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According to journalist Tom Hopkinson of The Daily Mirror, it appears Southampton have now entered the race for electric right-back Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Saints being backed?

At the start of January, a new era began on the south coast with Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak and Sport Republic completing a £100 million takeover of the club.

Despite still not quite possessing the illustrious wealth of some Premier League clubs, reports indicate that Southampton’s new majority owners are indeed backing manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and transfer chief Martin Semmens.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano recently lifted the lid on Southampton’s willingness to table a record £25 million bid to sign Armando Broja on a permanent deal from Chelsea.

Meanwhile, football.london correspondent Adam Newson later broke news of further talks as the Saints entered negotiations for another Blues starlet in Tino Anjorin.

Now, Hopkinson of The Mirror has shared news on another target for the club.

The Latest: Saints eyeing Spence move…

According to his sources, Southampton are eyeing a move for Middlesborough starlet Spence amid his brilliant loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Hasenhuttl’s side have allegedly joined a queue of clubs who want to sign the 21-year-old with Tottenham, Roma and Arsenal also keen.

However, Spurs are apparently confident they can land him ahead of the Saints and other interested parties.

The Verdict: Exciting player…

The homegrown ace is, arguably, one of the most promising defenders in English football right now and would be a major coup for Southampton if they decide to try and beat Spurs to his signature.

Spence is a constant threat from out wide, as proven by the fact he has averaged more successful take-ons per match (1.7) than any Forest regular with more than three Championship starts (WhoScored).

The marauding wing-back has attracted plenty of Premier League attention for his form, with Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff believing that he is already a ‘massive player’ at such a young age and may well continue to be in Forest’s push for promotion.

The Daily Express claim Spence could cost around £15 million, but going by his exploits this season, it seems like a worthwhile potential investment.

In other news: Southampton could also make last minute move to sign ‘world class’ international, find out more here.

Despite currently sitting in fourth place in the Championship table and just four points off the top spot, West Brom have scored the fewest number of goals out of any of the top five teams in the league at the moment with 30 scored in 23 games.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is close to opening, this could provide the Midlands club with the opportunity to strengthen their squad to put themselves in the best possible shape to attack the second half of the campaign and push for promotion.

In recent days, it has been reported by The Athletic that Barnsley striker Cauley Woodrow is “under consideration” for the Baggies to sign in January, which could be just what they need to progress.

The 27-year-old originally joined Barnsley on a loan deal from Fulham back in the 2018 summer transfer window before signing on a permanent basis in January 2019.

Overall, the striker, who is currently valued at £2.7m according to Transfermarkt, has made 151 appearances for Barnsley across all competitions, scoring 53 goals and providing ten assists along the way, showing how much of a goalscoring threat he could be for the Baggies.

With 42 appearances under Valerien Ismael during the duo’s time together at Barnsley, Woodrow managed to score 12 goals and provide six assists, showing that the West Brom manager knows how to get a tune out of the player and why it would make sense for them to reunite in January at The Hawthorns.

Labelled as a player that “carries a goal threat” by former Huddersfield Town boss and pundit Danny Cowley, Woodrow could be a great January signing for West Brom if he’s able to hit the ground running in terms of scoring goals and push the Baggies to promotion back to the Premier League.

However, with the striker playing the full 90 minutes in all but one of the 22 Championship games he’s appeared in so far this season, it could be tough for the Baggies to get Woodrow out of Barnsley based on how important he clearly is to their team.

Although, with Barnsley in the relegation zone with just 14 points on the board, a chance to secure promotion and play in the Premier League with West Brom could be rather tempting for Woodrow and possibly give hope to the Midlands club that they would be able to work out a deal to sign him in January.

In other news: Lai still wants to sell the Baggies

According to a report by RMC Sport, West Ham have been linked with a loan move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo.

The Lowdown: Centre-back crisis

The Hammers have suffered from a variety of defensive injuries this season, and it is those affecting the centre-backs which have hit the hardest.

Centre-half pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma are currently out of action, leaving Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the only senior defenders available for David Moyes to play centrally.

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Whilst Zouma is set to return in the next week or so, Ogbonna suffered a serious cruciate ligament rupture in early November which is expected to keep him out until after the end of this season.

As a result, the Irons have been on the hunt for centre-back options as they search for greater depth in that position.

The Latest: Hammers linked with Abdou Diallo loan

According to a report by RMC Sport (as relayed by Claret & Hugh), West Ham have been linked with a loan move for PSG centre-back Diallo.

The Hammers are reportedly interested in bringing in the 25-year-old on loan, as the French giants are looking to offload a number of fringe players.

