Breaking some big team news on Twitter, journalist Kieran Gill has now shared what he knows involving West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma.
The Lowdown: RSPCA begin proceedings…
As confirmed in an official statement, the RSPCA have now begun the process of bringing a prosecution against Zouma and his brother Yoan of Dagenham & Redbridge.
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This comes after West Ham’s centre-back was filmed by his sibling kicking and slapping his cats with the Frenchman later issuing a public apology for his actions.
The Irons, in response to the RSPCA’s statement, have declared their awareness of the charity’s intent – saying that Zouma is cooperating fully but declining to comment any further (via Sky).
As West Ham face off against Sevilla this evening, Gill has broken some major team news on Twitter, sharing whether David Moyes will select Zouma for their Europa League bout at the London Stadium.
The Latest: Gill shares Zouma update…
Taking to social media, Gill says that the 27-year-old is still set to start tonight despite the RSPCA statement.
“Told Kurt Zouma will still start tomorrow vs Sevilla,” he explained.
“No suspension. Not until any court proceedings are concluded, at least.”
The Verdict: Right decision by Moyes?
West Ham and Moyes have attracted widespread criticism for continuing to select Zouma after the footage emerged and will potentially attract even more with the former Chelsea star set to start against Sevilla.
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It appears the Hammers boss is still set to stick by his defender amid the controversy but it remains to be seen whether this call could bring more negative press to the club.
One thing is for sure though, his presence will certainly be a boost for the other ten Hammers on the pitch tonight.
In other news: West Ham in pole position to sign ‘magnificent’ man who’s perfect for Moyes, find out more here.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has criticised the decision not to show Liverpool forward Diogo Jota a red card against West Ham, with Football Insider even suggesting a ban could be in order.
The Lowdown: Jota returns
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has only recently been able to recall Jota to the squad having been previously ruled out with an ankle injury.
The Portuguese forward was used from the substitutes’ bench as the Reds overcame the Hammers 1-0 at Anfield at the weekend, following his start back from injury in the FA Cup win against Norwich.
However, the 25-year-old was cautioned in the second half for a foul on Pablo Fornals, one which left David Moyes questioning the severity of the challenge after the match.
Jota was handed a start in the Champions League on Tuesday – although his performance was questionable to say the least – but Hackett believe he should miss the Reds’ next three fixtures.
The Latest: Hackett gives red
Speaking to Football Insider, whose headline called for an ‘extended ban’, ex-Fifa official Hackett claimed that VAR should’ve instructed the on-field referee to dismiss Jota and subsequently rule the ace out of this weekend’s trip to Brighton.
“It doesn’t look great.
“These are the sorts of challenges when they are highlighted and you look at the video you see something but when you are in the middle of the park, it’s difficult to see it.
“He’s a lucky guy that he got a yellow. There is an element of doubt in there.
“The referee obviously sees it as reckless but the photograph shows it’s worse than reckless, it’s a red card offence.
“VAR could have come to the assistance of John Moss on that one.”
If the FA were to issue a retrospective ban, it would rule the Portugal international out for Brighton, Arsenal and the FA Cup quarter-final.
The Verdict: Harsh…
Given the incidents like this which have gone before – Liverpool supporters, in particular, will point to the lack of action taken against Jordan Pickford when Virgil van Dijk was sidelined for nine months – there won’t be much sympathy for this view amongst Reds fans.
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Whilst the tackle from Jota does look horrible on the still image, there is no precedent for retrospective punishment for such a challenge and to dismiss him would’ve felt harsh, especially considering Craig Dawson produced a similar challenge on Sadio Mane while already on a yellow card.
Jota has been nothing short of a revelation since arriving on Merseyside – scoring 30 times and providing four assists in 65 outings for the Anfield club – but will perhaps be best served by leaving this type of foul play outside of what is otherwise a supremely well-stocked repertoire.
In other news, Pete O’Rourke has claimed one Liverpool player could leave the club this summer. Read more here.
Celtic head coach Wilfried Nancy has already had to deal with an awful lot since he made the move from Columbus Crew to replace Brendan Rodgers in the dugout.
