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With Tottenham not able to play any games in their long-awaited new stadium until at least April, surely it’d now be preferable to leave the opening until next season.

It’s been causing fixture rearrangement headaches since August and it’s the butt of everyone’s jokes since then too. The whole situation has been shambolic, but somehow Spurs have still managed to get used to their new surroundings at Wembley, a place where they’re not that used to playing nowadays.

They’re still very much involved in a title race and will be just two points behind current leaders Manchester City if they win their game in hand at Burnley on Saturday. It doesn’t seem like the move from White Hart Lane in 2017 affected them and fair play for that, but imagine what another move could do their rhythm.

After one and three quarter seasons at Wembley, they’re now used to the dressing room, pre-match routine and of course the pitch, so it would seem strange if the club were to interrupt this two months before the end of the campaign and even perhaps reopen it for a Champions League quarter-final 1stleg on April 9 or 10. Footballers are creatures of habit and it’d be interesting to hear what the players would make of the move at this late stage.

Yes, it would save more months of embarrassment, but the stadium looks amazing and when it’s finally open it’ll be the envy of every team in England, so Spurs fans will have their chance to gloat then. An opening at the start of next season would give the crowd fresh optimism too because mentally it’ll feel like a new chapter, whereas if it was to open this season and Liverpool and City are further ahead in the title race than they are now, it’ll seem like ‘same old Spurs’.

They may be pressured into opening the stadium anyway given the events coming up at Wembley, not least the FA Cup semi-final and final, but if the club were to have the option, it seems it would be more sensible to save it until the excitement of a season opener. They should prefer to let the team continue with how they’re playing this season rather than shake up the pack.

Do you think opening Tottenham’s new stadium will have a positive or negative impact on performance?

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Juventus star Paulo Dybala upon the expiry of his contract in the summer, but the north London club are waiting on Fabio Paratici to green-light the transfer.

The Lowdown: Dybala’s situation at Juventus

With just a few months remaining on his Juventus contract, the 28-year-old has been at the centre of various transfer rumours amid his negotiations over a new deal with the Turin club.

However, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine failed to agree terms with the Serie A outfit, so the forward is set to leave in the summer.

This has since sparked huge interest in the player, with many clubs across Europe on full alert for the potential signing of the £36m-rated hitman.

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The Latest: Paratici waiting

According to journalist Niccolo Ceccarini (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are ‘at the window’ for Dybala this summer, as he prepares for a move away from Juventus. However, Ceccarini further reported that there will be a ‘phase of waiting’ before the striker makes a decision over his future.

Spurs have been named as one of the most likely suitors, given that Lilywhites chief Paratici was the man to sign Dybala for Juventus.

Alongside Atletico Madrid, Tottenham remain ‘at the window’, which suggests that Paratici is eyeing up a deal from the outside before committing to making a move for the player.

The Verdict: Quality player

Having totalled a sensational 113 goals and 48 assists in 283 appearances for Juventus, Dybala is certainly not short of talent. Hailed by a group of legends – including the likes of Michael Laudrup and Alessandro Del Piero – as a “special” talent, the Argentine’s contract situation will have alerted some of the biggest clubs across Europe to his availability.

With the fact that he will be available on a free transfer, several clubs appear to be lining up to secure the player’s signature. However, the likes of Tottenham may be wary of his salary demands, as he currently earns a staggering £220,000 per week. By comparison, Spurs’ highest earner Harry Kane takes home £200,000 every week.

Either way, the race to sign Dybala will be a hard-fought battle. For Tottenham, it could all come down to whether or not Paratici gives it the go-ahead.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Conte now wants to keep Lucas Moura

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted for Caoimhin Kelleher after Jurgen Klopp confirmed he would start next month’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates on Thursday night, completing a 2-0 win to book their place in the final.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will come up against Chelsea at Wembley on February 27th, as two of the biggest teams in the country lock horns in a huge game.

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Kelleher has played for the majority of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup run, making three appearances and starting at Arsenal, but plenty would have expected a switch to clear number one Alisson for the final.

It looks as though Klopp will show great faith in the 23-year-old, however, confirming on Friday [via Paul Joyce on Twitter] that he will keep his place at Wembley.

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Liverpool fans delighted for Kelleher

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their happiness at the news.

“As he should! Absolutely thrilled for him!”

