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Southampton have been handed an injury boost after Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that Romeo Lavia could be set to return for the Premier League game vs Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Spell on the sidelines

The Saints earned a deserved 1-1 draw against league leaders Arsenal last weekend, but were once again missing the 18-year-old, who has faced a significant spell on the sidelines.

The midfielder sustained a hamstring injury during the victory over Chelsea back in August and hasn’t featured since, though a return to action could be just around the corner after a positive update from the boss.

The Latest: Lavia fitness update

Speaking during his Thursday pre-match press conference, Hasenhuttl revealed that Lavia has now returned to full training, and whilst he hasn’t yet been given the all-clear, is optimistic that he could feature vs the Eagles.

As quoted by the club’s official website, he said:

“We’re hoping some players are coming back from injury. Romeo today was, for the first time, back in the session.

“It was a pleasure to see him playing. We’d like to have him in the squad on the weekend but I think we don’t have the OK so far from the physio so we’ll have to wait.

“It’s normal. Because he was out for so long and now he’s the first day in the session so we must pay attention. It’s good to see immediately his quality on the pitch which is fantastic to watch.”

The Verdict: Boost for Hasenhuttl

Lavia has been dubbed a ‘diamond’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his potential return would be a huge boost for Hasenhuttl given his summer arrival’s impact, even if we have to wait another week.

Prior to his absence, the Belgian was averaging two interceptions and 1.4 tackles per league game, as well as having a goal to his name after just five appearances (WhoScored).

Southampton and Palace are only separated by one point, so this game presents the perfect opportunity for the south coast outfit to capitalise and leapfrog their opponents in the table.

Samir Carruthers looked destined for a career at the top when he captained Aston Villa’s academy side to Next Gen Series glory in 2013.

However, nearly ten years on and the midfielder is plying his trade with Dartford in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.

The Irish midfielder joined the club from Arsenal in 2009 and helped the U19 side win the prestigious European competition, regularly training with the first team before Paul Lambert’s arrival in 2012, after which he was left to play in the reserves.

In the end, Carruthers would make just three substitute appearances for Villa in the 2010/11 Premier League season, before he joined MK Dons for an undisclosed fee in 2014, having spent the previous season on loan.

He would spend the majority of his professional career with the Dons, making 137 appearances, in which he contributed six goals and 24 assists.

Carruthers looked set for a decent career in the Championship but things started to go downhill in March 2016, as the midfielder was filmed urinating into a glass and pouring its contents over a balcony at Cheltenham Festival, with Cheltenhamshire police describing the incident as “a disgusting and thoughtless act.”

Carruthers was fined and suspended by the club, despite manager Karl Robinson describing him as a “top player” who he expected to return to the Premier League.

After that, the Irishman would have brief spells at Sheffield United, Oxford United and Cambridge United before eventually dropping into non-league after failing to find a club for the entirety of the 2020/21 season.

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Carruthers failed to score or assist in 20 appearances for Hemel Hempstead in the sixth tier and was released at the end of the season. He has started much more impressively with new side Dartford, contributing four goals and one assist in the opening nine games of the season.

It has been a dramatic fall from grace for Carruthers after breaking into Villa’s first team so young, and you feel that his reckless decision in 2016 went a long way towards ruining his career in the professional leagues.

Everton have been something of a cautionary tale with regards to recruitment in recent times, with the Merseysiders’ often scattergun transfer approach having backfired on a number of occasions, costing the club both in a financial sense but also on the pitch.

A rare piece of astute business that the Toffees have pulled off over the last decade or so is the signing of current England star, John Stones, with the centre-back having been signed from Barnsley as a teenager back in February 2013.

That £3m deal for the then 18-year-old – who had made just 28 appearances during his time at Oakwell – has gone on to look a real bargain for the Goodison Park outfit, having sold him on for a hefty profit just a few years later.

Prior to that departure, however, the playmaking defender had caught the eye for his form under Roberto Martinez, eventually making 95 appearances in all competitions during his time at Everton.

Just two-and-a-half years into his time at the club, however, the 6 foot 2 machine had put in a transfer request in order to force a move away, with Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea believed to have made an offer of around £40m for his services.

Martinez and co held firm despite that hefty interest, with that decision ultimately paying off as the youngster was subsequently moved on for a larger fee of a round £47.5m a year later, with that sale to Manchester City making him the second most expensive defender in the world at the time.

