Newcastle United reportedly ‘asked’ about signing right-back Malo Gusto on Friday, just hours before he signed for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The Lowdown: Chelsea sign Gusto
The Blues confirmed the signing of the 19-year-old from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon this morning on a contract until 2030.
He has been sent back on loan to the Groupama Stadium for the rest of the season, so he will not arrive at Stamford Bridge until the summer.
The Latest: Newcastle ‘asked’ about Gusto
Taking to Twitter, football.london’s Chelsea reporter Bobby Vincent says that Newcastle ‘asked’ about signing Gusto on Friday, only ‘hours’ before he joined the west London club.
The journalist tweeted: “I’m told Newcastle asked about Gusto on Friday, just hours before Chelsea struck a deal with Lyon.”
Newcastle should not feel too aggrieved about missing out on Gusto, as they have reportedly agreed a deal to sign West Ham United right-back Harrison Ashby instead.
Hailed as ‘very dangerous’ going forward, as well as ‘very good’ at defending one-on-one situations by Vincent, Gusto has made a name for himself at Lyon.
The 19-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile of all full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted per game, as well as in the 91st for xAG, 88th for interceptions, 85th for assists and 84th for dribbles completed, among other impressive metrics (FBref).
Nonetheless, Eddie Howe’s focus will now be on getting Ashby in and working with him, as the Magpies look to give Kieran Trippier some competition in the right-back position.
Journalist Craig Hope has claimed that Scott McTominay is keen on a move to Newcastle United and the club will try and sign him if he becomes available.
What’s the word?
While it is certainly good news that key midfielder Bruno Guimaraes looks set to only miss a few weeks out with injury, when it had been feared that he could be sidelined for months, it has served as a reminded of just how badly the Magpies could do with some more depth in that position.
With that in mind, Manchester United midfielder McTominay could be an exciting option for Eddie Howe this winter. However, according to Hope, while the 26-year-old is up for a switch, the Red Devils are less sure about letting him go.
While speaking about it all on the True Faith podcast, the journalist explained his understanding of the situation, saying: “The player is keen, we’re told. And if for whatever reason, Man United turned around and said, ‘Okay, there’s a deal to be done with Scott McTominay’, I 100% would expect Newcastle United to act on it.”
Winter switch on the cards?
While Newcastle are known to be extremely wealthy, they are yet to spend big this winter on any new players. This does mean they should still have the funds to splash out on McTominay if he becomes available.
The Scotland international, who was hailed as “immense” by BBC journalist Bill Rice, has only started six times in the league so far this term for Man United and so it’s not hard to see why he would be happy to leave.
What’s more, with 113 appearances in the English top flight, it probably wouldn’t take him long to adapt to his new environment. Still, Erik ten Hag is probably key here and if the Dutchman doesn’t want to let McTominay go, Newcastle will have to shop elsewhere.
Should that change, however, all the ingredients are there to potentially make this a pretty quick transfer.
Glasgow Rangers are set to compete in the Premiership for the first time in 2023 this afternoon as they take on arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox.
The Light Blues have the opportunity to cut the gap between the two sides to six points by picking up a victory against Ange Postecoglou’s outfit.
They are currently nine points off the top of the table, despite Michael Beale winning all four of his league matches in charge so far, and they are in desperate need of a win today to put them back in the title race.
Rangers beat Motherwell 3-0 last time out, as Alfredo Morelos, Connor Goldson, and Malik Tillman all found the back of the net, but their convincing victory may not stop the head coach from making alterations to his starting XI.
One player who must be unleashed into the line-up after sitting on the bench in the last match is Finnish central midfielder Glen Kamara.
Whilst Scott Arfield scored two goals in two games prior to being an unused substitute against Motherwell, the former Arsenal man should be the player to come back into the midfield against Celtic.
The £21k-per-week dynamo, who was once hailed as being “made of iron” by former boss Neil McCann, has won 46% of his individual duels and completed 84% of his passes in the Premiership this term, after winning 51% of his battles and completing 91% of his passes last season.
These statistics indicate that he can hold his own on the physical side of the game, after Steven Gerrard once tipped him to be a “monster” in midfield, and that he is reliable in possession as he rarely misplaced his attempts to find teammates.
