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Romeo Lavia has been a revelation for Southampton since signing from Premier League champions Manchester City in a £14m deal in the summer, subsequently earning £50m interest in his services from Chelsea back in January.

Indeed, the 19-year-old midfielder was granted a departure from Manchester following Pep Guardiola's acquisition of former Leeds United powerhouse Kalvin Phillips for £45m, with the young Belgian swiftly asserting himself as one of Saints' most coveted items, flourishing despite the tumult of the relegation-threatened campaign.

Interest in the 19-year-old has indeed been intense, and action could be taken from the swirling shark tank of suitors regardless of whether Southampton preserve their top-flight status at the end of the campaign, with Arsenal now considering a swoop.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea and City are joined by Manchester United and Mikel Arteta's north London outfit in pursuing a move, with Lavia fitting the profile of a first-rate midfielder capable of flourishing among Europe's elite.

The report states that the gem 'ticks a lot of boxes' for Arsenal, who might look to act upon their intrigue before Man City's £40m buyback option activates in the summer of 2024.

Should Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia?

The Premier League table-toppers have made remarkable progress this season under their Spanish manager's wing, currently eight points clear at the top of the division – though the second-placed Cityzens have a game in hand – after failing to reach top four for six successive seasons.

Failing to reach next term's edition would be a catastrophic, almost inconceivable failure at this point, with Arsenal currently 22 points clear of Newcastle United, who hang just outside a qualification spot.

And with the crafting of a force to be reckoned with ever-evolving at the Emirates Stadium, securing an illustrious future could receive apt bolstering after procuring Lavia from Southampton's clutches.

Making 24 appearances for his outfit this season, the teenager has scored one goal and assist apiece and has been integral in fighting to secure a place in the English top flight next year.

Hailed as "exquisite" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Lavia already ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's major leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 10% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, illustrating a tenacity and vigour to his game that belies his tender age.

Should Arsenal's technical director Edu succeed in a bid, Lavia could well take Granit Xhaka's position in the team, with the resurgent Swiss now one of the centrepieces to his side's labours, although still dispensable if the right man arrives.

Xhaka has been a polarising figure in north London since signing from Borussia Mönchengladbach for £30m in 2016, being stripped of the captaincy in 2019 following disciplinary issues before rekindling his Gunners career and now integral in the club's title-chasing aspirations.

Forging 28 Premier League displays this term, the 30-year-old has scored four goals and supplied five assists, as per Sofascore, completing 86% of his passes and chalking an average rating of 7.02.

Lavia, in retrospect, has recorded a rating of 6.85 and flourished despite the insipid nature of his outfits campaign, completing 87% of his passes and making 1.9 tackles per outing.

At such a young age, the "monster" – as dubbed by journalist Benjy Nurick – holds all the tools to craft an eminent career for himself, and where better to ply his trade than the burgeoning Arsenal squad, where he could indeed take the baton from Xhaka and lead the side to glory.

Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson has had his fair share of transfer successes and gaffes over the years since becoming the club’s sporting director in 2019.

He has been responsible for bringing in flops such as Aaron Ramsey and Cedric Itten, although he also managed to secure the astute signings of John Lundstram and Malik Tillman, among others.

The former Southampton executive has had mixed success in the transfer market at Ibrox, but one piece of business that he did get bang-on was the deal to sign Antonio Colak from PAOK last summer.

Has Antonio Colak been a good signing for Rangers?

Wilson hit the jackpot by signing the Croatia international to bolster the Rangers squad, as the centre-forward has been a terrific addition for the Scottish giants.

Then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hailed the transfer by saying of Colak: “He is a very experienced player who has played at high levels and scored a lot of goals for the teams he has played for.”

The striker was valued at £1.2m (€1.4m) by Football Transfers at the time of the move to Glasgow, and his performances at Ibrox have caused his value to skyrocket.

At the time of writing (27/02/2023), Football Transfers value the forward at £2.6m (€3m), which means that his price has soared by a whopping 114% in less than a full season. This shows that the dynamo has been in exceptional form since making the switch to Glasgow.

