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Arsenal are poised to offer Rob Holding a new contract, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 23-year-old is currently on the sidelines after sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury against Manchester United in December.

He had made 16 appearances in all competitions prior to being ruled out and the Gunners were unbeaten in the Premier League when Holding was in the side.

Holding may be out until September but could commit his future to Arsenal in the coming months.

Indeed, the aforementioned report claims that Unai Emery is subsequently keen to reward his displays with a new deal.

Formerly of Bolton Wanderers, the defender has made a total of 60 appearances for the Gunners, and has won five caps for the England Under-21s.

And fans of the club are delighted with the news that Holding could be tied down for the foreseeable future, even though his current contract does not expire until 2023.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reaction below!

Nottingham Forest are one of the EFL’s most in form sides having lost just one league game in 2022 with Steve Cooper’s side very much in the picture for a playoff spot come the end of the season.

Having beaten Birmingham City 2-0 at the City Ground on Saturday, the Reds are now third in the Championship table and have an outside shot at sneaking into the automatic promotion places with second place Bournemouth six points ahead with seven games to go.

It’s been a marvellous turnaround for the East Midlands club under Steve Cooper, who has made a colossal impact in the Forest dugout, with the Welshman looking set to lead a side to a top-six finish for the third consecutive season.

The likes of Brennan Johnson, Lewis Grabban, Ryan Yates and Keinan Davis have all been fit and firing over the course of the season. However, Cooper’s talented squad could be further improved with the addition of U23s striker Will Swan who has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Premier League 2.

In the pipeline

21-year-old Swan has scored 12 goals and assisted a further four in 18 appearances for Forest in Premier League 2 this season and is certainly one of the youth setup’s hottest prospects.

The East Midlands outfit sit third in the second division of the Premier League youth league after an impressive campaign with the English striker’s goals a major contributing factor to their success.

Swan has had various loan spells without truly making the grade at Forest yet but the forward will undoubtedly be knocking on the door of Cooper.

The loan signing of Keinan Davis from Aston Villa in January certainly boosted the Welshman’s striking options, but at the same time limited the opportunities that could’ve been handed to Swan.

Although, if Davis isn’t to make his stay at the City Ground permanent in the summer, the 21-year-old could find a clear pathway to the first team next season.

The idea of having a lethal finisher like Swan linking up with the creativity of Brennan Johnson and James Garner would certainly be a mouth-watering concept for Forest fans.

They both have superb technical attributes and that’s where Swan thrives too, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing his “lovely” ability earlier this year.

Whether or not the young striker will be given an opportunity in the near future is yet to be seen though.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £3.6m: Forest struck gold on “superb” gem likened to “Wolverine”

Aston Villa and Newcastle are just two clubs who have made contact with the representatives of Benfica forward Darwin Nunez, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Nunez profiled

Nunez, who Micah Richards recently described as ‘tall’ and ‘strong’, has scored 40 goals in 77 appearances for Benfica after arriving in 2020.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Uruguay international is primarily a centre-forward who can also play on the left and is now valued by Transfermarkt at a career-high £36m.

He has been in fine form during the current campaign, netting 26 times in 33 games, and it seems as if his next move could be to England.

The Latest: Source shares update

Sources with knowledge to Nunez’s situation have told 90min that the Premier League is seemingly the player’s preferred next destination.

Villa, along with Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham have been in contact with the forward’s representatives, while Manchester United and West Ham are also name-checked with an interest.

The Verdict: Club-record deal?

90min claimed that a figure in the region of £65m would be enough to land Nunez this summer, a fee which could make him Villa’s most expensive signing of all time.

Steven Gerrard is preparing for a first full season on charge at Villa Park, and a new marquee striker could be on his shortlist, especially after Danny Ings was linked with a move to Brighton in recent weeks.

Should Ings depart, then Gerrard would be left with limited options in attack, so a move for Nunez could be one to keep a close eye on over the coming months.

In other news: Talks held: Journalist now speaks out on ‘serious’ interest in ‘exceptional’ Aston Villa star. 