He lost his first four matches in charge of the Scottish Premiership giants, including the League Cup final to St Mirren, and finally picked up his first win against Aberdeen last weekend.
The French tactician has also had to deal with losing two of his wingers, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, because of the African Cup of Nations, which has left him short-staffed in the wide areas.
Why Celtic need to sign a new winger in January
With the January transfer window around the corner, the Scottish giants should be looking to add another option in the wide areas to bolster the squad.
Whilst the system is now a 3-4-2-1 without any ‘natural’ wingers, the wing-backs play very high up the pitch, like wingers, and the two number tens behind the striker can also feel like wingers at times.
When Tounekti and Balikwisha return from international duty, Nancy will have plenty of options at his disposal, but it is the quality of those options that should come into question.
25/26 Premiership
Tounekti
Balikwisha
Appearances
11
7
Goals
1
0
Minutes per goal
667
N/A
Key passes per game
1.5
0.4
Big chances created
1
1
Assists
0
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the pair have combined for one goal and one assist in 18 appearances in the Premiership so far this season for the Hoops, which is a fairly dismal return in front of goal.
This is why the club should be looking to bolster their wide options in the January transfer window by bringing in another forward who can offer more quality at the top end of the pitch.
Whilst Celtic should look to sign a right-sided attacker to improve on Balikwisha, who has been utilised on the right and the left flank, they already have an upgrade on Tounekti in waiting at Parkhead.
The Celtic star who can be an upgrade on Sebastian Tounekti
In May earlier this year, Hoops forward Jota suffered an ACL injury that was expected to keep him out of action for around nine months, up to February 2026, which means that he has not played a single minute in the 2025/26 campaign yet.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Speaking to supporters earlier this month, the Portuguese attacker said that he thinks his recovery is “going the right way”, which, hopefully, means that he is on track to return in February.
If Jota is back and available for selection in February, Nancy does not have too long to wait to have a brilliant wide option available for selection, and one that would be a big upgrade on Tounekti.
Celtic paid £8m to sign the wide man from Rennes in the January transfer window at the start of this year, bringing him back to Parkhead for a second spell, but he only got to play 11 Premiership games before his injury.
In those 11 appearances, though, the former Al-Ittihad attacker showed the kind of form that supporters loved him for during his first spell, when he produced 25 goals and 23 assists in two seasons, per Sofascore.
Jota scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and registered two assists in seven starts in the league last season, per Sofascore, which means that he scored three more goals and produced twice as many assists as Tounekti and Balikwisha have managed combined so far this term.
24/25 Premiership
Jota per 90
Rank vs wingers
xG
0.48
Top 8%
Goals
0.63
Top 6%
Shots on target
1.42
Top 6%
xA
0.37
Top 8%
Assists
0.32
Top 17%
Chances created
1.89
Top 25%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese ace was one of the most productive wide players in the division in the 2024/25 campaign, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of goalscoring and creative metrics.
Subscribe for in-depth Celtic winger and transfer analysis Curious how Celtic could upgrade the wings? Subscribing to the newsletter gives focused breakdowns of Jota’s potential impact, transfer targets and tactical fits — concise, expert coverage that keeps you informed about the club’s winger options. Subscribe for in-depth Celtic winger and transfer analysis Curious how Celtic could upgrade the wings? Subscribing to the newsletter gives focused breakdowns of Jota’s potential impact, transfer targets and tactical fits — concise, expert coverage that keeps you informed about the club’s winger options.
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This season, Tounekti is averaging 0.14 goals and 0.30 xA per 90 for Celtic in the Premiership, per FotMob, which shows that he has not been anywhere near as productive in front of goal as the currently injured star was.
Jota, who pundit Michael Stewart described as a “game-changer” who “raises the bar”, is a proven performer who has been there and done it for Celtic across two spells, which means that he is more or less a safe option for Nancy, as long as his injury does not have a major impact on his performance level.
Therefore, the 26-year-old wing wizard, who has not played a single minute this season due to injury, can return as a big upgrade on Tounekti and, as the winger Nancy currently lacks, when he returns to action at the start of 2026.
