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Football Fancast is embarking on a new series, in which we take a look at some of the hottest young prospects currently playing in the Championship…

This time around, we’ll be taking a look at Queens Park Rangers hotshot Eberechi Eze, whose performances in England’s second tier have been eye-catching to say the least.

The Greenwich-born attacker is reminiscent of a young Wilfried Zaha – his ability to beat a man and deliver a cross into the box is currently second to none in the Championship.

Having said that, one thing that the 20-year-old could perhaps be criticised for is his end product, similar to the way in which Zaha used to be by Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer.

Both are mercurial talents who are worth the admission fee alone at times, but Eze would be wise to track the Ivorian’s career progression and learn how he turned his flicks, tricks and skills into goals and assists.

Anyway, back to Eze. The R’s starlet has notched four goals this season, as well as recording three assists, proving why he was handed the No.10 shirt back in the summer and showing why he has been compared to former Loftus Road entertainer Adel Taarabt.

The youngster who was released by Millwall and told he was ‘too small’ by Arsenal has been a key man for Steve McClaren this season, so much so that Premier League clubs were swarming to Loftus Road like sharks to blood in September.

That being said, Zaha had hit eight goals and recorded nine assists for Palace at the same age as Eze, on his way to earning a £15m move to Manchester United and helping them to promotion via the play-offs.

This stat is not meant to besmirch the obviously talented England Under-20 international, but Eze must realise that football is a results industry in which goals and assists are of the upmost importance, and whilst dazzling skills attract the fans, ruthless efficiency brings the top clubs to your door.

Aston Villa have joined Leeds in the race to sign Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui ahead of the teams’ clash in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Mazraoui profiled

Mazraoui is 24 years of age and is primarily a right-back who can also provide cover in central midfield.

A Morocco international, he has been on the senior books with the Dutch giants since 2018 and is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Valued at a career-high £18m by Transfermarkt, Mazraoui has made 126 appearances for Ajax and has been a regular during the current campaign.

The Latest: Villa keen on Mazraoui

Leeds were name-checked with an interest in Mazraoui just last month, and it seems as if they may now face competition from Villa.

According to Fichajes, the Premier League is ‘knocking loudly’ on Mazraoui’s door, with Villa, Everton and Leicester City linked with a move for the in-demand Moroccan.

The Verdict: Shrewd target?

Mazraoui has recently stated that there is just a 5% chance he will remain an Ajax player ahead of the 2022/23 season, and he appears to be a shrewd target for Villa.

That’s because Atletico Madrid are showing a strong interest in right-back Matty Cash ahead of the summer window and started contacts over a possible move in January.

Even if Cash remains in the Midlands, Mazraoui could still be a smart signing on a free transfer due to Steven Gerrard’s lack of options in that area. The Ajax defender has ample experience at the highest level for both club and country and can also provide cover in midfield.

Johan Lange can actually tie up a pre-contract agreement right now due to the player’s contract situation, so it could be one to keep a close eye upon in the future.

In other news: BBC Radio 5 Live man applauds Villa for pulling off this ‘total shock’

An update has emerged on Rangers and their transfer plans to find a new winger to add to their squad… 

What’s the talk?

According to Bulgarian news outlet Tema Sport, the Gers are interested in a deal to sign Ludogorets right-forward Kiril Despodov this month.

The report claims that he is one of a number of options the Scottish giants are looking at, whilst Galatasaray and Olympiacos are also keen on the attacker.

Laudrup 2.0

Gio van Bronckhorst could find the club’s next Brian Laudrup by securing a deal to sign Despodov in the coming weeks. The winger could be a fantastic signing for the Gers and the Dutchman must work hard with Ross Wilson to ensure that a move can be completed before the end of the window.

Laudrup enjoyed a sublime spell in Scotland as he played 147 games for the club and scored 44 goals across four seasons in Glasgow. The retired Dane also played as a right-winger and managed 11 goals and 15 assists in 63 matches for German giants Bayern Munich in his career, showing off his ability to score and create goals.

In Despodov, van Bronckhorst could find another player in that position who could come in and take the Premiership by storm with his exciting play in the final third, much like Laudrup.