Celtic have the chance to make it to the final of the Scottish Cup this afternoon if they’re able to beat their Old Firm rivals Rangers in the semis.

The Hoops had a rather successful previous match last weekend, putting seven past St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Before that, Ange Postecoglou’s side faced off against Rangers, beating them at Ibrox and extending their lead at the top of the league table.

The two Glasgow clubs now meet again away from league duty to see which one will be in with a shout of securing the Scottish Cup.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start in the 7-0 win against St. Johnstone but did end up playing a big part in the game was Liel Abada, who should be included in Postecoglou’s the starting XI this time around.

After replacing Giorgos Giakoumakis with 27 minutes on the clock, Abada saw the game out to the end after the Greek striker picked up an injury.

With 35 touches of the ball in total against the Saints, the 20-year-old ended up completing 22 of the 25 passes he attempted as well as having four shots at goal in total.

The winger even managed to get his name on the scoresheet by grabbing Celtic’s final goal of the match, giving the Hoops’ goal difference what could prove to be an all-important boost.

Labelled as a “little superstar” by Nir Bitton and a “wonderful” player by Frank McAvennie, the Israel winger has been a deadly attacking force for the Bhoys all season.

Having scored 10 league goals in 32 league appearances, Abada is currently Celtic’s top scorer, proving that it didn’t take him long to settle into Scottish football after joining the Parkhead side last summer.

In addition to this, the £15k-per-week attacker has the fourth-highest number of shots at goal out of any player in the entire SPFL, including fellow Hoops attacker Kyogo Furuhashi, who has eight league goals to his name.

This shows how much of a threat he is going forward and what sort of problems he could cause Rangers.

With that in mind, it should very much be in Postecoglou’s thinking when putting his starting XI together to include Abada and unleash him against the Gers.

AND in other news: “Behind the scenes…”: Insider drops teasing Celtic claim, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic will be looking to continue their march towards the domestic treble this season as they play in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup today.

The Hoops face off against their arch-rivals in the clash at Hampden this afternoon as they compete for a place in the final of the competition.

Ange Postecoglou’s men have already secured the League Cup trophy this season and are currently six points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Their lead over Rangers in the league has put them in a terrific position to reclaim the title and they can now pile the misery on them with a win in this latest Old Firm matchup.

One change will be enforced upon the Australian head coach for this match as Gio Giakoumakis has been ruled out through injury.

This leaves a spot at the top end of the pitch and Kyogo Furuhashi must be unleashed from the start to take the Greek international’s place.

Ahead of the match, John Hartson has backed the forward to start: “I think he’ll be dying to get back on the scoresheet.

“He’s such an enthusiastic and quality player. What an impact he made before he got injured.”

This is not the first time the ex-Hoops striker has praised the Japan international, as he previously said:

“There is no doubt Celtic have landed someone quite special in Kyogo. His movement is outstanding.

“It was a pity he couldn’t get more involved against Rangers, but when he moved into the central role, he was an absolute menace to their defence.”

Postecoglou must heed his advice and start the centre-forward as he proved earlier in the season that he has a keen eye for goal. He has found the back of the net 16 times in 27 matches for the club in all competitions, including eight goals in 12 cup matches in the Europa League and League Cup.

Kyogo has also delivered 1.1 key passes per game and created four ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, which shows that he is able to link up the play and create openings for his teammates as well as scoring the goals.

This shows that he has the quality to be the difference-maker in this Old Firm clash. He has the ability to score goals at this level and will be able to punish Rangers if the Celtic midfield are able to provide him with the service he needs to do his damage in the final third.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Celtic dealt late Rangers injury setback, Ange Postecoglou will be fuming…

Flocking to Twitter, many Southampton fans have been left excited following a big update on the club’s plans to sign Chelsea striker and loanee Armando Broja permanently.

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has seen the Albania international come on leaps and bounds since his temporary move to the south coast.

Over his 10 Premier League starts for Southampton, Broja has netted five goals whilst proving to be a consistent threat in the final third (WhoScored), drawing praise for his performances at St Mary’s.

