Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard ahead of the January transfer window but it could be a repeat of their Philippe Coutinho disaster.

According to reports in Spain, the Villans have identified the former Chelsea star as a potential marquee signing in the January window, as Unai Emery looks to build on a promising start to life at Villa Park.

The Spaniard has won both of his league games in charge at his new club to distance the Midlands side from the relegation places but, after so much investment in the summer, a top-half finish should be the minimum aim.

While signing someone of Hazard’s talent would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, the 31-year-old has clearly declined since swapping Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu, and it would surely prove to be another expensive risk by the Villa board.

The Belgium international earns a staggering £525k-per-week with Real Madrid, so while any potential transfer fee for the ageing winger might be cheap, his wages are certain to take a chunk out of Villa’s budget.

During his time with Los Blancos, Hazard has made just 72 appearances in three and a half campaigns, managing seven goals and 11 assists in that time, which included no goals in 18 La Liga appearances last season.

Carlo Ancelotti has utilised the tricky winger just three times in La Liga in the current term, which suggests that he is surplus to requirements and could be on the move in the January window.

Spanish media have certainly not been impressed with Hazard since his eye-watering £150m switch in 2019, with reports labelling him “overweight” after he was spotted laughing with his former teammates after a Champions League defeat against Chelsea in 2021.

There are certainly shades of Villa’s signing of Coutinho with the Hazard rumours, as, like the Belgian, he moved to a Spanish giant for a huge fee before ultimately failing to live up to the high expectations.

While he looked promising at first for his new club, he has failed to register a single goal or assist in any of his appearances this season, with it now likely that he will spend the remainder of his Villa career rotting on the bench.

Therefore, signing Hazard would be a very high-risk transfer given his age and lack of recent game time, so the Villans must avoid the Belgian at all costs.

West Bromwich Albion have been a club that have shown a willingness to utilise the young talent available to them, of which they have produced plenty in recent years.

With Carlos Corberan likely to uphold this value, outlined in his continued use of Taylor Gardner-Hickman, it bodes well for the young Baggies in the academy.

The former Huddersfield Town head coach will have had a say in the recent decision to hand Harry Whitwell his first professional contract too, who will likely look to the aforementioned star as the one to follow.

He stands as proof that there is a clear pathway for academy players to make the breakthrough into the first team, and now this 17-year-old will look to do exactly that.

It could mark the perfect excuse to ditch the ageing Jake Livermore, in favour of a midfielder who is noted as “exciting” and “energetic” in Lewis Cox’s relaying of the new deal.

The 33-year-old is performing admirably for his age, with a 6.70 average SofaScore rating denoting hardly worrying form, but with an academy that has already produced a number of their current starting squad, they should soon look to dip into it once more as he comes to the twilight of his career.

Academy boss Richard Stevens was the first to praise him in the report, detailing that “For a young lad who has just turned 17, he has shown he has the capability of playing regularly in the PL2 team. This shows how highly we rate Harry…”.

The U23s coach Richard Beale would also note:

“He’s going from strength to strength, Harry. He’s had a fantastic year. He’s already trained in the first team under the new manager, he has had several sessions with the first team this season.”

This exposure to Corberan’s methods will already give him a huge advantage in breaking into the senior squad, whilst his inclusion is indicative of how highly thought of he is at the club despite having only featured 14 times for the under-18s and nine times for the under-21s.

Regardless, the future is clearly bright for this young starlet who appears as the new shining light of the West Brom academy.

Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich is ‘frustrated’ at the club and wants to leave in the January transfer window, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Klich out of favour

The 32-year-old has been an important figure for the Whites down the years, helping them return to the Premier League and making 192 appearances in total.

This season, however, Klich hasn’t made a single league start under Jesse Marsch, coming on 11 times as a substitute and totalling just 188 minutes of action.

It has led to speculation regarding the Pole’s future and a fresh update suggests a move could be on the cards.

The Latest: Midfielder wants move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Klich will be pushing to leave Elland Road once January comes around:

“It’s just personal preference really. This is the kind of thing that happens when you change manager and Klich has kind of been a victim of that switch.

“He is very frustrated, he is looking for a transfer when we get to January, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ends up getting one.”

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The Verdict: Best for all parties

In truth, this feels like a decision that would benefit everyone, with Marsch clearly not seeing Klich as an important starter moving forward, especially given his age.

A move away from Leeds would allow the veteran to enjoy more regular playing time elsewhere, while the Whites may earn a transfer fee, with his current deal running out in 2024.

Klich has been a great servant at Elland Road, being described as ‘wonderful’ by David Prutton, but now is the time for him to be granted his wish and be sold, although a replacement would likely to needed to retain squad depth before the summer window.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of the Premier League clubs that have been monitoring Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie. 

The Lowdown: Spurs previous link to Hincapie

The Lilywhites were linked with a move for the centre-back during the previous summer transfer window. In fact, the north London club were reportedly told that they would need to have shelled out a transfer fee of £34m to land him.

Now that Hincapie has played the full 90 minutes of both of Ecuador’s games in the current World Cup, this had led to fresh transfer rumours emerging, linking him with a move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Hincapie eyed by Premier League clubs

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Chelsea have got scouts watching the defender in action at the World Cup.

