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Aston Villa are undergoing a transition following the exciting appointment of Unai Emery, with a whole host of big names flying around the rumour mill as the January transfer market looms near. 

And with Emery looking to write his own script at Villa Park, he will be looking to bolster areas across the park and drive the team toward the upper end of the Premier League table, with the club currently sat in 12th. 

According to a report from French outlet Jeunes Footeux a few days ago, FC Lorient talisman Terem Moffi is on the radar of Aston Villa, with divisional rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace also interested.

And with the striker’s contract set to expire with the French team in 2024, his value may look to be utilised before dwindling past next summer, with the report stating that he would be available for roughly €20m (£17m). 

Ings successor 

Moffi has been in fine form this season, scoring ten goals from his first 14 fixtures in French Ligue 1, and could catch a ride to the Premier League after such stellar work for Lorient. 

Journalist Zach Lowy hailed the 23-year-old as “fantastic” after an immense start to the Ligue 1 campaign that saw the striker emerge as joint top-scorer alongside Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe, would certainly be a fine addition to a Villa side struggling for goals.

Indeed, the forward would offer a freshly sharpened edge to the offensive sword, and could emerge as the first-choice option as the focal point in attack in swift time, taking the baton from Danny Ings, who has not quite set the midlands on fire since his £25m move from Southampton in 2021.

The 30-year-old only managed seven goals last season, his first for Villa, after scoring 46 in 100 appearances for Saints, and could certainly benefit from the assistance of a prolific marksman such as Moffi. 

Ings does have five goals across 14 league outings this season, and still possesses an innate goalscoring edge, and could fuse very well indeed with Moffi, who may in time adopt the role as his own.

As per FBref, Moffi ranks within the top 16% of strikers for rate of non-penalty goals over the past year, and also within the top 18% for dribbles completed. 

And with original praise such as being dubbed a “man of gold” by his Lorient boss Regis Le Bris, it is clear to see that he continues to add layers to his game with each passing month, edging ever closer to prominence on the European stage. 

Emery has succeeded in observing swift positive action at Villa Park, and although he was only confirmed as manager in October, has already seen his side cast poor form aside and win three of the last four league outings. 

This forward trajectory will indeed be music to the 51-year-old Spaniard’s ears, but further gains must be made, and signing Moffi could be a shrewd move in the winter market, beginning his knack for finding the net and melding him with the experienced strikers already plying their trade in Aston.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery has shared some details regarding the injury issues surrounding Liverpool right-back Calvin Ramsay. 

The Lowdown: Ramsay’s injury nightmare

Back in June, the Merseyside club signed the 19-year-old from Aberdeen in a deal worth a reported fee of £6.5m.

Since then, the teenager has made just two senior appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, as an injury that was detected during his medical kept him on the sidelines.

Now that domestic football is set to make a return following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some details have emerged regarding the situation concerning Ramsay and his injury.

The Latest: Ramsay injury details

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery had this to say about Ramsay’s injury struggle and his eventual recovery.

“This was a stress-related response, it was a stress fracture. We forget that he’s a fairly young player who was transitioning from the youth team to first-team football up in Scotland and ultimately coming down to the Premier League. There are always going to be issues that arise.

“It’s a change of load, a change of environment and a change of intensity. Often these things don’t present as an injury, per say, more of a niggle, a nagging pain or a dull ache.

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“It’s been picked up and it’s been addressed so you need to ease back because it could become something sinister or serious.

“The fact that it was picked up and it’s remedied and he’s overcome that now is great news.

“Calvin Ramsay still needs to be managed, not just because of the injury, but because he’s a young player coming into a new league and the demands on him will be something completely different to what he’s had before.”

The Verdict: Time to kick on for Ramsay

Ramsay had his first taste of senior football at Liverpool last month when he played the full 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup victory over Derby County and came on as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League.

The match against Derby saw the Scotsman show how comfortable he is on the ball as he racked up a passing accuracy percentage of 95% by successfully completing 105 of the 111 passes he attempted.