This fine form has reportedly resulted in interest from Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens and the club to make his stay a permanent one, but they’re not the only side eyeing a move for the 20-year-old as a ‘string’ of prospective top-flight suitors also take note (Sky Sports).

In a big update, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared news on the Saints’ plans as the January transfer window slowly draws to a close.

According to his sources, Southampton – seemingly backed by new owners Sport Republic and Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak – are ‘expected to launch’ a £25m club-record bid to sign Broja before Monday’s transfer deadline. It is believed that the proposal will be ‘submitted soon’, as plenty of Saints fans flock to this update on Twitter.

Southampton fans buzzing…

Signalling a real statement of intent, it’s little wonder so many Southampton fans are buzzing that the club are willing to smash their transfer record in an effort to secure Broja.

The towering Albania international has been a revelation under Hasenhuttl, and tying him down indefinitely would come as a major boost.

Here’s how some Saints supporters reacted to the development:

“absolute scenes if this is true”

Credit: @RichardDyba

“CMOOOON”

Credit: @saintsjwp

“The most comforting thing about this is knowing we actually can spend that much on a player now”

Credit: @AniefiokEkp

“YOOOOOOO”

Credit: @_sfcjay

“If we pull this off, it would make my year and we are less than a month into it!”

Credit: @MattRayB

“25m on one player? We are coming for Europe”

Credit: @fletchsfc

“yes yes yes”

Credit: @summa_symonds

“The best thing about all this is that due to the recent takeover, we can actually spend this. My feeling is it’ll be £25-30m with a buyback of £50-70m dependent on performance. Go and get it done, lads!”

Credit: @Jim_Mack7

In other news: Southampton in pole position to sign ‘very exciting’ attacker as journalist shares news, find out more here.

Crystal Palace are now stepping up their interest in Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Aribo profiled

Aribo has been with the Scottish giants since 2019 and is primarily a left-footed central midfielder, attacking midfielder or right-winger.

The Nigeria international, labelled as ‘phenomenal’ by Steven Thompson, will be entering the final 12 months of his Ibrox deal in the summer.

The 25-year-old has played a whopping 50 times this season, scoring eight times and providing ten assists, and it looks as if sporting director Dougie Freedman is keen on Aribo’s services.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story regarding Aribo on Sunday evening after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that Palace had scouts in attendance at Ibrox last Thursday to watch Aribo in Europa League action, labelling that as the Eagles stepping up their interest.

The Verdict: Impressed…

Rangers ran out 3-1 winners over Braga to book their spot in the Europa League semi-finals, and Palace scouts would have left impressed by Aribo’s display.

Turning out in an attacking midfield role, Aribo was Rangers’ second-best performer, as per SofaScore. He provided two assists, made six key passes, won 15 duels and completed three successful dribbles.

Conor Gallagher looks set to return to Chelsea in the summer following his productive Selhurst Park loan, so Aribo could now be viewed as the ideal replacement heading into Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge.

In other news: Crystal Palace now want to sign ‘Rolls Royce’ who Sir Alex Ferguson loves. 

Rangers will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premiership as Gio van Bronckhorst’s side travel away from Ibrox this evening.

The Gers take on their fierce rivals Celtic at Parkhead in the Old Firm clash at the top of the table, with the Dutchman’s team currently two points ahead of their rivals as it stands.

They come into the game off the back of a disappointing 3-3 draw away at Ross County at the weekend, conceding an equaliser in the 96th minute.

Unleash him

One player van Bronckhorst must unleash against the Hoops is central defender Leon Balogun.

The Nigeria international is back and available for selection and he must be selected to start in the heart of the defence alongside Connor Goldson.

Former Gers boss Steven Gerrard once lauded the beast as “important” and that is exactly what he could be for the club in this clash. The £14k-per-week gem has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.05 this term, winning 64% of his duels, after averaging a score of 7.13 and winning 61% of his battles last season.

This shows that he is a proven player at Premiership level as he has regularly provided quality displays at this level over the course of almost two seasons. He knows what it takes to perform in the division and is a reliable option for van Bronckhorst to call upon.

