The agent of misfiring Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini has ruled out a return to Italy for his client in the immediate future.
The 26-year-old has found the back of the net just three times in 17 appearances for the Saints this season and his form of late has been called into question by supporters.
Gabbiadini was an instant hit following his January switch to the Premier League last season, netting six goals in his first four games for the south coast club.
However, the Azzurri international has struggled to replicate that form since and he has been linked with a return to Serie A.
Gabbiadini’s stock remains high in his native Italy, but his agent insists a return home soon is simply not on the agenda for the former Napoli hitman.
“We’re fine there [in England]”, Silvio Pagliari told TMW Radio when asked about a return to Italy for Gabbiadini.
WATCH and VOTE: Premier League goals of the weekend
Who scored the best goal in the Premier League at the weekend? Watch and vote for your favourite…
Bakary Sako rounded off Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Leicester in style as he finished into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Mesut Ozil scored a superb volley as Arsenal beat Newcastle while Abdoulaye Doucoure netted a well-taken consolation in Watford’s home defeat to Huddersfield.
Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson also makes the cut for his brilliant strike against former side Swansea.
And Liverpool duo Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah feature after netting against Bournemouth.
Hit play on the video at the top of the page to watch the best goals and don’t forget to vote for your favourite below…
Watch a selection of some of the best saves from the Premier League weekend…
Manchester City blew Tottenham away at the Etihad winning 4-1 to stretch their winning run to 16 games but despite their superiority in attack, Ederson excelled in goal once again.
At the other end of the pitch, Hugo Lloris endured a torrid afternoon by conceding four goals although the scoreline could have been even worse were it not for the Frenchman’s efforts as he made seven saves in total.
Elsewhere, Kasper Schmeichel made a stop reminiscent of his legendary father Peter during Leicester’s 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace while Julian Speroni also made a terrific intervention during the game.
Fraser Forster, Rob Elliot and Asmir Begovic all made fine saves despite being on the losing side this weekend while Jonas Lossl performed well in Huddersfield’s impressive 4-1 victory away at Watford.
Hit play on the video at the top of the page to watch the best saves over the weekend in the Premier League.
The 20-year-old made 13 first-team appearances during 2016/17, including his Premier League bow against Everton, capping a fine performance with an assist for Charlie Austin’s headed winner.
An England youth international, Sims is continuing his phased return in the club’s Under-23s setup, featuring for 45 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Reading this week.
Reflecting on his first competitive inclusion since April, he said: "Yeah it was nice to get through it and being back out competing is always a nice feeling.
"It’s been tough, I’ve done a lot of fitness work in rehab but it is completely different when you get on the pitch. The more minutes you play the fitter you’ll get.
"It’s a shame we didn’t get the result, but for me personally it feels good to be back out there.
"I’m hoping to nail a place in the Under-23s team and see where that takes me. Hopefully I push on to the first-team.
“Obviously, previous to my injury I was in and around it so I want to get back to that level and show the new manager what I’m capable of. Getting a few minutes in the first-team is the ultimate aim.”
Josh Sims managed 45 minutes for Southampton’s Under-23s side on Monday afternoon - his first competitive contribution since April - and the winger expressed his delight with being back in a Saints shirt.
Saints face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Wednesday 31st January (7.45pm). Ticket information is as follows:
Become an Official Member and get priority access on tickets to each and every home match. Adult Members will also now benefit from £5 off two Premier League fixtures whilst Junior Members will receive enhanced Welcome Packs with free gifts. Find out more about Official Membership here.
The only way to secure your seat for the final nine home games of the season! Prices start from just £50 for Under-11s and £149 for Under-18s. Find out more about 2017/18 Half Season Tickets here.
For certain fixtures, groups of 20 or more can make savings. Find out more and enquire here.
Making a weekend of it? Book your ticket and hotel break via Thomas Cook Sport. Find out more and book online at thomascooksport.com
Tickets are restricted to one per Supporter Number. Fans can purchase more than one ticket in each transaction by linking other eligible accounts with theirs using our friends and family function.
Your team of the season so far: Manchester City get four in the XI
Manchester City players dominate your team of the season so far as the Premier League leaders have four players in the XI.
Kyle Walker, Nicolas Otamendi, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are all in the side but David Silva is absent, losing out to Philippe Coutinho by just 29 votes, despite being instrumental in City’s 16-game winning streak.
It’s an attacking side but the most popular selection was Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea who won 80 per cent of votes, more than any other player.
MAYA Yoshida has urged his team-mates to avoid bringing “any negativity” to the camp while Saints battle through a difficult period.
Mauricio Pellegrino’s men sit three points off the relegation spots in the Premier League after one victory in nine games.
Ahead of a “massive” game against Huddersfield Town on Saturday at St Mary’s, Yoshida wants a positive week of preparations.
When asked what Saints need to do to turn this around, he said: “Don’t bring any negativity, stay positive and help each other before we start pointing at each other – that’s the way.”
“It’s a difficult situation which we haven’t had in the last couple of years,” he said. "It’s like life, life isn’t always a good time.