With those appearances now under his belt, the hope for him and everyone else at the club will undoubtedly be to see him kick on and get some more minutes in the first team.

Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma could be a potential signing for Aston Villa in the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Danjuma linked with Villa

The Villans were beaten 3-1 at home to Liverpool on Boxing Day, with the performance suggesting that an injection of fresh quality is needed before the end of next month.

One player who has been linked with a move to Villa is Danjuma, a player with whom Unai Emery worked during their mutual time at Villarreal recently.

The 25-year-old has scored 21 goals in 49 appearances for the La Liga side, along with being described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by one-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips.

The Latest: Preece name-drops Danjuma

In a Q&A for Birmingham Mail, Preece namedropped Danjuma when asked about potential January targets.

The reporter stated:

“First signing? I haven’t had a concrete name put to me yet with nothing being leaked into the media. Danjuma could be one for obvious reasons.”

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The Verdict: Valuable width for Emery

Danjuma could be exactly what Villa need in January, with their wide attacking options scoring just five goals between them so far this season, four of those from Leon Bailey.

Philippe Coutinho has not contributed to a goal in 2022/23 and could potentially move on, so the Villarreal winger could be a strong and very different replacement, adding more pace and a greater counterattacking threat.

Danjuma’s relationship with Emery is another reason why a move could make sense, with the Villa manager knowing the Dutchman’s game inside out and being aware of exactly what the 25-year-old could add to the team.

Glasgow Rangers have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Ross Stewart ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Keith Downie, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite the fact that the centre-forward is settled and happy to stay at Sunderland, contract talks between the 26-year-old and the club are now believed to have reached an impasse, with the Championship side said to be willing to cash in on the striker this winter.

This is sure to come as a huge boost to Ross Wilson and Michael Beale, with Downie revealing in a further post on Twitter that Rangers, as well as Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Crystal Palace and Brentford, are keeping a close eye on the situation of the £10m valued hitman ahead of launching a potential move in the January market.

In his posts, the Sky Sports reporter said: “Stewart is settled at Sunderland and wants to stay, but talks over a new contract have reached an impasse. Other clubs offering significantly more in wages & SAFC could cash in on him now.

“Middlesbrough are showing the strongest interest from a clutch of clubs wanting to sign Sunderland striker Ross Stewart. Stewart could leave in January with Blackburn & Stoke among a number of Championship clubs – plus Rangers – keen. Premier League duo Crystal Palace & Brentford also monitoring.”

“Exceptional”

Considering just how impressive Stewart has been for Sunderland in recent years, should Wilson be able to fend off a number of Premier League and Championship clubs in the race to sign the 26-year-old in January, it would undoubtedly represent an exceptional coup for the sporting director and Rangers.

Indeed, over his nine Championship appearances in the current campaign, the £3.1m-rated talent has been in devastating attacking form, having already scored seven goals, registered three assists and created one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 3.6 shots – 1.8 of which have hit the target – making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the player who journalist and Mackems supporter Josh Bunting dubbed a “key asset” average a breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.57, not only ranking him by far and away as Tony Mowbray’s best performer in the league but also as the second-best player in the English second-tier as a whole.

It was a similar story over Stewart’s 49 League One fixtures in 2021/22, with the £2.3k-per-week hitman bagging a whopping 26 goals, providing three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots – 1.2 of which hit the target – making 1.3 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per match.

These metrics saw the 26-year-old who former Sunderland goalkeeper David Preece labelled “exceptional” average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.25, once again ranking him as the Black Cats’ best performer in the division, as well as the joint 11th-best player in the third tier in its entirety.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the Scotland international would undoubtedly represent a fantastic addition to Beale’s current attacking arsenal at Ibrox, leading us to believe that Wilson must do everything in his power to win the race for the centre-forward’s signature in January.

Phil Hay has admitted he can’t see Patrick Bamford starting for Leeds United in their midweek Premier League clash.

The Lowdown: Bamford still injured

Much like the majority of last season and this campaign, it appears that Leeds will once again be without their star striker, who is still recovering from an injury sustained during the World Cup break.