The Bulgarian phenomenon has been in sensational form for Ludogorets this season, with nine goals and 12 assists in all competitions. This comes after he produced six goals and 14 assists last term for his current club, which suggests that he has the ability to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

He previously played for CSKA Sofia and popped up with 25 goals and 26 assists in 80 matches for the Bulgarian outfit. This means that he has been regularly scoring and assisting goals for two separate clubs, indicating that he could have the potential to do the same at Rangers.

Whilst it is difficult to gauge the difference in quality between the divisions, he has been able to perform in Europe for his side. Despodov has racked up three goals and two assists in the Champions League and Europa Lague this term, showing that he can be a difference-maker in competitions the Gers are familiar with – which is why he could be an excellent signing.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: Rangers dud who lost 11 duels let Gvb down badly, he’s “not happy”…

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed there has been ‘no negotiation’ for Porto attacker Luis Diaz.

The Reds are preparing for life without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in January, with the pair on Africa Cup of Nations duty, along with Naby Keita.

It leaves Jurgen Klopp short of attacking options this month and there is of course the potential to sign someone to help fill the void.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Diaz, who has impressed for Porto this season, scoring 12 goals in 15 Primeira Liga appearances.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, however, Romano claimed that Liverpool have not started negotiations regarding a move for the Colombian, perhaps further suggesting no signings will be made in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-16/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans unhappy at Diaz latest

It is an update that hasn’t gone down well with these Reds fans on Twitter, who bemoaned the club’s lack of spending.

“Stand still FC”

Credit: @garylouth

“Confirmed we are not signing anyone this window”

Credit: @taylorblueslim

“Foolish club”

Credit: @Jezscy

“Gerrard time soon”

Credit: @footnut

“We are actually finished. We go again, another 30 years trophyless”

Credit: @notyrgoku

“Every transfer rumour about Liverpool is NO”

Credit: @dondarius471

In other news, some Liverpool fans love David Ornstein’s transfer claim. Read more here.

Glasgow Rangers dropped what could be two vital points in the race for the Scottish Premiership title at Saturday lunchtime ahead of the Old Firm derby.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team were pegged back deep into injury time by Matthew Wright, after twice taking the lead through debutant Amad Diallo and later Connor Goldson.

James Tavernier had equalised for the visitors after Jordan White and Regan Charles-Cook answered Diallo’s opener with two quick goals before half-time, in what was a really poor defensive display in particular from the Light Blues.

The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the Gers on the day, and they may now be looking over their shoulder regarding their place in the XI against Celtic…

Cedric Itten

Itten ranks third to last as he was given a 6.7 overall rating by SofaScore.

The Switzerland international was hauled off just before the hour mark for Kemar Roofe with the score still level, emphasising the lack of impact he made on the game.

He lost six of his seven duels, and failed with both of his shots on goal, while he also could not manage a single dribble, and lost the ball a total of 10 times.

Itten was the only Gers starter to have recorded fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Allan McGregor, and fans were particularly critical of his display above others in the team.

Calvin Bassey

Bassey had a poor match by his standards, making a silly mistake that led to the second goal being conceded, and justifiably was only given a 5.9 rating.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to block any shots or make any interceptions, while he was guilty of giving the ball away on seven separate occasions.

Allan McGregor

Unsurprising, McGregor was given the lowest rating (4.6) after his two bad errors which both led to goals.

The Scotsman was simply not himself, recording just a 76% pass accuracy, one of the lowest out of his teammates, while he also lost possession six times in total, and only managed to make one save.

In other news, find out what contract update has Gers gushing here!

Leeds United are reportedly lining up a bid for John Swift this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim the Yorkshire giants are keen on landing the Reading midfielder during the winter transfer window as he enters the final six months of his current contract.

The Championship outfit previously put a £7m price tag on his head amid interest from Marcelo Bielsa and co in the summer but that valuation may well have dropped given his contractual situation – January will be the last time the Royals can secure a fee for him.

It’s thought that director of football Victor Orta is scouring the market for an attacking no.8 and it seems as if Swift fits the bill nicely.

Hernandez heir, finally?

Indeed, the 26-year-old maestro – once on the books at Chelsea – has been one of the second flight’s best players this season.

After missing the bulk of last season with a pair of serious hamstring problems, Swift has bounced back in an exciting fashion by providing the Championship strugglers with eight goals and nine assists from 21 appearances.

It somewhat echoes his form from the 2019/20 campaign, where he directly contributed towards 16 goals across 41 games.

