of the Norwegian:

“Does your club need a physically-dominant deep-lying midfielder that can cover space quickly and break up play, receive and release the ball efficiently, and help move possession forward with good passing and bulldozer-like ball-carrying? If so, Sander Berge is your guy.”

As such, considering his remarkable returns for United this season, coupled with his scope for future development further down the line, it would indeed appear as if Berge would represent something of a dream alternative to Gallagher for the Magpies – especially considering he looks to be available for around £30m less than the Englishman.

An update has emerged on Chelsea and their efforts to improve their squad before the end of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Evening Standard, the Blues are now tracking Sporting CP right-back Pedro Porro as they weigh up potential additions in that area of the pitch.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the gem and have already seen several offers turned down for the defender, including a bid that included central defender Davinson Sanchez in part exchange.

Porro has a release clause in his Sporting contract, which stands at €45m (£40m), and it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea are willing to match it in order to win the race for his signature.

Reece James alternative

Chelsea manager Graham Potter could land a dream alternative to first-choice right-back Reece James by beating Tottenham to the signing of Porro this month.

The current Blues defender has only started seven Premier League matches this season but caught the eye with his superb attacking play from full-back last term with five goals and nine assists, whilst creating 1.8 chances per outing.

Whereas, Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevor Chalobah, who have deputised at wing-back between them in James’ absence, have both failed to register a single goal or assist in 21 Premier League starts between them in 2022/23.

This suggests that Chelsea do not have a right wing-back who can offer a similar level of attacking quality when the first-choice in that position is unavailable, which lowers the team’s potential in the final third when they are without the England international.

Porro, who was once hailed as “impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting, has been in fine form in Portugal with Sporting and his statistics indicate that the dynamo could be a dream alternative to James.

In the Liga Portugal this season, the 23-year-old has scored two goals and provided six assists, whilst creating 2.4 chances per match, in 12 starts.

Last term, the Spaniard created a whopping 11 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and made 2.0 key passes per game across 23 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight.

These statistics show that the defender is adept at bursting forward to consistently create good opportunities for his side, which makes him similar to James as the Chelsea man has proven himself to be an attacking threat for the Blues in the Premier League.

Therefore, Porro could be a dream alternative option in that position if he is able to adapt to playing in English football, which is why he could be an excellent signing for Potter to make.

West Ham United are keeping tabs on Marseille striker Bamba Dieng for a January transfer, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s scoring issues

West Ham have only managed to score 15 goals in the Premier League this season, the joint-third lowest amount of any side, and this is largely to blame for their poor season so far, given that they have the joint-seventh best defensive record, conceding only 24.

While it will be a relief for David Moyes that Gianluca Scamacca managed to score his first goal since October in the 2-2 draw against Leeds United last time out, the manager could still do with some more firepower in attack, and Dieng could now be an option.

The Latest: Dieng being considered

According to a report from 90min, the Hammers are keeping tabs on the striker for a potential move this month, however they will face competition, given that Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Everton are also weighing him up.

It is detailed that the Senegal international missed out on a move to both Leeds United and Nice in the summer due to medical concerns, but he has since recovered his fitness.

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The Verdict: Make it happen

Lauded as being an ‘explosive player with great potential’ by former manager Jorge Sampaoli, the 22-year-old would be a fantastic option for David Moyes in attack, who still has his best years ahead of him to develop even further.

While he has largely featured off the bench for Marseille this season, appearing for just 158 minutes in Ligue 1, the forward managed to get a World Cup goal to his name, scoring the third in his national side’s 3-1 victory against Qatar in the group stage.

A record of seven goals in 25 league outings last term is respectable, while over the past year the 5 foot 10 marksman has displayed his aptitude in laying on his teammates by registering 0.31 expected assisted goals per 90, making him a different sort of player to Scamacca, who has 0 assists to his name in the same timeframe.

Sky Sports reporter David Reed has shared Leeds United’s next transfer priority after signing Max Wober from RB Salzburg, teasing a swoop for summer target Bamba Dieng.

The Lowdown: First one in

Wober has become the club’s first signing of 2023 and will provide Jesse Marsch with another option at centre-back and left-back.

The 24-year-old has made the majority of his appearances this season as a left-back, contributing to seven goals in 16 games.  The Austrian has arrived at Elland Road in a deal worth around £10m and has signed a contract through to 2027.

The Latest: Reed’s comments

Talking on Sky Sports’ Good Morning Transfers show, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Reed cast doubt on the long-term future of Liam Cooper due to Wober’s arrival. He then said attack will be where the club will focus next, name-checking Dieng in the process.

“Interestingly, left-centre back, Liam Cooper the captain he’s the left-centre back there. What does that mean for his long-term future?”

“The obvious one when you talk about Leeds United, in terms of other areas they want to strengthen, as Southampton and a lot of clubs do, is a striker.

“Remember Bamba Dieng in the summer? It was on, it was off, it was on, it was off again. Don’t really know where he ended up? Well, he stayed at Marseille. Could they look to reignite that deal? Could they look somewhere else? But a striker is the main priority.”

