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West Brom could be looking to upgrade their engine room this January if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Baggies are eyeing up a winter swoop for Celtic powerhouse Olivier Ntcham having held an interest in signing him throughout the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that the 24-year-old Frenchman is one of several players that could potentially leave Parkhead to raise funds whilst Southampton are too keen on his signature.

With 18 months remaining on his current deal, Ntcham is valued at £12m by the Hoops hierarchy, though that price may drop by next month.

Livermore upgrade?

If Albion are wanting to bolster their midfield department on the cheap, then they should really look no further than Ntcham.

Despite not being a regular starter under Neil Lennon, the former Manchester City starlet has still impressed each time he’s on the pitch – in the Europa League alone, he has averaged 2.3 dribbles, 1.5 shots, 1.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and one key pass per game, via WhoScored.

This merely signals his industrious ability as a box-to-box monster, thoughts which are echoed by the Bhoys chief himself.

“Olivier Ntcham is an excellent player and it’s really up to him to keep that consistency. He’s a great trainer and already he’s made a significant start to the season.

“When he is in the mood, he’s fantastic. If we can just get that consistent level from him, we’ll have one hell of a player on our hands – as we already do,” Lennon told Celtic View (via 67hailhail).

Whilst ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the man who signed him originally, is also a massive fan of his talents, dubbing the Frenchman a “terrific talent” in 2018.

Such a move could signal the end for Jake Livermore, who hasn’t featured in any of the Baggies’ last two Premier League outings nor has he played the full 90 minutes since the middle of October, per Transfermarkt.

No player in the Premier League is recording more fouls (2.5 per game) than Livermore right now, and with an average rating of just 6.26, he ranks as the worst starter for Slaven Bilic.

Ntcham, who also delivered eight goals and four assists last season, would be the perfect upgrade, especially for a fee reduced from £12m. Luke Dowling should look to get this done.

AND in other news, West Brom dodged a £80k-per-week bullet in once “FEARLESS player”…

Fulham and Newcastle United have both been linked with a January move for Schalke midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, but the Cottagers must avoid signing him.

According to the Sunday Mirror (via Tribal Football), both clubs are taking an interest in the Algerian international ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Spurs man spent the second half of last season on loan with the Toon but struggled to have much impact whatsoever, averaging a disappointing 6.47 rating across his 12 appearances in the top-flight (per WhoScored).

His performances this season have been even worse, with the 26-year-old averaging a shocking 6.12 rating from his seven appearances in the Bundesliga so far this campaign.

The midfielder was dropped to Schalke’s U23 side last year for disciplinary reasons, whilst back in 2016, German newspaper Sports Bild (via Sport Witness) labelled the Algerian as a “slacker” and criticised his “arrogance”.

Therefore, it seems strange that Fulham may be considering a move for the 26-year-old, as he has clearly been a bad influence and a troublemaker at times during his spell with Schalke.

Since joining Die Königsblauen in a permanent deal in 2017, having spent the previous season on loan, he has managed just 105 appearances for the club, contributing 19 goals and nine assists (per Transfermarkt).

Whilst this isn’t the worst record, his transfer value in recent seasons has significantly decreased, suggesting that he is no longer the player he was in his early days with the Bundesliga side.

Fulham are arguably already well-stocked in central midfield, so adding the £3.6 million-rated Bentaleb would surely just give Scott Parker a selection headache.

As well as this, the 26-year-old’s contract with Schalke is set to expire at the end of the season, suggesting that it would also make no financial sense to sign him for a fee in January when they could potentially sign him on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Therefore, Tony Khan would do well to avoid signing Bentaleb, who earns €96k (£86k) per week at Schalke, in January, as there is very little to suggest that he would be a worthwhile addition to Parker’s squad.

And, in other news… one Fulham star badly let Scott Parker down against Manchester City…

Celtic have a golden opportunity to resurrect their turbulent season as they face Hearts this afternoon on the road. The Championship side will host the struggling Hoops in what could turn out to be another historic achievement for Neil Lennon and his men.