Arfield, meanwhile, has lost 67% of his duels and completed 79% of his attempted passes in the Scottish top-flight this season and these statistics suggest that the veteran midfielder does not offer as much as Kamara in general play.
The former Burnley man could be a liability to Rangers, due to his weak play out of possession and his sloppy passing, and that is why Beale should not consider him for a place in the starting line-up and should, instead, bring the Finland international back in to be a rock in the middle of the park.
Kamara averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across Beale’s first three league matches in charge, which is higher than Steven Davis, James Sands, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack’s respective seasonal scores, and deserves to be in the XI due to his resurgence under the English coach.
Chelsea are reportedly targeting a talented starlet who was subject to a failed summer bid with additions looking to be made in the forthcoming weeks.
What’s the talk?
According to journalist Simon Phillips, Blues boss Graham Potter is enamoured with the club’s former target Romeo Lavia, who was the subject of an audacious £50m summer swoop having signed for Southampton from Manchester City in the very same transfer window.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips said: “I think Lavia is probably going to be more likely than Álvarez because Chelsea did push and try and sign him on deadline day with a late offer. So, he’s the one to watch rather than Álvarez, I would say.”
With Chelsea indeed bidding £43m – unsuccessfully – for Edson Alvarez at the end of summer Lavia now seems to be the name ahead on the shopping list, and at just 18-years-old with Premier League experience under his belt, it’s perhaps warranted that he is attracting greater intrigue at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s own Amrabat
There is a similar script for each passing World Cup, with football’s most coveted competition birthing stars into prominence each and every time.
Sofyan Amrabat is one of the latest names to shine on the major stage, playing an integral and industrious role for a historic Morocco team that finished fourth at the 2022 edition in Qatar – becoming the first African nation to ever reach the semi-finals of the international tournament.
Alvarez also impressed for a subpar Mexico side, with Sofascore recording his average rating at 6.95 in Qatar, but a shrewder approach for Lavia’s name could sow the seed for later rewards for Chelsea.
Lavia, who has made eight appearances for Saints since his summer arrival, emerged as a resounding success, instantly slotting into the starting line-up and impressing with a tenacity and assurance that belies his inexperience at professional level.
Having picked up a hamstring injury during his side’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League in September, the midfielder’s progress was put on hold; the Belgian star managed just two showings before the midseason break for the World Cup.
The “technically excellent” 18-year-old – as dubbed by Saints reporter Alfie House – scored a stellar strike in that match, stinging the Blues and bitterly reminding them of the talent that they so earnestly desire.
The teen has completed 88% of his passes thus far in England’s top-flight, making 1.7 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and winning 53% of his total duels – impressive statistics for a young star just starting out on the professional scene.
Those are numbers that are rather similar to the Morocco star, with the 26-year-old making 0.8 interceptions per game and 1.2 tackles in Serie A. They are battle-hardened from a defensive point of view while offering an element of composure and silkiness on the ball.
That’s precisely what would make either one of them a good signing at the Bridge.
However, with Amrabat the talk of the town, Chelsea might be wise to steer clear of that avenue and maintain their interest in the £21.8m-rated maestro, having evidently thoroughly scouted the player.
If eventually successful in the pursuit, Potter would yield one of the division’s most promising young midfielders, a star already impressing for Southampton and capable of staking his claim for a starring role in west London for the distinguished outfit’s next chapter.
Queens Park Rangers are undoubtedly an attractive proposition for a number of managers in the football league and it was perhaps no surprise to see Chris Wilder register his interest in the vacant position at Loftus Road.
According to The Sun, the former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough boss is keen on a swift return to management after being sacked by the North East outfit in October.
The 55-year-old would prove a far cheaper option than Coventry City boss Mark Robins, who has also been linked, as he wouldn’t cost the Hoops any money in terms of compensation.
While Wilder’s time with Middlesbrough did not go to plan, his average of 1.49 points per game with the Reds was still better than the 1.41 points per game averaged by Beale in his brief spell at QPR.
The experienced Englishman will also be judged on his incredibly successful spells with Northampton Town and Sheffield United, having won league titles with both.
After leading the Cobblers to a hugely impressive League Two title win in 2016, despite off-field issues, Wilder oversaw a revolution at a sleeping giant in Sheffield United.
The Blades had endured three tough seasons in League One without promotion before Wilder’s arrival in 2016 and he made it back-to-back league titles of his own, as the Bramall Lane outfit returned to the Championship.
