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Southampton have been through the trenches over the past year, slipping slowly but surely from their once steady position in the Premier League and not facing a desperate fight to avoid relegation, with the business end of the campaign looking ominous indeed.

Indeed, the outfit languish at the nadir of their current stay in the top-flight, 19th in the division after 25 matches, albeit with two victories from the past three matches.

Current boss Ruben Selles is the third to take to the Southampton dugout this season alone, with Nathan Jones receiving the boot after losing seven of his eight Premier League matches in charge.

That spell, of course, came after long-term and respected boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was dismissed from his duties following a discernible downward trend and boiling temperatures between the Austrian and the owners, Sport Republic – who assumed control one year ago.

With the turbulence that Saints is beset with threatening to spiral the club from their position among the top outfits in the country, a rueful gaze will undoubtedly be cast back to recent misfortunes, with one failed deal on the transfer front exuding a potent sense of pathos.

Did Southampton nearly sign Gakpo?

Cody Gakpo was of interest to Southampton last summer, with The Telegraph reporting that the outfit had two summer bids rejected for the phenom, the second totalling roughly £21.5m.

It’s fair to say Gakpo is having something of a prolific season for club and country.

The 23-year-old has scored four goals from 12 outings for Liverpool, with a remarkable return of 13 strikes and 17 assists for PSV Eindhoven in the first half of the term, preceding his £35m-£45m transfer to Anfield.

He has started to emerge as a fierce offensive force, with Times journalist Hamzah Khalique-Loonat even lauding him as “tall, fleet-footed and dangerous.”

As per FBref, Gakpo ranks among the best 9% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for goals and the top 7% for assists per 90, illustrating a sharpness to his cutting edge that has been unforeseen in Southampton for some time, and it could have even saved Hasenhuttl’s job.

With St. Mary’s Stadium falling quickly into the lower third of the Premier League, Hasenhuttl’s reign seemed to be drawing to an inevitable close, especially given the relationship between the manager and owners was wearing thin after a short time together.

Given the dynamic capabilities of Gakpo, and the impact he could have made on the collective efforts of the team’s attack, it is a miserable thought for Southampton fans when mulling over what could have been.

Considering Gakpo’s performances in the Netherlands and his emphatic introduction to the global stage with his country at the World Cup, the powers that be at Saints must be veritably kicking themselves for blundering so badly.

And with the machine now starting to churn at Liverpool, the south coast is offered a poignant reminder of what could have been.

football.london reporter Aaron Catterson-Reid was left hailing the performance of Oleksandr Zinchenko as Arsenal beat Everton 4-0 on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Comfortable victory

It was a comfortable win for Arsenal in the end as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli grabbed two quick-fire goals before half-time, before Martin Odegaard added a third and Martinelli his second and Arsenal’s fourth in the second half.

The win puts them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, having now played the same number of games as second-placed Manchester City.

The Latest: Zinchenko hailed

Taking to Twitter, Catterson-Reid was blown away by Zinchenko’s performance in particular, calling him an ‘Arsene-Wenger’ type of midfielder, and the ‘metronome’ of the team:

“Alex Zinchenko. What a player. Metronome of the team, creates openings and he’s just so delicate with the way he passes the ball. Reminds me so much of an Arsene-Wenger type of midfielder.”

The Verdict: Unsung hero

The forward players will grab all the headlines after scoring the goals, but Zinchenko was an unsung hero and the catalyst for getting the Gunners into gear.

The Ukraine international set the tone by playing a precise ball through to Saka for the opener, as the hosts struggled to break Everton down for the first 40 minutes of the game.

Aside from his assist, Zinchenko recorded three key passes and two successful dribbles, more than any other Gunners player, and his mammoth 110 touches was only matched by William Saliba, who played the whole game in contrast (SofaScore).

His two interceptions were only matched by Gabriel, while he also made one clearance, one tackle and four accurate long balls in a truly outstanding performance.

Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor has taken aim at current centre-back Calum Chambers.

