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This article forms part of our The Ones That Got Away feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern take a look back at players linked with moves in the past and see how they would have made an impact had they signed for the interested side.

Fabinho is a brilliant player, isn’t he? The Brazil international has started eight of nine Premier League games for Liverpool this season with the club sitting pretty at the top of the table. He’s also won the Champions League in his first season at Anfield, averaging the joint-most tackles throughout the competition (via WhoScored).

Well, cover your eyes Arsenal fans because it turns out that the north London giants targeted the player last summer. That is according to manager Unai Emery, who has come out and claimed the Gunners wanted to sign the player before he moved to Merseyside in 2018 (via Sky Sports).

It seems Arsenal have missed out on quite the defensive midfielder, especially with their record for conceding goals this season, 12 goals in 12 games in all competitions (via Tables League).

The Brazilian averages the most tackles per game in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, showing his effectiveness in shielding the back four this campaign.

However, he also possesses the technical quality to keep Liverpool ticking in the middle of the pitch, averaging the third-highest pass accuracy of players to have featured in all nine league games this season.

In stark contrast, Arsenal are stuck with Granit Xhaka, who has committed an eye-opening 2.5 fouls per game in the top-flight this season. His reluctance to stay on his feet have proven costly for the Gunners as the Switzerland international gave away a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The £45m-rated, as per Transfermarkt, Fabinho’s performances in 2019 has seen Gary Neville label him as the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League (via Sky Sports).

Oh, what could’ve been for Emery’s side if they had signed Fabinho in 2018. They could’ve replaced Xhaka, who seems to have a problem keeping upright this season and proves wholly unreliable.

Arsenal fans, what do you make of the claims from Emery over Fabinho? Let us know your thoughts!

Leeds United lost to Millwall this weekend in what has to be described as a disappointing result for the Whites.The game was turned on its head early on as Gaetano Berardi was sent off for giving away a penalty, which was duly dispatched by Jed Wallace to put the London club 1-0 up.Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It was an uphill battle from there on out, and Leeds eventually lost 2-1.

The Whites have every right to feel aggrieved by the result, as on second viewing it looks as if Berardi didn’t actually commit the foul that led to his red card and Millwall’s first goal.

The club haven’t been coy about their feelings on the situation either. The official Twitter account made it very clear that they weren’t happy with the decision.

Rather than issuing a statement saying that they’re going to appeal the red card, the club instead tweeted out a video of the incident and said that they’ll be dealing with it on Monday, with a suggestive eyes emoji for good measure.

This is quite rare behaviour from an official club account, considering the typical statements usually given after a decision has already been made, but the Whites haven’t held back after the controversial moment that may well have cost them three points.

Talk about a flying start to the season. Aston Villa man John McGinn has hit the ground running this season, and is really beginning to turn heads with his displays.

The 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided a further assist for his newly-promoted side in the Premier League, and appeared to take that form into international duty too.

Coming up against San Marino on Sunday, the Scotland international struck a sublime hat-trick as Steve Clarke’s men earned a resounding 6-0 win over the minnows.

Former Villa scout Bobby Jenks previously set tongues wagging when he remarked Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson would be keeping a close eye on his national compatriot McGinn, and that he is sure “he’ll be telling his pals” at Old Trafford about him.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And, after seeing the midfielder score three times on Sunday, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the 24-year-old.

Many supporters of the Manchester side urged the club to sign him up “before it’s too late”, with one fan in particular labelling him as an “outstanding player”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has turned out since being signed/sold and using statistical figures and statements from key figures to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Following their relegation from the Premier League in 2017, Middlesbrough prepared for the subsequent Championship campaign by signing goalkeeper Darren Randolph from West Ham for £5m, as reported by BBC.

It was a modest transfer deal when compared with the club record £15m that ‘Boro spent on Britt Assombalonga [as per ITV] in 2017, with Martin Braithwaite also joining that summer for around £10.19m, according to TransferMarkt.co.uk.

