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Sky Sports presenter Joe Thomlinson is concerned by the lack of impact Nathan Jones has been able to make at Southampton.

The Lowdown: Worrying times for Southampton

The Saints are currently propping up the Premier League table with just two wins to their name, but they do appear to be addressing their worrying situation.

They’ve already moved to hand Jones some more tools in the form of Mislav Orsic, who arrives on the south coast with an impressive goalscoring record out in Croatia for Dinamo Zagreb.

Jones hasn’t been able to yet put a proper stamp on this Southampton side in terms of new signings, though while that will likely change very soon, the Welsh boss has seemingly changed very little on the pitch, having lost all his league games as manager.

The Latest: Jones has to be doing more

Thomlinson has slammed Jones on the Football Daily YouTube channel for not making a big enough impact on his Southampton side from a tactical point of view since his arrival.

He said: “My biggest concern is that they’ve appointed Nathan Jones prior to the Word Cup, he’s had 5-6 weeks working with this side, solidly, of a group of players… not many of them went to the World Cup.

“And they still don’t have a set formation, there’s still a different XI being put out every time, it doesn’t look like anybody knows what they’re doing out there. That is a massive concern.”

The Verdict: Unsure times ahead for the Saints

This will be very alarming for fans and Sport Republic watching on as their new appointment, who was brought in to drag them away from the threat of relegation, has arguably only made them worse, having now lost five league games in a row.

Southampton are in desperate need of some inspiration from their manager to bring about some fresh ideas that can help them pick up points to stop the rot of this horrid losing streak.

Jones did indeed have a large chunk of time with no distractions to get his ideas across during the World Cup, but it appears as though the squad have only been left confused and uninspired as there are few other explanations as to why they should be losing so many games.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been dealt a potentially detrimental blow to his preparations ahead of the forthcoming Premier League fixture away to Brighton & Hove Albion…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, the Reds’ £85m summer signing Darwin Nunez is a fitness doubt for Saturday’s trip to the Amex Stadium, compounding the extensive list of absentees and the struggle to find consistent form. 

The Uruguayan striker has divided opinion since his arrival on Merseyside, but he has been a regular presence in the Reds’ line-up so far, starring on occasion and second only to the sublime Mohamed Salah in the club’s 2022/23 scoring charts.

As relayed by Liverpool’s official website, Klopp seemingly confirmed during his pre-match press conference on Friday morning that the 23-year-old is out of contention for the Brighton clash.

The manager said of Nunez: “If he cannot train today then, yes, that would rule him out. We are waiting for the latest information; it is not a major one, but it still kept him out of training. We have to wait for that.”

A big blow for Liverpool

The 23-year-old has indeed been met with contrasting reviews since his move from Benfica in the summer. Many of the Liverpool fanbase are roaring in adulation for the budding brilliance of this enigmatic striker, while rival supporters heap criticism on the catalogue of missed opportunities stemming from his often erratic and wayward shooting.

The overarching, more equitable consensus would appear to be that Liverpool yield an unrefined and imperfect but overwhelmingly entertaining prospect who seems capable of reaching heights beyond the majority of Premier League strikers. Indeed, it was only this week that his overall game came in for high praise from the division’s all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer.

Having scored ten goals and supplied three assists from just 15 starts for the Reds, the pathway to a place among the pantheon of Europe’s most devastating offensive players is but a distance away, and his influence on the Premier League should only expand as Liverpool’s fortunes ostensibly turn brighter.

His absence will indeed be felt on the south coast, with Brighton continuing to dazzle among the division’s elite despite Graham Potter departing from the Amex Stadium to assume the managerial role at Chelsea in the season’s opening weeks.

The Seagulls are just one point and one place behind the Reds in the table, having clinched 27 points from the first 17 outings, and a home victory would sink Liverpool into deeper woes and consign them to consecutive defeats in the Premier League at the start of 2023.

With Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz both ruled out of contention for the impending period, and Roberto Firmino yet to receive the green light to return following his own spell on the sidelines, Klopp is left to pick at scraps for his frontline, although he is bolstered by the recent £35m signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.