“At this time we need to show our character and we have to stand up.”
The Japan international, who was signed from Dutch outfit VVV Venlo for £3m, arrived at Saints in 2012 following their promotion from the Championship.
That campaign, Saints battled at the lower end of the table, before eventually avoiding relegation.
The 29-year-old sees similarities this season to his first at the club.
And having lost 1-0 to Chelsea and conceded late goals to Arsenal and Burnley recently, the centre-back has concluded there are “small details” costing Saints a lot at the moment.
“I had this in the first season and we finished 12th,” he said. "It’s similar but it’s really in the small details.
"At Chelsea it was small details – one free kick. Against Arsenal – Giroud. Burnley – it was last minute as well.
"It’s all the small details but it costs a lot.
“If we put an extra 10 per cent on each other then I think we will get good results – that I believe.”
Now Saints welcome the newly-promoted Terriers, who are three points ahead of Pellegrino’s men in 11th place in the Premier League.
“I think in this situation for us every single game is important and massive,” said Yoshida about Huddersfield’s visit. "We have to get back on track as soon as possible and that means we have to get three points.
“Especially, still, there’s huge disappointment after Leicester and we come back to home and we need to show a good spirit, as we did at Stamford Bridge.”
Yoshida was pleased with the team’s reaction in the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea
He said: "It’s still a difficult situation for us. Nothing has changed. We lost but this game was totally different to Leicester because individually and, as a team, we showed spirit.
"We showed a good reaction from the last game. We conceded the goal but, at least, we showed some spirit.
“I think the fans feel it.”
About the defeat Stamford Bridge, he added: "As a team we needed to win, but personally I started to play again and I feel like I’m getting better and better.
“Maybe we had tiredness second half and that is normal when you play two games so quickly.”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year - a pretty decent year from a Liverpool point of view, all things considered.
So far this season they’ve signed the Premier League’s current top goalscorer in Mohamed Salah, kept hold of Philippe Coutinho, progressed to the knock-out stages of the Champions League and are in contention to qualify for the competition again next year. Not bad at all.
But things can always be better… so with that in mind, here are five things every Liverpool fan wants for Christmas.
The Reds were supposed to get their man in the summer, and were odds on to do so, before being accused of ‘tapping up’ the player and having to issue an apology.
Things got a little bit awkward after that as the Dutch centre-back handed in a transfer request and Liverpool were forced to pretend like they hadn’t noticed.
But all that is behind the two clubs now, and with van Dijk failing to find form for Southampton this season, and Liverpool in desperate need of anyone who can defend, it appears to be a match made in heaven.
Will the Reds finally get the deal over the line when the January transfer window opens? We know Liverpool supporters have their fingers crossed.
He’s made 18 Premier League appearances so far this season, more than any of his Liverpool teammates, and he’s set to make a hell of a lot more.
In the form he’s in there is simply no way Klopp can leave Salah out of his team.
He’s the divisions current top goalscorer and is a constant attacking threat - the crown in Liverpool’s star-studded attack.
But he’s bound to get tired. He could burn out. He could pick up an injury!? All these things aren’t worth thinking about for Reds supporters, who will be desperate for their leading man to keep on leading.
The Reds boss was heavily criticised for ‘unnecessarily’ rotating his team for the Merseyside derby, after Liverpool threw away two points against Everton.
Many believed he should have fielded his strongest team, and perhaps in hindsight they’re correct, but Klopp wasn’t dropping players for the fun of it.
Last January Liverpool suffered a horrendous run of form in which they picked up just three points during the entire month. They then kick-started February with a defeat to Hull City before turning the sinking ship around.
Klopp clearly wants to keep his players fresh during this busy part of the season, and Reds fans will be hoping he ignores the criticism coming his way and continues to do what is best for the team.
Most Liverpool fans are apparently resigned to the idea that their talented Brazilian playmaker will be leaving for Barcelona.
Sure, in an ideal world supporters would like to see Coutinho remain in Merseyside forever, but his heart is set on a move to the Nou Camp.
That said, the Brazilian hasn’t been sulking this season at the fact Liverpool blocked his summer transfer to the Catalan club.
Instead, like Suarez did in his final campaign for the Reds, he’s pulling up his socks and putting in some quality performances. Long may it continue.
The Christmas period is an absolute killer, and Liverpool have a number of gruelling fixtures to make this time particularly difficult.
After a trip to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal, Liverpool play host to Premier League strugglers Swansea four days later.
Four days after that they face Leicester City, before a trip to Burnley two days later and an FA Cup match against bitter rivals Everton another four days after that!
It’s all far too much football and the Reds could really do without the game against the Foxes shoehorned between the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fixture. Here’s hoping for some snow.
Young Southampton fans have another fantastic opportunity to become a mascot at one of our upcoming Premier League away games, against West Brom or Burnley.
Saints are due to visit the Hawthorns on Saturday 3rd February, at 3pm GMT, before heading to Turf Moor on Saturday 24th February, again at 3pm GMT, although both dates still remain subject to change.