He is by far and away Reading’s best talent, topping the WhoScored charts with a 7.40 average rating. Swift is also managing a whopping three key passes per game, making him the Championship’s most creative talent, on top of 1.9 dribbles per match, too.

That makes him a prime candidate to solve Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking midfield woes. It could be argued that United failed to replace the reliable influence of Pablo Hernandez, who left in the summer.

Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds this season. No player has registered more than two assists, with Raphinha leading the way for key passes per game (1.8) – still some way off Swift’s impressive form.

Bielsa is said to be a huge fan of the Reading dynamo, according to the reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, so he should be trusted if he wants him at Elland Road in January.

“[It] was interesting to see John Swift linked over the weekend because Swift is someone Bielsa quietly admires,” he revealed last month.

Therefore, the attacking midfielder who has been lauded as a “grafter” and as being “super-talented”, should be one of Orta’s biggest priorities heading into 2022.

Leeds could well finally replace Hernandez with a bargain swoop for Swift this winter.

AND in other news, Bielsa can finally axe Leeds’ “absolute disaster” by signing “spectacular” 5 ft 9 gem this winter…

Aston Villa are interested in a move to bring Pau Torres to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via Birmingham Live), which claims that Steven Gerrard is hoping to secure a deal for the Villarreal centre-back in the upcoming winter market after falling in love with the 24-year-old’s style of play.

The report continues to state that, despite the Spain international having been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid in recent days, should Aston Villa be willing to stump up the €50m (£42m) for the defender, a switch to Villa Park could well be a real possibility in January.

Lange must move

With Tyrone Mings being heavily linked with a move away from Villa in January, and with Axel Tuanzebe looking likely to return to Manchester United upon the completion of his season-long loan deal at the end of the current campaign, the heart of defence is perhaps an area of the pitch in which Gerrard will look to strengthen this winter.

And, considering just how impressive Torres has been for Villarreal in recent seasons, the 6 foot 4 centre-back would very much appear to be a fantastic signing for Johan Lange to get over the line in the January transfer window.

Indeed, over his 10 LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £45m-rated man has helped his side keep four clean sheets, scored one goal and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.4 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 65.2 passes and winning 4.1 duels per game.

These returns have seen the defender who Javi Calleja claimed has “no limits” in the game average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Unai Emery’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football.

However, it is not only domestically that the 24-year-old has impressed, as, over his four appearances in the Champions League, the £54k-per-week centre-back has helped his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 0.5 interceptions, one tackle, 47.3 passes and winning 3.5 duels per fixture.

These metrics have seen the Spaniard average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as El Submarino Amarillo’s joint seventh-best player in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the addition of Torres to an Aston Villa defence that has already shipped 20 goals over 12 league games this season would be a very smart move by Lange, and, considering his reported affection for the defender, one that would undoubtedly please the club’s new 41-year-old manager.

In other news: Preece drops Villa transfer claim on £22.5m-rated “proper player”, he’d be a huge coup

The departure of Celtic midfielder Ben Doak has all but been confirmed after the 16-year-old agreed a deal in principle with Liverpool.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to the Reds have revealed that the teenager has now come to an agreement with the Premier League side ahead of his well-reported switch from Parkhead to Anfield.

The report goes on to state that Jurgen Klopp’s side will pay Celtic around £600k in compensation for the attack-minded midfielder, who made his first-team debut for the Bhoys against Dundee United earlier this year.

Bad news for Celtic

Considering how high the hopes for Doak were in Glasgow, the news that the Scotland U17 international looks as if his departure will be confirmed in the near future is undoubtedly bad news for Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic side.

Speaking about the youngster’s move south of the border, finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley recently explained to Football Insider that, due to FIFA regulations, the Bhoys are always at risk of losing their most promising talents to English sides.

Plumley said: “It’s largely because of FIFA regulations. England and Scotland are classed as different countries and they can settle on a compensation fee that is far lower than a transfer fee.

“Celtic do this in reverse as well, so you have to be mindful of it in this model. The player has a choice to stay at Celtic and develop into a £20m-plus player or move on and do the same at another club.

“Celtic have to be aware that big clubs will be looking at their players and are well placed to capitalise. For every [Kieran] Tierney you manage to keep and sell for a big fee, you might have a few of these along the way.”