The report also adds that Spurs and their north London rivals Arsenal have been monitoring the Ecuadorian for as long as the past 18 months.

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The Verdict: A useful signing?

With 13 Bundesliga appearances under his belt for Leverkusen this season, the 20-year-old, who journalist Jose de Jesus Ortiz labelled as “impressive”, has shown how much of an impressive defender he is.

For example, as well as making more blocks (22) than any other player at the club, he also has the third-highest total of clearances (32) and successful tackles (13).

As one of the six outfield Leverkusen players to win the majority of their aerial duels this season, this further showcases how much of a unit he is at the back, despite being fairly young.

Bearing in mind how Antonio Conte’s side have only been able to keep four clean sheets in the league this season, perhaps adding a player like Hincapie to the squad is just what they need to stop conceding goals on such a regular basis.

Moving forward, with two of their London rivals reportedly swirling around the players, Spurs may look to do all they can to get the player to join Conte’s side once the January transfer window opens.

Southampton are ‘set to be offered’ the chance to sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Jones era begins…

Former Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was recently given his marching orders after almost four years at St Mary’s, with the club quickly turning to former Luton Town boss Nathan Jones as his replacement.

The latter’s Premier League arrival marks a new era on the south coast, and owners Sport Republic will need to back their new head coach financially if they are to stand the best possible chance of maintaining their top-flight status.

All eyes will duly turn to January, with a report now sharing who could make a return to Southampton mid-season.

The Latest: Saints ‘set to be offered’ Oxlade-Chamberlain…,

According to Football Insider on Wednesday evening, Southampton and Jones are now ‘set to be offered’ a chance to sign Liverpool midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Englishman has struggled for game-time at Anfield this season, with manager Jurgen Klopp no longer viewing him as a key player moving forward.

As such, the Reds could turn to Southampton as they attempt to rid themselves of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £125,000-per-week wages.

The Verdict: Do it?

The 29-year-old has suffered with a plethora of injury issues since joining Liverpool from Arsenal in 2017, and we believe that the price tag must be a reasonable if Jones is to consider signing the midfielder.

That being said, with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract set to expire in 2023, Southampton would be in a position to demand a reasonably cheap fee as Klopp’s side risk losing him for nothing next summer.

Everton have been at the centre of media speculation surrounding their current form in the Premier League and potential replacements for Frank Lampard, however, a new update has emerged which should put doubts to rest.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Everton have made the decision to stand by Lampard to give him time to turn the season around.

As per the report, sources have claimed that despite showing interest in other managers, namely Marcelo Bielsa, the club have made a U-turn on that notion and decided to give the manager the opportunity to fix the problems the team are facing.

It could spell disaster

The Toffees are facing a similar situation as they did last season where they struggled in a difficult relegation battle before securing survival in the Premier League as they are now just one point clear of the relegation zone going into the World Cup break.

Indeed, Everton did have a good start to the season and at one point were in contention for a spot in the top half of the table. However, this momentum was short-lived and Lampard’s side have now lost three out of their last five fixtures having scored just four times.

Keeping the faith in the 44-year-old manager will likely split the Goodison Park faithful with some supporters making their feelings very clear after the defeat to Bournemouth last weekend at the Vitality Stadium. That said, after appointing six new permanent managers in as many years, some will feel that stability is something the club is desperate for right now.

Currently, the former Premier League midfielder turned manager is tallying up just one point per game and has a win percentage of an awful 23.53% in 17 games. When you compare this to his predecessor Rafa Benitez it makes for concerning reading.

The former unpopular Everton boss averaged 1.18 points per game and had a win percentage of 31.82% in 22 fixtures which although unimpressive, is considerably higher than Lampard’s over five more games in charge before he was sacked in January 2022.

As a result, Lampard will need to change the trajectory that the Merseysiders are on and fast when they return to action after Christmas, as the current performances are not enough to keep the Toffees comfortably safe from falling into the bottom three.

With that being said, if the club are certain they will stick by the manager through the troubling form they have found themselves in, they must allow him to reinvest in key areas that are lacking during the upcoming transfer window.

Indeed, keeping the boss in the job and not acquiring the right players could spell disaster with the threat of relegation looming again.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been praised for his latest England performance in their 3-0 win over Senegal at the World Cup. 

The Lowdown: England through to World Cup quarter-finals

Goals from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka sealed victory for Gareth Southgate’s side and secured their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Next Saturday, the Three Lions take on World Cup holders France for a place in the semi-finals.

Looking back at Sunday’s victory, Rice ended up earning plenty of praise for his display despite not getting on the scoresheet.

The Latest: Praise for Rice

Taking to Twitter, journalist Sam Inkersole singled out the West Ham captain for praise over his efforts for England against Senegal.

He said of the 23-year-old Irons star: “He has barely been mentioned but that’s, arguably, how it should be – Declan Rice has bossed this. Ridiculously good. #ENG”

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The Verdict: Solid performance from Rice

Playing the full 90 minutes against Senegal, Rice had 65 touches of the ball in total and completed 52 of the 55 passes that he attempted. This left him with a passing accuracy percentage of 95%, the highest in the entire England team.