The two will lock horns in the Scottish Cup final and a win for Celtic will see them secure the ‘quadruple treble’. But they mustn’t underestimate Hearts. The Bhoys have had a wretched time trying to keep up with Rangers in the league this season, currently trailing by a hefty 13 points.

Lennon may have to make peace with the fact he will not finish top of the Premiership this term, but he can rectify his mistakes by guiding his team to some silverware this afternoon.

Football FanCast has predicted how he will set up to face Hearts later today…

After stepping up the plate in Celtic’s hour of need, Conor Hazard has more than earned the opportunity to start against Hearts today. Whilst Scott Bain and Vasilis Barkas have both disappointed this boss this season, the reserve ‘keeper has come to his team’s aid. Hazard should be one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Lennon’s usual back three should start in order to give the 22-year-old shot-stopper some confidence. Just in front of them, Scott Brown could return to the lineup in order to rally his troops and provide that sense of authority in the middle of the park.

But alongside him we could see Ismaila Soro return after impressing in his last two games. This means that the £20,000 per week Callum McGregor will take a rare seat on the bench. He has started every single game for the Bhoys this season, but Lennon could be looking to seriously shake things up.

Diego Laxalt missed out on a starting spot against Kilmarnock, but he should return today. On the opposite flank however, Ryan Christie may feature whilst the fruitful attacker in David Turnbull could start just ahead of him.

Football FanCast recently fought the corner of Leigh Griffiths, who could be looking at his final season of seeing much of the Celtic action. The least he deserves for all his hard work is to help the Hoops win a trophy, and for that reason, Lennon should start the Scot over Odsonne Edouard, who has hit a slump recently.

In other news, Lawwell making smart decision by offering Conor Hazard new deal…

Glasgow Rangers will return to action for the third time in the space of a week when they travel to Paisley to take on St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday afternoon.

Steven Gerrard faces some tough decisions as he will want to avenge their defeat to the Saints after their Betfred Cup exit earlier this month.

Despite this, the Ibrox boss is expected to rotate his squad, with Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack facing a race to prove their match fitness.

With that in mind, here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting line-up for this afternoon’s action, which sees Gerrard make four changes to the team that edged past Hibernian at Ibrox.

Arguably for the first time this campaign, Gerrard faces his toughest test yet as he will want to avoid a second defeat to John Goodwin’s side in the space of little more than a week.

The Light Blues will make the trip to Paisley and they’ll be desperate to continue their newfound momentum, having won three consecutive games in a row across all competitions.

Gerrard has a few injury concerns, with both Arfield and Jack unlikely to be available for selection, which means he is likely to make several adjustments from the side he selected for the 1-0 win over Hibs with a clash with Celtic on the horizon.

It’s too early to tell exactly which players will be in the firing line but he’s likely to bring Alfredo Morelos, Filip Helander, Calvin Bassey and Bongani Zungu back into the fold.

We reckon Allan McGregor will keep his place in goal behind a much-changed back four consisting of Bassey, Helander, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier, which will give Borna Barisic a break before the second Old Firm derby of the season.

As is often the case, Gerrard will stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation and deploy a midfield three of Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Zungu, with Steven Davis dropping out to make room for the South Africa international midfielder.

Ryan Kent offered little against Hibs, so switching Ianis Hagi back to the left and sticking Kemar Roofe on the right-wing could prove to be a tempting option, while Morelos will most likely lead the line. Hagi previously played on the left flank against Lech Poznan in the Europa League, scoring a header after Cedric Itten opened the scoring.

Itten could be in contention to start but the Colombian star striker will no doubt be chomping at the bit to break his goal drought, as he has so failed to score since the 3-3 draw with Benfica in Lisbon last month.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must unleash Calvin Bassey vs St. Mirren…

If Leeds conclude any transfer business this month it would be somewhat surprising.

After the sagas surrounding both Daniel James and Jean-Kevin Augustin in recent years, it’s a feared time for both Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they shouldn’t get the cheque book out.

What’s the word?

Leeds have been linked with a number of players in recent days from PSG star Julian Draxler to promising Toulouse midfielder Kouadio Kone.

