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Southampton could be set to offload as many as six first-team players in the summer transfer window according to journalist Tom Barclay, who was talking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown: Overhaul incoming

Saints’ boss Ralph Hasenhuttl looks set to oversee a hectic summer at St Mary’s with six senior stars all out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt).

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On-loan striker Armando Broja also seems likely to head back to parent club Chelsea, as things stand, whilst it remains to be seen whether the south coast club will have money to spend following a takeover in January.

Now as the end of the 2021/22 campaign looms and another season in the Premier League beckons, three first-team regulars could already be on the transfer list…

The latest: Barclay predicts exodus

Talking to GMS, Barclay suggested that chief executive Martin Semmens could sanction a raft of high-profile departures this summer with Theo Walcott, Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond already tipped with moves away.

He stated: “I don’t know if they’d sell all of them. It depends on the offers.

“From what I’ve heard, they are open to offers on those three. There could be quite a few who leave Southampton. There could be five or six, so we’ll see.”

The verdict: Fresh faces needed

Having already secured top-flight football for another season the Saints are once again on the proverbial beach heading into what is ordinarily the business end of the campaign.

Whilst steering clear of the threat of relegation could be seen as mission accomplished, for the new owners and indeed Hasenhuttl, there is likely to be a strive for more success over the coming seasons.

Walcott, Djnepo and Redmond have managed a combined 41 Premier League outings so far this term (WhoScored), and as three attacking players would suggest that Semmens may already have set about what area of the squad is in particular need of strengthening.

Allowing the aforementioned trio to leave would not only free up the wage bill but also bring important funds into the club and may therefore be seen as a relatively small risk worth taking given the success of recent Hasenhuttl purchases such as Mohammed Salisu, Kyle Walker-Peters and Che Adams.

In other news: Journalist makes transfer claim involving Southampton! Find out more here.

Arsenal have been handed a devastating injury blow following the weekend’s north London derby…

What’s the latest?

According to the Guardian, Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka is facing around three months out after sustaining a knee ligament injury during Sunday’s win over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The long-serving Swiss star was withdrawn with just eight minutes to go after a collision with Lucas Moura. He left the Emirates Stadium with a knee brace on his right leg.

Mikel Arteta warned that it didn’t look positive but now the club have confirmed that Xhaka has “a significant injury to his medial knee ligament,” though he will not require surgery.

Gutting blow

The 29-year-old has always divided opinion across the club but the timing of this injury could not be worse. He absolutely dominated the midfield against Spurs, alongside Thomas Partey, making the most of his fortunate summer U-turn.

He is now set to miss at least 12 to 14 league games, which means Arteta will have to call upon the relatively inexperienced Albert Sambi Lokonga or even Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who has looked poor in recent outings. There is also Mo Elneny but he has only just returned from injury himself.

If Xhaka does not fully recover by the middle of January, then the Spaniard is going to be left in a very tricky predicament as both Partey and Elneny will be on Africa Cup of Nations duty for potentially three weeks, making his options in the middle even more sparse.

On his day, the Switzerland international can pick apart a Premier League game but of course, he has come with his fair share of controversial incidents. After all, this was his first appearance back following a three-game suspension.

However, it’s clear that Arteta remains a big fan, having thrown the £18m-rated former captain straight back into his starting XI for such a huge encounter and he has also dubbed him “phenomenal” in the past.

The Arsene Wenger signing has now played 76 times under the former Gunners midfielder, which is more than his game time under Unai Emery, as per Transfermarkt.

This latest cruel blow will surely leave the Arsenal boss up at night heading into crucial fixtures against Brighton, Palace and Villa.

AND in other news, Forget Smith Rowe: £58.5m-rated Arsenal sensation ran the show for Arteta vs Spurs…

Evening Standard football writer Jack Rosser believes that Kurt Zouma is a good signing for West Ham. 

Zouma made six assists.

According to BBC Sport, the 26-year-old is set to make a move across London and join West Ham for a reported fee of £25m.

During his time at Chelsea, Zouma has had plenty of success as he has helped the club to lift, two Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, one League Cup and the UEFA Super Cup this season, where the Blues beat Villarreal in the final 1-0.

Rosser believes that West Ham are getting a really good signing, telling Transfer Tavern: “I think it’s a good signing for them. I don’t know how interested Spurs were, but I think it shows the sort of level that West Ham are operating at now with you know the consistency they’ve built under Moyes to move up not just away from relegation but into contention for Europe. 

“So, I think it’s a good signing, it’s a good price, and I think he’s exactly the sort of player that they’ve been looking for.”