Celtic can finally replace McGregor by signing "box-crashing" SPFL star
Celtic could find their long-term replacement for Callum McGregor by sealing a deal for this star.
An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their pursuit of Torino defender Wilfried Singo…
What’s the talk?
According to Torino Granata, the full-back is not on his way to Italian giants Juventus and is instead likely to move to the Premier League.
The report claims that the Toon are currently leading the race to land his signature as they prepare to make a bid in the region of £17m (€20m).
Forget Trippier
Dan Ashworth is reportedly set to join the Magpies as their director of football after leaving fellow Premier League side Brighton, and he can seal an instant masterclass by striking a deal for Singo in the summer.
Kieran Trippier arrived to bolster the right-back position in January and quickly asserted himself as the main man at St James’ Park. He scored two goals in four league outings whilst averaging a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.67 – a score that no Newcastle player has been able to get near so far in the league.
The England international is currently out injured after fracturing a bone in his foot, and the signing of Singo could provide perfect cover for the Englishman should he pick up more injuries further down the line. Trippier will be 32 in September and potentially heading towards the final years of his prime, with the Torino gem coming in as backup for him initially before taking over from him in the future.
In Serie A this season, Singo has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.98 across 26 games. He has chipped in with three goals and four assists from full-back, which shows that he can also impact the game in an attacking sense in the same way that Trippier has done since his move from Atletico Madrid.
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Whilst his rating may not seem all that impressive in comparison to the 31-year-old’s, it is worth noting that the current Magpies defender has only played four games whilst Singo has caught the eye over 26 matches. Meanwhile, Trippier averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.86 in the first half of the campaign in Madrid, which suggests that they are closer to each other in ability than his short time back in the Premier League would have you believe.
At the age of 21, the Serie A tank is also 10 years Trippier’s junior and this means that he can be the long-term replacement for him at Newcastle whilst providing excellent cover for him in the short-term. This is why Ashworth will be sealing an instant masterclass by landing him for £17m to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad.
AND in other news, Insider suggests £46m “phenomenon” is a “realistic” target for NUFC, it’ll excite Howe…
Reliable journalist Phil Hay has outlined three key factors which could ensure that Leeds United sign Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson this summer.
The Lowdown: Aaronson linked with Leeds move
The American has already become a key player for Salzburg at the age of just 21, starting all eight of their Champions League matches this season.
Back in the January transfer window, he was strongly linked with a move to Leeds, and that was before his former manager Jesse Marsch had replaced Marcelo Bielsa in Yorkshire.
It could be that the Whites’ interest in the midfielder returns in the summer, as Marsch looks to further make his mark at Elland Road.
[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]
The Latest: Hay discusses possibility of Aaronson to Leeds
Writing for The Athletic, Hay claimed that a move to Leeds for Aaronson could easily materialise for three key reasons, with the Whites planning to try their luck with him again. The reporter stated:
“The intention is, or certainly was, to bid again for Aaronson. He’s interested in the move, he’s played under Jesse Marsch before and Salzburg are likely to be more open to bids in the summer than they were in January.”
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The Verdict: Ideal midfield addition
On the face of it, Aaronson looks like an ideal player to come in and make Leeds stronger in the middle of the park, bringing more guile to that area of the pitch.
Along with averaging 1.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, he has also scored 12 goals and registered 15 assists throughout his time with Salzburg, showing what an effective all-round footballer he can be.
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The fact that Marsch is now in charge surely only increases the chances of Aaronson joining him at Elland Road, with the American compatriots knowing each other well from their mutual time at Salzburg.
In other news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed a key Leeds transfer update. Read more here.
As Antonio Conte looks to rebuild this Tottenham squad in his own image in the coming months, the Italian will no doubt be keeping a close eye on some of the club’s brightest young academy prospects.
Marcel Lavinier is surely someone who will be at the forefront of his mind given the position he plays for the club’s U21s: right-back.
Conte has been desperately searching for a solution to his right wing-back woes from the moment that he came in, with Emerson initially handed the reins before Matt Doherty came back in from the cold to nail down the spot in recent weeks.