The £140k-per-week phenomenon also ranks within the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s major leagues for rate of goals, top 1% for total shots, top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty box and top 6% for progressive passes received over the past year (as per FBref), illustrating his importance to the team.

Praised as “dangerous” by his manager, the 16-cap Uruguayan’s likely confinement to the injury room is a big blow this weekend, and Liverpool will need to unearth a level of intensity and cutting edge which has largely evaded them this season if they are to earn a crucial victory over Saturday’s opposition.

Klopp would no doubt have been wincing with frustration at the news of Nunez’s injury blow, compounding what has already been a hugely testing campaign for the Reds.

Aston Villa are undergoing a reshuffle under the management of Unai Emery, who has been a beacon of optimism since arriving at the club in October after being prised away from Spanish La Liga outfit Villarreal.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Midlands outfit are interested in a swoop for Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, who has been a standout figure at the beating heart of his outfit, with technical director Johan Lange willing to pay the player’s €65m (£57m) release clause to clinch his signature.

This follows initial information from November, with the outlet reporting (via Sport Witness) that the 26-year-old could be enticed into joining the fold at Villa Park to link up with his countryman and enhance the Villans’ midfield with his dynamic skill set.

The recent report from Mundo Deportivo does state, however, that with Liverpool interested and circling like a shark, a prospective transfer might enter rocky territory with the allure and European promise of the Merseyside outfit potentially swinging the odds in manager Jurgen Klopp’s favour.

Casemiro 2.0

If Emery proves successful in his bid to clinch one of La Liga’s premier midfielders, it would not be the first time that he has graced Premier League soil, previously plying his trade for Newcastle United.

Signing for the Magpies in 2017 on a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund as a 21-year-old, Merino arrived as a promising prospect and a potential leading playmaker in the division as he nurtured his abilities at St. James’ Park over the coming years. 

It did not quite work out, and after making just 25 appearances, scoring one goal and assist apiece, he departed for his homeland to join Sociedad after one season, with a buyout clause of just £10m.

Since that point, the midfielder full of “quality”, as once praised by former Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, has become a leading figure for his side’s exploits, making 177 appearances and scoring 18 goals and 23 assists.

The hike in his market value is also a telling illustration of the superlative player that he has grown into; arriving in Spain, Merino was valued at £10.5m, but is now a player with a valuation of £44m. 

As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks within the top 8% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 2% for aerials won and the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area.

And when assessing the most comparable players to the £37k-per-week ace, there is a semblance found between the “best player in La Liga’s” arsenal – as dubbed by his Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil – and Manchester United titan Casemiro.

The five-time Champions League winner Casemiro joined Erik ten Hag’s Manchester project in the summer for £70m after making 336 appearances for Los Blancos in one of football’s all-time great midfield triads. 

As per Sofascore, the 69-cap Brazilian has recorded an exemplary 7.37 rating in the Premier League this term, impressing with his 80% passing accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 3.1 tackles per match.

Merino also boasts a rounded toolkit, recording an average rating of 7.26 this season, completing 76% of his passes and vigorously leaping into 2.6 tackles per outing of his own.

With such stellar similarities, and by observing the impact that the “monster” Casemiro – as once heralded by former Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane – has had on a formerly beleaguered United outfit, the question of Villa’s interest in the gem oozing class and quality has merely one answer; Emery must sign, Merino could spearhead the ascension to the tantalising prospect of a European finish at Villa Park.

West Ham United enjoyed a busy summer transfer period, which seemed like a turning point in David Moyes’ career at the London Stadium.

It marked a transformative window in which eight new faces entered the fray, and with an improved calibre of player it was expected to propel the Hammers to new heights after a successful seventh-place finish and Europa League semi-finals.

However, they now find themselves wallowing towards the bottom three and facing the very real possibility of a fight to aviod relegation.

Despite their team being full of stars, fans of the club will know that talent enough cannot secure their place in the division. The 2010/11 season certainly taught them that.

Their disappointment thus far in the campaign is likely tied to their underperformance in the market and could explain their tentative approach to the January window, where Danny Ings remains only their second purchase.

