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Liverpool have suffered a huge blow ahead of their Premier League fixture with Leeds United over the weekend after their Brazilian contingent were ruled out of action.

What’s the story?

Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino have been banned for a short period of time after the Anfield outfit’s hierarchy refused to release them for international duty due to quarantine rules for red-listed countries by the UK Government.

A report in the Liverpool ECHO stated that: “The club have received notification from FIFA that the Brazilian FA has asked the governing body to invoke their five-day rule, which sees players who fail to link up for national team duty then banned for a brief period from featuring for their clubs.

“With Brazil’s final match of the current break taking place in the early hours of Friday morning UK time, it means Alisson, Fabinho and Firmino – who in any case is hampered by a hamstring problem – will miss the Premier League trip to Leeds United on Sunday.”

Jurgen Klopp will be fuming

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly be fuming at this latest revelation as he will be forced to contend with the absence of two key players due to football politics.

Although Firmino is currently injured and would have been fit to play, Alisson and Fabinho have featured heavily in the club’s opening three league encounters of the season, and their enforced omissions from the starting line-up will significantly weaken the 19-time English champions.

After picking up a very respectable seven points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the current campaign, Liverpool will be hoping to continue their good form at Elland Road on Sunday.

However, that task has now become significantly harder after their first-choice goalkeeper and key defensive midfielder have been ordered to stay at home.

And, in other news…Liverpool eye £86m move for “spectacular footballer”, fans will be buzzing 

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer is confident that Paul Pogba will remain at Manchester United following an update on his future.

Pogba is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

However, according to Sky Sports, after United’s stunning transfer business that saw Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane all join the club, the Frenchman is warming to the idea of staying at Old Trafford and putting pen to paper on a new deal.

And Palmer firmly believes that will be the outcome. The ex-Leeds United and Southampton player exclusively told TT:

“I’d always thought he’d re-sign his contract there, I always thought that. I never thought he was going to leave.

“Ole’s made it very, very clear he’s a very integral part and the team’s going to be built around him.”

Whether Pogba goes or not, United will still have an exciting team going into next season after signing the likes of Ronaldo and Sancho, while they already possessed the talented Bruno Fernandes.

Unsurprisingly, the former has been able to make an immediate impact following his return to Old Trafford, bagging two goals on his second debut against Newcastle United last weekend.

Journalist Beren Cross has criticised the form of popular Leeds United star Stuart Dallas, following a disappointing start to the season.

The Lowdown: Dallas stars last season

The Whites enjoyed a superb 2020/21 campaign, finishing ninth in their first year back in the Premier League, with numerous individuals standing out.

It was Dallas who scooped the club’s Player of the Year prize, however, following a faultless season that also included a match-winning double away to champions Manchester City.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Cross critical of form

The 30-year-old hasn’t quite hit those heights so far in 2021/22, though, and in his player ratings after the Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over Fulham on Tuesday night, Leeds Live‘s Cross gave a negative assessment of his performance:

“Still not quite at his top level and struggled throughout the first half with a niggle from an early collision. Took another whack on the back of the head in the second half, but stayed on the field. Little things not coming off for him and opponents seem half-a-yard ahead of him.”

Per Sofascore, Dallas took 86 touches of the ball and lost possession 21 times (most on the pitch), meaning he surrendered possession roughly once every four touches of the ball.

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

The Verdict: Dallas will come good

Dallas has struggled to repeat last season’s excellence, but Leeds supporters should have no real reason to be concerned about him.

Like so many Whites players, the whole team’s struggles have played a part in their respective dips in form, but Marcelo Bielsa’s side will hopefully return to their best sooner rather than later when everyone is fit.

At 30, there is always the lazy argument to say that Dallas’ influence could suddenly be on the wane, but he still has lots to offer, with Tony Dorigo describing him as ‘wonderful’ last season.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly still eyeing up a move for one player – find out who it is here.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa was once again overlooked by England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of the upcoming international break.

Reliable Villa Park reporter Ashley Preece shared a post regarding Konsa’s snub on Thursday, which led to a number of Villa fans giving their thoughts on social media.

