The 2023/24 campaign has been brilliant so far for Unai Emery and Aston Villa, both domestically and in Europe.

After the Steven Gerrard debacle, the Villains needed a strong and steady hand in the dugout, and that’s exactly what they’ve got with Emery.

The Spaniard is believed to be methodical in his preparation and unforgiving in his worth ethic, and the results of that are clear for all to see.

Most players seem to have improved immeasurably since the Spaniard arrived, with Ollie Watkins in particular looking every inch the England striker under Emery’s guiding hand.

For all of the good work that is being done, however, there’s one player that appears to be suffering under the current management.

Leander Dendoncker certainly hasn’t helped himself this season either, fluffing his lines when given the opportunity to shine.

“It’s just not working out for him at Villa at the moment, which I’m a little bit confused about because Emery prefers playing Lenglet at centre-back, which is one avenue for Dendoncker playing in the team ruled out,” journalist, Neil Moxley, said about the £90k per week (Capology) ace to Give Me Sport.

“I don’t think he’s helping himself, and I think it was against Luton when he came on, and I think he gave the goal away. Now that may put question marks in Emery’s mind as to whether he has a long-term future at Villa.”

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With the January transfer window just around the corner, there’s a cogent argument that a move away for the player would actually suit all parties.

It isn’t clear how much the 28-year-old Belgian would fetch in the current climate, but the cost saving on wages alone would surely make such a scenario palatable for the Villains.

The post Pundit claims £90k-a-week Aston Villa man is suffering under Unai Emery appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It is uncertain if Mohamed Salah continues with Liverpool beyond the current campaign but if the Egyptian star leaves Anfield, Jurgen Klopp already has one replacement in mind.

The Liverpool winger is Saudi Arabia’s top target for the summer of 2024 after making initial enquiries during the last summer transfer window.

The 31-year-old’s contract at Anfield expires in 2025, therefore, in order to get the best deal from the Saudis, next summer would be the ideal time to sell Salah if he does not sign a new deal.

According to Todofichajes, Jurgen Klopp has Real Betis’ Assane Diao as a potential replacement for his main man next summer.

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The report states that Klopp has taken notice of Diao’s rapid rise at Real Betis as the winger has become a regular starter at the club at just 18 years old.

The Betis star has played 11 times in all competions this season, scoring four goals along the way.

Diao has a release clause in his current contract worth €30m, which runs until 2027. The winger is likely to stay at the La Liga club for some time given his age, but if Liverpool do come calling next summer, the Spanish outfit will have to accept their bid.

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Fulham have long been linked with Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy but it could be fellow Premier League outfit Newcastle that win the race for his signature.

Christian Falk notes that the Magpies ‘are on the table’ for the Guinean with a release clause of £15.2m.

“Serhou Guirassy is already aware that he can make a move in January as he has a release clause of €17.5m that can be activated at this time,” the head of football at BILD wrote in his exclusive column with CaughtOffside.

“VFB Stuttgart is still fighting for him, but it’s not a lot of money! Not much for the Premier League certainly.

“In the summer, we already mentioned about his opportunity to go to the UK amid interest from Fulham but he didn’t, as he wanted a better opportunity. I’m not sure Fulham is the right club.

“Newcastle United are on the table and might be a more attractive option as a Champions League club.

“We’ll have to see if he’s still playing for Stuttgart until the summer or if he capitalises on his release clause in the winter. It’s just a question of the offer and Newcastle would be a fine deal for Guirassy.”

The 27-year-old has been in impeccable form this term, registering 18 goal contributions (16 goals, two assists) in 10 games this term.

MORE: Exclusive: Man City transfer interest likely to be rebuffed as Liverpool gain upper hand

For such a low release clause, one might imagine there may be a few takers in the English top-flight alone come the opening of the January window.

With Newcastle low on firepower – owing to injuries to Alexander Isak (groin), Harvey Barnes (foot) and Callum Wilson (hamstring) – one might imagine Eddie Howe will feel inclined to strengthen his forward department when possible.

In a battle with Marco Silva’s Fulham, it appears likely that the top four hopefuls’ Champions League stats could issue them with the upper hand.

The post Newcastle ‘on the table’ for 16-goal Bundesliga whirlwind with £15m release clause appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle United and Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo.

The 20-year-old striker has been in fantastic form for Brazilian club Santos and he has 21 goals to his name in this calendar year. A report from the Brazilian version of GOAL claims that Santos could be willing to sanction the departure of the talented young striker for a fee of around €18 million plus bonuses.

