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After joining Liverpool back in the previous January transfer window from Championship club Preston North End on a long-term deal, the defender didn’t make an appearance for the Merseyside club at any point last season.

Unsurprisingly, given how Liverpool now currently have five senior centre-backs in their squad in the shape of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips, the Reds sent Davies out on loan during the previous summer transfer window.

The defender is currently back in the Championship, this time with Sheffield United until the end of the campaign.

Since joining the Yorkshire club, Davies has played in seven of Sheffield United’s Championship games, completing 90 minutes in all but one of them.

In those games, Davies has managed to rack up 2.4 clearances per game and win 80% of his ground duels, showing just how important he has been for the Blades from a defensive point of view since joining them after a severe lack of game time at the Merseyside club last season.

The £60k-per-week earner’s latest appearance for the Blades in their 2-1 win over Stoke City saw him earn an overall match rating of 7.2/10, making him their third-highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore after blocking two shots, making two interceptions, winning two aerial duels and racking up a passing accuracy percentage of 86%. That type of performance must have left Klopp beaming from ear to ear.

Given how many minutes he’s played for the Blades this season, this should surely be pleasing news for the Liverpool fans and the management team at Anfield who didn’t see him play even one minute for the Reds after joining last season. That was despite appraisals from his manager at Southport, Paul Carden, who called him “different class” upon his arrival in Merseyside.

Moving forward, we feel that the best thing Davies can do now is focus on his time at Sheffield United and make the most out of his spell there before heading back to Anfield.

Looking ahead even further into the future, even though his contract at Liverpool isn’t set to expire until 2025, we feel that it could be the best option for all parties if he were to leave the club on a permanent deal and join a side he would be playing regularly at rather than wasting any more time with the Reds if they aren’t going to play him.

In other news: Liverpool could be set for major blow as transfer claim emerges, fans would be gutted – opinion

Some West Brom supporters have slaughtered Karlan Grant’s performance in the Baggies’ disappointing goalless draw with Derby County.

Valerien Ismael’s side could only draw 1-1 at home to Millwall last weekend, although the point still took them to the top of the Championship.

On Tuesday night, West Brom faced another home league game, with Derby widely expected to be swatted aside at the Hawthorns.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, however, with the Baggies unable to break down their opponents, eventually having to settle for a 0-0 draw.

One player who struggled was Grant, with the striker offering very little in the first half and eventually being substituted at the interval.

It was another performance that suggested the 23-year-old isn’t good enough to lead the line for Ismael’s side.

West Brom fans unhappy with Grant performance

These West Brom fans took to Twitter to criticise Grant’s display.

“Poor half #WBA too much long ball. Best passages of play have been quick sharp passing on the floor. Grant has been anonymous I was surprised he started. Would have Phillips on for him”

Credit: @beechyboy90

“I honestly hadn’t realised Grant was playing”

Credit: @HappyB79

“Grady Hugill Robbo on Saturday and it should have been those three starting last night. Grant offers absolutely nothing”

Credit: @Jackk_Ross

“Because Grant was absolutely shocking in the first half. Couldn’t tell he was even playing. Not so sure on Robbo though”

Credit: @ItsSamson2

“Unfortunately Grant is looking like a really poor signing for the money we have committed to pay, which despite what some think is actually £15m plus wages”

Credit: @Baggeridgebaggy

“We have to play Hugill, Grady and Robinson. Grant and Philips poor again”

Credit: @WBA78part2

In other news, some West Brom fans have been showing their love for one player. Find out who it is here.

Salomon Rondon came in for criticism from some Everton fans for his first-half performance against Manchester United. 

Everton were looking to pull off their first Old Trafford victory since 2013 and move to the top of the Premier League table, for a few hours at least.

Manchester United had the same goal in mind and were also looking for a response to last weekend’s shock defeat to Aston Villa.

Rondon continues to lead the line

Rafael Benitez made one change from the win over Norwich City last time out, with Anthony Gordon replacing Alex Iwobi at left midfield in the 4-4-1-1 shape.

Rondon, then, kept his place up front amid the ongoing absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

It was the Colombian’s third start since his summer move from Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Yifang.

Lucas Digne set him away in the early stages of the game, but he couldn’t get his shot away before Raphael Varane arrived and the ball was blocked behind.

According to the half-time stats, he touched the ball just 15 times in total during the first 45, fewer than goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (19).