However, ever since the conclusion of the World Cup, rumours persist that link Mark Noble and the Irons with a move for Stoke City and Australia defender Harry Souttar.

Having been tipped to make the move to east London by Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer, the initial rumour emerged as December drew to a close, with his reported price tag to be at £25m.

Although he would be making a big step up from the Championship, there is reason to believe that the 24-year-old would represent an upgrade on current stalwart Kurt Zouma.

The Frenchman has endured a tough season which has culminated in a disappointing 6.89 average rating, a far cry from 6.95 and 7.15 from the two seasons prior.

In fact, the 28-year-old has overseen a steady decline as the years have gone on, despite entering his prime years.

Meanwhile, Souttar is a defender on the rise, which came to the fore in Qatar.

Earning a 6.97 average rating, he was a defensive rock for a country that emerged from a group containing would-be finalists France, dark horses Denmark and a resolute Tunisia side that would beat the French too.

Averaging an 83% pass accuracy, he also recorded 1.5 interceptions, one tackle and an incredible 5.5 clearances per game (via Sofascore). This far outweighs Zouma’s 0.9 interceptions, 0.3 tackles and 4.8 clearances per 90 from this campaign, as per Sofascore.

It was no surprise to see him labelled “an absolute monster of a defender” by The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, as he continued to claim he was: “Huge, quick, can head it and is also fairly comfortable on the ball.”

These are attributes that Moyes will be keen to add to a defence that has shipped 25 goals so far this season.

Whilst Zouma has struggled as part of this team, Souttar was thriving on the biggest stage, proving his ability to take the next step up.

As the former Chelsea defender declines, the Potters have an up-and-coming brute on their hands that West Ham will want to snap up quickly.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Jude Bellingham is becoming increasingly difficult and they may only be able to compete for his signature if new investors arrive, according to a report from Germany.

The Lowdown: Klopp eyeing midfielders

Liverpool have been linked with a number of midfielders during the January window, including the likes of Matheus Nunes and Declan Rice, with Jurgen Klopp looking to sign long-term replacements for the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

Bellingham is believed to be Klopp’s ‘top priority’, however Borussia Dortmund are set to demand around £130m for the midfielder if he does not commit to a new deal, which would make him the most expensive Premier League signing of all time.

The Latest: Deal becoming difficult…

According to a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness), a move for the 19-year-old is becoming increasingly difficult for Liverpool to plan this summer, with the huge transfer fee considered a major stumbling block.

It is detailed that the only way the Reds will be able to raise the revenue needed is if the club gets an investor promptly, or if new owners come in.

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The Verdict: Blow for Liverpool

It will be very disappointing for Liverpool fans that if they are unable able to compete for the central midfielder’s signature without new investment, as he is a generational talent, with a wide range of different abilities.

Hailed as ‘fabulous’ by Graeme Souness (via Manchester Evening News), the starlet specialises in driving the ball forward, completing an average of 1.7 dribbles per 90 in the past year, with this on show during the World Cup.

The youngster made a fantastic galloping run in the build-up to Harry Kane’s goal against Senegal, while he also displayed his creative talents in the round of 16 by bagging an assist.

Given his age, Bellingham has time on his side to develop into one of the best midfielders in the world, and it would be a huge blow for Liverpool if they were to miss out to a rival club.

Chelsea and Arsenal could return to Brighton with more significant offers for Moises Caicedo, Ben Jacobs has claimed.

What’s the word?

Arsenal have had a £60m bid rejected for the midfielder, following Chelsea’s bid earlier this week, and Brighton are adamant that they will not sell the 21-year-old in this window.

However, a higher offer could tempt Brighton into negotiations, and overall it could take a significant financial package to change their minds about a deal.

Speaking on Chelsea Fan TV, Jacobs claimed he expects the next bid, which could come from either Chelsea or Arsenal, to be high enough to convince Brighton to even entertain negotiations.

“What Chelsea and Arsenal would be wary of is if they’re both going to come back in, it’s only going to inflate the price further and further and further,” he stated.