Apparently, the striker’s representatives have already relayed the information to Newcastle and Real Madrid. It will be interesting to see if the clubs are willing to stump up the cash for the talented young striker.

It is no secret that Newcastle need to add more depth to their attacking unit and Leonardo could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition. He has the potential to develop into a key player for the Magpies and he could be the ideal long-term replacement for Wilson as well.

Newcastle currently have Wilson and Alexander Isak as their attacking options but both players are currently sidelined with injuries. Eddie Howe needs another reliable goalscorer in his squad and the 20-year-old would be a superb, long-term investment.

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Although he might not be ready to make an immediate impact in the Premier League, he has the attributes to thrive in English football and establish himself as a reliable performer in the Premier League.

The reported fee could look like a major bargain in the long run if the player manages to fulfil his tremendous potential. Newcastle certainly have the finances to get the deal done and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.

The post Player’s camp have informed Newcastle how much they need to pay for 21-goal ace in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

British Airways pilots are currently playing a role in the Premier League as they help referees hone the art of communicating under pressure during matches. 

The officials in England’s top flight have come under intense scrutiny this season as there have been several high-profile mistakes that have infuriated clubs and their fans.

The incident that infuriated most people was Luiz Diaz’s disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham in September, where the winger scored a perfectly good goal but it was chalked off as the officials couldn’t communicate effectively.

According to The Times, the Premier League have brought in British Airways pilots to help their officials hone the art of communicating under pressure.

? Premier League referees are being helped by British Airways pilots to hone the art of communicating under pressure. ????

(Source: @TimesSport) pic.twitter.com/1snlKz3SJw

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 23, 2023

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The standard of officiating has been dreadful this season in the Premier League and it seems that the decisions they make occupy most of the conversation after matches, which is not what makes the sport enjoyable to many.

Anything that will help them improve should be welcomed and this is a positive step towards referees making more consistent decisions under the high pressure they are under.

The post British Airways pilots will play a role in fixing major Premier League issue this season appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fulham are looking to improve their attacking options in the coming months and they could look to make a move for the Flamengo centre forward Pedro.

The 26-year-old has been a key player for Flamengo and he has 33 goals to his name this season. As per Jorge Nicola, the striker has a €60 million release clause in his contract and it remains to be seen whether Fulham can negotiate a more reasonable price for the Brazilian.

The opportunity to move to the Premier League could be an attractive proposition for the player and he is likely to be tempted if there is a concrete proposal from Fulham on the table.

Meanwhile, Flamengo will hope to recoup as much as possible for their key star and they could demand a premium for him.

Fulham need to improve their attacking options in order to finish the season strongly and the Brazilian could transform them in the final third. They have not been able to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic since the Serbian international’s departure at the start of the season.

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Pedro could be the ideal alternative to Mitrovic. He has proven himself in South America and he will be keen to test himself in the Premier League now. It would be a major step up in his career and an exciting opportunity.

If he manages to impress with Fulham, he might get the chance to play for a big club in the near future as well.

The post Fulham line up January move for 33-goal attacker who could cost €60 million appeared first on CaughtOffside.

With just a few weeks until the opening of the January transfer window, Arsenal custodian, Aaron Ramsdale, needs to find a backbone and give Mikel Arteta a taste of his own medicine.

The England international has been treated appallingly by his manager, with Arteta’s suggestion that David Raya was being brought in as competition rather than as the new number one, per the official Arsenal website, already shown to be an out and out lie.

The former Brentford stopper was obviously brought to the club with the clear intention of being their main man in goal and the sooner that Ramsdale understands that the better.

France 24 also noted Arteta’s words as he attempts to keep hold of Ramsdale beyond January.

“We will always try to do our best to help them, but this is a team sport that needs 24 players that have to fulfil a role. And the role that you have in August, it might be very different from the one you have in March,” he said.

“So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all and as well because the team has certain needs that have to be accomplished. And in order to do that you cannot do it with six, 10 or 14 players. It is impossible. So you need everyone and Aaron has a really important role in the team.”

No amount of guilt tripping should stop Ramsdale from essentially sticking two fingers up at Arteta and getting himself a No.1 position elsewhere in order that not only is he playing regular football again, but that he has a genuine chance to be part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.

‘Looking after number one’ has never been a more accurate phrase. Ramsdale owes Arsenal nothing and he certainly doesn’t owe Arteta anything either.