Junior Season Ticket holders and Junior Members could be helping to lead out the first-team ahead of kick-off, with online entries now open.
All you need to do for a chance to win is fill out the below application form, with one lucky youngster being picked at random for each match.
The draw is open to Junior Season Ticket holders and Junior Members aged five to 14, although ages at each away club do vary.
Each winner will receive one free adult and one free junior ticket to the match, as well as an away kit to wear on the day.
If your child is not already a Junior Member, they can sign up here, with each youngster receiving an enhanced membership pack this season, including free gifts and a fixture poster, and exclusive mailings throughout the campaign
Don’t forget as well that all Junior Season Ticket holders and Junior Members are automatically entered into the draw to become mascots at each of our home games.
Please be sure to enter the details of your child, and not your own details, in the below form:
Who is the best Premier League player not playing for one of the Big Six? WhoScored.com check the stats and assess the form…
“He is the best player outside of the big six clubs,” Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said of Wilfried Zaha after his stunning performance in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Leicester at the weekend.
The Eagles star has been in fine form since his return from a knee injury with Palace all the better for his availability, but just how does Zaha compare to the best of the rest?
Using WhoScored.com’s unique rating system, we look at the 10 best-rated players not representing Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Tottenham…
Since his big-money move to Watford, Richarlison has been superb for the Hornets, scoring five and assisting four. Of the nine league goals he has had a direct hand in, eight have come away from home, and while his form at Vicarage Road has been underwhelming to an extent, the 20-year-old has done enough to return a WhoScored.com rating of 7.16.
Placing just ahead of Richarlison, Brighton star Shane Duffy has been a key man for the Seagulls in their debut Premier League campaign. The centre-back has made more clearances (155) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, exhibiting a knack for being in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the Brighton goal, while Duffy’s form has done enough to yield a WhoScored.com rating of 7.17.
Stoke may be languishing just a point above the relegation zone, but it’s not for want of trying from on-loan centre-back Kurt Zouma, whose WhoScored.com rating (7.19) is better than any Potters player. The 23-year-old (6.8) is second to Ryan Shawcross (7.9) for clearances per game at the Bet365 Stadium this season and ranks highly for both tackles (1.8) and interceptions per game (1.8) for Mark Hughes’ side.
Burnley fans feared the worst when Tom Heaton was forced off in the win over Crystal Palace earlier in the season, but Nick Pope has exceeded expectations. Only David De Gea (10) and Petr Cech (9) have kept more clean sheets than Pope (8) this term, while his save success rate of 85.2% is the best in the Premier League. The Burnley man’s good form has gained him a WhoScored.com rating of 7.19, the best of all goalkeepers in England’s top tier this term.
Christopher Schindler makes this list after a storming start to life in the Premier League. Huddersfield’s form may have dipped after they began the campaign brightly, but the German has been a consistent figure at the heart of the defence alongside Zanka. Forty interceptions is the third best return in the Premier League to date and matches a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘ball interception’.
Harry Maguire showed enough in the second half of last season to suggest he deserved to retain his Premier League place following Hull’s relegation and he has not disappointed on the back of his big-money move to Leicester. A key man at both ends of the pitch, only Cesar Azpilicueta (5) has registered more assists than the Foxes star (4) of defenders this season, while only Lewis Dunk (89) has won possession in the defensive third more times than Maguire (81) in the Premier League this campaign.
Having struggled to break into the Watford first team last season, Abdoulaye Doucoure has become a key man under Marco Silva. He’s one of only 13 outfield players to have played every Premier League minute this term, while no midfielder has scored more top-flight goals than the 24-year-old (6) so far. The Hornets ace has won possession in the midfield third more times (96) than any other Premier League player and is the heartbeat of this Watford side, averaging more passes per game (65.8) than any other team-mate.
One half of Burnley’s defensive resolve, 28-year-old Ben Mee has excelled at the heart of the Clarets backline, ranking third for headed clearances (83) and shots blocked (25) in England’s top tier this term. No team has conceded fewer Premier League goals than Burnley this season (12) and much of that has been down to Mee’s excellent performances at the back.
Just missing out on top spot is Wilfried Zaha, who despite a number of strong showings for the Eagles, sees his WhoScored.com rating (7.26) rank second of the best of the rest. In the six league games Zaha has missed this season, Crystal Palace have failed to score, while the winger has scored four of their 15 Premier League goals to date. Only Eden Hazard (4.5) is averaging more successful dribbles per game than Zaha (3.9), to match a WhoScored.com strength of ‘dribbling’.
Pipping Zaha to top spot is the other half of Burnley’s resolute defensive duo. James Tarkowski has gone above and beyond to minimise the impact of Michael Keane’s big-money move to Everton with his WhoScored.com rating (7.40) the 12th best overall in the Premier League this season. No defender has won more WhoScored.com man-of-the-match awards than Tarkowski (4) this term, while the 25-year-old ranks second for aerial duels won (95), shots blocked (28) and clearances (145) in the Premier League this season.
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