Credit: @jaimaitai

“Rightly so”

Credit: @JayD_deOne

“Good man-management once again. Any manager would have easily got Alisson to play in the final. This is why Klopp is the best”

Credit: @Benthereds

“Let’s go, next NO.1”

Credit: @LewisLFCtweets

“Deservedly so. Never looks out of place, always looks assured”

Credit: @CassiusBurke

“Fully deserved! He’s also good enough to play!”

Credit: @aaronjacko

In other news, some Liverpool fans are happy with an injury update on one player. Find out who it is here.

David Moyes has dropped an update on West Ham United’s business in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, the 58-year-old Hammers boss revealed that he is hopeful he can pull off a number of deals for new signings this month, as well as claiming that he and his transfer team at the London Stadium have already submitted some offers for targets in the current market.

Speaking about the Irons’ January transfer plans, Moyes said: “I think sometimes you need things to come, [they] take a bit of time to come to fruition. We’re asking about players and other clubs that are trying to get them are asking about players and it is taking a bit of time for things, the domino effect to really happen.

“We’ve made some offers behind the scenes for players, we’ve tried to look at situations so it’s not as if we’re not doing it at the moment. You just need to look around football and see that there’s not a lot of deals happening at the moment. The general feeling is that it is a bit tougher for whatever reason that may be. I’m hopeful we can pull something off.”

Fans will be buzzing

While West Ham have been linked with a whole host of players this month, the east London outfit are still yet to get a deal over the line for an incoming first-teamer 15 days into the transfer window. That may well worry some of the London Stadium faithful, particularly with the club only having one out-and-out centre-forward in Michail Antonio and seeing first-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna being ruled out for the season as a result of injury.

However, following the 58-year-old’s latest update, it would very much seem as if the Hammers are working on a number of deals to bring fresh faces to the club this month, something which will undoubtedly have left fans buzzing.

West Ham currently sit fourth in the Premier League, but if Moyes wishes to give his side the best possible chance of securing qualification for the Champions League next season, it would seem essential that he brings in backup to and competition for the injury-prone Antonio, as well as greater depth in the heart of his defence, before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

As such, the 58-year-old’s suggestion that there are a number of players West Ham are currently monitoring ahead of a potential swoop this month is sure to come as music to the ears of Irons fans, as qualifying for the Champions League would undoubtedly be an astonishing achievement for the club.

In other news: GSB must seal West Ham swoop for 19 y/o gem who wants to be “competing for the Ballon d’Or”

Aston Villa could still lose midfielder Douglas Luiz this transfer window ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly planning a bid for the Brazilian.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Villa’s Premier League rivals Tottenham are preparing a £32m bid for the 23-year-old with the north London club reportedly panicking ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Antonio Conte’s side are still yet to make a signing having missed out on Wolves’ Adama Traore and Porto’s Luis Diaz, but are also looking to add Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski to their ranks as well as Luiz.

With 18 months left on his contract, the Aston Villa midfielder will have to make a decision as to whether or not his long-term future still lies in the West Midlands soon, however, Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to ensure that he will have the services of one of his star players until the end of the season at least.

Villa must keep Luiz

Since the arrival of Gerrard, the Villans’ season has significantly turned around for the better. The Birmingham outfit are 11th in the Premier League and have at least one game in hand on numerous teams near them.

Qualifying for European football this term looks to be a tall task, however, it’s certainly not impossible. If the Englishman and co. are serious about a push to finish the season amongst the top-flight’s elite, then keeping Luiz will certainly be vital.

The Brazilian has made 17 league appearances this term and is an essential cog for Gerrard’s setup. The 41-year-old has often deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Luiz in the heart of midfield alongside John McGinn and the likes of Marvelous Nakamba or Jacob Ramsey.

Nakamba is set to stay on the sidelines until April and therefore the Villa boss cannot afford to lose a midfielder this transfer window, particularly to a Premier League rival. It’s safe to say that doing so would be something of a disaster, especially with the club yet to bid for Rodrigo Bentancur.

They’d ultimately have very few options in midfield, something that could have dire ramifications for their campaign.

Averaging 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 tackles as well as an 84% passing accuracy per game in the top-flight, Luiz’s physicality in midfield is a significant asset, with the 23-year-old often entrusted to be Villa’s engine.

With just over a day left of the window, it would certainly deal Aston Villa a hefty blow if the 23-year-old departed for north London, particularly mid-season with there still so much to play for at Villa Park.