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The Verdict: Unlikely?

Dieng had his chance to move to Elland Road in the summer but decided against travelling to England at the last minute in favour of a move to Nice, leaving Leeds scrambling to bring in teenager Wilfried Gnonto.

That transfer to Nice also failed to go through after the Senegal international, labelled a “super” player by French journalist Robin Bairner, failed a medical.

Therefore, you’d say that another attempt to sign the forward is unlikely after he let the Whites down last year, but never say never.

Rangers have been urged to take “whatever they can” for £51k-per-week Gers duo Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent by pundit Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Something in common

Morelos and Kent have had completely different seasons so far. The former has made almost all of his appearances from the bench, whilst the latter has been a consistent starter. 

The pair certainly have one thing in common though, with both of their contracts set to expire at the end of the season and neither finding the form of previous campaigns this term.

With time ticking down to receive any sort of fee for their services, former Celtic man McAvennie has a pretty simple solution – cash in as soon as possible. 

The Latest: McAvennie talks sense

The former Hoops striker has urged Rangers to cash in on their forwards in January whilst they still can.

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said: “They are not going to get any money for Morelos or Kent at the end of the season.

“It is a terrible indictment of Rangers why they have let it go that far. I am sure that is Ross Wilson.

“I would take whatever they can in January for the two of them. Take it and move on if they are not going to sign a new contract.“

The Verdict: Can’t disagree

McAvennie is, unfortunately, completely correct.  Firstly, a club of Rangers’ size should not be facing the possibility of losing two of their most valuable assets for free. 

But if the pair have declined new deals behind the scenes, they should be shipped on immediately so that the club can cash in whilst they still can – it won’t be the type of profit fans would hope for, but it should fund some January spending for Michael Beale.

Selling the duo also clears a big chunk off the wage bill, perhaps allowing Ross Wilson to shop for some free agents like Alex Kpakpe.

West Ham United have been backed to reignite their previous transfer interest in Nathaniel Phillips. 

The Lowdown: West Ham’s previous interest in Phillips

The Hammers were linked with a move for the Liverpool defender towards the end of 2021 but ultimately didn’t end up signing him.

The subsequent summer transfer window saw the east London club add some new defenders to their squad in the shape of Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri.

The London Stadium outfit have been touted to reignite their interest in the Reds centre-back and launch a move to sign him after a recent report from Calciomercato suggested that Liverpool have decided to put Phillips up for sale in January, along with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Latest: West Ham could go in for Phillips

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones stated his belief that West Ham might make their move for the 25-year-old in light of the ‘for sale’ signs apparently going up at Anfield.

He said: “The strongest interest I guess you could say would be West Ham and Nat Phillips. They’ve had a keen eye on him, they’ve had good reports on him and they considered going for him strongly in the summer window. So I can see that one coming around again.”

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The Verdict: Good fit for West Ham

Looking back to the 2020/21 Premier League season, Phillips – who Jurgen Klopp called a defensive “monster” – made 17 appearances for the Reds and ended the campaign having made more clearances (81) than any other player at the Merseyside club.

This highlights his defensive acumen and shows why the £65k-per-week centre-back would be a good fit at West Ham, given how they have the joint-third highest percentage for aerial duels won (53.2%) in the top flight this season.

David Moyes’ side have only kept three clean sheets in the league throughout the campaign, so even with their new defensive recruits who came in over the summer, adding a player like Phillips – who has experience of playing well in the Premier League – could be a smart move for the Irons.

A-League producer Sacha Pisani has told Newcastle United supporters to ‘get excited’ over Garang Kuol after sharing footage of a ‘ridiculous’ goal scored by the youngster.

The Lowdown: Coming to Newcastle in January

As per the Magpies’ official website, the Australian will sign in January after agreeing a move to St James’ Park from A-League side Central Coast Mariners.

The 18-year-old striker attracted interest from a number of high-profile clubs but opted to sign for Eddie Howe’s team, and the manager will be able to introduce him into the squad from January until the end of the season.

The Latest: ‘Ridiculous’ goal

Taking to Twitter on Sunday morning, Pisani shared footage of Kuol taking a fine touch in the penalty box before unleashing a venomous effort into the roof of the net, in a game where he scored twice for Central Coast Mariners in 41 minutes.

Pisani tweeted: “Seriously, Garang Kuol. He’s beyond words now. 41 minutes on the pitch and a brace, including this ridiculous goal – that touch and finish. Get excited Newcastle fans!”

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The Verdict: What a coup

Kuol looks a great coup for Newcastle as they look to bring in the best young talent across the globe to grow with them in their long-term project under PIF.

He had managed four goals and three assists in 14 other senior appearances for Central Coast Mariners before his brace, and he has recently been rewarded for his impressive performances by being picked in the Australia squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

It is scary to think that Kuol is just 18 years of age, so the Magpies appear to have got a real gem on their hands.