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Arsenal could land a perfect long-term partner for William Saliba next season by bringing in RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate in the summer transfer window.

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Gunners are one of a number of big European clubs who are keeping a track of the France U21 international, with hopes that Leipzig could make him available for a transfer.

The 6 foot 4 defender has already built up considerable experience of playing at the highest level, playing high-pressure games in both the Bundesliga and Champions League – the 21-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the home victories over Manchester United and PSG in the group stages of the competition.

In a profile piece by Bundesliga.com, they likened him to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, writing: “Whether it be in terms of positioning, sticking tight to the striker, intercepting passes, tackling or building from the back, Konate cannot just do it all, he makes it look easy.

“He has the pace to match the quickest of attackers and the physique to bully – rather than be bullied by – muscular strikers much more experienced than he is.”

And that pace and speed to catch up with opposition strikers could be absolutely crucial for Arteta, who wants his side to press from the front and play a high-line.

The Spanish boss can be heard and seen on regular occasions on the touch-line gesticulating for his defenders to push up higher, and that kind of tactic only works when you’ve got a pair of centre-backs, in particular, who are comfortable with sweeping up anything in behind.

In Saliba and the £31.5m-rated Konate, the Gunners would have two young defenders who have got that unique pace to fulfil what Arteta wants, and it’s exactly why it has all the makings of being a dream duo for the north Londoners.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano reveals Arsenal are targeting this Premier League star…

Carlo Ancelotti should overlook a potential recall for James Rodriguez against Manchester United on Saturday as the midfielder could hold Everton back at Old Trafford.

Rodriguez fell to the bench following a 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United last weekend and played no part as the Toffees beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

It was the first occasion since the 29-year-old joined Everton from Real Madrid last summer that he failed to feature in a Premier League game outside of an injury, having started 13 of his 14 top-flight outings in royal blue.

Everton beat Leeds through goals from midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin, having dominated for large periods of the first half before digging in deep to see out the result after Raphinha pulled one back for the Whites early in the second period.

Sigurdsson was particularly effective during the first 45 minutes with his link-up play with Calvert-Lewin, Alex Iwobi and Richarlison impressive, while his drive into the box returned a gift to break the deadlock with the easiest of finishes.

Yet even after a somewhat slack showing in the second half from the Iceland international, Rodriguez watched on as Michael Keane, Joshua King and Tom Davies were introduced from the bench.

Everton ended the midweek affair with 10 shots registered from seven key passes, of which Abdoulaye Doucoure offered the most from the deep-lying box-to-box midfield role with two. Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Andre Gomes plus defenders Lucas Digne and Ben Godfrey provided the rest, per WhoScored.

Rodriguez may be considered for an immediate recall to inject an added level of creativity into the Everton starting line-up against Manchester United on Saturday, with no member of Ancelotti’s squad offering more key passes than the Colombian (28) in the Premier League this term.

Yet calling on the 29-year-old could see Ancelotti actually hold Everton back at Old Trafford, as Rodriguez endured one of his worst performances in royal blue when the two sides met back in November and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side emerged 3-1 victors at Goodison Park.

Only against Newcastle on January 30 and against West Ham United on New Year’s Day has he achieved a lower WhoScored match rating in a Premier League fixture than he did against the Red Devils, having earned a 6.31 compared to the 5.96 achieved against both the Toon and Irons.

The £31.5m-rated maestro further achieved his fourth-worst pass success rating (79.5%) and played his sixth-least passes (44) in a single game against Manchester United, while failing to attempt a single shot or key pass for one of only three occasions in each regard.

Ancelotti would not be able to guarantee Rodriguez avoiding a repeat performance this weekend, as Everton are facing a Red Devils side brimming with confidence after a 9-0 demolition of Southampton and are firing on all cylinders.

The Toffees will need to be alert defensively and have no passengers on board, and Rodriguez’s performance in the reverse fixture make for underwhelming reading. And, given that Ancelotti’s men picked up the win last time out, there is surely no reason for the Everton boss to make such a gamble in a big game.