The Lowdown: Lack of game time

Chambers made the move to Villa Park from Arsenal last year but has made just 19 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The 28-year-old has turned out eight times during the current campaign, starting just two Premier League fixtures, the last of which came in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

He returned to the bench last weekend in the loss to former side Arsenal, with Villa now losing their last three in the top flight and conceding 11 goals.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Talking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor didn’t hold back when it came to assessing Chambers, labelling him as slow, sluggish, a squad player for a club at the bottom of the league and claiming Villa need better.

“He’s 100% not a Premier League defender, for me.

“I’ve watched him at Arsenal, Fulham, and now he’s at Villa – he’s not good enough.

“He’s slow, sluggish, not physical enough – he doesn’t have the attributes of a centre-back.

“He is a squad player for a club at the bottom of the league, at best.

“For him to play against Man City – I knew it was game over when I saw that team sheet. Aston Villa need better backup than Calum Chambers.”

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The Verdict: Has a point…

It’s safe to say that Agbonlahor doesn’t think Chambers is good enough, and when you look at the current campaign statistics, he has a point. The centre-back has been the club’s worst-rated player this season, averaging a poor 5.93/10 match rating, as per WhoScored.

He ranks low in the Villa squad for tackles made per 90 but high when it comes to fouls committed. Chambers averages just 23 passes attempted per game, compared to Tyrone Mings’ 48 and Ezri Konsa’s 46, and with Diego Carlos on the comeback trail from injury, moving Chambers on in the summer could be a wise move.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United transfer target Goncalo Ramos has a €120m (£106m) release clause as interest heats up.

What’s the latest on the Goncalo Ramos and the Man Utd links?

It seems as though the Red Devils will target a new striker when the summer transfer market opens. Indeed, the club have even been urged to bring in the likes of Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen by club legend Rio Ferdinand.

Those two certainly are some big names, with established reputations but if the club want to sign some a little younger, they may well prefer to chase 21-year-old Benfica star Ramos.

His name was mentioned by Romano recently when talking on his YouTube channel but the journalist warned that he might not come cheap due to the release clause in his contract.

He explained: “They are following Goncalo Ramos from Benfica. Many clubs appreciate this player. He did well, especially with the hat-trick in the World Cup with Portugal – and Paris Saint-Germain, for example, are really appreciating the player; he is one of the players they’re following. They also wanted the player last summer.

“But Man United have sent their scouts also for Goncalo Ramos, he’s a player they are tracking. Of course, Osimhen, Goncalo Ramos, they want a new central striker in the summer and they are keeping an eye on many players.

“For Ramos, they sent their scouts to Portuguese league games to monitor the player. And also it’s important to mention that there is a release clause into the contract of Goncalo Ramos with Benfica, it’s €120m, so it’s one to watch for sure.”

What does the Ramos release clause mean for Man Utd?

As Romano mentions, Ramos announced himself to the football world this winter when he scored three goals against Switzerland as Portugal progressed past the last-16 stage of the World Cup.

Ironically, he came into the starting XI to replace Cristiano Ronaldo for that game, and if he was to join Man Utd this summer he would also be viewed as a long-term replacement for his international teammate, after the 37-year-old left the Premier League club shortly before the 2022 World Cup.

Beyond his exploits with Portugal, though, he has also impressed with Benfica this season, scoring 19 goals and claiming eight assists in 31 games across all competitions.

He’s certainly a top talent, but it remains to be seen if the Red Devils feel his worth such a high price tag.

Conor McGilligan believes the possibility of Leeds United being relegated will put Rafael Benitez off the managerial role.

The Lowdown: A permanent manager is needed

After back-to-back solid performances against Manchester United which resulted in one point being picked up, some Leeds fans and people on the board may have seen Michael Skubala as a fine option moving forward until the end of the season.

However, they failed to get anything from their relegation six-pointer away to Everton yesterday and what’s even more damning is that they didn’t lay a glove on the Toffees registering zero shots on target.