Randolph had made 22 Premier League appearances for West Ham in the season prior to joining Middlesbrough and he quickly became a regular at the Riverside Stadium, ever-present in the Championship in his first campaign on Teesside as ‘Boro reached the play-offs. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

The Republic of Ireland international also played every single minute in the league for Middlesbrough last season and has continued that record into the current campaign. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

Victor Valdes was ‘Boro’s most used goalkeeper in the year before Randolph came, conceding 36 goals in 28 appearances (1.29 goals per game) and managing just eight clean sheets (28.57% of games) in the Premier League.

Randolph let in 47 goals in 50 appearances in 2017/18 (0.94 goals per game) and kept 18 clean sheets (36% of games), while last season he conceded 44 goals in 50 games (0.88 goals per game) and recorded 19 shutouts (38% of games), albeit at a lower level than Valdes. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

His figures for this season so far are less impressive, with eight goals conceded in seven games (1.14 goals per game) following Saturday’s 1-0 win over Reading, which was just his second clean sheet of the campaign.

He has still averaged 2.6 saves per game so far in 2019/20 and made seven in the narrow win over the Royals at the weekend.

His importance to Middlesbrough is reflected in his appearance in the Championship Team of the Season last term and the remarks of others at the club.

Teesside Live reported highly complimentary quotes from ‘Boro defender Ryan Shotton about the goalkeeper, saying: “You can talk about us as defenders digging in and doing our job or talk about the attackers working hard to help out as the first line of defence but your goalkeeper is going to be needed eventually, and whenever he’s called upon, Darren comes up with the goods.”

Also in Teesside Live, Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate described the 32-year-old as “the best keeper in this league”, adding: “It is not just his saves; he is a calming influence within the squad as one of the elder statesmen; that is why he is a top keeper and why he is Ireland’s No.1.”

Randolph recently started his 100th consecutive league match for the club in a 2-2 draw at Bristol City, an extraordinarily consistent run which has seen him concede less than a goal per game and achieve a clean sheet record of almost 40% – fantastic figures for a player who cost the club only £5m two years ago.

Middlesbrough fans, how much of a bargain do you think Randolph has been for just £5m? Give us your views in the comments section below!

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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former West Ham United striker John Hartson has insisted that the club are in a better place following the departure of Marko Arnautovic during the summer.

Following months of speculation, the Austria international finally departed to the Chinese Super League, with the likes of Pablo Fornals, Albian Ajeti and Sebastien Haller arriving in attacking positions.

Arnautovic may have scored 22 goals in 65 appearances for the east London outfit, as per Transfermarkt, but Hartson says that one thing in particular let the 30-year-old down.

The Welshman told FFC: “He was a really good player, but his attitude was a disgrace.”

Having told the club he wanted to leave before signing a new long-term contract just a few weeks later at the start of this year, you won’t find many West Ham supporters disagreeing with their former player – especially as a formal transfer request was then submitted in July.

The Irons now appear to have a happy and united squad in the 2019/20 campaign, and they are on a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, in which they have kept three successive clean sheets.

Hartson has certainly been impressed with what he has seen from Manuel Pellegrini’s men, and believes one thing in particular is helping them this term.

“They’ve got players now with the right attitude, who all want to go in the same direction.

“They have one thing in their mind and that’s to take West Ham as far as they can take them.

“You’ve got to get rid of the selfish ones and the ones who aren’t in it for the team. That’s where West Ham are at the moment and things are going well.”

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That togetherness could be key as the Hammers look to bring European football back to the London Stadium.

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Ben Davies has not featured for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League since the team’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United on January 13.

The Wales international has had a lot of criticism this season, but the Tottenham fans are pleased to see that the left-back has returned to the training field.

Indeed, after missing the games against Watford, Newcastle United and Leicester City, the Spurs supporters are now asking if Davies might be available to face Burnley this weekend.

Tottenham have won their last four games in all competitions, including a 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on February 13.

