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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Premier League strugglers Southampton to lose 2-0 when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but that isn’t the only piece of bad news he has for the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Liverpool legend was once again providing his weekly score predictions in the English top flight, but he doesn’t believe that Saints will bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 defeat against lowly Cardiff City last time out, a result which saw them slip into the relegation zone.

Predicting a 2-0 scoreline for the Gunners, the 61-year-old also added that he believes the south coast outfit are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.

According to BBC Football, Lawrenson said: “Southampton dropped into the relegation zone after losing to Cardiff last time out, and I think they might stay there for a while longer.

“Arsenal have got some issues they need to sort out – Mesut Ozil’s future being one of them – but their home record is very good and they should still be too strong for Saints.”

Is he right?

While his comments won’t be great reading for Southampton supporters or manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, he may well be correct in his thinking.

The south coast outfit face Unai Emery’s men, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their next four Premier League fixtures, while they have fellow bottom-three outfit Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

The clash against the Cottagers may be more winnable on paper than the other three, but the south coast outfit showed by taking just one point at home to Crystal Palace and the Bluebirds that they don’t always have the quality to get wins against the teams around them in the table on their own patch.

Even if they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side and lose the other three, they will be in big trouble in the final eight games.

Leeds United have now emerged as the front-runners to sign USA star Brenden Aaronson this summer.

What’s the story?

The Red Bull Salzburg sensation – who will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the World Cup draw later on Friday afternoon – has been linked with a switch to Elland Road in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to Football Insider, Jesse Marsch’s side have now come to the head of the queue in the race to sign him. The report adds that talks are now underway to sign the 21-year-old, who is Leeds’ number one priority for the summer.

Marsch will be buzzing

The Athletic’s Phil Hay had previously indicated that the Whites were planning making a bid for Aaronson, who he had been identified by the club as someone who could add some much-needed creativity.

Hay said: “Leeds have telegraphed the fact that when the summer window opens, they intend to make a fresh bid for Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson. US international midfielder Aaronson joined the serial Austrian champions in 2020 while countryman Marsch was head coach there, so his appointment at Elland Road was never likely to diminish Leeds’ interest.

“The dip in creativity within a squad who were so adept at creating chances for so long under Bielsa has left little doubt that Aaronson is broadly the type of footballer they should be looking at in the next window: largely within budget, and in possession of the right skill set. Leeds must wish they had found a way to address that midfield nine months ago.”

While Marsch may have since replaced Marcelo Bielsa in the dugout, the 48-year-old will also be happy to hear that Aaronson is someone who works extremely hard off the ball.

Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle said: “The special thing is, I hardly know any other No. 10 who works so much without the ball. He always puts himself behind (on defence), he is a great team player, very hardworking and has a monster mentality.”

Furthermore, the £18m-rated star has also drawn a considerable amount of praise from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who watched him first-hand during his time in the MLS.

The Frenchman said: “I came across him when I was a coach with Montreal, and he killed us with Philadelphia Union. His activity, the way he sees the game. I’ve always been a big fan of him and I’m not surprised to see what he’s doing right now with Salzburg.

“He’s contagious. The way he plays, his energy. His intensity is second to none. He supports the team. He’s a good player. I always thought he was going to be a player. He’s still learning.”

This latest transfer update is sure to have Marsch buzzing.

AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”

Tottenham Hotspur could secure a big upgrade to Dele Alli before the January transfer window deadline on Monday…

What’s the word?

In a new exciting claim, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler has emerged as a potential target for Spurs in the final few days remaining.

“Draxler is a name that keeps cropping up in conversations I have with people about Spurs. If they look for a player exchange with PSG, then he looks like one of the offers on the table,” transfer insider Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT this week.

Meanwhile, 90min have claimed that the German international is open to a loan move to north London in a move that could see either Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli go in the other way.

Bye-bye Alli

The writing has been on the wall for the Englishman for quite some time now and it appears as if the Spurs hierarchy has grown tired of putting their faith in him to turn things around.

He along with the aforementioned club-record signing and Giovani Lo Celso are all thought to be available for moves before Monday.

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Alli has been mooted with several different teams across the Premier League, including Newcastle United and Everton, as well as Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

The 25-year-old has now struggled under three different managers since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, and across the last two seasons, he has been limited to only 15 league starts, in which he’s contributed one goal and one assist.

A stark contrast to the 2016/17 campaign, where he provided 18 goals and seven assists, also via WhoScored, and that led to lofty comparisons to players like Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard.

Draxler may no longer be the sort of player that once cost PSG around £40m from Wolfsburg but the World Cup winner is still a far better option than Alli.