“I actually expect the next step to be quite a bullish offer. I expect that one of the two clubs will strongly consider getting somewhere close to the £70m mark and then seeing whether that creates meaningful engagement because right now there’s not really any meaningful engagement.

“Brighton are not countering, Brighton are not saying no, but, if you do this, Brighton are offering this valuation even though sources continue to say, and have done for months, that it’s £75 million or more, and Brighton are simply saying no.”

Bidding war?

The final few days of the window could see yet another battle between Chelsea and Arsenal, following the dramatic saga over Mykhailo Mudryk earlier in the window.

Brighton find themselves in a strong position given the interest in him, and can either keep their player until the end of the season or make another huge profit within two years of the player’s arrival.

It remains to be seen how they will react to further bids but their stance right now is clear, that the bids need to be raised to even consider a sale.

But, one thing that is kind of forcing their hand is the fact that he won’t play in their next game and missed training recently.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that it’s unlikely West Ham United will sign any more players in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Two new signings

David Moyes has brought in two new additions this month in the form of Brazilian defender Luizao and Danny Ings from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.

Ings sustained an injury not long after his arrival in east London, but Moyes said recently that the forward won’t miss many games.

The Irons boss also said that he was not looking to sell Michail Antonio this month, following reports claiming that Wolves were interested in the player.

The Latest: No more signings

Sheth claimed that West Ham won’t be signing any more players in January when speaking to GiveMeSport, but that could change if someone becomes available.

He stated, “I just can’t see how West Ham would consider that just now. Funnier things have happened; if a player suddenly becomes available and they think we can bring him in, we can allow Antonio to go; we know Ings and Scamacca are coming back, then maybe,

“But there’s so little time now to be able to do a couple of deals of that magnitude that it looks like that West Ham are going to carry on with the squad that they’ve got.”

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The Verdict: Depth still needed

We believe that West Ham are in need of new recruits late on in January, as they simply haven’t improved all the areas of their squad.

Former Hammers star Frank McAvennie was baffled that Moyes didn’t look to sign Josip Juranovic, who joined Union Berlin earlier this month.

When talking to West Ham Zone, the ex-striker said that the Croatian would’ve been the ‘ideal’ for the club.

McAvennie’s concerns are certainly justified as it’s an area where West Ham have very few options – Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal are the only traditional options in that position.

Earlier this month, it was claimed by Sky Sports that Coufal was growing frustrated at West Ham and was labelled as ‘one to watch’ on a potential exit.

Johnson is still very much on the club’s fringes and has made very few appearances far this season for the Irons.

In our view, it’s a big mistake for West Ham not to address their lack of options at right-back, particularly given Coufal could well leave in the near future and Johnson is clearly not in Moyes’ plans on a consistent basis.

Tottenham may well take on Manchester City this afternoon without Antonio Conte in the dugout after the Italian underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder in the week.

As a result, Cristian Stellini could earn a rare opportunity to take charge of the team and he’ll certainly have his work cut out as they welcome the champions to the capital.

Spurs looked fantastic in the first half against the Citizens a few weeks ago, scoring two goals, but they were eventually undone in the second period as they succumbed to a 4-2 defeat.

It was damaging for Conte and co but they have the perfect opportunity to get revenge on Sunday.

It’ll be a game of change for Spurs who could make a host of alterations to the side that beat Preston North End in the FA Cup last week, with Football FanCast predicting the following side to take to the field:

Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Porro, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessengon, Kulusevski, Kane, Son.

Our XI features seven changes from the side that took to the field last weekend with the most notable one coming at right wing-back.

Pedro Porro, signed from Sporting Lisbon on the deadline day, could earn a debut against his former employers with the Spaniard potentially starting ahead of £40k-per-week Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian has been a “liability” at times – in the words of Jamie O’Hara – and his run in the team must soon come to an end.

There are a wealth of changes to the backline as a whole with skipper Hugo Lloris coming back in for cup ‘keeper Fraser Forster, while Clement Lenglet, Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga all step out for Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero who have been regular starters throughout 2022/23.