The two clubs are yet to discuss a deal, but with the Irons looking to bring in a central defender, it would not be surprising to see the east London club exploring a multitude of avenues.

The Verdict: Good move for both parties

The Senegal international, who can also be utilised as a left-back, joined PSG as an exciting youngster from Borussia Dortmund in a £28.8m deal in 2019.

Despite being hailed as “strong in the air and shrewd in the challenge” by Rouven Schröder, then-sporting director at his former club Mainz, Diallo has not held down a regular place as a member of PSG’s star-studded line-up, having made just nine appearances in Ligue 1 this season and two in the Champions League.

With his lack of game-time in mind, he could be open to a move to West Ham if he seeks more first team football in preparation for the World Cup later this year.

Therefore, a loan deal could prove to be a good option for both the player and the club. Diallo could use the Hammers as a way of getting back into PSG’s first team plans, and Moyes could utilise the defender when necessary for the remainder of the season without the financial commitment of a permanent deal.

In other news: West Ham could battle La Liga giants for the ‘new Vidic’, came ‘very close’ to a deal in 2021

According to a recent report from Wolves journalist Liam Keen for the Express & Star, the Premier League are negotiating on behalf of their clubs with FIFA and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) officials to see if players can leave in early January and be available for their clubs over the Christmas and New Year period.

From a Wolves point of view, if a deal can be reached, this would allow defenders Willy Boly and Romain Saiss to be involved for the Premier League clash against Manchester United on January 3 at Old Trafford.

Wolves fans would be delighted

If an agreement can be made, this would surely give Wolves manager Bruno Lage a big boost when it comes to taking on the Red Devils and delight a lot of Old Gold fans in the process.

Even though Wolves have the likes of Conor Coady and Max Kilman in their squad who have started all 15 of their Premier League games so far this season, there’s no certainty that they will be available to play at Old Trafford next month. That could leave Lage having to rely on the likes of Saiss and Boly to step up if they are both available.

Despite Boly not making even one appearance in the Premier League so far this term, he still has the backing of Lage, who described him as an “important” player for Wolves.

Saiss, on the other hand, has been a regular figure for the Old Gold in this campaign, starting all 15 league games alongside Coady and Kilman and earning himself an overall season rating of 6.89/10 for his performances, making him Wolves’ fourth-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

With this is mind and the fact that United have currently scored more than double the amount of league goals (25) that Wolves have managed (12), it would undoubtedly be preferable if Lage can call upon both Saiss and potentially Boly, if he’s fit enough, to try and secure a positive result against the Red Devils.

If a deal can’t be agreed between the Premier League and AFCON officials, the Wolves boss will have to hope that Coady and Kilman will be fit enough to play and that they can do enough to keep United at bay.

In other news: Wolves dealt possible transfer blow on £40m “Van Dijk-like signing”, Shi surely fuming

This January transfer window will be a pivotal one for Leeds United and their top-flight status.

It may also be a crucial one for Marcelo Bielsa who is under pressure to keep his job following a torrid season so far.

What’s the word?

Leeds headed into Christmas in 16th place and although they still have a cushion to the foot of the table, it might not be too long before they get dragged into a relegation battle.

Thus, the Whites must go against their winter traditions of rarely signing anyone by strengthening significantly next month.

One player who is a potential target for Victor Orta is Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leeds’ recruitment director had already spoken to him about a move and now the Express suggest that their chase of the attacker could be reunited in 2022.

He is currently valued at £16.2m via Transfermarkt.

Forget James

Last summer, Leeds finally managed to bring Dan James to Elland Road as he departed Manchester United for pastures new.

The zippy Welsh forward was in the building and was set to sign for the Elland Road outfit back in 2019 but a move fell through at the 11th hour despite documents being signed and James posing with a Leeds shirt.

Yet, two years on, they finally got their man a few months ago.

Sadly, his performances since moving to Yorkshire haven’t really been up to scratch. The Wales international has featured 16 times for Bielsa’s side but has only registered a solitary goal and two assists.

That form has led to considerable criticism, particularly from Darren Bent. He told Football Insider:

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless.

“He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

Though, with Leeds’ mass injury problems, it’s been hard to ignore him in the starting XI.

That said, by signing Kvaratskhelia this winter, Bielsa could finally be granted the license to axe James from the starting XI.

The 20-year-old currently plays his football in Russia for Rubin Kazan and has proven to be a particularly tricky customer.

Although he’s only bagged one goal, he’s registered three assists and registered a whopping 2.7 dribbles per match. For context, that’s more than any player at Thorp Arch, including Raphinha who has managed 2.4 per game.

Described as a player with “crazy technique” by Russian coach Denis Bushuev, he has also been compared to two of the trickiest wingers we’ve seen in football.