With Emerson hardly proving value for money and even being linked with an exit from the club, the Spurs boss will be keen for reinforcements in that position.
Indeed, according to The Times, Conte was keen to sign a new right wing-back in the January transfer window as he felt the Brazilian did not fit the profile he needs in the final third.
In Lavinier though, Spurs could finally an in-house answer to their problems.
The 21-year-old was part of Spurs’ 25-man squad for the UEFA Europa Conference League and has the kind of sheer pace and directness that marks him out compared to the likes of Emerson and Doherty.
The Daily Mail noted: “Lavinier loves to get forward and is very direct – often looking up and aiming to ping balls into the area, but he’s an equally competent defender.
“His confidence is boosted by how comfortable he is on the ball – he’s a decent finisher for a defender and has considerable technique, making him a great option as an attacking full-back.”
Lavinier left Premier League rivals Chelsea for north London a couple of years ago despite impressing for their academy sides, having contributed three goals and eight assists across the U18 and U21 squads.
Indeed, a player profile piece done by Octagon Soccer on the 6 foot 1 starlet noted that Lavinier “is a versatile and dynamic defender who is comfortable playing on the right or the centre of defence”, and it’s his ability to play as a full-back that should surely have Conte sit up and take notice.
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This season has seen the versatile youngster make 17 appearances at Premier League 2 level for Spurs, notching four assists, including having stints playing at right-back, left-back and in holding midfield too – one of those assists coming in the Lilywhites’ last fixture against Leicester just a couple of weeks ago.
Lavinier’s breakthrough into the first-team would allow the Spurs manager to finally axe the “horrendous” Emerson and bring through an exciting Hotspur Way gem.
AND in other news – Paratici masterclass: Spurs now eyeing 6 ft “phenomenon”, he’s perfect for Conte
Leeds United will be looking to put things right when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Elland Road for this afternoon’s early kickoff in the Premier League.
Last time out, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were thrashed 6-0 by Liverpool, one of many heavy defeats in recent months as the Yorkshiremen sit perilously above the relegation zone.
Burnley’s win over today’s opponents has closed the gap to the drop to just three points, making this encounter a rather important one.
It will be interesting to see what sort of side Bielsa opts for, here’s what we are predicting…
There could be two changes from Wednesday evening.
In goal, Illan Meslier remains, whilst the Argentine head coach is able to welcome back Diego Llorente and Robin Koch to the matchday squad after their respective injuries.
But it may be a risk to throw in the latter so soon after his concussion, so the former gets the nod alongside Pascal Struijk with Junior Firpo on the left and vice-skipper Luke Ayling returning to his natural right-back role.
In midfield, there are decisions to be made as Mateusz Klich has been underwhelming. He’s axed for this fixture with Rodrigo dropping deeper from the attack to take his place. The Spaniard joins Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw in the engine room.
Raphinha could be at risk of being dropped once again after his lacklustre display at Anfield. His attitude looked poor and that may not have gone down well with Bielsa.
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Instead, Joe Gelhardt is given a rare start, leading the line with Jack Harrison and Daniel James providing the support. The 19-year-old gem has started only two of his ten Premier League appearances this season.
AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: Leeds disaster who lost 86% duels was shocking at Anfield on Wednesday…
Aston Villa have been rather busy over the two previous transfer windows when it comes to bringing new players to the club on permanent deals for a range of transfer fees as well as some loan deals as well.
With the next summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though some details have been dropped over the possibility of the Villa Park outfit making one of their recent loan captures into a permanent one.
What’s the talk?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say about the possibility of the Midlands club potentially securing a permanent deal for Coutinho once his loan spell ends in the summer.
He said: “The transfer fee will be fine. They’re happy with the fee that is going to be in place. It’s the wages that are obviously going to cause a problem and also the competition from elsewhere.”
Fans would be fuming
Since arriving at Villa Park back in January on loan from Spanish club Barcelona, the Brazilian has been a revelation for Steven Gerrard’s side, with four goals and three assists under his belt in just nine league games.