West Ham have made a fantastic start to the season and currently sit top of the Premier League table after back-to-back wins against Newcastle United and Leicester City, with the Hammers scoring four goals in each game!

Tottenham Hotspur have offered reported transfer target Franck Kessie an attractive financial package to try and tempt him to north London, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato claim Spurs have put an offer of €8m-per-year (£6.8m) on the table, which is a substantial increase on what his current club AC Milan have proposed.

It’s thought that the Ivory Coast international would like at least €7m-per-year (£5.9m) guaranteed and that he has rejected the Serie A outfit’s offer of just €5m-per-year (£4.3m) for the first three years of a five-year deal.

The Lilywhites’ offer equates to around £140k-per-week, which would see him sit amongst Nuno Santo’s current top earners and it more than the likes of Eric Dier (£72k-per-week), Lucas Moura (£80k-per-week) and Dele Alli (£100k-per-week), per Spotrac.

However, Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain are also interested, whilst Premier League rivals Chelsea and Liverpool have been mooted elsewhere.

Forget Skipp

Nuno’s midfield was rather exposed last weekend as his side picked up their first league defeat of the season in an embarrassing manner. Spurs’ ten-men were played off the park by then-winless Crystal Palace.

A trio of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp just had no balance whatsoever and it’s a problem because that tweak was only made due to injuries, so it suggests that there is a lack of true strength in the Portuguese’s depth options.

Someone like ex-Spurs star Mousa Dembele would’ve been exactly what they would’ve needed on the day and that’s something that Kessie could bring to the north Londoners, if signed in January – or beyond.

Skipp, in particular, has endured some mixed performances after being handed the reins by Nuno and at just 20, there’s still so much more to come but perhaps he shouldn’t be playing every single game.

He’s currently their lowest-rated player (6.56) of anyone to start three or more matches this term, which only goes to show his inconsistencies so far.

Kesse, however, is a bundling box-to-box powerhouse who can influence the game at either end of the pitch – an ability that none of Saturday’s three possesses.

The 25-year-old beast found the net 13 times last season, and he also provided four assists and averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles each league outing, as per WhoScored.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15) scored more at the San Siro.

It’s why he has been lauded as a “complete” and “devastating” player in the past by those that have coached and watched him, namely current boss Stefano Pioli and former striker Antonio Cassano, respectively.

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici should know that he’ll be able to land the £36m-rated enforcer for a bargain price in January, with a fee of just £7.5m being mooted.

Forget Skipp, the Italian supremo would be foolish to not push ahead with the plans to secure Kessie in 2022.

AND in other news, Paratici can make amends for Spurs summer disaster with swoop for £30m-rated “machine”…

Crystal Palace embarked on a mass overhaul of their first-team squad over the summer, allowing several experienced campaigners to depart before replacing them with exciting, young acquisitions.

And the early indications are that the capital club’s dealings were a huge success. The likes of Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Conor Gallagher have all hit the ground running at Selhurst Park, propelling Patrick Vieira’s new-look side to a memorable victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

However, while there can be little doubt over the incomings in south London, the club’s hierarchy arguably made a few mistakes when allowing some seasoned professionals to walk out the exit.

Winger Andros Townsend has been excelling at fellow Premier League club Everton in the opening weeks of the new campaign with five goals for the Toffees already, but defender Patrick van Aanholt is another who Palace chairman Steve Parish may have some regrets over.

After joining the Eagles via a £9.45m move in January 2017, the attacking left-back went on to make 134 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists in the process.

His impressive performances for Palace saw him soon became a pivotal part of the English sides system under former manager Roy Hodgson, earning him 19 caps for the Netherlands senior setup as a result.

But while the ex-England boss brought stability to Palace during his tenure, Hodgson has left behind an imbalanced and unstable playing squad, with the Selhurst Park outfit having the oldest squad in the top flight in 2020/21.

Consequently, Van Aanholt was one of the players sacrificed to make way for the new era in south London and was phased out of the Palace starting XI in the final few weeks of last term, allowing promising full-back Tyrick Mitchell a chance to shine.

However, the now 31-year-old still made 22 Premier League appearances for Palace, recording 1.4 interceptions per game and 1.1 defensive dribbles per game, the third-highest totals in the Palace squad for each metric, respectively.

His departure on a free transfer in the previous window has left Mitchell as the only natural left-back in Vieira’s squad, while Van Aanholt’s eye-catching performances for Galatasaray in the Europa League will surely leave Parish and co. lamenting their decision to let the defender go.

