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Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is set to leave the Emirates this summer as his contract nears its expiry date, having spent over a decade with the Gunners since arriving from Cardiff.

As reported by the BBC, the Wales international is reportedly closing in on a move to Italian giants Juventus on a free transfer, amid interest from a number of top European clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

However, the aforementioned report states that if the 28-year-old were to remain in England, his preferred move would be one to Liverpool where he would team up with Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

In light of this revelation, we asked fans of the Reds if they’d like to see the north London side’s FA Cup hero arrive on Merseyside for nothing at the end of the season – if he were to sign, it would be a huge moment that would cause shockwaves in the Premier League.

Conclusively, a whopping 76% of those who voted said that they’d like to see Ramsey in the red of Liverpool, as shown by the results below…

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Tottenham Hotspur are said to be keen on bringing Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch to London, with Sky Sports understanding Mauricio Pochettino has sent scouts to oversee his progress for club and country.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been in scintillating form in the Bundesliga, enough to see his TransferMarkt value constantly ascend until it hit £18million, which is also believed to be enough to trigger a release clause that would see the Austrian’s two-and-a-half year contract in Germany brought to an abrupt end.

The suggestion is that Grillitsch is one of a few candidates being considered to replace Mousa Dembele now the Belgian looks set to depart for China, but that is only one potential consequence of the move. Football FanCast are here to run you through the rest…

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Pl>ymaker FC squad think in the video below…

A perfect midfield

There’s nowhere else to start than with Grillitsch being Dembele’s long sought after replacement. Tottenham are understood to have been looking for someone to fill the Belgian’s void for the past two years and in that time have been forced to watch on as Geoffrey Kondogbia and Matteo Guendouzi sign for other clubs, including arch-rivals Arsenal.

Injuries have eaten away at the 82-cap international’s Premier League career and without the 31-year-old, Pochettino has lacked a midfielder who oozes quality on the ball while possessing the power to win it back off the opposition.

The arrival of Grillitsch will give the Argentine manager this sort of player, but also signal Pochettino finally having a perfect midfield at Tottenham, with Eric Dier the rugged defensive unit and Christian Eriksen offering all the creativity a side could ever need.

Dele Alli the full-time winger

A Pochettino side is relatively easy to draw out on paper, but the picture would become even clearer with Grillitsch on the books.

Unfortunately for England’s Dele Alli, this would raise serious doubts over where he fits into the picture in North London, as his attacking threat is sublime but not quite at the level Eriksen offers.

The only possible answer, therefore, would be for the 22-year-old to become a full-time winger and rival Son Heung-Min, Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura for a starting role.

It would not be unheard of for Alli to move out onto the wing, with the 33-cap international regularly deployed on the left under Pochettino – altogether the MK Dons product has played 31 times on the wing in London, his second most used position.

Genuine title contenders in 2019/20

Leicester may have won an incredible Premier League title in 2016 while Chelsea usurped the Lilywhites to the crown the following year, but Spurs were actually the best side over the two seasons combined with a total tally of 138 points – 11 more than Manchester City mustered in the same period.

Even adding in last season, Tottenham remain the second best team in England over three subsequent campaigns with only City’s remarkable 100 title-clinching points enough to overturn the deficit.

Complete the perfect midfield, hope that Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane stay fit and Tottenham should be able to mount genuine opposition to the Sky Blues and Liverpool next season.

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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill switched formations in his first match in charge of the club against Bristol City at The City Ground on Saturday, and his initial tactics suggest that Diogo Goncalves could have a bigger role to play than record signing Joao Carvalho during the run-in if he sticks with the same system.

On the chalkboard

The Irishman’s predecessor Aitor Karanka largely stuck with 4-2-3-1 throughout his tenure, but O’Neill instantly looked to stamp his mark on the side by lining up with a 4-4-2 formation that partnered Lewis Grabban up top with a player he knows well in Daryl Murphy.

The match may have ended in a 1-0 defeat but it was surely a sign of the way the 66-year-old intends to set up his side for the foreseeable future, with goal threat and width pivotal in the final third.