Jan Vertonghen has been playing left wing-back in the absence of Davies, but head coach Mauricio Pochettino now has another option in a key area of the field.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Davies’ form this season has not always been terrific, but Tottenham need a strong squad at this stage as they are fighting on two fronts.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Spurs supporters can be seen below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Aston Villa’s start to life in the Premier League has been far from easy – an opening day defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, who made the Champions League final; three losses in four; VAR controversy.

So the international break probably came at just the right time, allowing Dean Smith and his men time to step back and see what is going so wrong.

It’s hard to put the finger on exactly what the problem is; against Spurs they held their own for the best part of an hour before crumbling; the scoreline certainly flattered Mauricio Pochettino’s men. They should have also picked up a point against Crystal Palace after referee Kevin Friend wrongly disallowed their injury-time equaliser.

Next up is West Ham on Monday night which is a chance to put the rest of the league on notice – that Villa aren’t here to mess around and that they certainly aren’t another ‘Fulham’. There were glimpses against Everton; it needs to happen again – but how?

On the Chalkboard

One of the keys to success for Smith’s side will be how well their midfield can get on top of the game – Jack Grealish and John McGinn are likely to be instrumental in gaining all three points.

According to WhoScored, one of the Hammers’ biggest weaknesses is defending against through ball attacks whilst the same website lists one of Villa’s major strengths as creating chances using through balls.

That should be music to Wesley’s ears, provided the midfield pair are up to the test of providing him. His strike against Everton springs to mind when thinking about how they’ll breach Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

McGinn, returning from Scotland duty this week, averages the second-most through balls per game at 0.3 – but that sort of output is going to need to be increased to have success against this West Ham backline.

Grealish, on the other hand, is averaging 2 key passes per game, the most in the Villa squad, with McGinn close behind at 1.5 per match, via WhoScored.

Around 42% of goals conceded by Manuel Pellegrini’s men have come from through balls, so it is certainly something that needs to be exploited.

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A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a claim that Roberto Firmino hasn’t decided if he will stay put at Anfield or not.

The Brazilian has been a wonderful servant for the Reds, joining from Hoffenheim in 2015 and becoming one of the poster boys of the Jurgen Klopp era.

Firmino has made 311 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 94 goals and registering 73 assists, proving to be the perfect foil for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

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At 30, the striker is not getting any younger, however, and his current Reds deal expires in the summer of 2023, with little sign of a new contract being agreed.

According to journalist Florian Plettenberg on Twitter, Firmino will be the man to decide over whether or not he stays at Anfield, with talks taking place in the coming months.

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Liverpool fans react to Firmino claim

It suggests that a Liverpool exit isn’t out of the question and these fans reacted negatively to that possibility on Twitter.

“Never want to see Bobby leave, whatever his role in the squad becomes I hope he retires here”

Credit: @JoshuaKekana

“It will be a sad, sad day when Bobby moves on. He might not be quite what he was but the integral part he’s played can’t be overstated and his personality and selflessness has been invaluable to the culture and success of the side. One of my favourite ever #LFC players”

Credit: @reid1892

“I want Bobby to stay at Liverpool”

Credit: @JuniArga2

“Really hope we keep Bobby. Legend such a great player”

Credit: @MartinT_LFC75

“He’s a legend whatever decision he takes”

Credit: @supermanelfc

“HE CANNOT GO ANYWHERE”

Credit: @dantewillz

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after a transfer claim emerged. Read more here.

This is part of The Transfer Tavern’s Talking Tactics series, where we analyse two changes the manager should make in their upcoming fixture.

The Lowdown: Spurs return to action…

Tottenham take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round today after a near-two week hiatus as Antonio Conte’s side look to kick off February with a win.

Lilywhites supporters will be hoping that their side’s arguably lack-lustre January transfer window, in which the Lilywhites fell short of delivering Conte’s alleged demand of three major signings, won’t came back to haunt them.

The two signings Spurs managed to get through the door, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus, are in fact available but Conte has confirmed neither will start.

Regardless, if the latter man does get to make his debut off the bench today, we believe Spurs could finally unearth an heir to former club favourite Christian Eriksen if Conte takes a gamble and deploys Kulusevski in an attacking midfield role.