AND in other news, a £65k-p/w Everton titan faces a fight at Everton after Carlo Ancelotti was left “really surprised” vs Leeds…

As the final days of the January transfer tick down, clubs are scrambling to get some last minute deals over the line. Celtic are no different after being linked to several new potential signings this month.

Both incomings and outgoings have been rumoured to take place, but one story of interest which has come to fruition is the Hoops’ keenness on Ben Davies. The Preston North End defender has attracted a lot of attention amid his contract expiry in the summer, but it’s Celtic who look to have beaten the rest to the punch.

According to 90min, Davies has agreed pre-contract terms with the Glaswegians, which will see him move on a free transfer at the end of the season. The Bhoys have been struggling defensively this campaign so signing a new centre-back simply had to be a priority for them, particularly with the mounting interest in Kristoffer Ajer from rival clubs.

Why is Davies a good signing for Celtic?

It’s no secret that the reigning Scottish Premiership champions are having a nightmarish season. Not only do they trail by a whopping 23 points to their Glasgow rivals, but they were handed an early exit from their Europa League run. The Hoops finished bottom of the pile in their group and shipped the joint-highest amount of goals in the group stages.

Neil Lennon has also struggled with an injury-ridden squad. Christopher Jullien has missed a total of 29 matches for Celtic this season due to respective back and knee injuries, according to Transfermarkt.

Shane Duffy has equally been disappointing, but due to his lacklustre performances on the pitch. Celtic were recently said to be considering ending his loan move from Brighton early after not quite cutting the mustard in Scotland.

As well as delivering a quality defender, Lawwell has killed two birds with one stone in terms of protecting the club’s finances, signing Davies on a pre-contract basis which means he arrives at Parkhead for nothing. Sky Sports recently claimed that Preston were looking for £2million to £2.5million for the defender’s services, but Celtic have managed to avoid paying anything at all for the centre-half.

The Hoops will expect the 6 foot defender to arrive at Parkhead in the summer and he will be a welcome recruit to the team. According to WhoScored’s comparison tool, Davies currently averages more clearances and interceptions per match than Jullien, Duffy and Ajer. He will be looking to wiggle his way into the starting lineup once he arrives.

Knowing Celtic will be looking to bounce back and win silverware next season, Davies will undoubtedly be rubbing his hands together as he eyes whose spot he could usurp in the current Lennon set-up. Lawwell will undoubtedly be pleased that he has a tried-and-tested defender on the way who didn’t cost a single penny.

In other news, Lennon will leave one very welcome parting gift for Celtic if he is axe…

At long last, Wolves have signed a new striker. Willian Jose is the name on supporters’ lips with the Brazilian arriving on loan from Real Sociedad.

However, it would appear that Jeff Shi isn’t quite done in the transfer market yet.

What’s the word?

Football Insider reported back in November that Wolves were keeping tabs on Peterborough winger Siriki Dembele.

However, there has now been an update on the future of the impressive 24-year-old forward.

According to the same publication, Nottingham Forest have made a loan to buy bid for Dembele who has reportedly put in a transfer request to leave Posh.

FI go on to reiterate Wolves’ interest in the player, also stating that Celtic, Fulham and Crystal Palace are all in pursuit.

Shades of Sako

Wolves fans won’t want to be reminded of their spell in League One back in 2013/14, but one player they will probably remember fondly is Bakary Sako.

At that level of the English football pyramid, the forward was close to unstoppable, proving to be a valuable asset as the Old Gold tried to climb back through the leagues.

Sako netted 12 goals in 40 outings, also providing 15 assists for his teammates. It was a mesmeric campaign from the Malian who proved equally devastating at Championship level.

The attacker netted 15 times and picked up a further ten assists for his troubles, putting in performances that terrified defenders. During the 2014/15 term, he produced 2.9 shots per game, 1.5 key passes a match and also 2.8 dribbles over the same metric.

But why does this hold any relevance in the present day? Well, Dembele has been producing similar performances at the same level for Peterborough.

The Wolves target, who like Sako can play on the wing or up front, has been nothing short of exceptional over the last two seasons. Speaking about the Posh striker last year, his manager Darren Ferguson said: “The boy has been absolutely outstanding since realising he can play as a central striker.”