And, in other news…Signed for £0, sold for £49.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £90k-p/w gem

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen to bring PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke back to north London this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports, Spurs are one of three Premier League clubs interested in securing the highly-rated 19-year-old’s services, with Leicester City and Wolves also credited with an interest.

The report states that PSV are set to demand between £30m and £34m for their prized asset, a valuation which could prove too costly for the English trio with less than two weeks remaining of the current transfer window.

Tottenham fans will be buzzing

Madueke, who was born in Barnet, came up through the youth ranks with Tottenham until he was released at the age of 16 and then moved to Netherlands back in 2018 when PSV came calling.

Since then, the England under-21 international has gone from strength to strength. After making his debut for the Eredivisie giants in 2019/20, Madueke enjoyed his breakout season last term.

In 32 appearances for Roger Schmidt’s side in all competitions, the skillful winger bagged nine goals and provided a further eight assists for his teammates, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.

Sky Sports claimed that his impressive performances caught the eye of some of the continent’s top clubs, stating: “Last season, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester City were among the top clubs tracking his development, as he scored seven goals and created six more in the Eredivisie.

“And a string of scouts from Europe’s elite clubs – including Juventus – were said to have been watching him against Benfica on Wednesday night.”

The youngster has started the new campaign in scintillating form as well, contributing to six goals in just seven outings as PSV attempt to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League.

However, prising him away from the Philips Stadion may be a tricky task for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, after Schmidt claimed that the talented teenager would be staying put this summer in a recent interview.

Speaking to ESPN (via Football.London), he said: “I’m not afraid [of Madueke leaving], why should I be? He will one day leave PSV if he continues to develop like he is now.

“I’m not afraid it will happen now. We can’t sell key players anymore. We’ve already done that with Donyell Malen, Denzel Dumfries and Pablo Rosario, so we can’t lose any more.

“And PSV is also a fantastic club for Noni to develop. He is very young, he can play a lot here, score goals and cheer with the team. I think he feels very good here.”

Potentially bringing Madueke back to north London could go down as some of the best business Levy has managed to pull off in years, and given the teenager’s obvious talents, it’s a coup which could have Spurs fans buzzing if the club chief gets it over the line.

In other news…Pundit cannot see £40.5m-rated ace leaving his club for Spurs 

As per club insider Claret & Hugh, West Ham United and manager David Moyes may have been gifted a possible boost with their sources sharing a ‘remarkable’ behind-scenes development.

The Lowdown: Injury worries…

Moyes and his West Ham side have had to cope with mounting injury problems over the last month with the biggest absentees by far being Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

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The defensive duo were mainstays before being sidelined, prompting Moyes to look to the transfer market in search for emergency cover as many links to centre-backs emerge.

Supporters will be anxious to know the timeframe of Zouma’s return with Ogbonna set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.

ExWHUemployee recently claimed that the Frenchman is ‘ahead of schedule’ with another insider C&H now sharing more good news.

The Latest: Insider shares ‘remarkable’ Zouma development…

According to their information, Zouma has now started walking on grass for the first time since picking up his injury and ‘hopes are now high’ for a ‘much quicker’ return.

C&H go on to state, barring any setbacks which are possible, that he could even be back in action ‘as soon as mid February’.

Sharing what they’ve heard from an inside source, as quoted in the piece, Zouma’s progress behind-the-scenes is apparently ‘remarkable’.

The Verdict: Big boost…

This update should come as music to the ears of Irons supporters given Zouma’s impressive start to life at Rush Green. The France international, labelled a ‘colossus’ by Moyes, has made more clearances per 90 than any West Ham first teamer whilst proving to be a very reliable presence at the back (WhoScored).

Winning the fourth-most aerial duels out of their entire squad also (WhoScored), the 27-year-old’s return could not come sooner enough given Moyes’ lack of defensive cover.

While West Ham may well still sign a centre-half going by reports, having Zouma back as soon by mid-February would certainly come as a big boost for Moyes as the Scotsman aims to guide his side to Champions League qualification.

In other news: £45m star likened to Suarez now keen to join West Ham, find out more here.

Manchester United have been in the process of appointing their next manager to take charge at Old Trafford this summer, and with Erik ten Hag the favoured manager to take the role new information has emerged about his potential coaching team that will work with him at the club.

What’s the word?

According to Chief Football Writer for The Mail on Sunday, Rob Draper, ten Hag is lining up Robin van Persie to join his management team at Man United this summer.

Draper tweeted late on Saturday night:

“Van Persie being lined up as Man Utd asst – but ten Hag still in talks, no deal yet.