Colak, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed “has everything”, made a rapid start to life at the club and earned the Light Blues millions by playing a crucial role in the team qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League.

Rangers earned a guaranteed £13.2m by making it through to the group stage of the competition and the Croatian marksman scored winner in the second leg of the play-off against PSV to secure group stage qualification.

This means that Colak’s terrific finishing ability landed the Gers a huge payday, which you could argue made his signing a success irrespective of how the rest of his career at the club transpires. Nonetheless, the Croatian has gone on to be a great success in the Premiership, as he has plundered 11 goals in 15 Scottish top-flight starts this term.

Only four Rangers players have averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Colak’s 7.14, which suggests that the dynamo has been one of the team’s best performers over the campaign so far.

Therefore, Wilson struck gold by signing the 29-year-old last summer, as the attacker’s value has soared whilst delivering brilliant performances domestically and in Europe, alongside earning the club millions by scoring the goal to secure Champions League qualification.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is expected to return to London ahead of their upcoming fixture in the Premier League against Leicester City.

What’s the latest?

The Italian was not on the sidelines during the impressive win on the weekend against Manchester City as he remained at his Italian home recovering from his recent illness.

Indeed, the 53-year-old was advised to take it easy and stay at home for the game on Sunday after undergoing surgery which saw his gallbladder removed last week.

But speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has admitted it was a close call as to whether Conte would have been able to return for the game on Sunday.

And with this in mind, Gold believes the Italian will return at some stage this week for the game on Saturday against the Foxes but he may choose to avoid the pre-game press conference at Hotspur Way:

(24:00) “We don’t know when he’ll return from Italy now. You’d think he’ll be back for the Leicester game. You would think that [given] it was a close enough call, I think for yesterday’s [Sunday’s] game, I think it was on a Saturday night quite late, the decision was made that he wasn’t going to come.

“So you’d think that that would put in place for him to be back for the Leicester game. I don’t know whether we’ll get him for the press conference on Thursday.”

Set to return

It has certainly been a difficult season for the Italian off the field having lost a number of close friends – including Tottenham’s Gian Piero Ventrone.

And now he has been hit by illness himself which has seen him forced out of action at Hotspur Way and resting back in his home in Italy.

However, the Lilywhites more than faired without the 53-year-old on the sideline over the weekend after Cristian Stellini guided them to an impressive victory over Manchester City.

But his absence may have been a big factor in the decision not to give the club’s deadline day signing, Pedro Porro, his debut against his former side.

Since making the move to north London, the Spanish right wing-back has not taken part in a training session led by Conte after his illness was announced the day after Porro signed.

So it may have been decided the safer option was to play Emerson Royal until Conte can have his first look at Porro with plenty of games coming up in the next few weeks for Spurs.

Although Stellini and the other coaching staff have clearly done an excellent job leading up to the game against City, it will likely be a huge boost to have Conte back at Hotspur Way.

The victory on the weekend has narrowed the gap to the top four and they have a massive Champions League trip to face AC Milan to consider next week so his experience could prove vital over the coming days.

Nottingham Forest are in ‘advanced talks’ over a late January move for Atletico Madrid defender Felipe, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Felipe profiled

The 33-year-old is primarily a centre-back who has been with his current club since 2019. The Brazilian has won two senior caps for his country and actually shares the same agency as new Forest signing Danilo.

He has made 113 appearances for Atletico, but only four of those have come this season, and he has duly been linked with a move to England with Wolves. However, it seems as if the City Ground could be his next destination.

The Latest: Forest in talks over Felipe

Romano took to Twitter on Sunday evening to share news regarding Felipe. The transfer expert revealed that Forest are ‘now in advanced talks’ to sign the centre-back, with ‘discussions ongoing with Atletico Madrid’.

He added that the La Liga club could try to fast-track a move for Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu, should Felipe depart the Wanda Metropolitano.

The Verdict: Wise move?