Indeed, Dembele has scored six goals and provided seven assists this season. That adds to the six strikes and nine assists he amassed in 2019/20.

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Though, to compare him more closely to Sako, we can analyse the more detailed stats. The fearsome Peterborough man has managed fewer shots than the former Wolves flanker – two per game – but his creativity and ability to beat a man is better.

Dembele has delivered 1.8 key passes a match while his dazzling capabilities have led to an eye-catching three dribbles per game.

It remains to be seen what Dembele could do at a higher level but those attributes certainly demonstrate that he’d bring an awful lot to Wolves.

Nuno Santo has regularly developed talent from the lower leagues and you only need to look at the likes of Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota to understand how you can rise up the leagues with Wolves before thriving in the Premier League.

With Wolves struggling and lacking goals with Raul Jimenez out injured, signing another forward on top of Willian Jose certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their dream Traore successor by landing “extremely quick” 31-cap ace…

After absolutely thrashing West Brom 5-0 away from home, Leeds United face a more stiffer test when they take on Tottenham.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were in imperious form last time out at the Hawthorns, and blew away the Baggies inside the first-half, racing to a four-goal lead before the break.

Spurs on the other hand seem to have hit a sticky patch, failing to win in their past four Premier League games. Bielsa will no doubt be reluctant to make too many significant changes to his side – that isn’t his style anyway – but injuries may play a part in forcing his hand.

And with that in mind, below is a look at Leeds’ potential line-up to face Jose Mourinho’s men on Saturday afternoon.

In goal, Illan Meslier will hope to continue where he’s left off in the past couple of months. The Frenchman has managed to keep two clean sheets in succession in the top-flight since that 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United.

The back-four is also likely to remain the same, with Pascal Struijk keeping his place at the heart of defence following Liam Cooper’s injury.

Midfield however could be the one area where Bielsa tinkers slightly. Mateusz Klich picked up a knock against West Brom last week, but the Leeds boss may wish to keep him out of the side regardless of whether he passes a late fitness check, given his questionable form in recent weeks.

That could see Jamie Shackleton make a Premier League start, whilst Bielsa may also make a big call over who plays on the right hand side.

Raphinha – hailed a “complete player” by Victor Orta recently – is beginning to find his feet at Elland Road, but some of the Whites’ best performances against the heavyweight sides this season, against Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, have seen Helder Costa start on both occasions.

That could be the case again, as Bielsa goes with a more tried-and-trusted option in a big game like this.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips, Rodrigo, Shackleton; Costa, Bamford, Harrison.

Carlo Ancelotti is facing the “impossible” task of finding a like-for-like replacement for Richarlison with Everton potentially without the Brazilian at Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

According to The Guardian, the Goodison Park natives are waiting anxiously for word on whether or not Richarlison can take to the field at Bramall Lane on Saturday night as he continues to be assessed for a potential concussion.

The 23-year-old was substituted off during the Toffees’ Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday night under the orders of the club’s doctor, having received an elbow to the head in an accidental collision with Eric Bailly.

Ancelotti has insisted Everton will not breach the Football Association’s concussion protocols and field Richarlison regardless, after he claimed “everything is fine” in a message shared on Twitter.

Everton will be hoping Richarlison can feature at Bramall Lane as they strive to secure a fourth-straight Premier League victory to maintain the club’s position in the top-four places, as the Toffees are yet to win a top-flight fixture without the Brazilian since his arrival in 2018.

Ancelotti will also be without James Rodriguez after confirming the Colombian will miss the festive meetings with Sheffield United and Manchester City with the same calf injury that has sidelined the 29-year-old for the Blues’ last three league games.

“Without Richarlison, we know it will be difficult,” Ancelotti said. “If he had a concussion he has to stay out, we have to follow the protocols, and we have to be able to replace him better than what we did when he was not here.

“James will not be available for the next few games and it is a challenge for us to replace them both.”

Everton lost all three Premier League fixtures while without Richarlison earlier in the season following his red card at home to Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, during which Ancelotti admitted it is “impossible” to find a like-for-like replacement for the 23-year-old with who he already has at the club.

Ancelotti will be keen to see Everton avoid a repeat of their struggles while Richarlison was suspended should he not be able to feature against Sheffield United on Boxing Day, knowing the £50m record signing accounts for much of the Toffees’ offensive advances.