“Ten Hag still wants assurances over how club will be run…”

Supporters will adore him

Van Persie provided a fairy-tale during his first season at Old Trafford, with the Dutch striker scoring “goal of the century” as claimed by Sir Alex Ferguson, to guide Manchester United to their 20th Premier League title victory in 2013.

The star forward scored 58 goals and provided 21 assists during his three-year tenure with the Red Devils, so the idea that he could come back and become part of the management team to guide United back to the glory days that once were will surely delight supporters who adore him.

The two time Premier League golden boot winner has the invaluable experience earned with Arsenal and Man United that could give ten Hag a real insight into the challenges of the league and can certainly help the current squad understand what it means to win trophies at the club.

Van Persie retired from playing football in 2019 hanging up his boots at 35 years old, and has since been making an impact in his assistant manager role at Feyenoord Rotterdam after being promoted from his technical coach role last summer. Coming back to the Premier League to work alongside ten Hag would be a huge next step in his career on the sideline.

With that being said, Manchester United have not even officially reached an agreement with the Ajax boss, and until ten Hag is confirmed we don’t expect other members of the coaching team to be decided until the deal is done, but the idea of Van Persie returning to the club will surely have supporters very excited.

In other news: MUFC make “shock approach” for “cold” £50m “warrior”, it’s bye-bye Rashford

According to a report by Tuttosport, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, there has been yet another development in the Dusan Vlahovic transfer saga involving Tottenham.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Vlahovic swoop…

As per numerous sources over the past two weeks, it is possibly the worst kept secret in football that Spurs are interested in Fiorentina’s star striker.

Following on from their alleged summer bid to sign the 21-year-old (Fanta Calcio), new manager Antonio Conte’s arrival at N17 has seemingly boosted Spurs as they lead the chase to bag Vlahovic in January.

According to La Gazzetta (via Sport Witness), Fabio Paratici’s Tottenham are indeed ‘perhaps the favourite’ to secure his signature and a meeting has already been held with Fiorentina officials in London.

Both Conte and Paratici have also apparently agreed to target the player among their list of names as both Spurs officials plot to take the Serbia striker, according to a report by TUTTOmercatoWEB.

Now, sharing another development, Tuttosport (via SW) have an intriguing update on Fiorentina’s sale stance.

The Latest: La Viola want Spurs to sway their star…

As per the Italian news outlet, La Viola are apparently hoping Tottenham, as well as any other English club, ‘tempt’ Vlahovic and make their move ‘in the coming weeks’ so they can start a bidding war with fellow interested side Juventus.

It is believed that they are eager for Spurs to provide some competition in January and force Juve to lodge a higher bid for the player’s services and vice versa – especially given how keen the Old Lady are on his signing.

The Lilywhites apparently represent a nice ‘trap’ in this regard as Fiorentina seek to make as much money as possible.

The Verdict: Worth the money?

Vlahovic stands out as one of the most exciting star talents in European football, scoring 21 Serie A goals last season and continuing in that vein over 2021/2022 at such a young age.

The forward’s 10 goals and an assist so far this season highlight just how imperious he has been in front of goal already this campaign and Spurs would be remiss not to go all out.

Valued at around £45 million by Transfermarkt, Paratici and co may need to offer much more given his glowing reputation and the amount of competition for his services.

Lauded as ‘incredible’ by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, a bidding war with Juve may be a small price to pay as Tottenham seek to sign a very exciting striker to partner Harry Kane.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Conte has been left blown away by another Spurs player in coach’s dream who smashes training, find out more here.

Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell could miss the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea through injury, according to The Evening Standard.

The Lowdown: Mitchell goes off

Labelled as ‘popular’ by former Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, the defender was forced off against Leicester City in his team’s 2-1 defeat on Sunday.

The 22-year-old has been a key member of Patrick Vieira’s squad during his first season in charge, starting every Premier League game.

However, he had to make way against the Foxes after just 34 minutes with what appeared to be a calf problem, and along with Michael Olise, he could now be in a race against time to feature at Wembley.

The Latest: Nervous wait

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick shared a story regarding Mitchell on Monday.

He revealed that the full-back was due for scans on the problem on Monday, with Palace facing a nervous wait on the extent of the damage.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

As mentioned, Mitchell has been an ever-present figure at Selhurst Park this season, so it would be a major blow if he is unable to feature at Wembley next weekend.

The Palace academy graduate has been their best-performing defender, as per WhoScored, and he is the only senior out-and-out left-back on the books for the Eagles.

Vieira will be keeping everything crossed that Mitchell can recover in time, as otherwise he will have a few selection headaches over the coming days.

In other news: Vieira now wants Parish to bring 25-assist star to Palace; club preparing to lose their player.