“He is from the same constellation of players as Ribery or Robben,” Bushuev admitted.

Consequently, it would appear as if Kvaratskhelia would be an eye-catching signing for Leeds this winter. Not only would he add greater quality to the squad but it would give James a chance to rest on the sidelines and reapply himself.

AND in other news, Orta masterclass: Leeds struck dream deal with £36m-rated “magician” who’s “a storm”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Adrien Rabiot, regarding Juventus’ plans for him going forward.

What’s the talk?

According to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are firmly in the race to land the French midfielder in January.

The report claims that the Italian giants are looking to sell him in the next window and could accept an offer as low as €10m (£8.5m) for the ex-PSG man.

Transformation

Eddie Howe has inherited a Newcastle team in a difficult position in the Premier League. The Magpies are 19th in the table and are the only side in the division yet to win a match, which is why the January transfer window could be the difference between staying up and heading straight back down to the Championship at the end of the season.

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The signing of Rabiot could be a potential game-changer for Howe as he could transform his midfield with the talented beast. He has proven himself as he caught the eye with PSG in Ligue 1 previously in his career and could provide a huge lift to the team.

In his final five seasons for the club, the holding midfielder averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.11 or higher, whilst making at least 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game on average in each season. He has also shown off his ability to pass the ball, with a carer average pass completion rate of 89.9% – playing for PSG, Juventus and France.

Ex-Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo previously called him ‘complete’, saying: “He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.”

Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon once compared him to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, saying: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio. He is incredible, extremely strong.”

Meanwhile, no Newcastle midfielder has averaged a WhoScored rating higher than 6.53 – a dismal score in comparison to the 7.11 or higher Rabiot was hitting in France. This suggests that he could be a major addition to the side and transform their midfield by bringing a consistently high level of quality to the team with his ability to win the ball back and retain it with his excellent passing.

Howe must now ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the Frenchman in the January window and pounce on this opportunity Juventus are seemingly set to hand them.

AND in other news, Howe could win over NUFC fans by axing £41k-p/w dud and landing “magnificent” beast…

Tanguy Ndombele has often cut a frustrated figure at Tottenham Hotspur as he’s struggled for fitness and consistency ever since that club-record move from Lyon in 2019.

Indeed, the Frenchman, who cost £55m, has been a polarising sensation in north London. On some days, he’s a different level to the rest, displaying the sort of technically-gifted ability that very few possess, on others, he looks lacklustre and disinterested.

The latter is the sort of attitude that would surely see him out the door under a ruthless authoritarian such as Antonio Conte. However, he and those around the club have reason to be positive because Ndombele could well play a monumental role in the future.

He may have been snubbed as an unused substitute at the weekend, meaning he has only started five of their 12 league games this term, but in a few months, his time could come.

You only have to look at the Italian’s use of Cesc Fabregas at Chelsea to see plenty of similarities. Arguably, Ndombele is in a better position right now, being just 24, some five years younger than the Spaniard at that time.

In the Blues’ title-winning campaign in 2016/17, the former Arsenal man registered 12 assists from 29 appearances and barely featured before Christmas, largely due to injuries. He had not completed a full 90 minutes by December.

By the New Year, Fabregas struck up a phenomenal partnership alongside N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

His past comments on the 52-year-old may provide some insight into exactly what Ndombele needs to do, and quite frankly, Spurs need a player like him to provide creativity just like the AS Monaco star once did.

“At the beginning, it was difficult for me, don’t get me wrong. A lot of running, a lot of intensity. Big sessions, double sessions, gym sessions,” he revealed (via football.london).

“I had coaches like Pep [Guardiola] who had a lot of positioning game but we had freedom inside of this. With Conte, the freedom was non-existent, he was telling me where I have to pass the ball.

“I’m 29 years old in that moment, I’ve already played for 13 years, I played in every final, I won a lot of things and this guy is telling me where I need to pass the ball.”

It is something that Conte has even already alluded to, since arriving in N17, telling reporters that the enigmatic midfielder needs “to understand that there is a team and he has to play into the team” and that he “has to work much more than the others” because of his talent.

Once dubbed “unplayable” and a “world-beater” by Joe Hart, Ndombele may need to bide his time heading into 2022 but if he does what’s asked of him, then he could well emerge as a key and influential player for Spurs for the remainder of the season.

Only time will tell if the £40.5m-rated dynamo can replicate such a feat. If so, then Conte may repeat one of his biggest masterclasses in management.

AND in other news, Conte eyes “dominant” £54m-rated “Rolls-Royce”, he could be Spurs’ new Jan Vertonghen…

Manchester City are part of a select group of clubs who could tempt Kalidou Koulibaly to leave Napoli.