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It’s accepted that teams evolve and manager’s want different things, that’s always been part of football, but to go about things in such an underhand manner reflects incredibly badly on the club and its manager.

Ramsdale can do better than being a pawn in Arteta’s game.

The post Opinion: Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale needs to give Arteta a taste of his own medicine appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The 2022 January transfer window saw Ferran Torres depart Man City for Barcelona and the winger has revealed what former manager Pep Guardiola said to him before leaving the Premier League champions.

The Spanish star moved to Catalunya as part of a €55m deal having spent just two seasons with the Manchester club, in which he won the Premier League and EFL Cup.

When Barcelona came calling, Torres wanted the move and the 23-year-old has revealed what Guardiola said to him when he asked to leave City.

Speaking to The Wild Project, the Barcelona star said via Fabrizio Romano: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can’t say no to you. It’s my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça.”

?? What did Pep tell to you when you told him you wanted to sign for Barça?

Ferrán Torres: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can't say no to you. It's my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça”, via The Wild Project. pic.twitter.com/10eoeF7WOO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 23, 2023

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Torres’ time at Barcelona has not been as straightforward as he would have liked as the winger is yet to become a regular starter at the Catalan club.

The 23-year-old scored 19 goals and assisted a further 11 across the 87 matches he has played with Barca and being just 23 years of age, the winger still has plenty of room to develop his skills further over the coming years.

The post “Can’t say no to you” – Former Man City star unveils what Guardiola said to him before leaving appeared first on CaughtOffside.

How Man United fare in the upcoming January transfer window is likely to set the tone for the second half of what’s been a disappointing 2023/24 campaign so far.

Erik ten Hag’s side have flattered to deceive for the most part, but with a strong January can still end up finishing the season smelling of roses.

That will almost certainly be the Dutchman’s focus, particularly with all of the expected change going on behind the scenes.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival could well see a shake up in the first-team squad, and one of the first deals that he could be likely to authorise will see a player move from one of his teams to another.

According to The Sun, Nice’s 23-year-old defensive star, Jean-Clair Todibo, is top of the list as far as defensive replacements at Old Trafford are concerned.

Things didn’t quite work out for Todibo when he was at Barcelona, however, he’s one of the rocks in the Nice defence that have ensured the team are just a point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue Un table.

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To that end, a mid-season switch for the player isn’t likely to go down well amongst the Nice faithful, but modern football being what it is means that such a switch could be the first of many for Ratcliffe’s multi-club ownership model.

The post Man United scouting 23-year-old with Barcelona past ahead of transfer window appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool may have the upper hand in any negotiations for Leroy Sane this summer.

Christian Falk reported that the German international is opposed to a potential return to Manchester City amid alleged interest from their league rivals.

“The big question around Leroy has always been about his mentality. This was a big discussion with Pep Guardiola,” the German journalist wrote in his exclusive column with CaughtOffside.

“Speaking of which, there were rumours around Manchester City also being interested in the player – I heard this was an option, but I also heard that Sane doesn’t want to go back there.

“Jurgen Klopp is a coach who can get his players to buy into the work rate you need at Liverpool. This would be an intelligent move for Liverpool to get Sane, as he has everything; if you can add a working mentality to this (which Jurgen Klopp can perhaps give him), he would be perfect for Liverpool.

“Leroy Sane made a huge development at Bayern Munich regarding his work rate in recent years, tracking back in addition to his offensive output. Now you see why he’s so good now, as he’s also doing this job.”

This comes amid reports of ongoing Saudi interest in Mo Salah following a failed attempt to land the No.11’s signature in the prior summer transfer window.

READ MORE: Christian Falk: Harry Kane’s potential return to Tottenham clarified amid ‘matching right’

Could Liverpool really let their record-breaking man go?

It seems unfathomable that Jurgen Klopp’s side would even consider parting ways with a player that has brought a fanbase so much joy since his arrival in 2017.

The record-breaking wide man’s current terms are nonetheless set to expire in 2025, which raises serious questions over his club’s intentions regarding a potential extension.

Liverpool could, one imagine, secure some serious cash for the 31-year-old next year, which would be pumped back into the squad.

That said, it’s hard to imagine any player, even Bayern’s Sane, being capable of filling his boots at Anfield.

The post Exclusive: Man City transfer interest likely to be rebuffed as Liverpool gain upper hand appeared first on CaughtOffside.