The striker has only managed to start 11 league games since the beginning of last season, which has coincided with Leeds’ poor run of form and their battle against relegation.

Bamford wasn’t in the squad to face Newcastle United last weekend and is still said to be unavailable for the midweek relegation clash against West Ham United.

The Latest: West Ham game come too soon

Hay has been speaking on the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show about how he doesn’t expect to see Bamford at Elland Road on Wednesday evening in what is a huge game for The Whites.

He said: “No sign of Bamford [against Newcastle] – not expecting him to play against West Ham, either.”

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The Verdict: Leeds must cut ties with Bamford

While Bamford, who has been hailed as ‘exceptional’, has indeed served Leeds well since he’s been at the club, notching 45 goals in 130 appearances across all competitions, he is far too injury-prone for a side wanting to play – and stay – in the Premier League.

It’s not even just the injuries, as the fact Bamford is now getting older means his body will naturally take longer to recover, and if the club want to maintain the high-pressing style that Jesse Marsch has implemented, Bamford should perhaps be moved on.

Bamford has tried his best to get back fit and able to feature in a few games, but he just can’t stay fit for long enough, and there’s no way Leeds can afford to carry him and his wages on for much longer if he continues to struggle for fitness.

Barcelona would love to bring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back to the club in January, Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

What’s the word?

The striker joined Chelsea in the summer following the arrival of Robert Lewandowski, but the 33-year-old has been a disaster in west London, scoring just once in nine Premier League outings.

The former Arsenal captain joined Barcelona around a year ago after he was stripped of the armband and exiled from the squad, and enjoyed something of a revival as he netted 13 goals for the Catalans.

As he has played for Barcelona and Chelsea this season, should he move in the January window, he would only be allowed to play for Barcelona as per FIFA rules – but he may be in luck.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Barcelona would be very happy to have him back, having been impressed by him last season.

He said: “For Barca, what I am told is that they would love to re-sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“He always had a great relationship with people in the board, with his teammates, with Xavi, he’s always been super professional at Barcelona.

“I’m told that people in the club are super happy with how [professional] Aubameyang was at the club.

A complicated deal

Romano went on to say that Barcelona’s financial situation means they can only bring Aubameyang back if Memphis Depay leaves the club – with the Dutchman linked with Atletico Madri – while they would also need Chelsea to compromise on a fee, and likely need the striker to reduce his salary.

This would be a surprising move given Aubameyang’s poor performances at Chelsea, as well as Barcelona’s current attacking depth.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha arrived in the summer, while Ousmane Dembele signed a new contract. Elsewhere, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are also capable of playing through the middle and are much younger than the Gabonese striker.

We don’t think signing an ageing, out-of-form player would be a smart move for Xavi, and despite his good spell last season, there is no guarantee that Aubameyang will find his form again.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Youri Tielemans for almost a year now, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the Belgian.

What’s the latest?

According to TEAMtalk, the Reds are tracking several Premier League midfielders this month, including the Leicester City star.

As per the report, Liverpool will have competition from Arsenal, although it is claimed that if the Merseyside club can meet Tielemans’ wage demands, the 25-year-old will become their signing.

Bargain Bellingham alternative

It is no secret that the powers at Anfield love a bargain when recruiting for their successful squad, and former sporting director Michael Edwards was an expert in not only getting a good price for outgoing players but also identifying signings who could make a credible impact in the team for the right price.

Liverpool are in a period of transition when it comes to their midfield personnel, with a number of their current crop either out of contract at the end of the season or reaching the latter stages of their careers, and the need for change couldn’t be more glaringly obvious when reflecting on the team’s performance’s so far in 2022/23.

The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League after a number of lacklustre and uninspiring performances which have seen them drop a number of points over their first 17 games, with defeats to the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and more recently Brentford.

Furthermore, the Reds have crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing to Manchester City in the fourth round and await an FA Cup replay at Wolverhampton Wanderers after a 2-2 draw last weekend.