His former teammate at the Bundesliga side, Josuha Guilavogui, once likened his playing style to Zinedine Zidane and that’s exactly the sort of midfielder Antonio Conte needs right now.

“In the way he controls the ball, he reminds me of Zidane. His stepovers too. He’s not particularly quick, but he’s able to dribble past any opponent,” Guilavogui told L’Equipe (via ESPN). “He’s able to control the ball wonderfully. Even at full stretch, he still manages to keep the ball close to him.”

Valued at £18m, the German has still directly contributed towards 66 goals across 189 appearances, which works out at a rate of once every 160 minutes.

The attacking midfield dynamo, once dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by ex-Schalke chief Horst Heldt, is leagues clear of Alli and he is the sort of vastly experienced winner that Conte would dream about signing for Spurs as they look to battle for the top four this season.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

Pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to Leeds United’s interest in Blackburn Rovers midfielder John Buckley, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

Victor Orta is thought to be ‘busy’ when it comes to searching for midfield reinforcements at Elland Road, with the Whites after RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson.

Leeds have had a £15m bid turned down for the American but are intent on signing the 21-year-old before the end of the month.

Buckley is another player of interest to Leeds, with Burnley also keen on the 22-year-old, who can play as a central, defensive or right midfielder.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who regularly features for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Leeds’ interest in Buckley.

He labelled Buckley being versatile as a ‘bonus’ and labelled a possible deal as ‘big’.

“Blackburn have been in great form this season and he’s been a big part of that. If you get a good player from a club that is flying in the Championship midway through the season you’ve done well.

“He’s a centre-midfielder which is a position Leeds desperately need to strengthen in. He’s versatile as well which is a bonus, so it’s a big signing if they can do it.

“At the end of the day though, it’s always a gamble signing a player from the Championship. It’s a jump to the Premier League. It could be a signing that pays off though.

“From Blackburn’s point of view, there is no way [Tony] Mowbray will let any of those players go on the cheap.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

It seems as if Leeds will need to spend big on Aaronson after having a £15m offer rejected. Should they manage to bring the American to Elland Road, then perhaps funds will be limited when it comes to the club’s search for a deeper midfielder.

Buckley could be the perfect addition then considering his £720,000 Transfermarkt valuation, but you’d expect Leeds may have to pay way more than that figure given he has been a regular in an impressive Rovers side this season.

A fee under eight figures could still be a shrewd move in the long run, with Buckley possibly Marcelo Bielsa’s dream player after already playing in eight different positions in 27 games in 2021/22.

In other news: Positive Leeds injury claim regarding two players emerges. 

The Athletic’s Sam Lee has given his verdict following the news that Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has signed a contract extension.

The Lowdown: Cancelo’s rise at City

The Portuguese defender became the most expensive full-back of all time in 2019 when he signed for Manchester City from Juventus in a deal worth £60m, with Danilo heading the other way for £34m.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the 27-year-old has played an integral part in Pep Guardiola’s side, having totalled 106 appearances for the Citizens. That includes 22 Premier League outings this season, where he has amassed one goal and five assists in becoming one of the team’s best performers, according to WhoScored metrics.

Cancelo signed a six-year deal when he joined the Sky Blues, keeping him at the club until 2025.

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The Latest: Cancelo signs contract extension

Despite having three years left on his contract, City have been looking to tie down Cancelo on a long-term deal. On Tuesday morning, the club announced that the full-back has signed a two-year contract extension, which will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

The Athletic’s Man City reporter Lee shared this news on Twitter along with a link to his corresponding article, beaming that it is ‘a fitting reward’ for the 27-year-old’s impressive form.

He proclaimed: “New deal for Joao Cancelo, a fitting reward for his emergence as a key City player and his phenomenal form over the past few months in particular”.

The Verdict: Great business

Cancelo is currently one of the most valuable full-backs in world football, with Transfermarkt estimating his value at a cool £54m.

When the initial lockdown happened, the defender struggled to adapt to life in England and thus wanted to leave the club. However, he overcame this to duly become one of the key components of Guardiola’s side.

Former City midfielder Nigel de Jong has offered some effusive praise of the 27-year-old, saying: “We can have a healthy discussion and debate on who is the best right-back in the world and Cancelo is certainly up there for me. It’s not only his versatility but also the fact he is as strong defensively as any right-back or left-back in the world.”

Taking everything into account, this seems like a brilliant bit of business by City, and it’s no wonder that Lee has voiced his firm approval of Cancelo’s contract extension.

In other news: These Manchester City fans approved of one prospective successor to Pep Guardiola

Everton have made their second signing of the transfer window, with Nathan Patterson joining the club in a deal worth £16m, as Rafa Benitez continues to put his stamp on the struggling side.