Adding bodies in that part of the pitch is clearly a priority if you believe reports. The Whites, of course, failed to sign Michael Cuisance in the summer after he failed a medical so perhaps Orta is looking for cover in that third of the pitch once again.

One target that’s emerged on the Whites’ radar is one of the stars of the Championship; Michael Olise.

The Reading attacking midfielder has an £8m release clause in his contract and according to The Sun, Leeds are one of the sides who could look to trigger it.

Unfortunately, they face competition with Crystal Palace now said to be leading the race to sign him this year.

Hernandez heir

This would be an exceptional piece of business from Orta if he can pull it off. To sign one of the most impressive young talents in the Championship for just £8m would be an almighty coup and he simply needs to get it done.

Draxler might be the more eye-catching transfer in January but considering his wages of £119k-a-week, he’d set the club back significantly.

Thus, Olise offers a cut-price option and someone that can allow them to build for the future. With Pablo Hernandez’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign, the Leeds target has the chance to be his perfect successor. His football brain is immense and he has the ability to pick passes that very few players at Championship level can achieve.

Speaking to The Athletic about the 19-year-old, former Reading manager Jose Gomes said: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”

He is a lot younger than Hernandez but the ability to make quick decisions on the field is something that’s made the Leeds playmaker such a standout individual.

The Spaniard produced nine assists last season and Olise is well on his way to achieving a similar number. He’s already got eight this term and has scored a further four goals.

Olise is as dynamic as they come and would be perfect for Leeds’ high tempo style of football. Orta must sign him.

AND in other news, Leeds eye swoop for £16k-p/w flop, Orta could repeat their Jean-Kevin Augustin howler…

One of Daniel Levy’s summer transfer decisions has turned out to be an absolute stroke of genius for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs needed a back-up striker to play second fiddle to Harry Kane before the 2020/21 season got underway and as a result, they were mooted with many names across Europe.

Indeed, the north London outfit suffered in the Englishman’s absence last term – following his injury on New Year’s Day, they crashed out of both the FA Cup and Champions League and only won three of eight matches in the Premier League.

On his return, he bagged seven goals, five of which coming in the final three matches to launch Spurs into European qualification.

So to ensure that didn’t happen again, a new forward was high on the agenda – eventually, they settled with a very wise loan-to-buy deal involving Benfica colossus Carlos Vinicius.

His hat-trick in the FA Cup last weekend showed exactly why they got the decision right. In resting Kane, the Brazilian powerhouse stepped up to the plate, making it six goals and three assists from only ten appearances this campaign, per Transfermarkt.

But it could’ve been so much different as Spurs were among the names linked with a move for former Gent talisman Jonathan David.

After scoring 23 times last term, it’s no surprise to see why so many teams were keen to sign him, including the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, though it would be Ligue 1 outfit Lille that won the race, splashing out a record €30m (£27m).

Levy can count his lucky stars that he didn’t sanction that sort of transfer as he’s quickly become a massive flop. David has clearly struggled with the difference in quality between the Belgian top-flight and one of Europe’s elite five leagues.

He has scored just twice all season and has failed to bag in the Europa League despite starting all six group games, per Transfermarkt. The 21-year-old has seen a decrease in shots and dribbles per game in the competition too, which reinforces the above viewpoint.

We’ve seen in recent windows that the likes of Wesley and Mbwana Samatta struggled to hit the ground running in the Premier League, so it is certainly a bullet dodged for Spurs.

Despite being dubbed a “phenomenon” by former coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, David has cost Lille around £14m per goal, when also factoring in his reported £46.5k-per-week wages.

A total waste of money.

Even Vincent Janssen was more worth his salt despite a tumultuous stint in N17 – in a largely bit-part role, he scored six goals in 42 appearances having cost a fraction of the price at £17m.

Could you imagine if Levy pulled the trigger at £27m only for him to struggle behind Kane?

That would have been devastating, all in comparison to the shrewd acquisition of Vinicius, who is only costing a €3m (£2.7m) loan fee upfront with an option of €45m (£40m) as per Benfica’s official statement, via The Sun.