Although those funds were subsequently spent somewhat recklessly – with new boss Ronald Koeman sanctioning a £25m move for eventual flop Yannick Bolasie in that same window – it still represented impressive business to have made such a huge profit in such a short space of time.

Six years on from that exit, the “exceptional” talent – as lauded by City boss Pep Guardiola – is currently thriving at the Etihad, having overcome a “difficult” first few seasons in Manchester, in his own words, to once again become a leading figure for both club and country.

The 28-year-old only recently showcased his quality with a stunning strike in the victory over Borussia Dortmund last week in the Champions League, having also proven his versatility to feature at right-back and in the centre of midfield at his current side.

For all the glittering success he has enjoyed at the reigning Premier League champions, it was with the Toffees where the Englishman first made his name, with both Everton – and the player himself – hugely benefitting from that, albeit brief, association.

Everton have been embroiled in back and forth negotiations to sign Idrissa Gana Gueye this summer, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s next steps in their pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Abdellah Boulma, Everton are set for “new talks” to seal a deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Gueye ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1st.

Boulma tweeted:

“New talks are envisaged between PSG and Everton for Idrissa Gueye The dialogue is not broken between the three parties. Other avenues are not to be excluded in the event of failure.”

Lampard needs him badly

Frank Lampard would have been very pleased with his midfield signings after acquiring the services of Amadou Onana in the centre of the pitch, however, now that Abdoulaye Doucoure is injured it does put the Gueye transfer back into the spotlight for the Toffees.

The 29-year-old midfielder picked up a knock during the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park last weekend and the player is set to miss the next three weeks.

Despite the Toffees midfielder only being out for a few weeks, there is no doubt that Lampard will want to strengthen his midfield further instead of having to drop in quality every single time a midfielder picks up an injury, so the signing of Gueye is a transfer the manager needs badly.

Gueye has been a reliable and consistent performer for the Ligue 1 champions since making the move from Merseyside to Paris back in 2019, and last season proved that even at 32 years old he still has what it takes to make an impact in the centre of the pitch.

The £97.2k-per-week earner ranked in the top 10% of positional peers in the top five European leagues for attempted passes, pressures and tackles, while ranking impressively in the top 2% for pass completion over the last 12 months, all attributes that would be valuable in Lampard’s team right now.

Over the first three games, Everton have struggled to dominate possession with just 42.3% of the ball and could improve on their 76.1% pass accuracy. They have lost possession 142.3 times on average per game, which reflects in their current league position of 16th in the Premier League table.

With that being said, the signing of Gueye would be a good idea for the Toffees as he’d add a sense of composure and defensive intelligence to the middle of the park that is quite evidently missing.

Crystal Palace are working to pip Leeds United to a deal for Watford forward Ismaila Sarr, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Sarr at Watford

The 24-year-old, who has been labelled a player with “scary” ability by former team-mate Ben Foster, has been with the Hornets since 2019.

The Senegal international can play anywhere across the front three and has scored 25 times in 95 Watford appearances.

Sarr has lost three times in four matches against Palace, but it looks as if a move to Selhurst Park could now be on the cards.

The Latest: Sarr transfer update

Aouna shared an update regarding Sarr for Foot Mercato on Tuesday afternoon.

He stated on Twitter that Leeds ‘almost’ have a salary agreement in place with the 24-year-old before adding that Eagles chiefs Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish are rushing to sign the player.

Patrick Vieira has already made contact with the Senegal forward, who would like to return to the Premier League.

The Verdict: Get it done

Although Palace already have plenty of attacking talent, Sarr could fit in perfectly under Vieira. He would be able to provide an option anywhere in attack and has already proven himself in the Premier League, scoring 10 times in 50 games at that level, so he will know what to expect.

The club are also yet to make a senior attacking signing this summer, with teenage winger Malcolm Ebiowei joining from Derby, so landing Sarr would add strength in depth.

The five-substitute rule also means that clubs could do with plenty of firepower in each position, so the 24-year-old Senegal wizard could be the ideal attacking signing to replace Christian Benteke.

Former Scotland international Alan Hutton has been reacting to Manchester United’s reported interest in Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Dumfries linked with Man United

The Red Devils have made three signings so far this summer, one of which has been Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia.