That’s what the Senegalese defender apparently told Italian journalist Valter De Maggio (via Area Napoli).

De Maggio asked Koulibaly whether he’d consider a move to Juventus, but was told that he would ‘never go and play for another Italian club’.

Instead, the 30-year-old insisted he would only leave for ‘two, maximum three clubs in the world’.

‘Guardiola’s Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona’ were the three sides identified.

Koulibaly admired at The Etihad

City were keen to sign Koulibaly in 2020 but wound up striking a deal for Ruben Dias instead.

The relationship between the reigning Premier League champions and Napoli is ‘not good’ after Chelsea were allowed to hijack their move for Jorginho in 2018.

But Koulibaly continues to impress, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently making the case that the ‘weapons-grade’ ‘colossus’ was the best player in the world on form – he’s helped Napoli win nine and draw one of their first 10 Serie A games.

They also lie second in their UEFA Europa League group, ahead of Leicester City, at the halfway stage.

Fan feed City Xtra relayed De Maggio’s comments, and here’s what supporters made of them.

City fans flock to Koulibaly claims

“Ake straight swap”

Credit: @TeacherOfBall

“We are finished without Pep blud”

Credit: @UnrealFoden

“The poor bloke is still packing his bags”

Credit: @_TJ932O

“We got Father Ruben, pal. We don’t need you.”

Credit: @mvx_mcfc

“I’m sick of his name I cant lie”

Credit: @BernardoTouch

“Too little too late”

Credit: @ashley__04

In other news, fans have called for this signing.  

With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash very much on a high after an exceptional performance in the Europa League on Thursday evening, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another positive result and display when the Hoops visit Dundee this weekend.

And, in more positive news for Celtic, James Forrest appears to be nearing a return to full fitness after getting another 20 minutes of first-team football under his belt in the 3-2 win over Ferencvarosi TC, having made his first appearance since August in the 0-0 draw with Livingston last weekend.

The return of the winger, who has been sidelined as a result of an unspecified injury, will certainly come as a major boost to Postecoglou, as the 30-year-old has proven to be one of the Bhoys’ most creative and attacking outlets in recent seasons.

Indeed, over his 58 appearances in all competitions back in 2017/18, the £5.4m-rated forward scored 17 goals and registered ten assists, before bagging 18 goals and providing 20 assists over 56 appearances in 2018/19, and scoring 16 times and registering 22 assists over 47 games in 2019/20.

And, with both Jota – four goals and five assists over 13 appearances – and Kyogo Furuhashi – 11 goals and three assists over 17 fixtures – already well and truly firing in the Celtic front three, the further addition of Forrest to the 56-year-old manager’s attacking lineup would appear to bode extremely well for the Hoops’ chances of going on to reclaim their Scottish Premiership crown come the end of the season.

As such, in order to get the £15k-per-week Forrest back up to speed as quickly as possible, it would appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to unleash the player who Neil Lennon dubbed “priceless” from the off against Dundee, as the Premiership strugglers could act as the perfect foil to help reestablish Forrest as a regular in the Celtic first-team – something that is surely a terrifying prospect for the rest of the division.

In other news: Nicholson must finalise Celtic deal for “clinical” £7.1k-p/w gem, he’d be a major coup

Everton fans are delighted with the news that Crystal Palace are interested in signing Tom Davies and are keeping tabs on his future.

The Toffees have had a generally good start to the season under new manager Rafael Benitez. As it stands, they are fifth in the Premier League table, having won four of their opening six matches, and they sit just one point behind current leaders Liverpool (Sky Sports).

While the Goodison Park outfit have performed rather well, Davies has had to make do with a just two appearances and a total of 17 minutes in the league (Transfermarkt).

According to Football Insider, there is uncertainly over the £16.2m-valued man’s future at the club, and Palace are said to be interested in acquiring his services as a result.

The news was shared on Twitter by @ToffeeTVEFC, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the rumour.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Davies news below

“I’d get shut in a heartbeat”

Credit: @andy_francis2

“Let it happen please”

Credit: @VladtheLad8

“Stop teasing me”

Credit: @andysimo5

“Sound like a good deal all around if for the right price. Davies needs to be be playing regularly and seems that Rafa doesn’t fancy him.”

Credit: @_RobMatthews_

“This would be a good deal for everyone make it happen Palace.”

Credit: @leemolton

“Probably time he left now I think. It hasn’t worked here for whatever reasons and Palace are a decent club who may be able to give him game time”

Credit: @pdwyer1987

In other news, Everton fans react to this transfer news.