In addition to his goal contributions, the former Liverpool star’s overall performances have provided a massive boost for the Villans, with WhoScored giving him a rating of 7.37/10, making him the highest-rated player in Gerrard’s squad.
With the Midlands club having the option to sign Coutinho on a permanent basis for a reported fee of £33m, which is the same price that they signed Emi Buendia for in the previous summer transfer window, it’s easy to see why Jones thinks paying that fee would not be an issue for the Villans.
However, with the Brazilian previously picking up a hefty weekly wage of £401k-per-week back in 2018 when he originally joined Barcelona according to Salary Sport, there’s a likely chance that the Midlands club would have to work out a deal that would see Coutinho pick up a suitable weekly wage that wouldn’t break the bank and potentially dismantle their wage structure.
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Moving forward, taking into account how well he has done for the team since returning to England, the Villa fans would surely be fuming if their club ended up losing him as a result of Johan Lange not being able to offer the attacker a suitable deal, which could then be a major disaster for the team moving forward.
In other news: Better than Emi: AVFC will have nightmares on £20m gem who could “nutmeg a mermaid” – opinion
Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has stated that he does not think that his job is under scrutiny and that he has Roman Abramovich’s backing.
The Stamford Bridge club are currently fifth in the Premier League standings, and face a battle to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Despite this, the Portuguese coach does not feel that he would be dismissed should his team get beat by Birmingham in the FA Cup this weekend.
“I don’t think so, but it’s a question that you will have to ask the owner,” he stated in a press conference, published on Sky Sports.
“I think the owner has full trust in me and will continue to progress with the ideas that we have.
“In the end, that is the objective of getting us the best position possible in the league, plus these two trophies, which we are fighting for.
“It will be extremely good for us if we win against Birmingham to put ourselves in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
“But we need strong progression in the league and to show our strength, so we strengthen a little bit more our contention for fourth place – as third is already 10 points ahead of us – so that we get Champions League qualification,” he admitted.
Villas Boas also revealed that he felt that all the Chelsea players did not back him fully, but that the owner’s approval was more important.
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“That is normal. They don’t have to back my project. It’s the owner who backs my project,” he concluded.
After a couple of indifferent performances, we finally got our first win under Graham Westley with a 1-0 win at home to Hartlepool. A Danny Mayor thunderbolt with just 15 minutes left settling a game which lacked much in the way of entertainment. However it there was a large amount of effort and determination from a North End side where a lot of the players had made less than 20 appearances for the club and a handful of them were making their debuts for the team.
For the first time this season I wasn’t particularly nervous as we defended the one goal lead apart from a really hairy moment in stoppage time when Hartlepool should have scored had it not been for Nicky Hunt, the goalpost and wasteful finishing (in that order!).
After seeing games where the opposition has scored late on to nick points (Scunthorpe United in August and Oldham Athletic in October) it is really encouraging to see us close out a 1-0 win. Teams with aspirations of the top 6 do this and it shows how Westley has been improving the fitness levels of the squad although there is still a long way to go but the early signs are encouraging so far.
With Sheffield United away on Saturday, who are in formidable form at the moment, it was crucial that we got the three points last night. Westley wouldn’t want to have been waiting too long for that first win as after a while it can start to be a massive pressure. It took previous manager Phil Brown to thirteen games to get his first win and this was one of the main reasons why we were relegated. When he was appointed manager we were 4 points from safety but by the time we won 3-0 at Scunthorpe in March we were almost 13 points from safety, something we would fail to claw back before May.
Being realistic I think we will be very lucky to come from a ground where only 2 teams have won this season with a result, but at least there are signs that Westley is turning the rot around. However it is a very long turnaround and it is important we don’t get ahead of ourselves and think we are bound for the play offs because of a 1-0 win. Hartlepool were one of the form teams and on a good unbeaten run before the game, but with time the team will gel and become more tactically aware and with that comes better performances. Then the results will start to come which at the very least gives fans reason to believe that next season could be a fantastic one.
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By Preston North End blogger Sean Marshall. You can read more of his work on his personal blog.