Dumfries, another Netherlands international, appears to be of interest to Erik ten Hag, alongside long-term target Frenkie de Jong, with reports from Italy over the last 10 days claiming that United are ready to “make an offer” for the 26-year-old if they can offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Sky Sports stated back in May that the Englishman isn’t in Ten Hag’s plans, although the Red Devils are yet to move him on with the new season just days away.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Hutton, who contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding a possible move for Dumfries. He waxed lyrical about the Dutchman, who he believes would be a ‘good match’ at Old Trafford.

The ex-Tottenham defender said of the 26-year-old:

“He’s definitely attacking, he loves to get forward.

“We saw it in the Euros with Holland, he’s an outlet, and that is the way Ten Hag wants to play.

“He’s been brought up in that mould of the Dutch football, the passing, the movement, the working hard. He’s had a lot of experience for someone of a young age.

“Of course I think he could come in and hit the ground running. That’s the way he wants to play football so it would be a good match.”

The Verdict: Smart signing?

Dumfries has plenty of experience at the highest level for both club and country and, as Hutton mentioned, has an attacking side to his game, with 32 goals and 40 assists to his name.

He would be able to provide an option as a right-back or right midfielder and could be a shrewd signing, perhaps a necessary one if Wan-Bissaka is eventually moved on.

Ten Hag would be left with Diogo Dalot as United’s only senior right-back in that instance, so bringing in Dumfries could be another smart defensive acquisition after Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.

A huge update has emerged regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that Spurs are now closing in on a deal for the England under-21 international after discussions with Middlesbrough.

He tweeted: “Tottenham on the verge of total agreement with Middlesbrough to sign Djed Spence. Talks between Daniel Levy, Steve Gibson, player rep Scott Smith have produced a breakthrough. If all goes to plan medical expected in next 48hrs.”

Fabrizio Romano later added to the story, tweeting: “Tottenham are set to complete Djed Spence deal, confirmed and here we go! He’s gonna sign a five year deal, medical tests ready – final details discussed now & contracts being prepared. #THFC Fee will be £12.5m guaranteed plus add ons, total package will be just under £20m.”

Antonio Conte will be delighted

The Spurs head coach will be delighted by this latest development, as Spence would be an exciting addition to his squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

At the age of 21, the full-back is a player who can make an impact in the short run and the long-term for Tottenham. He played 42 games in the Championship on loan at Forest, producing two goals and four assists in that time as he showcased his attacking quality.

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His potential was illustrated by ITV pundit Ian Wright, who said: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.

“I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”

These comments suggest that Spence has the ability to put in an elite wing-back performance, although it is up to him to develop and prove that he can do it week in, week out to be on the same level as the likes of James and Alexander-Arnold.

Spence has the scope to become a full-back capable of making a big impact at the top end of the pitch, scoring and creating goals for the team.

He has plenty of years left ahead of him to hone his skills and build his consistency over time as he gains experience playing in the Premier League. The gem is a player who can benefit from Conte’s coaching and learn from the likes of Ivan Perisic, who is a vastly experienced winger/wing-back in Europe.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano delivers frustrating Spurs update that’ll leave Conte & Levy fuming…

Liverpool have been in a deadlock on contract negotiations with Mohamed Salah and now a new update has emerged on the player’s future from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook claims that Liverpool will likely keep Salah at the club this summer, ahead of his contract expiration in 12 months’ time.

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Crook told GIVEMESPORT:

“I don’t think they’re overly in the market for another attacker because they’re fairly well stocked in that department assuming that Salah stays.

“There are still one or two murmurings that he won’t, but I expect him to be there at least until the end of the season.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that supporters will be delighted by Crook’s claim that he expects Salah will stay at Liverpool for the foreseeable future, giving the team their best chance at winning a few more trophies with the Egyptian winger in a red shirt.

Salah has been the poster boy for Liverpool’s success over the last five years with the player scoring 156 goals and delivering 63 assists during his time at Anfield, which has guided the Merseysiders to win their first ever Premier League title, sixth Champions League, as well as an FA Cup and a Carabao Cup.

The £81m-rated goal machine has earned a number of individual achievements as well on the way winning three Premier League golden boots and this year won the PFA Player of the Year award, with one season certain left on his contract there is no doubt the born winner won’t want to add to his vast collection of trophies before he leaves.

FSG find themselves in a sticky situation with the 30-year-old as he reportedly wants to be paid £400k-per-week to continue his stay on Merseyside beyond next season, however, FSG maintain a tight wage structure that would be put into disregard and put the attacker hundreds of pounds a week ahead of his peers.