Ollie Watkins earned a recall to England’s 23-man squad, while Tyrone Mings kept his place, but Konsa is yet to be included for the first time.

AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori was given the nod due to Manchester United’s Harry Maguire not being available.

Preece took to Twitter shortly after England’s squad was announced, labelling Konsa as a Rolls-Royce of a defender.

The 23-year-old has been a regular under Dean Smith in recent seasons, with Preece describing Konsa as a phenomenal and consistent performer.

Villa fans react

Preece appeared to be disappointed that Konsa’s recent displays weren’t rewarded by Southgate, and these Villa fans weren’t happy with the defender’s exclusion, with one labelling it as ‘insane’.

“Madness”

Credit: @ElBigRig

“It’s a disgrace he isn’t in”

Credit: @JPBmasterclass

“Unbelievable typical Southgate”

Credit: @AndySmi72785917

“Coady over Konsa is insane.”

Credit: @Boycey1259

“Dreadful decision.”

Credit: @EllensDaniel

“Baffling”

Credit: @stevovilla9

In other news: Villa were open to selling £52k-p/w man in the summer as inside Smith info emerges.

West Ham will have to pay Juventus £35m for midfielder Weston McKennie, according to Football Insider. 

The Lowdown: Hammers working on a deal

Reports towards the end of September claimed that West Ham have already opened talks with the Italian giants for McKennie.

The 23-year-old, labelled a ‘rock’ by Andrea Pirlo earlier this year, is under contract with Juventus to 2025. However, he’s fallen out of favour this season, making just three starts in all competitions.

It appears as if the Hammers want to bring the versatile midfielder to the Premier League, and they now know how much it’ll cost.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared an update on McKennie on Friday morning after being informed by a Hammers source.

Their site tab headline claimed that groundwork has been laid, with the source saying McKennie is ‘very keen’ to move to London.

The Hammers have been told they will have to pay £35m for the USA international, so it seems as if GSB have asked the question on specific details over a possible transfer.

The Verdict: Midfielder needed

David Moyes could do with a new midfielder over the next 12 months, with Mark Noble set to call time on his iconic Hammers career at the end of the current campaign.

When Noble leaves, Moyes will be left with three central and defensive midfielders, if Alex Kraal’s loan move is made permanent.

So, bringing in McKennie, who can play as a central or defensive midfielder, could be a wise move, but they’ll need to make him the club’s second most expensive signing of all time.

In other news: ‘Disappointed’ – Many WHU fans slam ‘non-existent’ ace who had fewer touches than Areola v Rapid. 

Armed with a war chest of money after Jack Grealish’s departure over the summer, Aston Villa still seemingly have plenty left in their cash reserves.

They signed multiple players over the summer in a bid to replace the £100m exit of their former star player but there is still work to be done in order to take the Villans to the next level.

What’s the word?

One player who has been on Dean Smith’s radar for a while is Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The midfielder is valued at £22.5m via Transfermarkt and has attracted plenty of suitors in the Premier League.

Villa were keen on McKennie over a month ago and now they are considering another bite of the cherry in January.

That’s according to The Sun who suggests that they could join Tottenham and West Ham in the race for the 23-year-old.

Lange could strike gold

Johan Lange and Christian Purslow’s plan to replace Grealish over the summer was a smart one. They brought in three players; Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings in a bid to replace the England international’s best qualities.

While McKennie is a different sort of threat, there are some underlying attributes that fit the bill.

A gifted box to box midfielder, he is tricky in possession of the ball and knows how to arrive late in the penalty area to score goals.

Whether it’s tackling, intercepting, acting as a supply line for his teammates or finding the net, McKennie has a lot going for him.

Last term, the Juve gem had a hand in seven Serie A goals while providing a stable foundation from a deep-lying position with 1.9 tackles per match in the Champions League a stand out statistic.

He is very much comparable to John McGinn, Villa’s current box to box maestro.

Although Smith doesn’t necessarily need a replacement, the thought of the two lining up alongside each other in central areas is an exciting one. After all, in the words of David Wagner, McKennie is an “outstanding talent.”