With West Ham United currently just four points off fourth place in the Premier League table, David Moyes’ side are very much in the race to secure Champions League football by the end of the campaign.

In just a matter of days, the January transfer window opens and will give West Ham, among other clubs, the chance to make some changes to their squad.

This time around, the east London club and GSB have the opportunity to replicate a similar sort of transfer masterclass that they managed to deliver during the January window of 2020 when they signed Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in a deal worth a reported fee of over £20m.

Since arriving at West Ham, Bowen has gone on to score 14 goals and provide 16 assists in 78 appearances across all competitions, showing how much of a useful signing he’s been for the club and why it’s sometimes worth taking a punt on signing Championship players.

West Ham have now been linked with another young prospect from the Championship in the shape of 20-year-old attacking-midfielder Brennan Johnson and he could be the next version of Bowen at The London Stadium.

Johnson, who is a product of Nottingham Forest’s youth system, made his senior debut for the club back in August 2019 under former manager Sabri Lamouchi in a 2-1 league defeat against West Bromwich Albion.

Labelled as an “exciting” player in the past by former Forest boss Chris Hughton, the youngster, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £2.5k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has made 31 appearances for the club across all competitions.

This season has seen Johnson score five goals and provide four assists for Steve Cooper’s side in 23 Championship appearances, playing in a number of different midfield and attacking positions across the pitch, showing off his versatility and prowess in front of goal. He is a particularly eye-catching player with 18 senior strikes to his name now despite his young age.

In terms of a potential move to West Ham in January, this could be a very attractive move for the Hammers, adding a potential option for the club to explore after it was recently claimed that Jesse Lingard will be staying at Manchester United after being linked with a January move to east London.

In other news: Forget Bowen: “Magnificent” WHU gem who completed 7/7 dribbles was Moyes’ hero v Spurs – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after Joe Gomez was linked with joining Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window.

The Reds have clicked back into top form since the international break, securing a trio of resounding home wins over Arsenal, Porto and Southampton.

Saturday’s 4-0 victory against Saints saw Jurgen Klopp’s side produce an excellent performance, swatting their opponents aside at Anfield.

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It was a third clean sheet in a row for Liverpool, but someone who hasn’t featured in that time is Gomez, who continues to recover from a calf injury.

The 24-year-old title-winning hero of 2019/20 has only featured for 13 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, and according to The Mirror [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Steven Gerrard wants to take him to Villa on loan in January.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Gomez rumour

These Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted negatively to the rumours of a potential exit for Gomez.

“No brov. All our CBs stay”

Credit: @Ariidunnu

“I would be very disappointed if this were true and they allow it to happen. JG is a class CB in my books, when fit he’s second after VVD.”

Credit: @alv_lam28

“Sorry Stevie, it’s a no”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“There is absolutely no way on earth we’d loan out a centre back unless one was coming in. I also doubt we are bringing anybody in as well…so it’s hard to see any truth in this…”

Credit: @SMXLFC

“Am I the only one with PTSD from last season? I want 10 centre backs at all times…”

Credit: @30YearsRed

“No loaning out of any CBs. Nope. Not allowed.”

Credit: @ZachsEleven

In other news, some Liverpool fans have erupted after an update on one player emerged. Read more here.

Frank Lampard will ‘get at least the start of next season’ to impress if he manages to keep Everton in the Premier League, journalist Pete O’Rourke told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

Lampard took charge of Everton on the last day of January with The Toffees 16th in the table and four points above the drop zone.

Fast forward just over two months, and their situation hasn’t improved. In fact, they’re now one place and one point closer to the bottom three.

Lampard has overseen two victories and six defeats in his first eight matches in charge.

And according to insider Dean Jones, Everton possess a unilateral option to terminate the contract and part ways with Lampard at the end of the campaign.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke said he expects Lampard to remain in the Goodison Park dugout into 2022/23 if they avoid relegation.

“I think if he manages to keep them up, I’m sure he’ll get at least the start of next season to see what impact it can have at Goodison Park,” he said.

The verdict

If Everton do go down, both parties will surely decide it’s best to move on. Indeed, Lampard was managing Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League as recently as the winter of 2020 and may not be particularly interested in taking on the Championship, while the club will feel let down by his lack of impact.

If they survive, though, he may feel that he can take Everton up the table with better luck on the injury front.

