A host of top Premier League clubs have been alerted to the news that Red Bull Leipzig may be prepared to sell their star centre-back, Dayot Upamecano, in the January window.
Red Bull’s chief executive Oliver Minzzlaff has said the club is happy to listen to offers for their best players if the price is right, and that will have alerted the recruitment team at Liverpool, where their own talismanic defender Virgil Van Dijk has suffered a long term injury. Manchester United have also been linked with the France international and Chelsea, who spent heavily in the summer window may be ready to make a move.
The Blues’ defence was cruelly exposed by Manchester City recently, and head coach Frank Lampard may be feeling the heat after four defeats from the last six games have left them well off the pace. With the Sky Blues beginning to click through the gears, the latest Premier League 2021 betting odds here at SBOTOP have installed Pep Guardiola’s side as odds on favourites to win the title at a price of 1.92, with Liverpool drifting to 3.45, Manchester United holding firm at 7.50 and Chelsea disappearing into the distance at 44.00.
So there may be a scramble for Upamecano’s services if Red Bull are tempted to cash in now.
One player who may be on his way out of Manchester United is midfielder Jesse Lingard, with Inter Milan rumoured to be interested, though head coach Antonio Conte will need to offload Christian Eriksen first.
Is Ozil over and out?
Mesut Ozil could finally be on his way out of Arsenal after falling so far down the pecking order at the club there is no way back up. It’s odd that such a mercurial talent as Ozil has been watching from the stands, or his home, as the Gunners toiled to show any consistent quality.
Since the height of his powers at the Emirates, in the 2015/16 season, when he made 35 appearances, scoring six goals, as well as starring in the Champions League, Ozil’s contribution has steadily dropped, year on year. Last season he played in fewer than half the Premier League games and scored just a single goal. He is yet to make a start in this campaign and, in a side which made such a poor start to the 2020/21 season that speaks volumes.
Head coach Mikel Arteta has said he can go if the deal is right for the club, and Ozil’s representatives have been talking to MLS side DC United and Turkish giants Fenerbahce to try to find an escape route for their man.
Meanwhile, the Gunners could be set to recall defensive midfielder Matteo Guendouzi from Hertha Berlin. The 21 year old was sent out on loan to the Bundesliga club after he had been dropped, following a spat with Brighton’s Neal Maupay in June, but Arteta might be ready to welcome the Enfant Terrible back to Arsenal.
Guendouzi has been impressive in his loan spell at Hertha Berlin, an influential figure in their midfield and with an eye for a spectacular goal, and that kind of player wouldn’t go amiss at the Emirates as they try to rebuild their season.
Big Sam’s well worn solution
The announcement of Sam Allardyce’s appointment as manager, or saviour, of West Brom raised a few eyebrows when he rolled into town last month following the sacking of Slaven Bilic.
Big Sam has enjoyed a successful career keeping unfashionable clubs in the top flight, through a combination of pragmatic football and enthusiastic wheeling and dealing in the boardroom.
He pulled off a stunning result with a 1-1 draw against stuttering Liverpool but, that aside, the club’s return under his leadership has been abysmal, losing the other three, conceding 12 goals and scoring none as well as being dumped out of the FA Cup by League 1 club Blackpool.
The Premier League table doesn’t make happy reading for the Baggies and while I’m sure Allardyce knew what he was taking on, he’s wasted no time in demanding support from his board, saying his squad needs new additions in the January window more than anyone else in the Premier League. Of course, that’s Big Sam’s way of saying he has the most difficult job in the league.
But he doesn’t mess about, and has already signed 33 year old winger Robert Snodgrass after the Scot fell out of favour at West Ham, and the boss plans to be extremely active in the market after the FA Cup exit. Can Allardyce save West Brom from the likely outcome of relegation? Who knows…but he’ll probably spend big on wages in his attempt.
He hopes to bring Bournemouth’s Norwegian striker Josh King to the Hawthorns to sharpen up his blunt attack, but the Cherries are in the thick of the Championship promotion race and are hopeful of a return to the top flight, and they may be keen to keep hold of their man.
“I’m hoping to be extremely busy in this window as I have been extremely busy in every window,” said Allardyce, “we need to bring players in”.
And then West Brom’s Premier League 2021 results need to take an upturn.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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