Joe Lolley and Matty Cash were tasked with getting balls into the box from wide areas at the weekend, but they also have competition for their places from Monaco loanee Gil Dias and Goncalves – neither of whom have exactly uprooted trees at Forest.

Could Goncalves become more important than Carvalho?

Despite what happened under Karanka previously, he could well be.

Carvalho and Goncalves joined Forest at the same time, according to BBC Sport, from Portuguese giants Benfica during the summer transfer window, and while the former has scored three goals and provided a further six assists in 26 Championship appearances, as per Whoscored, his 21-year-old has teammate hasn’t fared as well.

He only featured for 144 minutes in the league prior to O’Neill’s arrival at The City Ground, but his latest appearance on the bench suggests he is in his new manager’s thoughts because of his ability on the wing.

Carvalho is more used to playing a central attacking midfield role – he has often been given the job of featuring behind Grabban during the current campaign – but with the former Republic of Ireland boss likely to now favour two more balanced players at the heart of his 4-4-2, as he did with Jack Colback and Claudio Yacob at the weekend – the record buy may find first-team minutes harder to come by between now and May.

Is The Championship the most exciting league in the world? Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max discusses the recent run of crazy results with Sky Sports’ Michelle Owen in the video below…

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According to reports from BBC Sport, West Bromwich Albion are set to sign Jefferson Montero on loan for the rest of the season.

What’s the word?

West Brom are flying high in the Championship this season and developed a real lust for scoring goals, netting a division-highest 57 in 28 games so far.

Darren Moore’s attacking ranks, however, have been depleted throughout the January transfer window. Harvey Barnes was recalled by Leicester City, Oliver Burke joined Celtic on loan and Bakary Sako was allowed to return to Crystal Palace.

Montero, meanwhile, is yet to actually start a Championship game this season despite making 12 substitute appearances and grabbing two assists from the bench back in September.

West Brom appear to be taking advantage of Montero’s bit-part status, by swooping for a player who has shown flashes of brilliance in the Premier League previously – during his first season at Swansea, he grabbed seven assists in the top flight.

A new weapon for Moore

If there’s one thing Montero undoubtedly offers, even if his consistency can be questioned, it’s service and trickery in wide positions. Per ninety minutes this season, he’s averaged 2.7 accurate crosses and 4.9 successful dribbles according to Whoscored.

While those statistics are skewed somewhat by the fact Montero has only featured as a substitute, no West Brom player to make more than 10 Championship appearances this season has averaged more than two successful dribbles per ninety minutes, although Matt Phillips matches his return for accurate crosses.

Montero then, offers something a little different in terms of his ability to carry the ball and as we approach the final run-in, that potential to change games by introducing Montero from the bench could be crucial for the promotion-chasing Baggies.

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Toby Alderweireld has marked himself out as one of the finest ball-playing defenders in Europe in recent seasons.

His long, raking passes have been a key weapon in Spurs’ attacking arsenal and it is high time that he is considered for a role further forward.

On the chalkboard

Spurs have struggled immensely with injury issues this season.

At one point, Mauricio Pochettino could call on Harry Winks and 18-year-old Oliver Skipp as his senior central midfield options. Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Dele Alli were all on the treatment table.

Alderweireld, then, should be considered as a potential emergency option in midfield.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

He has been almost ever-present in the Premier League this season, missing just two games – against Newcastle United and Arsenal.

He is a Rolls-Royce of a defender, repeatedly winning tackles and keeping possession, but his passing is such that he can be an excellent asset in midfield.

Indeed, in his last 10 games, his passing accuracy has never dipped below 85 per cent and peaked at 96.1 per cent in the 3-1 defeat to Wolves.

Such is his reading of the game, he can easily sit in as a defensive midfielder, and allow Winks to move further forward – he has been playing in a more withdrawn role but deserves the freedom to affect the play in the final third.

Emergency measures

Of course, Pochettino would rather have every midfielder available to him in his squad.