Therefore, it appears clear the new coach bounce has already evaded Skubala and a new permanent manager with experience being a first team manager has to be put in place before the Southampton game this weekend.

The Latest: Benitez being linked

Benitez was a pundit on Sky Sports yesterday and insisted that he’s happy in England and wants a return to Premier League management, which is what could well see Leeds miss out on the Spaniard given their perilous position as McGilligan discussed on his YouTube channel.

He said: (17:38) “Obviously he’s worked at [Real] Madrid, he’s worked at Chelsea but I don’t think Rafa would come. He wants to stay in the Premier League, he wants a project. Are Leeds going to stay in the Premier League? Is he really going to take over a team that is where we are?

“I don’t think he’s ever taken control of a team that is in the position that Leeds are in.”

The Verdict: Leeds must go all out for Benitez

It’s safe to say that a permanent manager that can get a grip on this rather talented Leeds squad and ensure they maintain their top-flight status in any way possible is very much required as soon as possible.

Even if Leeds were to go down under the stewardship of someone such as Benitez then they can still look forward to a season in the Championship as he does have experience of getting promoted at the first time of asking as he won the title with Newcastle United back in 2017.

While Benitez certainly wouldn’t guarantee survival – he did relegate Newcastle – but with 173 Premier League wins under his belt he would be far more experienced at handling the pressure of the top flight than Skubala so Victor Orta should be working tirelessly to convince his fellow countrymen to join the Whites.

Fresh news over West Ham United’s stance in their hunt for Christian Eriksen has emerged.

What’s the word?

According to a report from the Daily Star, the Hammers deployed scouts to watch the former Spurs man in Denmark’s 2-1 victory over Austria.

Amidst their latest actions, it is said that West Ham are one of several clubs considering a bid for Eriksen, who is of course available on a free transfer this summer with his six-month contract at Brentford set to expire at the end of this month.

As per the same report, it is said that sources who are close to Eriksen insist that he could still choose to stay at Brentford, who have offered the Denmark international a new contract.

Imagine him and Rice

Having secured his Premier League return against all odds, Eriksen endured a mightily successful campaign that reestablished his prowess at the top level.

The scouts who were sent to watch the 30-year-old would have had their reasoning in signing him boosted, with the current Brentford star chipping in with an assist in his side’s victory in the Nations League.

Whilst he has enjoyed positive numbers internationally this season, his metrics have also been solid domestically speaking, having acquired five attacking returns in the form of one goal and four assists in 11 appearances for Thomas Frank’s side this season.

A move to West Ham presents an opportunity to boost these metrics further, with more attacking freedom to be had in Moyes’ 4-2-3-1 system that features midfield solidity in the form of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

The former has established himself in the elite category when it comes to interceptions with his average of 2.76 seeing him placed within the 95th percentile, as per FBref.

Though it’s his ability in possession that would serve a greater purpose to Eriksen, with the 23-year-old’s consistency to both carry and pass the ball into the final third a surefire catalyst for Eriksen’s end product. The England international’s 6.60 passes into the final third and average of 2.36 carries into the final third are yet again elite metrics.

For Brentford, he has asserted himself as the sole chance creator, but having scored eight or more goals in four separate seasons at Spurs, we know he is capable of increasing his goal return – especially bearing in mind the 52 Premier League goals scored throughout his career.

A partnership between Rice and Eriksen, who has been dubbed “unreal”, could be detrimental to the rest of the Premier League.

In other news: Moyes could land his own Kane with West Ham bid for “dangerous” £155k-p/w goal-machine 

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has offered an exciting update regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder, Yves Bissouma.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider has claimed that Steven Gerrard and co will be in for the Mali international again this summer, having seen a bid rejected for the 25-year-old back in January.

Having already brought in Boubacar Kamara this summer on a free transfer, O’Rourke revealed that Villa could look to bolster their midfield ranks even further: “We all know Villa have held a long-term interest in Yves Bissouma. They tried to sign him in January, but Brighton managed to hold on to him. I would expect Villa to be considering a move again for him in the summer transfer window.