Sheffield United would then finish 10th in their first season back in the second tier before earning a remarkable promotion to the Premier League the following campaign, with Wilder clearly instrumental to their turnaround.
The Blades even flirted with the possibility of European football in their first Premier League jaunt under Wilder, finishing in ninth position in their debut campaign back in the top flight, but after a poor run of form the following season he was sacked rather harshly, with Sheffield United then dropping back into the Championship following his departure.
The “phenomenal” work done by Wilder with Northampton Town and Sheffield United suggests that he knows how to get the best out of a squad, and there seems no reason why he couldn’t get QPR’s promotion push back on track should he arrive at Loftus Road as Beale’s replacement.
Sunderland have enjoyed a solid, albeit unspectacular, return to life in the Championship following their promotion from League One last term.
The Black Cats beat Wycombe 2-0 in the play-off final at the end of the 2021/22 campaign and are currently sitting 13th in the second tier after 19 matches.
Alex Neil started the season in the dugout before heading off to rivals Stoke City and Tony Mowbray replaced him at the helm towards the end of August.
One player whose performances have summed up Sunderland as a club this season is central midfielder Elliot Embleton, as he has been hit-and-miss with his displays in the Championship.
The gem has shown signs of promise in the final third but has not produced enough quality on a consistent basis to make him one of the top performers for Mowbray.
He has scored two goals and provided two assists in 19 appearances – a goal contribution every 4.75 games – in the division, whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.78 – ranking him 15th in the squad.
Sunderland could now land an upgrade on the Black Cats academy product by striking a deal to sign Bradley Dack from Mowbray’s former club Blackburn Rovers.
The Sun recently reported that they are eyeing up a deal for the attacking midfielder in the January transfer window and could be afforded the chance to sign him on a free transfer, as his contract is up at the end of the campaign and could be paid off by his current club.
Dack has only started three Championship matches this season as he has struggled to break into Blackburn’s side, but did score two goals and provide one assist in two EFL Cup matches earlier in the campaign.
However, the midfielder has been a brilliant performer at this level in the past and shone under Mowbray’s management earlier in his career.
Between 2017/18 and 2019/20, the Englishman racked up 42 goals and 17 assists in 106 Championship and League One appearances combined for the current Sunderland boss, which shows that he has the ability to make a huge impact in the final third.
The 28-year-old has scored 28 goals and provided ten assists in 100 outings in the second tier, which works out as a goal contribution every 2.63 matches – significantly better than Embleton’s return this season.
Dack, who Mowbray once described as “a kid on the playground” on the pitch, has proven that he can be an excellent player in the division whilst playing for the current Black Cats boss and he could revive his career by reuniting with the former Middlesbrough manager.
Therefore, he could be an upgrade on Embleton by delivering goals and assists more frequently than the 23-year-old, whilst also being someone the Wearside academy product can learn from in training to improve his own performances.
Okay, okay, it wasn't the perfect start to the season, but Tottenham Hotspur also drew their curtain-raiser in the Premier League last year, away to Brentford, before charging toward a streak of nine victories and one draw (at the Emirates) across ten fixtures.
Then the setbacks came, stabbing down at the team like erratic lashes of lightning, and therein lies the problem that Ange Postecoglou is hoping to bed away, with some exciting signings brought in to go one step further this year.
Tottenham lost control against Leicester City after the break, wasting a catalogue of chances and paying the price upon the evergreen Jamie Vardy's strike, his ninth goal against Spurs, who failed to rally and had to make do with shared spoils.
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy
Now, Everton await as Tottenham play host for the first time this term, and after being thrashed 3-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, an air of expectation has hung in north London.
Spurs team news vs Everton
The major sticking point heading into this afternoon's affair is undoubtedly the ankle injury that Dominic Solanke sustained in training this week, ruling him out of contention.
Solanke completed a move from Bournemouth for about £65m earlier in August after a remarkable campaign on the South Coast, and despite featuring in every top-flight fixture for the Cherries last term, he has been ruled out one game into the 2024/25 campaign.
Yves Bissouma is in contention to feature after missing the trip to Leicester due to a club-imposed ban for disciplinary reasons, though Archie Gray could start in the sitting midfield position, with Rodrigo Bentancur ruled out due to the league's concussion protocols.