Steve Cooper currently has five senior centre-back options, three of whom helped the club into the Premier League in Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna and Steve Cook. Willy Boly and Moussa Niakhate were brought in over the summer, although the latter has missed the majority of the season through injury.

Forest have conceded 35 Premier League goals in 20 games, with Bournemouth the only team to have let in more. Therefore, bringing in an experienced player like Felipe – who sports correspondent Simon Evans lauded as ‘superb’ in 2020 as a result of his performances for Atletico – could be a smart move.

Tightening up at the back could be the difference between survival and relegation for the Reds, and Felipe’s experience at the highest level could come in handy over the coming months.

A claim has emerged on Glasgow Rangers attacker Ryan Kent and his short-term future at Ibrox during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke does not believe that the potential signing of Todd Cantwell from English side Norwich will speed up an exit for the Gers winger.

The reporter has also stated that the Englishman is expected to remain in Glasgow until the summer, when his current contract is due to expire.

He told Football FanCast: “I don’t expect Cantwell’s arrival to push Kent out of the door.

“They are slightly different players. Kent is more of a winger whilst Cantwell is a central midfielder, but I think Ryan Kent is still on to stay at Rangers until the end of the season.”

Imagine Cantwell & Kent

Keeping Kent and signing Cantwell this month could leave Michael Beale with the chance of forming a frightening attacking pairing for opposition defences in the Premiership to fear during the second half of the season.

The current Gers attacker has proven himself over the course of a number of years in the Scottish top flight and is a nightmare for defenders to deal with.

Since arriving at Ibrox from Liverpool, initially on loan, in the summer of 2018, the Englishman has racked up 25 goals and 32 assists in 120 Premiership appearances for the club, with 32 goals and 54 assists in 202 matches for the Light Blues in all competitions during that time.

The flying dynamo has proven that he has the quality to be a big threat in the final third, both in terms of scoring and assisting goals, and he could be exciting to watch alongside Cantwell if the club are able to strike an agreement to sign the Canaries man in the coming weeks.

Although the Norwich midfielder has failed to score or assist a single league goal since the start of last season, his form in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns offers hope that he could be an exceptional addition to Beale’s attacking options.

The 24-year-old struck six goals and assisted two in the 2019/20 Premier League season and followed that up with six goals and six assists in his club’s Championship promotion campaign the following year.

These statistics show that the £25k-per-week gem, who was once hailed as “magic” by Radio Norfolk presenter Rob Butler, has the quality to score and assist goals, like Kent, if Beale can get him back firing at his best.

Therefore, Cantwell and the current Gers left winger could frighten Premiership defenders with their technical ability and quality in the final third to form an exciting partnership for the fans to enjoy watching on the pitch.

Manchester United are undoubtedly moving in the right direction, and could take progress one step further with the signing of Ajax Amsterdam phenom Mohammed Kudus in 2023. 

According to 90min earlier this month, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has been exploring the possibility of signing Kudus following the shock departure of legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo in November, following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo had only clinched three goals for United under Ten Hag, with animosity boiling over the polarity between the player and his manager, but his departure had left Old Trafford short of options in the central striking position regardless.

This week, the Premier League giants have patched up the hole with the six-month loan signing of Burnley’s Wout Weghorst, who severed his loan at Turkish outfit Besiktas to take the opportunity to ply his trade for the Red Devils. 

Kudus – valued at around £40m – represents a more dynamic, ubiquitous frontal role, one that could pay dividends for the illustrious outfit as they seek to bolster the ranks in search of glory once again.

Huge Martial upgrade

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once waxed lyrical about the burgeoning star, lauding his “electric” speed and growing presence as a marksman.

And indeed, Kudus has scored ten goals and provided two assists for the Eredivisie giants since the season’s inception, despite only starting ten matches. 

He has unearthed something of a knack for starring on the major stage, with four of his goals and both assists for his club this season coming in the Champions League, with strikes against Liverpool and Napoli only charging the hype around his skill-set; and for his country, the 21-cap gem was one of the standout performers at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old sensationally recorded an average rating of 7.70 at the World Cup, scoring two goals from his three appearances and excelling in his offensive role, taking 2.7 shots per outing and succeeding with 71% of his dribbles.