“If they were to get him and Kamara in the same window, I think we’d definitely see an improvement in that Villa midfield in general.”

This follows a report from 90min last week that stated that the Midlands side were keen on rekindling their interest, with a bid of around £30m seemingly on the cards for a player who is out of contract next summer.

Imagine him and Kamara

With Kamara’s arrival already confirmed, NSWE are seemingly set on a total revamp of the club’s midfield, with Bissouma’s potential capture only set to add increased quality in the centre of the park alongside the promising Frenchman.

Having made the move to the Amex from Lille in 2018, the Seagulls star has been an integral asset to manager Graham Potter, emerging as one of the most coveted midfield players in the Premier League following his impressive displays in recent seasons.

A “Champions League level” player, in the words of his manager, the £31.5m-rated gem has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, while also driving his side forward with an unerring calmness in possession.

Capable of a spectacular strike from distance, the £29k-per-week powerhouse is perhaps most widely-regarded for his defensive ability, notably averaging a remarkable 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances in his 26 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign.

Not only an imposing midfield presence, however, the 18-cap maestro also possesses a silky quality with the ball at his feet, ranking in the top 10% for dribbles completed and the top 9% for pass completion among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

With Kamara in tow – who also ranks in the top 4% for pass completion and the top 3% for attempted passes – Villa would have a midfield duo capable of keeping the ball out of the reach of the opposition, but a partnership that also has the defensive instinct to win back possession if needed.

That combination would no doubt be the envy of clubs far higher in the league table, with – as O’Rourke suggested – Gerrard’s men set to enjoy a rapid improvement if the pair are unleashed at the start of next term.

The signing of the 22-year-old Marseille man is already in the bag, it now requires Villa to make their interest concrete in Brighton’s “phenomenal” star – as dubbed by pundit Lee Hendrie.

A Kamara-Bissouma midfield axis is simply a mouthwatering prospect.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

West Bromwich Albion were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempt at securing promotion back to the Premier League this season after finishing 10th in the Championship.

The Baggies ended their underwhelming campaign with 67 points on the board from 18 wins, 13 draws and 15 defeats.

One player in West Brom’s squad who didn’t end up having much of an impact throughout the season is Matt Phillips.

Having appeared in 28 league games, the 31-year-old only scored three goals and provided two assists, all of which came between August and September.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that, despite his versatility in playing across numerous attacking positions, the Scotsman was not a reliable attacking figure for the Baggies.

Now that this dismal season has come to an end, West Brom’s focus can shift to the upcoming summer transfer window and their preparations for the 2022/23 campaign.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, one figure who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns and could be a big upgrade on Phillips is Scott Twine.

Twine can be huge Phillips upgrade

After joining MK Dons last summer, the 22-year-old went on to have a storming debut season with the League One side. In 46 league appearances, he found the net on 20 occasions and delivered 13 assists in the process.

This shows just how consistent he can be when it comes to not only scoring goals but setting them up for his team-mates as well, which is something that West Brom needed from Phillips this season.

With Twine averaging 3.3 shots per game this season in the third tier, this is more than double the average that Phillips (1.4) managed for his side.

As a result of his impressive efforts on the pitch, the MK Dons gem ended the season as the joint-second highest-rated player in the entire league according to WhoScored, with an overall performance rating of 7.41/10.

Labelled a “terrific character” by his manager Liam Manning, Twine is reportedly valued at £3m.

Given his fairly young age and his clear attacking talent, the former Swindon Town ace certainly has what it takes to not only be a prospective solid summer signing for West Brom but also a big upgrade on the misfiring Phillips.

In other news: Bruce can unearth WBA’s next Pereira by unleashing “splendid” rarely-seen teenage prodigy

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been full of praise for Manchester City star Jack Grealish for delivering a ‘refreshingly honest’ TV interview after lifting the Premier League trophy on Sunday.

The Lowdown: An underwhelming start

The 26-year-old was named on the bench and ended up being an unused substitute in Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad for the Sky Blues’ final game of the season against Aston Villa last weekend, where they secured an astonishing 3-2 comeback victory to clinch the title in dramatic fashion in front of their jubilant home supporters.