Rodrigo Bentancur is set to keep his place but he is likely to be beside Pierre-Emile Hojgjberg with the £63m-rated midfielder “monster” – as dubbed by Morten Bisgaard coming in for Yves Bissouma. The Dane has been one of the first names on the team sheet this term, having featured for 90 minutes in all but one of the league games he’s played in.

The final change comes in attack where Harry Kane will come in for Ivan Perisic having been rested last weekend.

He has been nothing short of sublime of late, scoring five in his last seven outings.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their pursuit of a deal to sign Nico Williams in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Aston Villa’s interest in Nico Williams?

According to the Daily Mail, Villans boss Unai Emery is desperate to add a tall, athletic, winger to bolster his squad and is determined to sign the Athletic Bilbao attacker to fill that role.

The report claims that the Spanish international rejected the chance to sign for the Villans in January as he did not want to depart from his current club midway through the campaign.

It is stated that the Midlands outfit are unlikely to be put off by the winter rejection and are set to revive their interest in the Bilbao gem, who has a £50m release clause, heading into the summer.

Nico Williams is Wilfried Zaha 2.0

Emery could land his own version of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha for Villa by securing a deal to sign the forward he is ‘desperate’ to sign – Williams.

The current Premier League winger, who plays for Patrick Vieira’s side, has been a consistent performer over the years to keep the Eagles in the top-flight.

Since the start of the 2016/17 campaign, the forward has hit double figures for goals and assists combined in five of his six full league seasons, whilst the gem is already on eight this term.

Zaha has scored ten or more goals in three of the last four full Premier League campaigns and proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer and creator from a wide position for Palace.

FBref lists the Ivorian international as one of the most similar players to the Bilbao star based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days, with both players ranking in the top 30% of wingers in Europe for take-ons completed and touches in the opposition’s box per 90 – showing that they are both direct forward who want to make things happen in the final third.

This season, Williams (5.8) and Zaha (5.7) have accrued similar xG numbers – combined non-penalty xG and xAG – and this suggests that they provide a similar level of threat in the final third, in terms of the positions they take up to score for themselves and the quality of chances they create for others, which is reflected in the xG and xAG (the quality of chances they shoot from and create) numbers, via FBref.

The Spanish forward, 20, has not proven himself over the course of a number of seasons but his return of six goals and six assists in 25 appearances for Bilbao this season shows that the gem is on the right path to becoming Zaha 2.0.

Williams, who was described as being “on fire” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this term, could be Villa’s own version of the Palace star by coming in and regularly delivering goals and assists, whilst also being direct and a constant attacking threat in the opposition box, if he can adapt to Premier League football and remain consistent with his end product.

Manchester United winger Antony will miss tonight’s Premier League clash against Leeds United through injury, Samuel Luckhurst reports.

The Lowdown: Antony impressing at Old Trafford

Antony made the move to Manchester from Ajax last summer to reunite with Erik ten Hag in a deal worth £82m. Since then, the Brazilian has made 23 appearances for the Red Devils, contributing to six goals.

The 22-year-old has been the club’s sixth-best performer this season as per WhoScored metrics, but he won’t be available for selection tonight.

The Latest: Antony absent for Leeds clash

Luckhurst, who is United’s chief reporter for Manchester Evening News, took to Twitter on Tuesday to share an injury update from Ten Hag’s pre-match press conference.

He said that, along with Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay, Antony is also ruled out for the home side due to injury, while Casemiro begins a three-match suspension.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Marcus Rashford has been in fine form playing from the left, scoring in six top-flight games out of seven since the season’s post-Christmas resumption, while Antony has mainly been Ten Hag’s go-to man on the right when fit, so this news isn’t ideal ahead of a busy few days for United.

Labelled ‘superb’ by writer Emmanuel Ayamga just last month, the Brazil winger has ranked highly when it comes to shots (2.8) and dribbles per game (0.8), as per WhoScored. Those returns place him first and second respectively in the Red Devils’ squad for those metrics.

Facundo Pellistri is the only other natural right-winger available to Ten Hag and he hasn’t made a Premier League appearance to date, so the United boss may look into using Anthony Elanga or Alejandro Garnacho – primarily left-wingers – in Antony’s absence on that flank.