His defensive acumen was also firmly on display, with his 1.7 tackles and 1.3 possession wins per match an indication of the vibrant sheen to his rounded game. 

He would be a big upgrade on Anthony Martial, who has failed to impress with several poor displays this season.

Having arrived at the Theatre of Dreams for £36m in 2015, the French Martial initially flourished and indeed has chalked up 84 goals and 52 assists from 281 total appearances for United, but has deteriorated over recent years, even being loaned out to Sevilla last year. 

This season, the forward has clinched five goals from 12 appearances, but with Sofascore recording his average league rating at 6.86, it’s clear an improvement on his place in the squad might be a prudent move.  

As per FBref, Kudus, who ranks incredibly against forwards throughout Men’s Next 8 leagues over the past year, including the top 1% for for pass completion and dribbles completed, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 8% for rate of goals, is the dynamic forward with cutting edge United need to ascend to the next level.

Kudus must find his name on Man United team sheets over the coming years, with his “monster” aura – in the words of journalist Muftawu Nabila Abdulai – on the pitch adding prolific value and a dangerous dimension to Ten Hag’s team.

West Ham United remain interested in a deal to bring Pablo Maia to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to André Hernan, with the Brazilian journalist revealing in a recent video (via Sport Witness) that, after making an initial offer of a loan deal with an option to buy the defensive midfielder – a proposal which São Paulo are said to have rejected – David Moyes is now ‘internally discussing’ launching a bid to sign the 20-year-old on a permanent basis this winter.

The reporter goes on to state that Southampton are also interested in a move for the Brazilian in the coming weeks, while earlier reports also claimed that Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur are two more clubs keeping a very close eye on the situation of the youngster ahead of the January transfer window – with São Paulo said to be demanding a €10m (£8.7m) fee for the midfielder.

Wonderkid

Considering just how exciting a prospect Maia very much appears to be, the argument that Moyes simply must launch an £8.7m offer for the 20-year-old in January is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A fixtures in 2022, the £4.3m-rated talent was in exceptional form at the back, making an average of 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.9 clearances and winning 3.3 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

The youngster also impressed when in possession of the ball, creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as enjoying an average of 51.7 touches, making 0.3 key passes, playing 2.9 long balls and completing 38.7 total passes – at a success rate of 90% – per match.

These metrics saw the deep-lying midfielder average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as São Paulo’s 19th-best performer in the Brazilian top flight last time out.

Furthermore, São Paulo sporting director Muricy Ramalho took the time to praise the midfielder’s style of play earlier this year, with the 67-year-old stating of Maia in an interview with Brazilian media outlet Sampi:

“Maia plays as the [deep-lying] midfielder. He gives security to our defence. He has a good pass too. He’s not just about marking. Nowadays, the midfielder has to play too, and he has a good pass. Of course, he does the simple things but he keeps the ball. He gives stability to São Paulo.”

As such, considering just how much potential the 20-year-old quite clearly possesses, it is indeed easy to argue that Moyes simply must launch a move for the wonderkid this winter, as the São Paulo starlet would undoubtedly make a fantastic addition to the 59-year-old’s current options in the middle of the park heading into the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

Aston Villa have approached the agent of Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij over a potential move.

The Lowdown: Defender wanted

Unai Emery looks set to be backed in 2023 by NSWE with a ‘huge’ January budget and seemingly wants a new centre-back in the Midlands.

Reports following Emery’s arrival suggested that Villa will be in the market for a new left-sided defender and are planning a future without Tyrone Mings as a key player.

De Vrij, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, has now emerged as a new target for Villa, and by extension sporting director Johan Lange, with an update in the last 48 hours.

The Latest: De Vrij approach

FC Inter News provided an update regarding De Vrij on Thursday, revealing that Aston Villa, Leicester City and Atletico Madrid ‘have asked agent Federico Pastorello for information’.