Wilson Odobert is in line for a debut, while Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison will be eyeing their first starting berths of the season. Ange has a lot on his plate, though his most pressing concern will surely be determining who to stick at the front of the ship.
Who Ange could replace Solanke with
Richarlison is one of the most obvious options to replace Solanke with, for the Brazilian is fully fit and featured prominently at centre-forward last season.
Richarlison looks agonised for Tottenham
He rid himself of the woes of the previous year, scoring just once over 27 games in the Premier League after transferring from Everton for some £60m in 2022, but there's still much to be desired.
Indeed, Richarlison enjoyed a brilliant purple patch last year, scoring nine goals across eight wintry matches in the top flight, but then suffered an injury-hit end to the season.
The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare commented on how much Tottenham had "missed his physical presence" toward the end of the campaign, and that quality could be an interesting thing to throw into the mix against his former outfit, having bagged twice against them in an emphatic display last year.
However, Richarlison's cameo last weekend proved that he has much to do before he is polished and effective to the degree that Postecoglou demands to provide him with regular appearances from the opening whistle, introduced before eight crucial minutes of injury time and missing a glorious chance to get his side off to a winning start.
Richarlison: Cameo vs Leicester
Stats
#
Minutes played
8'
Touches
7
Shots taken
1
Big chances missed
1
Accurate passes
3/5 (60%)
Key passes
0
Duels won
0
Stats via Sofascore
Despite only being on the field for a few moments, he produced a wayward header, unmarked, after a wonderful free-kick from Lucas Bergvall.
Starting Richarlison simply might not be the answer this time, not when Heung-min Son is ready to continue his emphatic form as Tottenham's central striker.
Why Heung-min Son must return to no. 9
Skipper Son featured in his natural left-flanking role against Leicester, but he was outfoxed by a dogged defence, unleashing just the one blocked shot and creating one key pass for his teammates, fading after a delightful whipped delivery for the sidelined Solanke early on.
Tottenham forward Heung-min Son
Look, Son's brilliant, and any notion that his ship has sailed must be laughed out of the room. Last term, he bagged 17 goals and ten assists in the Premier League, alternating between the left and a centre-forward deployment, and indeed his "world-class" quality, as praised by Postecoglou, and leadership presence emphasise the importance of playing him.
After all, he's hardly one dimensional, able to mix his goalscoring his elite-level creativity, and ranks among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year and the top 10% for shot-creating actions per 90 anyway, as per FBref.
He also created 17 big chances in the division last year, with Dejan Kulusevski the next-most creative Lilywhite on that list with 14 big chances created.
He might not have clicked right into gear straight away but the South Korea international will be desperate to influence proceedings today and might find that he can make the best impact in front of a dynamic supporting cast.
James Maddison claimed an assist against Leicester and will hope to recapture that imperious pre-injury form from last year. The Englishman's vision and defence-splitting ballwork is something that no other player in the squad can replicate to the same degree.
Premier League: Top 5 Active Goalscorers
Rank
Player
Apps
Goals (per game)
1.
Mohamed Salah
264
158 (0.60)
2.
Jamie Vardy
308
137 (0.44)
3.
Raheem Sterling
379
123 (0.32)
4.
Heung-min Son
304
120 (0.39)
5.
Callum Wilson
221
88 (0.40)
Stats via Premier League
Moreover, Kulusevski could make a difference if provided with a starting role, bringing the energy and intensity to effectively supplement Son, pushing forward and stretching the lines.
All told, there's nothing to worry about regarding Solanke's injury, with the 27-year-old expected back shortly and Postecoglou not exactly starved of alternative ways to piece his team together.
But starting Richarlison would be a mistake, for Son must return to the spearhead.
Scouts sent: Spurs target £15kp/w "engine" who has shades of Mousa Dembele
Everton are reportedly fighting Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur to sign Udinese central defender Rodrigo Becao in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Summer talks
It was reported in the summer that the Goodison Park outfit were in talks to sign Becao, but a transfer fee could not be agreed with Udinese.
Instead, they brought in James Tarkowski on a free transfer from Burnley, and Conor Coady on loan from Wolves.
The Latest: January move?
As per Tutto Udinese, the Merseyside club are still interested in Becao ahead of January, in fact they are the ‘most interested’ team, fighting interest from Spurs.