Calvin Bassey endured a rough afternoon against Ross County as he ended the match with a dismal SofaScore rating of 5.9. He made an error leading directly to a goal as his air-kick allowed the opposition to race clear through on Allan McGregor’s goal to make it 2-1 to the hosts at the time.

This means that it could be beneficial for the Gers to place him on the bench for this match to avoid the nerves getting to him after such a poor performance last time out. Balogun is an experienced operator, as shown by his form over the last 18 months, and could slot straight in.

Sir Kenny Dalglish previously dubbed him as a “real leader” and this is one of the reasons why it may make sense to bring him in for this match. In a high-pressure, high-stakes, match at the top of the table, the Gers need all the experience and leadership they can get on the pitch, with Balogun able to bring his mental qualities to the forefront.

AND in other news, GVB starts Ramsey, £16k-p/w gem left out: How Rangers’ best XI may look after January…

A transfer expert has now revealed some interest from Newcastle United in signing Victor Osimhen in the summer.

The Lowdown: Planning ahead

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium already seem to be planning ahead for the summer transfer window, in spite of fears that the Magpies could get relegated from the Premier League. Of course, should that fate be sealed, then their list of targets suddenly becomes very different.

However, with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Sven Botman being linked with summer moves to St James’ Park already, it seems as if the new owners still have the ambition to make more statements with the Tyneside club’s new-found wealth.

The Latest: Newcastle’s Osimhen interest

Speaking to 7 Gold (via CalcioNapoli1926), transfer expert Fabio Santini has revealed that Newcastle are now interested in signing Osimhen in the summer, but are warned that they must pay at least €100m (£83.3m) to land him. The journalist outlined:

“I have some news about Aurelio De Laurentiis’ Napoli. First of all, I can confirm Newcastle’s interest in striker Victor Osimhen. 

“But the president of the Campania association has already made it known that for the player he wants a figure of not less than one hundred million euros.”

The Verdict: Too expensive

Even though money is not an object to the new owners at Newcastle, £83.3m is simply too much to pay for Osimhen.

Despite playing for some of Europe’s best clubs, he has never scored more than 13 goals in a single league season, and this term alone Osimhen has only managed five goals in Serie A for Napoli so far (Transfermarkt).

Described as an ‘engine’ who ‘opens the game’ and ‘really strong’ by Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlovic (Sports Ration), the Nigeria international does have certain aspects of his game which are to be admired.

However, at 23 years of age, the Magpies would simply be buying potential at this moment in time, and Osimhen is by no means the finished article yet.

In other news, find out what ‘concern’ this NUFC journalist has raised before the Everton clash

Jason Burt has said that Fabio Cannavaro is now a candidate for the permanent Everton manager job, alongside both Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.

The Lowdown: Hunt ongoing

The hunt to find a new permanent manager at Goodison Park is still ongoing, after Duncan Ferguson was given the job on a temporary basis, with his first game coming at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League at lunchtime.

The likes of Jose Mourinho, Niko Kovac and Lampard have all been linked recently with the vacancy, as it seems that the board have not made their mind up yet over the direction that they want to go in with their appointment.

The Latest: Cannavaro a candidate

As per The Daily Telegraph journalist Burt, Cannavaro has now emerged as a candidate for the job, after holding initial talks with the Merseyside club:

“Conflicting claims as to how Fabio Cannavaro fared in his talks with Everton.

“I am told that not only did he interview well – and speaks good English – but the shortlist may now just be down to him, Wayne Rooney or Frank Lampard.”

The Verdict: Avoid

There is no doubt that Cannavaro had a glittering career as a player, but his managerial CV is not exactly an enticing prospect for Toffees fans.

He has won the Chinese Super League title and Super Cup with Guangzhou Evergrande, but despite over 200 matches of managerial experience under his belt, he has never managed in a top European league before, let alone the Premier League.

At Guangzhou, he was believed to be the ‘protege’ to Marcello Lippi, but his tactics and touchline adjustments were criticised, according to Chinese football expert Zhao Xiaoou (via The Daily Mail).

Nonetheless, it would be a big gamble to hire him, and the board simply cannot afford to get their next appointment wrong.

In other news, find out what manager update has Toffees fuming here!