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Former Tottenham Hotspur star Jermaine Jenas has revealed he could have easily ended up joining Arsenal instead of his ex-exmployers, with Arsene Wenger making it known he was an admirer of the then-Newcastle United midfielder’s talents.

However, Jenas eventually signed for the Lilywhites instead and the Match of the Day pundit believes the failed Arsenal careers of fellow Englishmen Richard Wright, Jermaine Pennant and Francis Jeffers played a big part in the potential move to the other side of North London never materialising.

Talking exclusively to Playmaker FC’s Natalie Polycarpou, the retired England international said; “Arsene Wenger, I think he fell out of love with English players at this point. He had like Pennant, Frannie Jeffers, Richard Wright – I think a lot of them let him down, so he kind of went the other way with it.”

Jenas would end up spending eight years of his career on the books at Tottenham, with one of his most defining moments coming in the form of a goal against Arsenal in a thrilling North London Derby that ended as a 4-4 draw.

Check out what Jenas had to say about nearly signing for Arsenal in the video above!

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Southampton picked up back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2017 as they beat fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town 3-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, and midfielder Stuart Armstrong was one of the low-key stars of the show.

The Scotland international has endured an up-and-down start to his Saints career following his summer move from Celtic, impressing during pre-season and starting the opening day encounter against Burnley, before quickly finding himself out of favour when Mark Hughes chose to change formations.

However, he has been more of a regular fixture in the starting XI in recent weeks, and he has got the nod in all three of new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s matches in charge so far.

The 26-year-old once again played in an advanced position on the left in Yorkshire – although he, Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond all interchange – and while he failed to get on the score-sheet and they both did, his statistics from the game were impressive.

It may have been that Armstrong was anonymous at times during yet another tireless display, but he produced three successful dribbles and four key passes in his 69 minutes on the pitch, while he showed his defensive nous and work-rate by making one tackle and one clearance, as per WhoScored.

While he failed to have a single shot – something Hasenhuttl may not be too concerned about having seen the goals he produced against Fulham and Manchester United in recent weeks – he did produce three accurate long balls from the three he attempted.

The Scot is someone that may take a bit more time to get used to the Austrian manager’s demands on the pitch, but in general he looks to be perfectly suited to the 51-year-old’s style of play and the ex-RB Leipzig coach will surely be in dreamland that he has Armstrong at his disposal as he looks to push Southampton up the Premier League table.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Unai Emery has had the chance to utilise many youthful talents during his first six months at Arsenal.

Arsenal fans will have been disheartened when the club finished sixth in the Premier League last season, meaning it was another year of Europa League football.

But with a draw against BATE Borisov in the round of 32 in the Europa League and a chance of getting into next season’s Champions League if they go all the way, it could be an exciting end to the competition for the Gunners.

Perhaps Arsenal fans’ favourite part though is that the competition has given a platform for young starlets such as Emile Smith-Rowe and Joe Willock to perform and show Emery what they can do.

However, not all youngsters have had the successes’ they have had as of yet. Therefore, if this Arsenal DUO does not step up their game, they could be moved on in January…

Dejan Iliev

Dejan Iliev is in his seventh season at Arsenal and stands as the fourth choice goalkeeper, lending a hand for the U23s on a regular basis, having just featured on the bench once this season in the senior side.

Now aged 23, Iliev will soon be moving on from his days as a youngster and his role in a title-winning U23 side could be used as vital experience for another one of Arsenal’s young ‘keepers to develop for the time being.

Unless, in the unlikely event he forces himself into Emery thinking for an FA Cup fixture, for the benefit of Iliev’s playing career, he could move on in the near future.

Eddie Nketiah

At Just 19, Eddie Nketiah certainly has time on his side and has proven himself at academy level, so there is no reason why Emery should not look to him as a possible striking option.

Despite clearly having the clinical nature and attributes of a modern day forward to make it to the top, in four appearances for the first-team, Nketiah is yet to score.

Of course, it will take him time to adjust and a goal will come eventually, however, as a youngster needing to make an impact to prove as to why they should be picked, Arsenal fans will be hoping that comes relatively soon. If he does not, a loan move could be on the cards for him to get first-team, regular game time and develop his trade up top.

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West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react after an unnamed Chinese club reportedly submitted a £35m offer for Marko Arnautovic, following a disagreement between the forward and Manuel Pellegrini after he was substituted early on against Blackburn.

The 29-year-old has been in exceptional form this season, scoring eight goals and recording two assists in all competitions, but fans were worried after they saw the Austrian international clash with the former Manchester City boss.