Yes, the performances have been poor, but the squad are dealing with a whopping ten absentees at this crucial stage of the campaign, though two of those are self-inflicted (suspensions for Allan and Michael Keane).

And Lampard might also be of the opinion that this simply isn’t his squad, and only when he gets a full transfer window can he truly implement his vision.

The early signs on that front aren’t particularly promising, however. Lampard reportedly sanctioned the January signing of Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s yet to start a single game.

In other news, two of Everton’s January signings could leave in the summer.

West Ham United will not look to secure a deal to bring Alex Kral to the London Stadium on a permanent basis.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the club insider revealing that David Moyes will not look to take up the £12m option-to-buy clause for the defensive midfielder. Indeed, they may even look to terminate the 23-year-old’s loan deal before the end of the January transfer window.

In the update, Claret & Hugh said: “West Ham look likely to allow Alex Kral back to Spartak Moscow after the midfielder has been found himself unable to make any impact at the London Stadium so far this season.”

They later added: “The Hammers organised a loan with a permanent deal option at around £12m but given his shortage of any real action, one wonders why the boss agreed to such a move in the first place. Now it looks likely that he could even be back in Russia before the current season comes to an end.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering how little impact Kral has made at West Ham since making his temporary switch from Spartak Moscow last year, the news that Moyes is not planning to sign him on a permanent basis is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, so far this season, the £7.2m-rated Czech international has made just one Premier League appearance – coming on for the final minute of the 4-1 win over Watford – in the current campaign, as well as making three appearances in the Europa League and one in the Carabao Cup.

It is not difficult to see why Moyes is so reluctant to afford the 23-year-old more regularly game-time, as, over his three European outings, the £24k-per-week midfielder has averaged a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.63 – ranking him as the Hammers’ joint fifth-worst performer in the competition.

As such, it is clear to see that the player who Moyes claimed has “bags of energy” is simply not of the standard required to be a first-team regular at the London Stadium. That leads us to believe that the 58-year-old simply must send the Czech Republic midfielder back to his parent club this month.

In other news: Moyes could finally replace Haller as West Ham plot bid for “complete” £13.5m-rated machine

A big claim has been made over Rangers centre-back Filip Helander, regarding when he could play his next game for the Ibrox club.

What’s the latest?

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has predicted that the Gers beast will make a return to first-team action early in 2022 as he recovers from his knee surgery.

The Sweden international has been out since September and has missed all of Gio van Bronckhorst’s games in Glasgow to date. Dinnery has now outlined what he is expecting Helander to go through in the coming weeks.

He told Football Insider:

“He will start off in some bounce games, maybe some behind-closed-doors friendlies.

“Once he has come through those games, you want to build up his load and then introduce him into the first team. That’s the ideal scenario. But there are always things that will influence those decisions. It could be injuries to key players, important fixtures, setbacks etcetera.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go to plan. We are talking about a time-pressured environment with pressure from stakeholders. There’s also pressure to get results, pressure in terms of the new manager being there too.

“But if all goes to plan, early 2022 is realistic. That’s great news for him after a few months on the sidelines.”

Fans surely buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing after this positive update on Helander, with an expert outlining his possible schedule ahead of his return. The supporters will want to see the big defender back in action as quickly as possible as his fitness will be a huge boost to van Bronckhorst’s side.

Last season, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Scottish Premiership. He won a whopping 68% of his duels over the course of the campaign, showing off his defensive quality and consistently as he played 22 matches for the club.

Former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard previously praised the gem for his leadership skills. The retired midfielder said: “I think he has shown great leadership. He had a little bit of an ankle issue before the international break and never played for Sweden.

“I decided to go with Katic at Hearts for the real physicality of Ikpeazu and then use Fil’s experience and leadership away to Porto, which I knew was going to be more of a technical game. One that needed experience.”

Earlier this year, the current Aston Villa boss also lauded his positioning as “outstanding” to further emphasise how highly he rated the defender and how well the Swedish-born defender performed last term.

This is why supporters will love this update on his fitness and the prospect of him returning early in 2022. They will be buzzing to see him back out on the pitch and putting in excellent performances again, showing that he can be a crucial player going forward in spite of this injury.

Gaining a player like that could also be a seismic advantage in their bid to win the Premiership crown so supporters should be beaming from ear to ear that a key man will soon return.

AND in other news, “A target…” – Journo delivers big Rangers transfer update that’ll scare fans…