The England international made the switch to the Etihad Stadium in a British record £100m move from the Midlands last summer, but he hasn’t been able to make the start that he would have hoped for in Manchester. So far for City, he has only scored three goals and provided the same number of assists in 26 top-flight appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

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The Latest: Robinson praises Grealish

Speaking to Sky Sports immediately after the match on Sunday, the former Villa captain admitted that he has felt ‘nervous’ playing under Guardiola since his arrival at the Etihad, but Robinson believes that there will be a ‘big improvement’ in Grealish ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The ex-England goalkeeper told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs: “I liked his interview after the game. I thought it was refreshingly honest.

“He has found it tough this season but it’s a different role for him. He has stepped out of his comfort zone into a dressing room full of stars with an expectation to win the Premier League. Man City are expected to win every competition they are in. Grealish hasn’t had that before.

“It is very different playing week in, week out for Villa being the main man. At City he is not guaranteed a game.

“I think the experiences of this season will stand him in good stead for next year though. I expect we will see a big improvement next season. He will only get better.”

The Verdict: More to come from Grealish

Despite his sparsity of goal contributions so far at City, the 20-cap England international has still made a positive impact whenever he has been on the pitch, having averaged two key passes, 1.7 shots and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

Grealish is definitely capable of creating more in the final third, which he did with ease during his time at Villa, where he racked up 75 goal contributions. This is something which could come more naturally over time once he has had the chance to properly blend into the City starting XI.

Having just claimed yet another top-flight title, Guardiola will now be preparing for the start of the new term, when the £250k-per-week star could go on to play a pivotal role in maintaining the club’s unprecedented run of success from over the past decade.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has backed one of Man City’s first-team stars to put pen to paper on a new contract

Leeds United winger Raphinha remains on the radar at Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window, according to the latest update from Mundo Deportivo. 

The lowdown: Growing interest in Raphinha

Unsurprisingly following what has been a disappointing second season back in the Premier League, there has been heightened speculation over the future of the Whites’ top talents.

That applies to nobody more so than Raphinha, as the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool have previously been credited with an admiration of the 25-year-old.

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However, it now appears that there could be a new frontrunner in the pursuit of the flamboyant Brazilian…

The latest: Price drop pending?

As per a report from Mundo Deportivo highlighting the top summer targets in Catalonia, Barcelona manager Xavi has Raphinha in his ‘sights’ as the legendary former midfielder turned manager attempts to strengthen the ranks at Camp Nou.

It is claimed that the deal is ‘conditional on the future’ of Leeds, which suggests that relegation for the Yorkshire club would mean a definite departure for the seven-cap Brazil international.

Furthermore, the report claimed, that despite Raphinha holding a current market value of £40.5m from Transfermarkt, a loss of top-flight status could see a move completed for around €25m (£21m) this summer.

The verdict: Premier League status is crucial

Having played 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Brighton at Elland Road on Sunday, BBC journalist Jonathan Buchan took to Twitter to suggest that the man who was dubbed a ‘magician’ by team-mate Dan James could’ve played his final home game for Leeds.

With 28 direct goal contributions in 66 outings so far for the Whites, Raphinha has been a superb capture for £17m from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes (BBC) in October 2020 and has certainly proven to be at a good enough level to remain amongst the upper echelons of European club football.

Whilst the retention of top-flight football is pivotal for more than just the winger’s continued presence at the club, avoiding a possible cut-price sale of such prized assets – as has been mooted by this report – is almost as important for the club financially.

Selling Raphinha or indeed the much-coveted Kalvin Phillips at a bargain fee due to the loss of Premier League status would be a huge blow to the Whites’ finances and would likely hinder any plans that Jesse Marsch and Andrea Radrizzani may have in place to strengthen the squad at Thorp Arch this summer.

In other news: Leeds want this powerful 12-goal striker who is ‘ideal’ for the Championship