Juventus are also mentioned as being in the mix, so it could be a three-way fight for the Brazilian once the window opens.
After signing Tarkowski and Coady, it seems strange that Frank Lampard’s side would go for another centre-back in January, but perhaps one could be on his way out of the door.
Inter Milan have recently been linked with a move for Yerry Mina in January, so Becao looks like a tailor-made replacement.
The six-foot-three colossus is certainly impressing this season, ranking in the 97th percentile for tackles amongst centre-halves in Europe’s top five leagues, while he also ranks highly for touches on the ball, showing he has two sides to his game (FBRef).
If Mina or another centre-back is allowed to leave, then Becao could be a smart signing for the Toffees.
Glasgow Rangers’ summer transfer business was supposed to give the Ibrox side an excellent chance of competing in the Champions League while fighting tooth and nail with Celtic for the Scottish Premiership crown and other domestic honours.
Following three successive defeats in the aforementioned competitions, the decisions made are being highly scrutinised, with the pressure on sporting director Ross Wilson and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst mounting due to the inability to add to the squad in the last few days of the transfer window.
The latest defeat, a 3-0 humbling by Napoli in the Champions League saw the Ibrox side end the match without any of their seven summer arrivals on the pitch.
Out of those seven, only Tom Lawrence is injured, and this is a major cause for concern going forward.
The Dutchman should have moved to secure upgrades on various positions in the Rangers squad such as the right wing, and he really should have secured a deal for a player shining in the Championship…
Van Bronckhorst should have signed Jed Wallace
The Light Blues were linked with Wallace, then at Millwall, back in September 2021. In January 2022, Wallace was looking to leave the Den during the transfer window, despite his contract expiring that summer.
The winger eventually joined Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the summer following the expiration of his Millwall contract and Van Bronckhorst will surely be regretting not making more of an effort to lure him to Glasgow.
Wallace has played in all of West Brom’s matches this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.19. the 28-year-old has netted three times and registered one assist while averaging 55.2 touches per match, proving he is keen to get involved as much as possible.
Overall, the Englishman has scored 75 goals during his career and the Gers are desperate for a right winger who provides a goal threat.
Scott Wright and Rabbi Matondo, the main right-wingers in the Rangers squad have contributed zero goals or assists this season and this was an area of priority for the Dutchman to look at improving in the summer.
Wallace has been dubbed a “crossing machine” after he delivered 14 in a recent victory against Hull City and with every passing performance, the likelihood of the Ibrox side ever being able to sign him drifts further and further away.
It was an opportunity missed by Wilson and Van Bronckhorst, and it could come back to haunt them come to the end of the season.
Southampton have reportedly submitted an offer to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo this summer, according to The Athletic.
The lowdown: Hot property
A product of the academy system at PSV, the 23-year-old has successfully come through the ranks at the Eredivisie giants and become a fully-fledged senior international in the process.
The attacker has directly contributed to 123 goals in 206 outings for his club at senior and youth levels, scoring 46 and providing 39 assists for the first team in the process.
Having previously been targeted by Manchester United, Leeds United, Arsenal and Everton, it now appears as though the Saints are also keen on bringing Gakpo to the Premier League…
The latest: ‘Concrete approach’
As per The Athletic, Southampton are understood to have made a ‘concrete approach’ to sign the seven-cap Netherlands star.
It’s claimed that the south coast club submitted an offer for Gakpo, although the bid was ‘turned down’ by PSV, with previous reports stating that the club will demand at least £42.5m for the player.
The report also states that the versatile forward – who was described as a ‘sensational player’ by Dutch football expert Michael Bell – is a ‘key target’ at St Mary’s and Rasmus Ankersen has ‘led talks’ with the ace’s club.
The verdict: Marquee target
Clearly a much sought-after commodity given the widespread interest in him, signing a player of Gakpo’s calibre would be a superb coup for Southampton and would suitably bolster the attacking options at Ralph Hasenhuttl’s disposal.
So far this season, the £27m-valued man has scored four times and provided six assists in just eight appearances across all competitions, earning a remarkable 8.70 SofaScore rating whilst winning 2.7 duels, completing one dribble and playing 2.7 key passes per game in the Dutch top flight.
With in-form marksman Che Adams still linked with a move away from St Mary’s, it’s important that Gakpo remains on the list of potential targets heading into the final days of the transfer window.