Also hailed as a “rock” by Andrea Pirlo, the midfielder is a player blessed with heaps of potential and has all of the required attributes to thrive in the Premier League.

He is strong, delicate in possession and can score goals. It’s easy to see why Lange could strike gold by luring him to the Midlands in January.

AND in other news, Dean Smith could seal dream Villa midfield with “absolutely phenomenal” £75k-p/w beast…

Everton have been linked with a move for Real Betis forward Rodrigo Sanchez Rodriguez as new manager Rafael Benitez looks to add further reinforcements to his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Toffees are one of three Premier League sides interested in securing the 21-year-old’s signature over the coming months, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton also listed as potential suitors.

The report states that: “According to the information we handle at Fichajes.net, Rodri Sánchez is in the sights of three Premier League teams that, at this moment, are gradually following his evolution.”

With the Seagulls and the Saints also reportedly tracking Rodriguez’s development, Everton’s director of football, Marcel Brands, may have to move quickly in order to tie down his transfer target’s services.

Upgrade on Alex Iwobi

Rodriguez has only made 26 appearances for Real Betis during his short professional career, but he’s become a key figure for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this season, scoring one goal and providing an assist in seven outings.

His impressive performances for the Green and Whites have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers over the last 18 months, including La Liga and Spanish football writer Andrew Miller.

He tweeted: “One of the real bright spots this season has been the emergence of Rodri in the Betis first team. Such a gifted young player and caps off an incredible effort with his first senior goal. Always brings a real injection of energy into the team”.

Although Rodriguez’s current contract at Betis runs until the summer of 2024, the Spaniard has a market value of just £1.35m, and he’s expected to be available for a reasonable price.

One current Everton player who Rodriguez could offer an upgrade on, should he make the switch to Goodison Park, is struggling winger Alex Iwobi.

As per WhoScored, the Spain U21 international averaged 1.7 shots per La Liga game last season, bettering Iwobi’s total of 1.5 shots per Premier League outing.

Rodriguez also outperformed the Nigerian when it came to dribbles and pass completion, pulling off 1.3 dribbles and finding a teammate 79.8% of time compared to Iwobi’s tallies of one and 79.6%, respectively.

The Betis winger’s shot-creating actions per 90 minutes are also ahead of the Nigeria international’s with 3.47 compared to 3.14. That proves just how more effective the Spaniard is in the final third of the pitch.

Therefore, Brands must sanction a swoop for the youngster, providing Benitez with an upgrade on an underperforming fringe player.

And, in other news…100% duels won, 93% pass accuracy: Everton beast stars on the international stage 

Flocking to Twitter, these Sheffield Wednesday fans were left less than impressed with the performance of defender Chey Dunkley as their side succumbed to a 1-1 draw away to Cambridge United.

Darren Moore’s side, looking to get back into contention for a Championship promotion spot, haven’t exactly got off to the best start this season and currently lie ninth in League One.

Indeed, they sit eight points off second and an automatic qualification spot with Sunderland also holding a game in hand over The Owls.

If Wednesday are to regain their English second tier status, a swift turnaround is surely needed, with some supporters feeling Dunkley was one of the main culprits to blame from their side’s draw at the Abbey Stadium.

Despite racking up a 7/10 rating on SofaScore, the 29-year-old also lost possession 14 times and won just two out of his five ground duels up against Cambridge last night.

Taking this into account, some Wednesday fans feel he certainly didn’t have his best night overall.

Find all of their verdicts on Dunkley’s display down below.

Wednesday fans hammer Dunkley display…

“#swfc drop down to 9th in

table after tonight’s 80 minutes drab performance. Came alive in last 10 but overall poor. Glad to finally come back from losing to gain a point. We need Hutchinson back ASAP. Dunkley was a liability at times.”

Credit: @VitalWednesday

“Awful. Players look like they’ve never met. No idea of the style or system. Dunkley is terrible. Moore isn’t a football manager. Awful.”

Credit: @EndeavourFP

“Wing, Johnson, dunkley not good enough, just to name a few”

Credit: @Coa17Jor

“I’ve genuinely seen U10s pass and control a ball better than Dunkley, Iorfa, Patterson, Wing and Johnson. How can they be so poor as pros??? I mean Dunkley and Iorfa can barely kick a balk straight and keep it in play!”