No Everton player has registered a higher number of successful dribbles than Richarlison (32), who ranks second to Dominic Calvert-Lewin (39) for total shots (24) in Premier League fixtures and third for big chances created (3), per SofaScore.

Only Calvert-Lewin (11) and Rodriguez (3) have scored more often than Richarlison (2), too, with fellow forwards Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon and Cenk Tosun yet to find the back of the net.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands will have to ditch his favoured Everton approach to sign a sought-after £18m enforcer.

Jeffrey Schlupp scored a dramatic late equaliser as Crystal Palace came from behind to draw 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

It looked like it was going to be a long night for Roy Hodgson and his side after Harry Kane opened the scoring but the Eagles fought back from a goal down to rescue a point in the closing stages of the game.

Spurs looked the more comfortable side, but Palace weren’t without their chances, as Wilfried Zaha forced a fine save from Hugo Lloris before Eberechi Eze hit the post shortly before half-time.

But Schlupp bundled home the equaliser to put a dent in Tottenham’s title ambitions to stay within touching distance of Aston Villa, albeit Dean Smith’s side still have two games in-hand by Sunday night.

Hodgson’s side have now recorded two wins and a draw from their past five games in all competitions

Spurs largely dominated possession but Palace looked dangerous when they did get forward as Benteke went close with two headers before Schlupp struck late to give the Eagles a well-earned draw.

It was somewhat of a surprise to see Schlupp, who currently earns wages worth £50,000-per-week, start on the wing instead of Andros Townsend but the right winger came alive halfway through the first half.

As per SofaScore, he received a high rating of 7.3 out of ten for his efforts – he took 35 touches of the ball, provided 11 out of 15 passes (73%), had two shots on target, one shot blocked and made two key passes, whilst he also made two tackles, two interceptions, one clearance and blocked one shot, which suggests that he was a constant thorn in Jose Mourinho’s side.

The Evening Standard seemed to agree as they gave Schlupp a 7/10 rating, whilst football.london were effusive in their praise of the 27-year-old, claiming he ‘holds the ball exceedingly well’ and added he is ‘a great attribute for the team.’

Whilst he was largely tasked with helping Nathaniel Clyne fend off Son Heung-min and Sergio Reguilon on the right wing, his attacking prowess cannot be underestimated, as he helped to secure what could prove to be a vital point.

Palace will next take on West Ham at the London Stadium on Wednesday night, knowing they could climb above the Lions into the top half of the table if they can come away with three points, and we suspect Schlupp may have a part to play off the back of this impressive performance.

AND in other news, Nathaniel Clyne can save his Crystal Palace career amid huge update…

Glasgow Rangers may soon have to bite the bullet and address an elephant in the room.

And no, we’re not talking about Ryan Kent’s contract situation, nor Lille’s long-term interest in Alfredo Morelos, but an underlying problem between the posts. Namely, the fact that veteran Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor isn’t getting any younger.

The Rangers shot-stopper wasn’t directly at fault for Benfica’s remarkable comeback in the closing stages of the Europa League game at Ibrox as he couldn’t do much about the goals but his wayward kicking left a lot to be desired with a nervy moment towards the beginning of the game.

On its own as an isolated incident, Steven Gerrard probably won’t be too concerned by a mistimed kick here or there.

In fact, we said just last month that McGregor is one of, if not the best keepers in the Scottish Premiership but that doesn’t hide from the fact that he has started to show signs that his powers are somewhat waning.

Per SofaScore, the 38-year-old has received a low rating of 6.38 for his performances in the Europa League so far this season – he is averaging just 0.3 saves and conceding 1.3 goals per game. By comparison, he averaged 2.2 saves per game last season, whilst he only conceded 1.2 goals per game in the very same competition, as per SofaScore.

It goes without saying that it’s the most challenging and unforgiving position on the pitch. Facing a torrent of abuse often comes with the territory of being the last person in the line of defence as the main purpose is to stop goals throughout the game.