Arnautovic is the Hammers’ key man, and if they were to lose him, it would seriously derail their season and would deflate the mood around the London Stadium that something special is happening under Pellegrini.

£35m would not represent a huge profit for a player that has come on leaps and bounds since arriving from Stoke back in 2017, but at 29 years of age, it may be the Irons last chance to get that kind of fee for the player.

Let’s take a look at how Hammers fans reacted to the news…

Aston Villa have reportedly opened discussions with Leicester City over the potential transfer of Christian Fuchs, per the Mirror.

What’s the word?

The Mirror are reporting that Villa have enquired about the potential to take the one-time Premier League winner on loan until the end of the season, as Dean Smith looks to guide his side back into the top-flight.

Fuchs was an integral part of Claudio Ranieri’s historic Premier League winning side in 2015/16, and featured in 32 of the 38 games that saw the Foxes edge Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to the title.

It was the former Schalke man’s first season in England, but he has since fallen away from the glory days as Claude Puel continues to prefer Ben Chilwell to the 78-cap former Austrian international.

The 6 foot 2 left-back has only ventured onto the field five times so far this season in all competitions, playing at Crystal Palace in December, featuring in each of Leicester’s three Carabao Cup ties and returning to the starting line-up at Newport for Sunday’s FA Cup tie.

Villa, meanwhile, are particularly short in cover for the left-back spot, with right-back Alan Hutton often forced to ply his trade on the opposite flank.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden made the 100 mile trip from Bolton to Hull only to see his side demolished 6-0 by the Tigers. Check out his reaction in the video below…

A costly but worthwhile move

If a deal is to be struck between the two sides, the Mirror understands Leicester will demand Villa pay all of Fuch’s believed £60,000-a-week contract for the duration of the loan.

That may be a hefty sum for the Championship side to muster, but Smith and the Villa board should look into the possibility of raising the funds in order to solidify a stronger backline over the second half of the season.

The 32-year-old defender may be struggling for minutes in the Premier League, but would command a starting position over Neil Taylor and makeshift left-back Alan Hutton – allowing Smith to balance his backline once more.

Fuchs is also said to welcome the potential move as he looks to play regular football again. The veteran defender’s contract expires at the end of the season, and he has desires to play in the MLS, with his wife a stateside native.

Let us know in the poll below if you think Villa should sign Fuchs…

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West Ham continued their impressive run of form on Saturday, beating Arsenal 1-0 at the London Stadium, and the performance of recent signing Samir Nasri has got fans really excited.

Arsenal were quite simply outfought and outclassed in East London on Saturday afternoon, as Manuel Pellegrini’s side picked up their sixth win in their last nine Premier League games.

The Hammers were the better side all over the pitch, but mostly in midfield, where Declan Rice and Mark Noble dominated the Gunners and allowed Nasri the freedom to create chances and cause havoc.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…

The former French international, who of course made his name in North London under Arsene Wenger, was popping up in dangerous positions all afternoon, creating three chances and also completing one dribble.

It was his clever little lay-off that allowed Rice to smash home the game’s only goal, and fans suspect the move to sign the free agent was a stoke of genius from Pellegrini and director of football Mario Husillos.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to a recent report from the BBC, Crystal Palace are interested in a January move for striker Cenk Tosun. The Turkey international currently plays his football at fellow Premier League outfit Everton and has done so since January last year, although struggles for regular game time under new Toffees manager Marco Silva has plunged his future at Goodison Park into huge doubt.

And a recent report from the BBC suggests that Roy Hodgson’s Eagles are eyeing up a loan move for the 27-year-old this month as they seek to bolster their striking ranks, with a move to Selhurst Park potentially what’s needed to reignite Tosun’s flailing Premier League career.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the £18 million-rated star (as per Transfermarkt) made the move to Goodison Park 12 months ago as former Everton boss Sam Allardyce sought the answer to his side’s striking woes, and Tosun certainly started well on Merseyside with five goals in 14 Premier League appearances in the second half of last season.

And with two goals and two assists in his first nine games of this term under new Toffees chief Silva, the 27-year-old looked set to play a part in the 41-year-old’s revolution of things at Goodison Park, although those numbers certainly mask the problems Tosun had in converting plenty of chances into goals.

And once the goals dried up around November, the Turkish star has found regular football hard to come by since with just one Premier League start since the middle of the September – and in a team which doesn’t play with a natural number nine in Richarlison, that is a damning indictment of just how unconvinced Silva is in the 27-year-old’s ability.

However, his start to life in English football, alongside his excellent goal-scoring record at Besiktas, simply cannot and should not be ignored, with a fresh start at Hodgson’s Palace perhaps what’s needed to get Tosun’s Premier League career going.