These Everton fans unhappy with Rondon

“Why does rondon play for us?”

Credit: @jorgedwyer3

“It’s actually painful watching Rondon”

Credit: @DanBandell

“Surely Dobbin would be a better bet than Rondon”

Credit: @thebluescouse

“Rondon may as well be a mannequin”

Credit: @Cal1878

“I already dislike Rondon”

Credit: @SlendermanXXI

“We’re holding our own – until the ball gets near Rondon”

Credit: @LoveNHates

In other news, this ex-Everton man drools over an ‘absolute bargain’.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Cyrus Christie back to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports (via Football League World), who claim that the right-back’s proposed move to Forest appears to have broken down, with it being reported that Dane Murphy failed to find a resolution regarding personal terms with the Fulham defender.

The report goes on to state that the 28-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract at Craven Cottage, suggesting that, should Marco Silva’s side wish to receive any sort of fee for the Republic of Ireland international, they will have to sanction his sale this summer.

Hughton will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Christie was during his loan spell at Forest last season, in addition to the fact that Hughton is currently experiencing something of a defensive injury crisis at the City Ground, the fact that a move for the right-back looks to have broken down is sure to have left the 62-year-old gutted.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances for the Garibaldi last term, the £1.35m-rated man helped his side keep a whopping 14 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 5.3 duels per game.

The player Martin O’Neill dubbed a “brilliant” talent also impressed in a creative capacity, registering three assists, creating three big chances for his teammates and making an average of one key pass per match.

These returns saw the £20k-per-week defender earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Hughton’s third-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the addition of Christie would have certainly appeared to provide Hughton with a significant boost at a time when he desperately is in need of one, with his Forest side having lost all four of their opening fixtures of the Championship season, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table.

However, with a move for the Irishman now looking to be dead in the water, the Reds manager will have to turn his attention in what remains of the summer transfer window elsewhere regarding his search for defensive reinforcements – something that will undoubtedly be an extremely frustrating outcome for the 62-year-old.

In other news: Lost 100% duels: £720k-rated NFFC who made just 5 passes badly failed Hughton vs Stoke

Sheffield United failed in their bid to bring Alex Collado to Bramall Lane due to the winger’s representative’s unrealistic financial demands.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Andy Giddings, with the BBC journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, despite both Barcelona and Sheffield United being happy for the deal to go ahead, the 22-year-old’s move to the Championship side broke down due to the financial demands of the player’s representatives.

In his tweet, Giddings said: “Understand SUFC pursuit of Barca midfielder Alex Collado broke down at the 11th hour due to ‘unrealistic financial demands’ from the player’s representatives. Told both clubs are happy for the deal to be concluded.”

Jokanovic will be fuming

Considering just how short Slavisa Jokanovic’s side is in the wide attacking areas of the pitch, in addition to the sheer amount of potential Collado appears to possess, the fact that the Blades’ move for the right-winger fell through at the 11th hour due to something as trivial as the demands of the player’s representatives is sure to have left the 53-year-old manager fuming.

Indeed, following the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday evening, Jokanovic has been left with no players who are natural options on either the left or right-wing in his first-team squad, meaning that, until January, the Serbian will have to make do with fielding one of his centre-forwards out of position on the flanks.

Furthermore, while Collado has struggled to break into the Barcelona first team, making just two appearances for the LaLiga side, the £4.5m-rated man’s form for Barcelona B clearly illustrates exactly why Jokanovic wanted to secure his signing.

Indeed, over the 22-year-old’s 83 appearances for the reserve side, who play their football in the third tier of Spanish football, the winger has scored 18 goals and registered 11 assists, while also bagging four goals and one assist over his 20 fixtures for Barcelona’s U19 team.

As such, it would certainly have appeared as if the youngster would have made a very useful addition to the Sheffield United side prior to Tuesday’s transfer deadline, however, after missing out on his signing, Jokanovic will now have to make do with the options he has been left with in his squad – something that would not appear to bode overly well for the club’s Championship campaign, considering how poorly it has started.

In other news: “Deal agreed”: Journalist reveals SUFC transfer development that’ll have fans buzzing

Celtic head into their European qualifying clash tonight full of confidence after scoring ten goals in their last two outings.

It has been a quick period of recovery from the Hoops who began Ange Postecoglou’s reign with back to back defeats.