The West Ham captain, who has played more minutes in the tournament than any other England midfielder, also won three of his six ground duels and made one tackle, one interception and one clearance.

The Evening Standard also picked up on the midfielder’s performance by saying in their player ratings: “A disciplined display allowed others play their football while he anchored in midfield. He did get one of his West Ham-style surges down the right where he produced a good cross. Rice clearly showed he belongs at this level but let others shine.”

Taking all of that into account, it’s safe to say that, while he may have had a comparatively low-key performance against Senegal in relation to many of his team-mates, Rice once again showed how important he is for England.

Just a few weeks after rejecting Wolves and affirming his commitment to Queens Park Rangers, Michael Beale has left Loftus Road to become the new Glasgow Rangers’ manager.

The 42-year-old only made the move to QPR in the summer after leaving his role as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa and attracted a lot of praise for the way he set up his Hoops side in the Championship.

QPR briefly went top of the league after a 3-0 win over Cardiff City and with Beale seemingly here to stay, a promotion push looked to be a real possibility this season.

However, a terrible run of form would follow which saw the Hoops manage just one goal and one point from their last five games, and with Beale perhaps fearing a collapse, he jumped ship to Ibrox, where he will take over from the recently sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Fortunately for QPR, the move comes during the World Cup break and means that those on the board have plenty of time to find his replacement ahead of the next league fixture against Burnley on December 11.

Chief executive Lee Hoos has now provided an update on the Hoops’ search for a new manager, and it sounds like promising news for QPR fans.

He said: “The search for Mick’s replacement doesn’t start now – as a club we are always updating a short-list of potential candidates so that we are ready for a situation such as this, and we will be moving quickly to make an appointment.”

The likes of Neil Critchley and Mark Robins have both been linked with the vacant post at Loftus Road, but the fact that QPR already have a list of potential candidates shows that they are well-prepared and won’t rush into a decision, which can only be good for the west London outfit.

Whoever takes over at the club will have to put the poor recent form behind them and get the best out of a clearly-capable squad, in the hope that a playoff position, or better, can still be achieved in this campaign.

Liverpool have been boosted by rumours that influential winger Luis Diaz is currently ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury, with former BBC pundit Noel Whelan describing it as ‘huge news’.

The Lowdown: Diaz sidelined through injury

The Colombian has been a superb performer since arriving from Porto back in January, wreaking havoc with his pace and directness out on the left wing.

Unfortunately, Diaz suffered a serious knee injury in the 3-2 defeat away to Arsenal back in October, with a lengthy spell on the sidelines predicted for him.

A new update suggests that Liverpool could be able to call upon his services again in the near future, however.

The Latest: Positive update emerges

According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, Diaz is ‘on course’ to make his return next month, meaning he could even be back for the trip to Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

He is expected to be back in full training soon and will be available for the mid-season training camp set to take place in Dubai.

Whelan was quick to give his thoughts on the update to FI, saying:

“This is huge news.

“Diaz was in outstanding form before his injury and often looked the best player in the team.

“It will be like a new signing for Jurgen Klopp, who missed him badly when he was out. Perfect early Christmas present.”

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The Verdict: Huge boost for Liverpool

This is a massive boost for Liverpool, with Diaz such a magnificent addition to the squad ever since he arrived, being described as ‘insane’ by Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds have missed his natural width and goal threat ever since he got injured and his return could be a catalyst to them enjoying a much-improved second half of the season.

Having Diaz back fit alongside an ever-improving Darwin Nunez is a mouthwatering prospect, especially with Mohamed Salah also in the attack, and such a quick recovery could prove to be significant come May.

Former footballer and now journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has made a claim on Jude Bellingham’s future, again hinting that Jurgen Klopp’s influence at Liverpool could be key.

The Lowdown: Bellingham superb for England

The 19-year-old made a dream start in his first-ever World Cup appearance on Monday, producing a magnificent performance in England’s 6-2 win over Iran.

Bellingham headed home brilliantly to give the Three Lions the lead and he was a silky presence in midfield throughout, completing 96% of his passes.

It was the latest show of excellent from the prodigiously talented teenager, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool so often in recent times.

The Latest: Fjortoft’s claim

Taking to Twitter, Fjortoft gave an update on Bellingham’s next move after Borussia Dortmund, mentioning Klopp as a potential factor when it comes to Dortmund selling.

“Re: Jude Bellingham My take: Dortmund- boss Watzke doesn’t want to sell him to ‘those kind of clubs’. Meaning ‘state-clubs’. His mate Klopp is at Liverpool. But Team Bellingham will make their own analysis.”

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The Verdict: Game-changing signing

Bellingham really does look like a generational talent who could become one of the world’s best players, already performing with so much class and influence.

If Liverpool managed to snap him up, he could genuinely transform their midfield and be a mainstay of it for a decade, being capable of thriving as No.6, No.8 or even a No.10.

The Reds surely have to qualify for the Champions League to have any chance of getting Bellingham, though, but he seems like a player who won’t just go somewhere for the money, and Dortmund’s relationship with Klopp could be an advantage.