Ultimately, the Eagles are in dire need of striking reinforcements heading into the second half of the season given they have netted just 23 times in their 23 Premier League games this term, with their top goal-scorers being Luka Milivojevic and Andros Townsend with six in all competitions, neither of whom are strikers.

In fact, their top-scoring striker this term is Jordan Ayew with a paltry three to highlight just how much of a struggle things have been in the final third, but with Townsend and star man Wilfried Zaha in the side, it surely only requires someone in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net – Tosun is that man.

Not only did he start well in England last year, but the 27-year-old earned a move to Everton as a result of his brilliant goal-scoring exploits at Besiktas, for whom he bagged 64 goals in just 142 appearances to help them to back-to-back Super Lig titles during his time at the club.

And with that predatory instinct in the 18-yard box, Tosun could be exactly what Palace need to turn their territory into goals – and a fresh start at Selhurst Park could be exactly what Tosun himself needs to finally get his Premier League career going.

Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been giving their verdict on Tuesday’s incredible win over Manchester City, and they’re completely stunned by the performance of young Sean Longstaff.

With Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame both missing and Ki Sung-yeung away on international duty, Rafael Benitez has relied on 21 year-old Longstaff over the last few weeks more out of necessity than his own choosing.

The youngster could well be the first name on the team sheet now though, as he put in his best performance yet against the champions on Tuesday night.

Longstaff, who racked up one goal and four assists in ten games for the Magpies’ Under-23 side this season (Transfermarkt), made his debut in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool and has since started three consecutive Premier League matches.

After promising showings against Chelsea and Cardiff, he completely ran the show in Tuesday’s dramatic 2-1 win, dominating Manchester City’s iconic midfield trio of Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Liverpool kept their chequebook closed during the January transfer window but a squad overhaul is needed in the summer.

Jurgen Klopp resisted the temptation to add some new faces to Merseyside during the recent transfer window after strengthening heavily during the summer. The Reds remain five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and the German clearly believes in his current crop of players to get the job done. Instead, Klopp will aim for another strong summer window.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss will likely have a large budget available for new recruits with many areas of the squad in need of reinforcements. Many fringe players are expected to leave the club including Alberto Moreno. The Spaniard is out of contract in the summer and is surplus to requirements at Anfield – more defensive depth at left-back is required.

An ideal solution would be Lyon flyer – Ferland Mendy. Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman has made the left-back role his own after a string of impressive performances. Mendy has been one of the best performers in Ligue 1 this season which should make Liverpool’s scouts sit up and take notice.

The 23-year-old loves to get up and down the left flank, helping his team out in attack but also remembers his defensive duties. Mendy is blessed with terrific pace and decent dribbling skills allowing him to complete two successful dribbles per game this season. The defender also averages a respectable 1.5 key passes per game meaning he is a constant threat from the back (WhoScored).

Improving with every single game, Mendy would prove to be a useful option for the Reds.

Liverpool fans, thoughts? 

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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has provided an update, via The Daily Echo, on absent defender Ryan Bertrand, whom he says is still on the comeback trail.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the man who skippered the club when Mark Hughes was manager has been on the sidelines ever since the Welshman was sacked and succeeded by Hasenhuttl, thanks to a back problem.

The Daily Echo report that the 29-year-old was initially supposed to be absent for a maximum of a fortnight back towards the beginning of December, but he is still yet to feature in the first-team squad having missed 16 successive fixtures.

It is certainly confusing given the England international has also been back in full training for two weeks now, and is surely considered as one of the club’s best players given the experience and quality that he has in his locker.

In quotes per The Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl said: “On this part he has to work because he was long out and it’s normal that if you start again training with the team it takes time until you are at the level where you can play 90 minutes.

“It doesn’t make sense to bring any player on the bench if he is unable to play 90 minutes in the moment.”

How should his comments be interpreted?

While they are understandable in many ways, in others you can’t help but speculate that there is a deeper issue here – especially as Matt Targett hasn’t been an overwhelming success in the left wing-back role that Bertrand is ideally suited to.

For the former Chelsea man’s comeback to have been repeatedly put back is more than suspicious, and while it is important that the 29-year-old is 100% ready to make an impact, the fact that Hasenhuttl isn’t even ready to include a player of his proven quality on the bench if he isn’t able to play 90 minutes is strange.

Whether the England man has actually fallen out with the Austrian or has another injury issue remains to be seen, but if he fails to make the 18 against Cardiff City at St Mary’s on Saturday then the alarm bells will be ringing slightly louder.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…