Credit: @RocketOwl1986

“Iorfa & Dunkley… not a patch on Hutchinson. Both donkeys who can’t even play the ball out the back.”

Credit: @bensaavage

“Just gonna say: Defence needs sorting. Either Hutch or Gibson when back fit need to replace Dunkley. Donkey of a player Relieved to get a point from a debut goal from FIZZ. top class player. On to the next. P.S – demand Moore to be sacked all you like – it ain’t gonna happen.”

Credit: @BreeseCallum

Southampton will be aiming to maintain their three-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they travel to Vicarage Road this afternoon to take on Watford in the Premier League.

The Saints held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup in midweek before being beaten in the penalty shootout after Theo Walcott and Will Smallbone failed to hit the target with their efforts. Despite the team’s lack of fortune from 18 yards, Ralph Hasenhuttl will certainly have taken plenty of positives from the trip to the capital in midweek.

One of the major pluses will have been the performance of struggling striker Adam Armstrong. The £16.2m-rated ace arrived on the south coast over the summer as Danny Ings’ replacement, but so far he has been unable to replicate his predecessor’s form.

Just one goal in his first seven Premier League starts saw the 24-year-old drop to the bench against Leeds United, and he was consigned to watching on from the sidelines once again when Southampton took on Burnley last week.

Albania international Armando Broja shone in his stead, scoring the winner against Leeds before following it up with a crucial strike in the draw at St Mary’s when the Clarets came to visit. However, the 20-year-old loanee has now been ruled out of action with an ankle injury, handing Armstrong the ideal opportunity to reclaim a place in the starting XI.

The former England under-21 international was in devastating form for Blackburn Rovers prior to his move to the top flight, netting 44 Championship goals over the previous two seasons and earning praise from his former manager Tony Mowbray, and the diminutive forward will be desperate to get back to his best over the coming weeks.

“Adam does (make a difference) as he has done all season. I think Adam has matured and he’s only 23,” Mowbray said back in 2020.

“He’s a boy really, but his explosive pace at the top end of the pitch allows you to play both ways, to not be overly concerned if you’re pinned back around the edge of your box because one pass releases pressure to someone like (Harvey) Elliott to play the pass that he can hit just leaving it in the space for the speed and dynamic movement of Armstrong – it’s a devastating effect for the team.”

With Broja’s enforced absence giving Hasenhuttl a selection headache, the Austrian must be brave and reinstate Armstrong from the first whistle; he could just prove to be Southampton’s game-changer this afternoon.

In other news… Southampton dealt massive injury blow ahead of Watford clash, fans will be absolutely gutted 

Many Everton fans have been left flocking to some transfer news on Andrea Belotti.

As per transfer specialist Alfonso Leocadio, the striker is now being ‘heavily considered’ by the Goodison Park faithful, as well as a number of other clubs in Europe.

He wants to leave Torino and will be a free agent next summer, giving the Merseyside club a good chance of securing his signature.

With Salomon Rondon not firing at the moment, the Toffees need another striker to help out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Belotti is a proven goalscorer.

The Italy international has no fewer than 163 senior career goals in total for both club and country combined, and is still just 27 years of age.

However, the fact that he has only managed to score one goal this season has seemingly put off some Blues, and he has no prior experience of playing in English football.

Everton fans on Belotti transfer news

These EFC supporters gave some mixed reactions to the transfer news as it was shared on Twitter:

“I’ll take that”

Credit: @CalumDMoore

“Love this. Everton should be giving Martial a look too if Luis Diaz deal is completely off the table”

Credit: @EvertoninLA

“Yes please”

Credit: @MattyHughes10

“Not a fan”

Credit: @BobbyW1878

“Do Everton ever learn? One in three-ish goalscorer at best apart from one season years ago. Want to sign young hungry players and build a team for the future. “Free” and paying him huge loyalty bonuses and massive weekly salary. No thanks”

Credit: @toffeepjc

“Nope”

Credit: @adamm1878

In other news, find out which big name Everton are leading the race to sign here!