Six goals for just £2.7m upfront looks a masterstroke in comparison to David costing Lille £14m per goal thus far.

Levy certainly dodged a massive bullet in not following through with Spurs’ interest in the Canadian flop this summer.

AND in other news, £140kp/w “revelation” was SO costly in Spurs’ draw with Fulham…

Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup and continued their dreadful start to the new year as they were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Mohamed Salah was not enough for Jurgen Klopp’s side, as goals from Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes earned the home side the victory, to set up a fifth-round tie with West Ham.

Whilst young Rhys Williams struggled on his return to the side, it was perhaps the performance of Andrew Robertson that will concern Jurgen Klopp the most, with the Scottish international nowhere near his best on Sunday afternoon.

As per SofaScore, the left-back would pick up a dreadful 5.9 rating for his display, which was the second-worst of any player on the pitch, with only Williams rated lower.

The 26-year-old was caught way out of position for United’s first goal of the game and couldn’t get back to stop Greenwood from scoring, and resorted to shouting at the young forward, presumably in an attempt to put him off.

It seems as if Greenwood had the better of Robertson throughout the game, as he was rated as United’s best player, earning an 8.3/10 for his performance.

The former Hull City man was also dribbled past on four occasions, suggesting that he struggled defensively during the game at Old Trafford.

Robertson also failed to win any of his five duels during the game, meaning he was the only outfield player from either team who started the game and didn’t win a single duel.

The £67.5 million-rated left-back also struggled when going forwards, as he lost possession on 11 occasions, played no key passes and failed to find a Liverpool shirt with any of his crosses.

For comparison, the Scottish defender has averaged 1.9 key passes per game in the Premier League this season, emphasising that United were able to completely nullify his attacking threat on Sunday afternoon.

Therefore, whilst Williams struggled, he is only 19-years-old and was thrown into a pressure situation by Klopp so it was always going to be tough for him, whereas Robertson has plenty of experience in these sorts of matches but he also produced a really poor display, one that Klopp would not have been expecting.

And, in other news… one ex-PL player suggests Klopp should try to re-sign this former Liverpool star…

David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United will boast a near fully-fit squad when they travel to Fulham on Saturday looking to do the double over their London rivals.

The Irons beat the Cottagers 1-0 when the sides met in November, with a 91st-minute strike from Tomas Soucek all that could separate the two after Ademola Lookman’s Panenka-style penalty was easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski.

The result ended a three-game winless run for West Ham and sparked a turn of fortunes that has helped the Hammers push for a European qualifying berth for next season, while Fulham have won just one of their following 13 Premier League fixtures.

Moyes will hope he can extend Scott Parker’s dire run when the Hammers visit Craven Cottage on Saturday. And, with that in mind, here’s a potential XI West Ham could field…

Moyes will not be expected to tinker too much with his starting line-up at Fulham this weekend with West Ham only losing once in 2021, claiming seven wins in eight across all competitions.

The one change the former Manchester United boss is likely to make will come in midfield with Ryan Fredericks stepping aside for Jarrod Bowen to return, after the £40,000-per-week defender featured against Aston Villa to provide additional support for Vladimir Coufal against Jack Grealish.

Bowen fell out of the side as a result but would doubt a second game on the bench, having scored five goals in 22 top-flight appearances to date this term – only Soucek (8) has found the back of the net more often for the Irons.

Fulham do not possess players with the same skill as Aston Villa’s £100m talisman Grealish, so Moyes would be expected to go for the jugular rather than play things cautiously at Craven Cottage.

This opens the door for the tantalising prospect of a front four featuring Bowen beside Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma and midweek hero Jesse Lingard, who scored a brace on his Hammers debut following a late winter move from Manchester United on loan.

The quartet will also be joined by November’s match-winner Soucek and his pre-emptive runs into the box, and offered cover by Declan Rice in front of West Ham’s back four.

West Ham will be expected to name an unchanged defence of Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna, Craig Dawson and Coufal with Fabianski in goal against Fulham.