Rangers signed Scotland and former Hearts keeper Jon McLaughlin from Sunderland on a two-year-deal in the summer to provide cover and compete with McGregor for a place in the starting line-up. But therein lies the problem, as the 33-year-old is no spring chicken, either.

According to FootyStats, the Gers have the best xGA (Expected Goals Against) in the Premiership with just 0.61 goals expected against them per game, but this could be primarily due to the fact that they have the best defence in the competition.

In four appearances in the Europa League this season, McGregor has conceded five goals, whilst he has kept two clean sheets.

Whilst Brian Kinnear could soon be pushing for a call up to the senior squad, what they need right now is a reliable stopper who still has plenty of shelf life left and is comfortable with the ball if they are to push onwards to domestic and European glory. It’s surely worth a gamble as until then it may become a bit of a bumpy road in the path to success.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must unleash Brandon Barker against Falkirk in Betfred Cup…

After looking all summer that he would be leaving the club, Folarin Balogun’s future at Arsenal might have just taken a dramatic late shift.

Reports suggested that clubs like Sheffield United were very much interested in signing him, but than an £8m valuation on a youngster whose contract is coming to an end at the finish of this season, was considered a bit too steep.

And that may have just played into Arsenal’s hands. With the Gunners once again in the Europa League, Mikel Arteta has the perfect opportunity to blood his youngsters, and on Thursday night against Dundalk, he gave Balogun his debut in the second-half.

Whilst he ended up playing just 16 minutes, that time was enough to see some of the unique qualities that Balogun possesses. He only six touches, but his movement off the ball was the more impressive thing.

He was constantly looking to get in behind and playing on the Dundalk defenders’ shoulders, and could have had a one-on-one opportunity had Reiss Nelson released the ball to him after a barn-storming run through the middle of the pitch.

Speaking after the game, Arteta made it clear just how much he rates him, and sent a message to his young striker. He said: “He’s a player that I really like.

“Obviously I’ve got this situation and I believe it’s later than what I would like because I wasn’t here when everything started to develop but yes, he’s a player that I would like to give chances to. That’s why he was in the squad today and I showed him that yes, we count on him and we believe in him and if he wants, he’s going to have a future in the club.”

With Edu the club’s technical director, it’ll fall on him to ensure one of Arsenal’s brightest academy prospects doesn’t end up leaving for pastures new. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s contract already sorted in the summer, Balogun surely has to be the club’s next priority.

Glasgow Rangers secured their second successive victory at Celtic Park with a dominant performance in the Old Firm derby.

The Light Blues cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over their biggest rivals with Connor Goldson bagging a brace, meaning they now have a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and Steven Gerrard will have been secretly pleased to see his side dominate the midfield battle from start to finish.

The Rangers boss has lamented the lack of a ball-carrying midfielder in the past, which explains why he was so delighted when the Gers signed Bongani Zungu on a season-long loan from Amiens two hours before the close of play on deadline day.

Scott Arfield and Steven Davis bossed the Bhoys in their own backyard, but it was Glen Kamara who was the best of the bunch in the midfield.

The 21-capped Finland international continued his fine form for club and country with another comprehensive display in the Old Firm clash.

SofaScore graded the 24-year-old as one of the best players on the pitch – he won seven out of his nine ground duels (77%), whilst he made three tackles, one clearance and one interception, and successfully dribbled past three out of four players.

The Daily Record gave Kamara an 8/10 rating, claiming he picked “the right moments to keep it short and simple or burst into advanced areas with examples of ball carrying”, whilst The Independent were also impressed, insisting he was a “very clever player” who “won the battle against Ntcham and allowed the game to tick over favourably for Rangers.”

If you look at his heatmap, you can see that he was involved in the build-up play on the right before Goldson’s second goal.

It’s hardly surprising that Kamara received praise from Rangers fan Oli McBurnie. The Sheffield United striker tweeted “Glen Kamara is really good at football btw” after the game.

With Zungu’s arrival and with Ryan Jack’s immenent return, it’s fair to say that the midfielder may have been nervously looking over his shoulder as his place was by no means assured. What better way to send the boss a timely reminder with a big performance in one of the biggest games of the season?

AND in other news, Rangers must sign Alfredo Morelos to new contract after Gerrard comments…