The 20-year-old right-back has been making a name for himself in Scotland, with an incredible performance in the national team scoring a goal and assisting teammate Che Adams against Moldova in a World Cup Qualifier that secured Scotland a play off place for the Qatar World Cup.

He also made five appearances in Steven Gerrard’s invincible title-winning Rangers side last year in the Scottish Premiership and scored one goal in their Europa League game against Young Boys too.

With the signing secured, it could be an opportunity for Rafa Benitez to finally axe Everton veteran and current club captain, Seamus Coleman, from the side, with the Irishman now 33-years-old, Patterson could be integrated into the starting team over the next few months to replace him.

Coleman signed for the Toffees back in 2010, offering up 364 appearances, 26 goals and 32 assists during his time with the club, becoming skipper in August 2019, following Phil Jagielka’s departure, but whilst currently in his 13th season for the club, his time could be coming to end.

Former sporting director, Marcel Brands, had already begun putting into place a plan for the right back to stay with the club in a role off the pitch when he decides to retire from playing in the side, speaking last year at an Everton USA live event:

“I’m now already in talks with him to get him involved in, let’s say, things off the pitch. He’s definitely someone I really want to keep in the club after he finishes his career. He’s a great example for everyone.”

The £68k-per-week gem who was hailed the “full package” by former Toffees boss, Sam Allardyce, has not had the best season in the Everton side so far, according to SofaScore the defender has lost the ball on average 17.3 times per game, and has only made 1.3 interceptions on average over his last 14 appearances in the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see how Benitez will handle the task of phasing out Coleman whilst integrating Patterson into the side, whether he will just drop the Everton captain or ease the young new addition in the side over the last 18 months of his predecessor’s contract.

In other news: Rafa should sell Mason Holgate

Everton have been linked with a move for Roma manager Jose Mourinho with current boss Rafa Benitez subject to growing pressure. The Portuguese boasts a notorious record in the Premier League, managing Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, “Jose Mourinho has emerged as a potential target for Everton if they decide to pull the plug on Rafa Benitez’s reign.”

Benitez has been an unpopular figure at Goodison Park since the moment he stepped through the door to replace Carlo Ancellotti, given his spell as manager of city rivals Liverpool.

The 61-year-old is under increased pressure after a poor spell of eight games without a win, losing six of those and conceding 17 goals in the process. Therefore, owner Farhad Moshiri simply has to act.

Could save their season

There is little doubt that Benitez won’t be in charge of Everton in the foreseeable future, meaning that the Toffees hierarchy will be seeking a replacement. It is entirely possible that they are already in the process of doing so.

However, having only joined Roma in the summer, Mourinho should at least hold on to what he labelled a “great club” having been convinced to sign by “the incredible passion of the Roma fans.”

The Giallorossi currently sit fifth in the Serie A table, however, they are already nine points adrift of the top four after 16 matches. Mourinho’s side are also through to the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.

Despite an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League, the 58-year-old is still in charge of a competitive outfit pushing for European qualification and are also still in European competition.

As for Everton, the task at hand is certainly complicated for whoever replaces Benitez (should he be sacked). European qualification looks well out of their depth, at least for this season, with a top-half finish looking their best-case scenario, if we’re being realistic.

Although Mourinho would be wise to stay at Roma, if Everton were to convince the 58-year-old to return to England, they would be getting a “serial winner” in the process, somebody who could save their season.

Labelled a “powerhouse” by Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, the Portuguese has a vast array of accolades including three Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, four League Cups, one FA Cup and a Europa League title.

Thus, Everton would very much be getting someone in the mould of Carlo Ancelotti – a coach they’d hope would stay on Merseyside for a longer period of time. Judging by his success, prior experience of English football, and incredible mentality, he’d be a wise appointment by Moshiri and co.

It would certainly be a risk for Mourinho if he was to swap Rome for Liverpool. However, it certainly appears as though Benitez’s days at Goodison Park are numbered and, whether it be the Portuguese or not, someone will surely be needed to replace the Spaniard in the not too distant future.

Aston Villa are open to offers for 2021 arrivals Leon Bailey and Morgan Sanson, according to The Mirror’s Neil Moxley.

The lowdown

Villa paid £25m to sign Bailey from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen just last summer, making him the third most expensive signing in their history, while Sanson arrived the previous January in a £14m switch from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.

Steven Gerrard is gearing up for his first summer transfer window as Villa manager, having taken over from Dean Smith in November.