The report adds that the centre-back is set for talks over a new contract with Inter and is hopeful an agreement can be reached, although he knows he has admirers elsewhere.

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The Verdict: One to watch?

It seems as if a transfer is unlikely at this stage with De Vrij looking at extending his Inter Milan stay, however, it could still be one to watch in 2023.

The 30-year-old, hailed as a ‘world-beater’ by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, is currently away with the Netherlands at the World Cup, so talks may not get underway until the New Year.

Villa would be able to present a pre-contract agreement offer in January, should his situation remain the same, so there could be a chance that the lure of the Premier League and working under Emery could sway the defender.

Sunderland will be ‘targeting’ players from overseas during the January transfer window, according to Scott Wilson for The Northern Echo.

The Lowdown: Difference of opinion

Ever since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus assumed ownership of the club alongside sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, the Black Cats have primarily focused on bringing in younger players from across the globe with the aim of developing them over time.

As a result, disagreements between the board and Alex Neil arose, which had an impact on his decision to join Championship rivals Stoke City, although Tony Mowbray seems to be much more on board with this recruitment model.

Teenagers Jewison Bennette, Edouard Michut and Abdoullah Ba all moved to the Stadium of Light from overseas in the summer, and it sounds like this will be a new way forward for the club.

The Latest: Sunderland looking abroad

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Northern Echo, Wilson revealed that Sunderland will be continuing with their employment approach and have the full support of the 58-year-old in doing so.

He wrote: “#SAFC will be targeting overseas signings when the transfer window reopens in January – with Tony Mowbray happy to be going along with the club’s new recruitment model…”

The Verdict: Right approach

Sunderland’s new teenage trio have slowly begun to integrate themselves into the team, making 22 league appearances between them; and given the Black Cats’ strong opening to the season, their results are suggesting that this is the way to go.

The Wearsiders currently find themselves just four points outside the play-offs after 20 games, which is exactly where a promotion-battling team would want to be heading up to Christmas.

Key positions being strengthened in the New Year would help to supplement squad depth and should give the Black Cats the push that they need in order to continue their form into the second half of the campaign.

The best spell of Jason Puncheon’s footballing career was undoubtedly at Crystal Palace and he will rightly be remembered fondly by Eagles fans.

However, with the 36-year-old now struggling for consistent form in Cyprus, it seems clear that Steve Parish got rid of the midfielder at the perfect time.

After an impressive career in the lower leagues with spells at Barnet, MK Dons, Plymouth Argyle and Southampton, Puncheon earned his Premier League breakthrough with Blackpool in the 2010/11 campaign.

Another less successful loan spell with QPR would follow before the Englishman starred for Southampton in the Premier League the following season, contributing five goals and six assists for the Saints in 32 top-flight appearances in 2012/13.

Somehow, despite his impressive displays on the South Coast, Palace were able to sign Puncheon initially on loan in 2013, with the versatile winger arriving as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Wilfried Zaha.

Following an impressive start to life at Selhurst Park, his move was made permanent in January 2014, and he would go on to notch seven goals and four assists in his first full season with the club.

The 2014/15 campaign was arguably Puncheon’s best in a Palace shirt as he managed six goals and seven assists in the Premier League, so it was no surprise when manager Alan Pardew sang his praises in 2015 after rewarding him with a new four-year deal.

He said: “Since I’ve come in halfway through Puncheon has been the best player. I’ve given him more responsibility than he’s ever had. He’s made himself the intelligence of the team.”

Another two strong seasons as a regular would follow but by 2017/18, Puncheon’s influence on the team was clearly dwindling, as he made just ten appearances in the Premier League.

After just eight minutes of action in the top flight for Palace in the 2018/19 campaign, the veteran midfielder spent the second half of the season on loan at Huddersfield Town before his release from Selhurst Park, which was a sad way to end an excellent career with the Eagles.

Puncheon made the move to Cyprus, first with Pafos FC before his move to Anorthosis Famagusta during the summer. Given that he has no goals and one assist for his new side thus far, it seems clear that Palace’s decision to release him in 2019 was the right one.