They crashed out of the Champions League but have a strong chance of qualifying for the Europa League group stages.

The Bhoys beat Czech outfit Jablonec last week and they head into the second leg on Thursday evening with a 4-2 advantage.

Celtic played some eye-catching attacking football in the first fixture but made changes to the team at the weekend which resulted in a 6-0 win over Dundee.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-transfer-news-larsson-lovric-thomas-henry-diego-costa-postecoglou” title=”Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

Therefore, will Postecoglou make any different calls to his XI tonight? Here’s what we’re predicting…

We are tipping the manager to make as many as four changes to his team to take on Jablonec.

With Odsonne Edouard a doubt for the match with an ankle problem, Kyogo Furuhashi starts up top as he aims to add to his tally of four goals in just three outings.

There is one change to the offensive ranks where Ryan Christie is given a rest following his magical cameo on Sunday where he registered three assists. James Forrest – who scored in the first leg – comes back into the team on the left.

Another replacement is in the middle of the park where Ismaila Soro returns to the fray to offer more defensive protection in front of the back four.

Tom Rogic earned a rare start versus Dundee and even scored but it’s likely that Postecoglou will prefer a less attacking team on Thursday to protect the lead that they have.

Greg Taylor drops out at left-back with 19-year-old Adam Montgomery preferred. If the teenager does start, it would be just a second outing from the off in the first team.

One final change is at the heart of the defence as Nir Bitton comes back in after starting in the first leg. That means Stephen Welsh is axed with their clash against Hearts in mind.

Joe Hart continues in goal ahead of Scott Bain and Vasilis Barkas.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 25-goal “great talent” who could become “better” than Henrik Larsson…

Watford mark their Premier League return with a home fixture against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, with Xisco Munoz’s side hoping to kickstart with three points against Dean Smith’s side.

Following automatic promotion from the Championship last term, Watford have added a number of players to their squad, with summer signings Emmanuel Dennis, Danny Rose, Josh King, Peter Etebo, Juraj Kucka and Imran Louza all hoping to play a big part throughout the season.

However, in recent Premier League seasons, we have seen Watford fail to keep faith in those who got them promoted, and it will be interesting to see how many changes Xisco opts to make from those who performed so well in the second tier last season.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line up his side at Vicarage Road today, with four players making their Watford debuts…

After an impressive second half of last season, combined with a solid Euro 2020 with Austria, Daniel Bachmann unsurprisingly starts in between the sticks against the Villans.

Kiko Femenia, William Troost-Ekong and Francisco Sierralta were all regulars in the Championship last season and will likely keep their places in defence, with Rose making his competitive Hornets debut after joining on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer.

In the absence of Will Hughes, who has been banished to the under-23s amid an ongoing transfer saga, Xisco is likely to name a much-changed midfield, with Etebo and Kucka making their debuts alongside a mainstay from last season in Tom Cleverley.

Ismaila Sarr’s performances are likely to be a big factor for Watford this season and he starts on the right-wing, with new signing Dennis earning a start on the left, although he could be pushed up front at some point in the game.

They support Troy Deeney in attack, with the 33-year-old proving in pre-season that he is fit and ready for the new campaign, and he will be looking to add to the 47 Premier League goals he has in his career thus far.

That leaves no place in the starting XI for Ken Sema, who played the second-most league minutes of anyone at Watford last season but could miss out today due to the influx of new competitors for his position out wide.

In other news… Watford transfer news is confirmed, fans will be fuming

An update has emerged on Nantes forward Jean-Kevin Augustin, regarding Celtic’s interest in the attacker.

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet Homme du Match, Celtic are interested in signing striker Jean-Kevin Augustin from Ligue 1 club Nantes this summer.

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring his situation as they look at potential replacements for Odsonne Edouard, should the French forward depart before the end of the window.

Blunder on the horizon

Celtic must avoid a blunder with Augustin this summer as signing him could be a disaster.

Ange Postecoglou would be facing a nightmare if the club went ahead with a deal for the attacker as he has struggled both on and off the pitch in recent years.

His track record, both in France and in England, is dismal and there is little evidence to suggest that he would be a good signing for the Scottish giants.

Leeds were recently forced to pay £18m for the Frenchman after refusing to sign him at the end of their 2019/20 campaign, despite having an obligation to sign him due to their promotion to the Premier League. He joined the Whites on loan midway through that season and made just three substitute appearances, failing to manage a goal or assist – leading to the club opting against making him a permanent member of their squad.