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The latest

In a report for The Mirror, Moxley wrote that Villa could ‘surprisingly’ entertain any bids which arrive for Bailey or Sanson, which may come as a shock development given how recently both players came to the club.

Gerrard apparently believes that he needs to improve the quality at his disposal if he is to fulfil his ambition for the Villans to compete with the top teams in England and qualify for Europe.

The verdict

In truth, neither player mooted with an exit has made much of an impact this season.

Bailey has only started five Premier League games, although that’s partly a reflection on his struggles for fitness as opposed to his ability. The Jamaican has been unavailable for 13 matches, and it’s tempting to wonder how differently things might have panned out so far had he enjoyed an injury-free run.

Sanson has started even fewer top-flight games – just three of a possible 32. The Frenchman has been an unused substitute for three of the last four, raising further questions about the level of faith that Gerrard has in him.

Whatever about Bailey, it certainly isn’t looking too great for Sanson’s future in the Midlands judging by this report and his lack of game-time.

In other news, Villa will have to make a decision between two midfield targets

With Everton once again on the search for a new permanent manager after Rafa Benitez was given his marching orders followed by Duncan Ferguson being handed the role of caretaker boss for the time being, it’s a busy time for the hierarchy at the Merseyside club.

In terms of who could come in to try and get Everton back on track after managing to win just five of the 19 Premier League games that Benitez had taken charge of, it seems as though Farhad Moshiri has already made an approach to one particular candidate that will be very familiar to a lot of Everton fans.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from Spanish media outlet Marca (via Sport Witness), Everton have offered Roberto Martinez the chance to combine his role with the Belgian national team with another spell in charge of the Toffees.

After being appointed as Everton manager back in June 2013, the Spaniard took charge of 143 games across all competitions, winning 62, drawing 37 and losing 44 of them.

Marca’s claims are backed up by Fabrizio Romano who reports that Martinez is still very much their dream manager, even if a deal is unlikely.

A big risk?

In the weeks and months leading up to his eventual sacking in May 2016, Everton fans were not shy in making their voices heard when it came to expressing their dismay for Martinez and the job he was doing at Goodison Park.

With this in mind, it would certainly be a big risk for Martinez, who has been described as being an “absolute gentleman” by the 48-year-old’s former opposition scout Shadab Iftikhar, to come back to Everton and convince the fans, who were also not shy in their protests against Benitez even before he was officially appointed at the club, that he is the right man to turn the Toffee’s fortunes around this time.

Regarding his apparent offer to balance his potential position at Everton with his current role with Belgium, it would be hard to imagine how that would work out, especially with the World Cup in Qatar coming later this year, making an appointment at Goodison a rather big risk.

As a result, it may be better for Everton and Moshiri to look at different options for the manager role rather than go for Martinez again. After all, the fans are unlikely to want to see him take the reins again while a duel-role, especially when managing in the Premier League, would be tricky.

It’s safe to say that his thoughts wouldn’t entirely be on Everton, having to spend time thinking about Belgium too.

In other news: Moshiri may repeat Silva disaster as EFC eye boss who “wasn’t ready” for a “big club”

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa may walk out at Elland Road, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Elland Road source

Football Insider provided an update on the 66-year-old’s future earlier this month. They were informed by an Elland Road source that there is a ‘growing expectation’ among the Leeds hierarchy that Bielsa won’t return to take charge of a fifth campaign.

Leeds have won just three of their 15 Premier League games this season and currently sit six points above the relegation zone.

Bielsa’s future is thought to be up in the air with Victor Orta compiling a shortlist of possible new managers.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who regularly features on talkSPORT, was talking to Football Insider about that source’s claim.

He was asked if he thinks this could be the end for the Argentine, who he called ‘outstanding’, to which he said:

“That is a tough one, they will look at the end of the season.

“If Leeds finishes lower than they did last season he might think ‘I’ve taken this team as far as I can. I haven’t been given the investment that other teams have’. He may choose to walk then.

“It’s very tough to predict but if I was Leeds I would be doing everything I can to make him stay because he’s an outstanding manager.

“No other names really jump out at you for Leeds.”

The Verdict: Is the end near?

Leeds fans will, unfortunately, have to realise that Bielsa won’t be around at Elland Road forever.

Should the Whites fall way short of their 59-point tally from last season, then perhaps Bielsa will in fact feel he has taken the club as far as possible and walk out, as Agbonlahor mentions.

Hopefully, though, Bielsa can steer the Whites way clear of any relegation troubles over the coming months and go on to enjoy a solid second half of the season, which could possibly persuade him to have one more year in Yorkshire.

In other news: 49ers not wasting time – Leeds now plotting January action as Elland Road insiders share news.