As a result, the need for reinforcements has perhaps never been so desperate for Jurgen Klopp since his arrival at the club in 2015, and Tielemans could be the perfect profile of player to be part of the midfield rebuild.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham also, but with a £129m price tag on the Englishman, it would be an expensive commitment for FSG. It also goes against the kind of austere transfer business to which the club has been accustomed, so Tielemans could be a bargain alternative considering that he is set to be a free agent in the summer.

As per FBref, the £35k-per-week Foxes ace ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months for shots on goal, shot-creating actions, progressive passes completed, tackles and blocks. This shows that he is both effective in defensive and attacking play, and he has continued to shine this season despite Leicester’s struggles.

Across 18 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, Tielemans – who was dubbed “one of Europe’s top midfielders” by his manager Brendan Rodgers – has scored three goals, registered one assist, created six big chances and successfully completed 71% of his dribbles. He has also averaged 1.1 key passes, 2.2 tackles, 1.2 shots on goal and 4.3 duels won per game.

Indeed, it is not hard to see why the Belgian midfielder is attracting attention from the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal alongside Liverpool, as his hard-working attitude reflected in his output on the pitch would be a valuable asset to any club challenging near the top of the Premier League.

Signing Tielemans would be a major coup for Liverpool and could ultimately save them hundreds of millions if the club are unable to seal a deal for Bellingham this year.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has impressed during the early stages of his tenure at the Midlands club, with his pedigree and managerial aptitude aligning with that of the Villa Park hierarchy.

When Steven Gerrard was dismissed from his duties as manager earlier this season, following a dreadful 3-0 defeat to promoted Fulham – the club were wayward and facing the threat of relegation from the Premier League, having lost six top-flight games from a possible 11.

Since that point, the new chapter has indeed been full of promise, with Emery winning 4-0 demolition of Brentford when the club were between permanent managers.

However, with the January transfer window in full swing, the Spaniard appears to be putting an emphasis on new additions, with left-back Alex Moreno arriving in a £13.2m deal from Real Betis and numerous names being touted to follow.

One reported target who could have a marked impact on Emery’s system is Real Mallorca talisman Vedat Muriqi, who would be a big upgrade on £125k-per-week Villa striker Danny Ings.

According to Sport Witness – relaying reports stemming from Spain – the Kosovo international has a release clause of €38m (£34m), and Villa could look to make a move this month as they seek to add a much-needed dimension to the offensive third.

Muriqi has scored nine goals and provided two assists from 16 appearances this season, flourishing in his frontal role with Mallorca currently occupying a comfortable mid-table berth in La Liga.

With his average Sofascore rating of 7.07 bolstering his claims to earn a move to an club with European aspirations, the cogs might fall into place. Indeed, his match averages of 2.6 shots and 0.9 key passes are illustrations of the presence and creativity that he can bring in abundance.

He would likely assert his authority within a Villa team searching for a more refined approach, with one writer labelling him as “utterly dominant in the air”, and his all-round game would consequently enhance the collective efforts of Emery’s team.

Ings has scored seven goals and delivered two assists from 21 appearances this term, having started on only 11 occasions, but his average Sofascore rating of 6.87 in the league and a growing tendency to put in a lacklustre shift mark him out as a potential fall guy if Muriqi comes to Villa Park. Also, his overall record of 14 goals in 52 games for the club doesn’t exactly scream prolific.

With the new era at Villa Park firmly underway, Emery indeed needs to usher in his philosophy and target players of his own mould.

Ings has been a stalwart in the Premier League across 188 appearances at this level, but don’t be surprised if he is to make way for Muriqi, should the Kosovan end up coming to Aston Villa.

Liverpool will host Chelsea in their Premier League clash at Anfield in the early kick-off and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can bring their confident performance from the FA Cup replay earlier this week into today’s meeting.

The Reds are currently ninth in the top flight table, whilst Chelsea are 10th, and taking all three points in front of the home support would put them just two behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.

In terms of injuries, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo and Roberto Firmino remain unavailable for selection, however, there is one important player who could be set for a return to the starting line-up.