Moussa Sissoko and Winks have been in excellent form thus far this season but Spurs have struggled to get Dier or Wanyama fit for any period of time.

Alderweireld offers an excellent option, with Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez able to fill in in defence in behind him.

Both players are so good defensively that they will be able to mop up any potential mistakes made by the Belgium international but it is, naturally, nothing more than a fall-back option.

Nevertheless, it should be kept in Pochettino’s back pocket, in case another injury crisis befalls his midfield.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Ian Holloway has spoken about Lee Bowyer’s current predicament at Charlton Athletic, highlighting where they need to strengthen in January, as reported by Football League World.

What did he say?

Charlton have had a tough time of it in recent months, having failed to win a single one of their last nine games.

This comes during a period in which they have been crippled by injuries, as was highlighted most when Bowyer was only able to field five substitutes in the 3-1 loss against Sheffield Wednesday.

Players have begun to return, most notably Lyle Taylor, though Holloway has suggested things still need to be done to help Bowyer in January: “Without studying all the injuries, what he will know is that he has a shortage in certain areas.

“He has a lot more shopping to do than a lot of other managers and to be honest I feel for him as he’s going to have almost every position to look at right now.

“Maybe one winger, maybe one central midfielder, maybe one striker, he’s going to need at least four or five players.

“Now Charlton have got new owners, maybe they will bring some in.

“He deserves massive credit, he has united that club, all of those supporters now go to the Valley very proudly.”

Reinforcements are needed

The slight influx of players returning means that Bowyer has at least been able to fill his bench in recent times, though he has still had to rely on youngsters, with big players such as Josh Cullen still out.

Against Huddersfield Town, this was perhaps best highlighted by the substitution of Alfie Doughty for James Vennings.

With the current predicament being faced by Charlton and the lack of options Bowyer has at his disposal, he could certainly use reinforcements.

Following the aforementioned barren run, the Addicks currently sit 17th in the table, so a January window boost could be exactly what Bowyer needs.

In other news, Bowyer has spoken about his striker’s transfer situation ahead of the winter window.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Crystal Palace are looking to sign 28-year-old AC Milan man Fabio Borini, as reported by The Evening Standard.

What’s the story?

Crystal Palace are said to have made contact with the Serie A club about signing the former Liverpool and Sunderland forward.

The Italian’s contract with the Milanese giants comes to an end during the summer of 2020, which could inspire Palace to bring him back to the Premier League.

This comes after Roy Hodgson was said to be frustrated by the business that was conducted by the club during the summer window.

A dilemma for Hodgson

While the report suggests Borini will be signed as a striker, Hodgson could be faced with a dilemma in how to best use the Italian if he signs.

The 28-year-old has only started one game for Milan this campaign, which saw him play in centre-midfield during a 1-0 loss against Udinese.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

He played all over the pitch last season, with most of the appearances made coming on the wings, a few coming as a striker and some games even being played as a right-back.

This versatility can be a very useful tool for Hodgson, but the manager will have a decision to make about whether to use him as a striker, especially when last season’s tally of just three goals is considered.

In other news, Palace have been linked with a move for a current Premier League striker.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Tottenham Hotspur need a miracle to progress to the final of the Champions League for a second successive season.

Last year, of course, they flew by the seat of their pants, beating Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages before eventually bowing out to eventual winners Liverpool, losing 2-0 in Madrid.

The final was actually an anti-climax, a game that was ultimately decided after 30 seconds, when Moussa Sissoko’s errant arm led to a penalty that Mohamed Salah converted.

But the ride was glorious for Spurs fans and full of the drama and controversy that only football can throw up; think of that VAR decision against Manchester City and that famous Lucas Moura winner in Amsterdam.

But this time around, already, it looks to be different.

Spurs have finished second, behind Bayern Munich, in their group and they will face one of the following in the next round: PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, RB Leipzig or Valencia.

The latter two, one might think, could be favourable draws.

The Spaniards, though, topped a tough group that also featured Chelsea and Ajax, even winning at Stamford Bridge, while Leipzig dominated an open Group G also comprising Lyon, Benfica, and Zenit.