This is something the club is clearly unwilling to move on as the talks for a contract extension have fell flat over the last 18 months, and now the reality is becoming clearer everyday that Salah could leave on a free transfer next summer, not only leaving Liverpool without arguably one of their best players but out of pocket too.

The club realise their predicament and have reportedly opened up the option for Salah to leave the club this summer so they can recoup some kind of profit from the player before he makes his exit for free in June 2023, but it will be unlikely they will do so unless they have a worthy replacement lined up.

With that being said, FSG may need to take a hit on letting Salah leave without a penny put into their pockets in the process, as his impact in the team next season could far outweigh the money they could make on a reduced transfer fee this summer, especially if they win another trophy.

AND in other news: Offer made: FSG closing in on Liverpool deal for “special” £35m gem, he’s Coutinho 2.0

Midlands-based football journalist Josh Holland has made a claim involving Tottenham Hotspur and their former transfer target Adama Traore. 

The lowdown: Stuttering career

After spending the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan back where it all began at Barcelona, the Spain winger has reached an impasse in what was once a promising career.

Expected to return to Wolves this summer, the 26-year-old had been deemed surplus to requirements under Bruno Lage as Spurs actively pursued a move when Nuno Espirito Santo was in the Tottenham hot seat last autumn.

That interest had since appeared to have cooled from north London, although one informed onlooker believes that Tottenham could reignite their admiration for the rapid winger…

The latest: Holland on Traore

Discussing the future of Traore and Spurs-linked Ruben Neves with GiveMeSport, Holland suggested that Tottenham could foreseeably reignite their interest in the Spaniard.

He said: “I think the Traore one is a more difficult circumstance than the Neves one. I think Neves has been respectful the whole time. Traore has to the public, but we don’t know what’s happened within the changing room.

“I won’t be surprised if Tottenham swoop round for him again, or another Spanish team come in for him, but I can’t see him playing at Wolves next season.”

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The verdict: Worth the risk

Despite his ineffectiveness in front of goal, the powerful winger still possesses all of the physical attributes which make him such a threat; and if used in the right way, Antonio Conte could be adding a potential wildcard star to the Tottenham ranks.

The eight-cap Spain winger scored just once and managed only four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona and Wolves in 2021/22, highlighting a worrying absence of clinical end product.

Nonetheless, signing the man who Jetro Willems called a ‘beast’ and said was harder to face than Cristiano Ronaldo due to his incredible speed for anything south of his Transfermarkt valuation of £18m would remain a worthwhile move for Tottenham, as Conte and Fabio Paratici attempt to strengthen the attacking ranks in north London.

In other news: ‘Being negotiated’ – Club now want their ‘sensational’ star to join Tottenham! Find out more here

Celtic have recently been linked with a reported summer move for Metz midfielder Kevin N’Doram.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Homme Du Match (via Daily Record), the Frenchman is on the Hoops’ radar for a potential swoop during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report also claimed that this move would cost around £2m, as the player still has two years remaining on his current contract.

A product of AS Monaco’s youth system, the 26-year-old joined Metz on loan deal in the summer of 2019 before signing on a permanent basis a year later. In 47 appearances for his current club, the midfielder has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Big mistake

While this season has been a disappointing one for Metz as they were relegated from Ligue 1 having won just six of their 38 league games, it has also been a poor campaign for N’Doram from an individual point of view.

In 19 league appearances, he only had seven shots at goal, with just one on target. Also, he posted only 20 shot-creating actions, highlighting that he is far from the most attack-minded midfielder.

From a defensive point of view, in addition to picking up five yellow cards and giving away 23 fouls, N’Doram only made 27 interceptions and 14 tackles, which is lower than a significant number of his team-mates.

His overall performances earned him a poor season rating of 6.27/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently at the French club to have started more than one league game, according to WhoScored.

Taking all this into account, it’s hard to see how the Frenchman would be a good signing for Celtic, especially as they will need to find a suitable replacement for Tom Rogic.

Looking at N’Doram’s latest season in France, it could be a big mistake for Ange Postecoglou to bring him to Parkhead, even if Metz’s relegation could make a possible move for the player rather simple.

With that in mind, Celtic should not be looking to sign the midfielder this summer and instead look for other options who could improve Postecoglou’s squad.

In other news: Ange can sign the next Roberts as Celtic eye £1.8m wizard who’s “Mourinho’s nightmare”