Klopp confirmed in his pre-match press conference that star summer signing Darwin Nunez will be in contention to start this afternoon which will be a huge boost for Liverpool in their attacking threat.

With that in mind, this is how we at Football FanCast expect Liverpool to line up against Chelsea…

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson Becker (GK); Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB), Ibrahima Konate (CB) Joe Gomez (CB), Andy Robertson (LB); Fabinho (CDM), Thiago Alcantara (CM), Naby Keita (CM); Mohammed Salah (RW), Darwin Nunez (ST), Cody Gakpo (LW).

We predict that Klopp will make six changes to the team that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this week.

The first two changes we expect to see are Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson reprising their roles in the back four alongside Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the two centre-backs retain their spots in the team after keeping a clean sheet at Molineux and with Van Dijk still absent a bit of continuity in the back line certainly wouldn’t hurt.

In midfield, we predict that the Liverpool boss will make just one change with Fabinho returning to the starting line-up alongside Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara in the centre of the pitch.

We expect Mohammed Salah and Darwin Nunez to join Cody Gakpo in the front three, with the newly signed Dutchman moving out to the left replacing Fabio Carvalho in order to make way for his 23-year-old teammate.

The Uruguayan striker – who was hailed “scary” by Jamie Carragher – will likely return to his centre-forward role this afternoon as his unpredictable and energetic presence in the forward line could terrify Chelsea’s defenders.

It won’t be an easy clash when the Reds meet Graham Potter’s side, however, Klopp will surely be hoping that the return of Nunez and Salah in the team can get them off to an early lead in front of the Anfield crowd during his 1000th game in management.

Greg O’Keeffe has insisted on the All Together Now podcast that Everton appointing Sean Dyche would be both sensible and logical.

The Lowdown: Everton need a saviour

As things stand, Everton are staring down the barrel of relegation from the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history, which would be a huge failure on Farhad Moshiri’s behalf.

Therefore, he must appoint the right manager that can get them out of this worrying predicament, even if it’s only on a deal until the summer so they can then assess their situation and take stock of where they are.

While Marcelo Bielsa is said to be near the top of Moshiri’s managerial shortlist, it has since been reported that the former Leeds United boss believes Everton’s squad is too slow for the way he would want them to play, so they may now be forced to move for someone seen as more pragmatic, such as Dyche.

The Latest: Survival only thing on Moshiri’s mind

Given Everton’s current position in the league, O’Keeffe thinks the short-term future of Everton has to be the priority when looking for a new manager.

He said: “Realistically, we might have to go down the road of making an interim appointment like West Ham did with David Moyes – someone who comes in, steadies the ship and keeps us up.

“It’s not brilliant, but I think with such disarray and upheaval, I think the short term and survival has to be the priority. So I would say you’re then looking at people like David Moyes, however, he’s clung on at the weekend and might even, with Danny Ings coming in, look like he’s going to consolidate his position there and would not be available.”

On Dyche, he added: “It doesn’t really fire my jets but he kept Burnley competitive and up in the Premier League for far longer than they had a right to be in terms of their budget and the players they had.

“Okay, he went down last season. We took two of their players, we might as well as take their manager. Sean Dyche, I could possibly see the logic.”

The Verdict: Dyche would be a safe pair of hands

It’s a valid point from O’Keeffe that a short-term appointment could well be the best route to go down for Everton as they just need someone who can save them from their horrific form until May.

However, that will be very difficult to do as they tried that once before with Sam Allardyce and perhaps in hindsight, regrettably ended up handing him a longer-term deal, so it could be hard to find a Premier League-proven manager content with a deal lasting until the end of the season, as that could create more uncertainty for them.

Dyche made a name for himself in the Premier League by keeping Burnley in the top flight for so long, which shows he has the experience, while he’s certainly been admired by Moshiri for some time having been wanted by the owner and Everton board back in 2017 during his time at Turf Moor, so seeing him wind up at Goodison Park wouldn’t be too much of a surprise.