Kulusevski…Eriksen 2.0?

The Sweden international is highly versatile and has played in a variety of positions across midfield, both out wide and through the middle (Transfermarkt).

Conte himself as raved over Kulusevski’s ability to slot in many different roles, including as a number nine or number 10, whilst also hinting he could be deployed as a wing-back (Twitter).

We believe, however, that the 21-year-old could come as the surprise heir to Eriksen and replicate his creativity in an attacking midfield role.

While Conte hasn’t really chosen to use a 3-4-1-2 at Spurs, today could be the perfect time to revisit that tactic with Kulusevski’s arrival, especially considering the player himself admitted in 2020 that he sees himself as a ‘trequartista behind the strikers’.

Indeed, he has been described in past seasons as an ‘athletic phenomenon’ and ‘advanced playmaker’ with ‘above average intelligence and decision making’ in the final third by Football Talent Scout Jack Kulig.

As well as this, during his best season in Serie A for ex-club Parma over 2019/2020, the attacker averaged a brilliant 2.2 key passes and 2.1 completed dribbles per 90 according to WhoScored.

These numbers somewhat replicate that of Eriksen’s best years in north London, and taking this into account, a Conte gamble with Kulusevski as a 10 could end up being a huge win.

Lucas Moura…a RWB ‘monster’?

While Conte has hinted the Scandinavian could play right-wing-back after Tottenham missed out on Adama Traore for that specific role, we believe Spurs’ boss has actually had the perfect solution all along in Lucas Moura.

The Italian is clearly looking for a threatening outlet for Spurs in that area, as evident by transfer chief Fabio Paratici wanting Traore, who averaged a phenomenal 4.2 successful take-ons per 90 for ex-club Wolves in the Premier League (WhoScored).

This is a higher number than any of Conte’s current crop, but with current winger Lucas, Tottenham could also win the lottery with another gamble by trying him at RWB.

The Brazilian’s numbers in terms of completed dribbles, while not as impressive as Traore’s, still trump that of any Lilywhites man in the Premier League this season.

Indeed, Lucas has averaged a noteworthy 2.4 successful take-ons per match whilst also attracting the second-most fouls behind compatriot Emerson Royal (WhoScored).

The 29-year-old also ranks third in terms of shots at goal and key passes per 90 out of Spurs’ squad (WhoScored), highlighting his obvious threat.

Tottenham legend Graham Roberts has even endorsed him for this role before, and we believe Conte could certainly strike gold by utilising Lucas as a wing-back.

Leeds United playmaker Raphinha has even called Lucas a ‘monster’, coming as yet more evidence the South American potentially has what it takes for a makeshift new position.

In other news: ‘A question of when’…Source close to ENIC makes Spurs sale claim after what Levy has ‘said’, find out more here.

‘Celtic have knocked back an approach’ from Serie A side Udinese for centre-back Stephen Welsh, according to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph. 

The lowdown

Welsh came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has now played 41 senior games for The Hoops.

He’s featured nine times in the Scottish Premiership this season, including back-to-back starts prior to the winter break, and eight times in European competition (including qualifiers).

The 21-year-old is thought to earn £3,600 per week and is valued at around £1.3million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

‘It’s understood’ that Udinese approached Celtic over taking Welsh on loan with an option to buy, Joseph reports for Sky,

However, ‘Celtic are keen’ to keep hold of him and they’ve rebuffed the interest.

Joseph points out that Welsh signed a new four-year contract as recently as April 2021.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Celtic are reluctant to potentially lose Welsh. The Scottish Under-21 international could well establish himself as a key player at Parkhead in the coming years if he continues to improve.

He’s performed reasonably well when called upon this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.1/10 and winning just shy of 60 per cent of his duels overall.

The ‘excellent’ Welsh, hailed as such by pundit Paul John Dykes, will hope that he can earn even more frequent starting opportunities from Ange Postecoglou in the second half of the campaign.

In other news, a fresh update has emerged on an attacking target.