Indeed, Doak very much looked to be heading down the same path Tierney was on back in 2015 – when the left-back made his Celtic debut as a 17-year-old against Dundee FC, with the defender bursting onto the scene before eventually sealing a £25m move to Arsenal four years later.

However, while Doak – who Bhoys Analytics dubbed a “generational talent” – did make his Celtic bow earlier this year, it now looks as if the midfielder will make his switch to the Premier League a great deal sooner than his predecessor as the Hoops’ next big thing.

As such, it is clear for all to see why the 16-year-old’s departure is bad news for the Premiership leaders, as not only will Celtic miss out on a potentially huge transfer fee further down the line, but also the services of an exceptionally talented young playmaker during his development.

AND in other news: Sold at £1.8m, now worth £25m: Celtic had a nightmare on “imposing” £48k-p/w machine

Crystal Palace have joined Brentford in the race to sign free agent Christian Eriksen.

That’s according to 90min, and their claim has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

Eriksen is currently without a club after leaving Inter Milan last month and has been offered a return to the Premier League with Brentford.

The Bees have tabled an initial six-month contract with the option of a further year for the 29-year-old, however, Palace are also circling.

90min suggest that the Eagles and Championship leaders Fulham have also made contact with the attacking midfielder, who has made 226 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 51 times and providing 67 assists.

Eriksen left Tottenham in 2020, but it seems as if a return to England is on the cards with multiple clubs keen on his services.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the update regarding Palace’s interest in Eriksen on Twitter. This is what these Eagles supporters have had to say in reply, with many surprised at the links.

“Please @CPFC”

Credit: @joshstoneham03

“Maybe Eriksen is coming? Seems interesting”

Credit: @byson_matrix

“I’m going to pretend this is happening and have a fantastic Monday night”

Credit: @erictwigs

“Let’s get him!”

Credit: @SidViscous9

“Beautiful player, who I would LOVE to see in red n blue, BUT – can he really be allowed on a pitch after his last appearance? There’s a reason why his last contract was annulled…”

Credit: @Promo_man

“Erm”

Credit: @matthew_poole30

In other news: Crystal Palace now move for Celtic defender with transfer on the cards – journalist. 

Everton will be aiming to secure consecutive victories when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Rafael Benitez’s charges ended an eight-game winless run when they saw off Arsenal 2-1 in an entertaining encounter last time out, easing the pressure on their under-fire manager.

It was a game with many positives for the Toffees besides the result and much-needed three points. Richarlison showed great resilience and finishing ability, finally grabbing a deserved goal after having two chalked off for offside, while Ben Godfrey deputised well at left-back and Demarai Gray maintained his rich vein of form.

However, Andre Gomes’ introduction as a second half substitute may have been the most pleasing aspect of that enthralling encounter for Benitez and co.

The midfield has been an area of much dispute throughout 2021/22, with Everton fielding a wide variety of combinations with mixed results. While Allan has been a mainstay, starting all 15 of the Toffees’ top-flight fixtures to date, the Brazil international has had multiple partners alongside him in the engine room.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s injury issues saw Tom Davies, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin all feature in the middle of the park, but the balance was never right, which played a big role in Everton’s disastrous run of form.

However, Gomes’ own comeback from a calf issue on Monday night illustrated that Benitez may have finally found a winning formula in the midfield.

After entering the field of play in the 66th minute, the former Barcelona ace brought an element of guile, craftsmanship and control which has been absent from Everton’s play for far too long.

As per FotMob, Gomes had 19 touches of the ball, completed seven passes – six of which were in the opposition half – won two duels, made one tackle and pulled off one key pass, receiving an overall match rating of 6.9 out of 10.

These figures highlight the effective performance of the 28-year-old at Goodison Park, and he was rewarded for his promising showing with an assist, teeing up Gray for his dramatic injury-time winner.

Gomes’ impressive display will come as little surprise to Everton supporters. He has shown glimpses of his top-class talent since arriving on an initial loan deal back in 2018, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former Toffees goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.

“He’s a very composed footballer, looks very good on the ball, intelligent and knows which space to run into,” said Martyn of the Portuguese midfielder. “His passing’s very good, his tackling’s very good – he’s a great all-round footballer.

Getting such quality performances consistently out of the £112,000-per-week maestro will be the big task for Benitez, though, and the Spaniard must attempt to do so by unleashing him against Palace this weekend.

In other news… Benitez can seal big Everton coup by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated gem, he’s “incredible”