The £21k-per-week flop then returned to France with Nantes and faced similar issues. He played three games in the league last season and faced criticism from his boss. Nantes manager Christian Gourcuff hit out at the forward’s fitness, claiming that it was at an unacceptable level and citing it as a reason for his lack of involvement in Ligue 1. He said:

“We have now left him out of team training so that he can reach an acceptable level of fitness. He is following an individual fitness regime this week with Cyrille Moine (fitness coach) and that will still be the case next week.

“We integrated him, but we saw that he was not at a sufficient level.”

This suggests that Augustin is not the right character for Celtic to add to their group. He is seemingly not devoted enough to keep himself in shape and he has not been able to score a goal at his past two clubs, suggesting that his talent does not outweigh his lack of professionalism.

Therefore, the Hoops must avoid him at all costs as it could be a disaster of a signing for the club if he continues the way he’s going.

AND in other news, “The kind of calibre Postecoglou wants” – Celtic journalist hails 26 y/o amid confirmed update…

An update has emerged regarding Everton’s interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes.

What’s the talk?

According to Portuguese outlet Record, via Sport Witness, the Toffees could open up talks with Sporting to sign the midfielder this summer.

The report claims that Rafa Benitez is keen to get a deal done for the 22-year-old, for whom Sporting want £15m (€18m).

Dream deal

Director of football Marcel Brands could seal a dream deal for Everton by snapping Nunes up for £15m before the end of the window, as he could be a superb replacement for Andre Gomes.

The Toffees are reportedly open to selling the former Barcelona man this summer and that could open up a space in the midfield for a new signing to come in. Gomes averaged a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.46 in the Premier League last season, which suggests that he is not good enough to consistently provide good performances on the pitch at the top level.

Nunes could come in and offer an upgrade in the midfield. Last season, he won more ground duels per match than Gomes, with whom he tied for clearances and interceptions per game, whilst also losing possession less frequently than the Everton midfielder.

The Sporting gem is also six years younger than the man he could potentially replace, which means he would come in with potential as well as the quality to make an immediate impact. Therefore, he could be an excellent signing for Everton in the short and long-term.

He has been backed by his peers, with former team-mate Goncalo Santos lavishing praise on the youngster earlier this summer as he pointed out the unbelievable ability he has with the ball at his feet.

He told theLiverpool Echo: “In one game, he went on a run which was about 60 metres, it was amazing! People went crazy and everybody was talking about it.

“It’s unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet. Nobody can catch him; it’s impossible because he’s too fast.

“Matheus is a box-to-box player. He’s not so strong like midfielders in the Premier League but he’s very fast. He’s very good with the ball because he is a Brazilian boy.”

Taking all of this into consideration, Brands must get a deal over the line for the Portuguese midfielder this summer. He should bid farewell to Gomes and bring in Nunes to bolster Benitez’s squad, with a fee of £15m potentially making it a dream deal as they would not need to break the bank for his signature.

AND in other news, Brands must ruthlessly axe £112k-p/w Everton flop, Ancelotti wanted him gone…

Leeds United reportedly face Premier League competition in the battle to sign Maxwel Cornet this summer, with Watford showing an interest in snapping him up.

The Lowdown: Cornet linked with Leeds move

The Lyon left-back has been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent times, being seen as someone who could strengthen the Whites’ squad.

A move is yet to come to fruition, though, and Junior Firpo has since arrived from Barcelona.

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The Latest: Watford emerge as rivals

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Watford are now also interested in signing Cornet, with Leeds also still mentioned as a suitor.

It is stated that the 24-year-old is ‘being followed by a few British teams’, but he will stay put with Lyon if the right offer doesn’t come along.

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The Verdict: Is there any need for him?

While the £10.8m-rated Cornet is a left-back of much attacking quality – he scored twice and registered five assists in Ligue 1 last season – Firpo has signed now and there doesn’t seem a need to bring in another left-back.

The hope is that Leif Davis continues to mature and will be able deputy for the Brazilian, meaning that funds can be spent on other parts of the squad.

Having both Firpo and Cornet battling for playing time may sound healthy, but both will be expecting to be first-choice and it may become a needlessly tricky situation for Marcelo Bielsa if he ends up needing to choose one over the other.

In other news, four players are expected to leave Leeds this summer – find out who they are here.