They will be tricky away trips, to be sure, and there is no guarantee they will be beaten on home soil either; Spurs lost 7-2 to Bayern in north London and fell 2-0 behind to Olympiacos before rallying to win 4-2.

PSG, of course, boast the megastars of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar and were comfortably clear of Real Madrid in Group A; Juventus have Cristiano Ronaldo and were not troubled by either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen; Barca have Lionel Messi and sauntered through a group with Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

This time last year, of course, Spurs drew Dortmund and it was seen as a tricky fixture; they went on to win 4-0 on aggregate.

One feels that they will need the luck of the draw – avoiding Barca and PSG is paramount – and then they will need to be at their very best to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Of course, to win this competition, one will have to face a European giant eventually.

Spurs will just have to hope that the scenario comes later rather than sooner.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans have been reacting to a cheeky tweet from the club’s official account.

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has claimed that Norwich City right-back Max Aarons could end up at Spurs, due to “fate”, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Football FanCast sources confirmed in the summer that Spurs were scouting Aarons.

The Daily Mail has since reported that he is a target for the January transfer window and Robinson believes the defender could come full circle if he ends up in north London.

He said: “He’s an interesting story Max Aarons actually.

“Because he went for a trial at Tottenham, rejected a contract at Luton, and his trial was unsuccessful, so he turned down the contract at Luton then Tottenham rejected him.

Watch Spurs vs Brighton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

“It didn’t work out so that’s how he ended up at Norwich after a year or so out of football.

“It could be fate that he ends up back at Tottenham, but I don’t think he’s the immediate answer to the problems we’ve got at right-back.”

An excellent prospect

Aarons has become a regular starter at Norwich.

The 19-year-old has already made 59 appearances for the Canaries, including 15 in the Premier League. He has started the last 11 league games and is the club’s first-choice full-back.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Per WhoScored, he averages 1.4 tackles per game in the top-flight, 1.9 clearances and 0.9 blocks, along with 0.7 key passes, and 1.3 dribbles.

This is still a teenager, of course, and he has a high ceiling; he has been capped at both U19 and U21 level by England.

Robinson may be right that he is not the immediate answer – he would have to adapt to life at Spurs and is unlikely to slot straight into the team – but he would be a project and he could well become an exceptional full-back in north London.

Meanwhile, Daniel Levy has lifted the lid on his decision to sack Mauricio Pochettino. 

Liverpool’s clash with Wolves was dominated by discussion regarding the merits of VAR after its intervention shaped the course of proceedings.

Firstly Sadio Mane’s goal was allowed to stand after originally being ruled for handball against Adam Lallana and, just when Wolves thought they’d levelled the score at 1-1, Neto’s equaliser was later ruled out for offside in the build up.

These decisions arrived just days after Manchester City were awarded a dubious penalty at Molineux by virtue of VAR.

While Neto’s equaliser was correctly ruled out for offside, the margins were incredibly tight and barely visible to the naked eye. The decision naturally prompted fresh questions regarding both the offside rule and how VAR is applied in accordance.

That Teemu Pukki also saw a lovely goal disallowed following an incredibly marginal call just one day prior certainly served to compound a widespread feeling of discontent among football fans worldwide.

Much harder than you’d think… Can you name Liverpool’s top scorers for each of these 25 seasons?

And it seems that Jurgen Klopp is acutely aware of the frustration VAR can bring as he expressed a certain degree of sympathy towards his opponents yesterday.

In the aftermath of proceedings the German boss was pictured embracing and consoling Neto, who  saw his first Premier League goal chalked off.

A classy and warming gesture under the circumstances.

Naturally, it is easier to be graceful in victory than in defeat but Klopp has really showed his class by personally offering his sympathy to Neto.

The 52-year-old has established himself as one of football’s nice guys and an endearing figure, and the picture of him and Neto is only likely to fuel appreciation throughout the media.

In other Liverpool news, a handful of fans have called for the club to agree fresh terms with one player…