Dawson endured a difficult night against Aston Villa in midweek, but had scored his side’s third in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace last month and found the back of the net against Liverpool for his third goal for the Irons since joining on loan from Watford.

Arthur Masuaku remains sidelined after knee surgery but is Moyes’ only absentee for West Ham’s visit to Craven Cottage, and has returned to light training ahead of a potential return next month.

AND in other news, David Moyes can give a £3.5m-rated outcast a new lease of life at West Ham with one decision…

Many Manchester United fans were left slamming the display of Marcus Rashford in their 3-3 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team got off to a great start at Old Trafford, with goals from Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes putting them 2-0 up and in a relatively comfortable position at half-time.

However, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez pegged the Red Devils back to 2-2, while a Scott McTominay goal was cancelled out by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in injury time.

Even though he got the assist for Cavani’s header, his overall performance flattered to deceive several Man Utd supporters.

The England international lost out on no fewer than 10 of his duels in the game, the most lost out of any player to have set foot on the pitch, and also lost possession of the ball the most times (20), earning him a very measly 6.3 overall rating on Sofascore, the third-lowest out of his teammates.

Manchester United fan reaction to Rashford display

These fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far to say that the 23-year-old was ‘awful’:

“Maguire, Lindelof and Rashford were awful, shocking. McTominay, Bruno and Cavani excellent, the rest ok”

Credit: @frankle444

“Rashford needs to visit the bench”

Credit: @Marqueage

“Rashford! He needs re-programming, something’s wrong, he keeps repeating the same mistake.”

Credit: @dizzydianajo1

“Still painful. I’m so disappointed in you yesterday, @ManUtd players most, especially @MarcusRashford for wasting those glorious chances. #MUNEVE”

Credit: @i_am_uchenna

“Rashford is just wasteful, poor decision making also. Yep better to deal with City than Liverpool. I don’t even have a single Liverpool player on my Fantasy Premier League team. If it were possible I’d want City and Liverpool to both lose tonight.”

Credit: @tonymillzk

“Still annoyed that Marcus Rashford didn’t take his chances again. He needs to work on his finishing. So poor in front of goal.”

Credit: @AraRedjeb

In other news, find out which ex-EPL referee was left baffled by one VAR decision versus Southampton here!

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are one of several sides said to be hot on the heels of Everton’s £1.8m-rated centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite.

What’s the word?

Branthwaite, who is currently on loan at Blackburn Rovers, finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar after excelling in the Championship this season thus far.

The 18-year-old has caught the eye after impressing at Ewood Park and it is believed a number of other unnamed clubs have kept tabs on the young centre-back.

The Mail have claimed Solskjaer wants to fend off the stiff competition for Branthwaite’s signature. His contract at Goodison Park is set to expire in 2022.

Eventual successor to Harry Maguire?

Despite his age, Branthwaite has arguably led from the back during his loan spell at Blackburn, just like Harry Maguire did at Sheffield United, racking up seven appearances for the Rovers since joining the club in January.

Maguire has now established himself as an integral part of Solskjaer’s side, marshalling his troops from the heart of the defence – this season alone has seen him start and feature in every single Premier League fixture so far.

In the teenager, Solskjaer could find someone very similar to the 27-year-old, despite their obvious differences in age, especially when you consider just how well he has performed for Tony Mowbray’s side this season.

The England U19 international is averaging an impressive 2.7 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game, which ranks him very favourably when you compare him to the club captain, who himself has only managed 0.8 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

In fact, only Aaron Wan-Bissaka has averaged more tackles per match with 3.1, while no other player can better his interception success rate.

But Ed Woodward may have his work cut out should he try to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer, as Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly a ‘big fan’ of the teenage prospect.

By getting him, however, he could land a player who has shown that he is fully capable of playing second-fiddle to the likes of Maguire and Victor Lindelof for a fraction of the price it would’ve cost to sign a player like Dayot Upamecano.

AND in other news, Forget Kingsley Coman: Man Utd should sign Jadon Sancho instead…