Newcastle United have entered the January transfer window with a new central midfielder at the top of Dan Ashworth’s to-do list.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have been handed a number of injury setbacks in midfield already this season with Bruno Guimaraes missing a number of games and Jonjo Shelvey barely featuring through his respective injury. Setbacks in a key area of the pitch to big players which seem to have left Eddie Howe feeling slightly short in midfield.

This is according to the reliable Toon correspondent Craig Hope, with the Daily Mail journalist claiming a new midfielder is now the ‘absolute priority’ for the Magpies this month:

“You know central midfield, from what I’m hearing and again that was reinforced by one or two conversations today [Saturday], is the absolute priority,” Hope said on his YouTube channel.

A number of names have already been linked with a potential move to Tyneside ahead of this month’s transfer window with the likes of Youri Tielemans among the list of potential winter targets.

Another name which is believed to be on Ashworth’s radar is the 21-year-old Moises Caicedo from his former club, Brighton & Hove Albion who he signed from Independiente in 2021 for a fee of around just £4.4m.

Ashworth is also said to have set his radar on options from across Europe with Ajax’s Edson Alvarez a potential option alongside the brother of Marcus Thuram, Khephren Thuram, who is currently showcasing his talent out in Ligue 1 with OGC Nice.

Area for improvement

Newcastle’s midfield has certainly become one of their strengths under Howe with the signing of Guimaraes seeing the Brazilian become one of the most impressive players across the league in that position.

The Brazilian has been a revelation on Tyneside having as he finds himself in the top nine percentile for non-penalty goals, completed dribbles, tackles and blocks (via Fbref).

And alongside him has been his fellow Brazilian, Joelinton, whose improvement under Howe has been nothing short of remarkable with the 26-year-old’s turnaround being hailed by Jamie Carragher in recent days.

However, Shelvey’s absence has left a gap in Howe’s three-man midfield which has not exactly been claimed with any real conviction by either Joe Willock nor Sean Longstaff.

Willock’s goal-scoring prowess shown during his loan spell under Steve Bruce is now a distant memory with the Englishman scoring just four goals under Howe.

And Longstaff has been slammed for his display in the 0-0 draw against Leeds United on Saturday as the Englishman squandered opportunities to snatch all three points.

With the Magpies flying in the Premier League and Champions League football a real possibility this season, it does feel like a quality partner for Guimaraes and Joelinton could be a big addition for Howe.

Leeds United are thought to be interested in signing RC Lens midfielder Seko Fofana.

The Lowdown: Fofana profiled

The 27-year-old, who Robin Bairner said is ‘known for his powerful runs’, is primarily a central midfielder but has played in a variety of positions throughout his career ranging from holding midfield to centre-forward.

Formerly on the books of Manchester City, Fofana is valued at a career-high €30m (£26.6m) by Transfermarkt and is the Lens captain. He is under contract until 2025 with the Ligue 1 high-fliers, but it looks as if a move could be on the cards this year.

The Latest: Leeds interested in Fofana

Media Foot shared a transfer update regarding Fofana on Tuesday night, claiming that a summer exit is a possibility.

The report says that Nice and AS Monaco are keen on the 27-year-old, while Leeds are also name-checked with an interest.

The Verdict: Forshaw replacement?

The Whites recently lost the services of Mateusz Klich, leaving Jesse Marsch with just one out-and-out central midfielder on the books in Adam Forshaw.

Forshaw has had some serious injury issues in recent years and is actually out of contract at the end of the season, so Fofana could be viewed as a replacement for the 31-year-old at Elland Road.

The Ivory Coast international appears to be at the peak of his powers, so Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta may see a summer swoop as a shrewd piece of business, provided that the Whites remain in the Premier League.

Everton have reportedly enquired about the availability of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani and the Frenchman could be the man to end Frank Lampard’s striker nightmare at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to RMC Sport, Everton have already approached the Bundesliga side about the possibility of signing the 24-year-old forward but the report claims that he sees his future at a more ‘upscale’ club.

Considering the likes of Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are also credited with an interest, it may be tough to convince him that Goodison Park is the right destination for his career this month, especially as Frankfurt are still playing in the Champions League this season.

Ahead of the World Cup, Kolo Muani was valued at €50m (£44m) but after his goal in the semi-final against Morocco, before a strong appearance from the bench in the final against Argentina, the report claims that Frankfurt want to make him their biggest ever sale, so value him at €60m (£53m).

That price could also increase further if the former Nantes man continues to perform in Germany’s top flight this season, as he already boasts an impressive five goals and nine assists in just 14 appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a superb average rating of 7.25.

Could he end Lampard’s striking nightmare?

Considering Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon are Everton’s top scorers in the Premier League this season with just three goals to their name, it seems clear that a new striker is needed if the Toffees have any hopes of arresting their woeful recent form and maintaining their Premier League status.

Main striker options Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay have two goals and no assists between them, which suggests that Kolo Muani could be a big upgrade in terms of both goal-scoring and bringing others into play, given his impressive assist record so far this campaign.

With no win since October, it seems difficult to predict where Everton’s next three points come from and quality additions in the final third, such as Kolo Muani, are desperately needed if they are to get out of relegation trouble this season.

Indeed, Eintracht board member for sport Markus Krösche, summed up perfectly why he’d be able to fix Everton’s problems.

He was full of praise for the striker’s ability and what he offers at The Waldstadion a week ago. saying: “Randal Kolo Muani brings attributes that we need for our game. He’s fast, robust and a very good finisher. He’s also tactically versatile and can play in several different systems, which will give us even more flexibility next season.”

We certainly saw that at the World Cup where the Frenchman shone despite a limited role. Possessing the ability to turn up when it matters, he scored a vital goal in the semi-finals versus Morocco before combining well with Kylian Mbappe against Argentina in the final as Les Bleus turned the game around in the dying embers.

While it will undoubtedly be tough and expensive to sign the France international this month, he looks to have all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League, and he could be the difference between top-flight and Championship football for the Toffees next season, so Lampard should do everything he can to sign him.

Leeds United are concerned Patrick Bamford could be out for a further extended spell following a recent operation.

The Lowdown: Surgery in Germany

Bamford, hailed as a ‘hardworking’ player by former teammate Kalvin Phillips, has had plenty of injury problems over the past 18 months, missing games last season with ankle, hamstring and foot problems.

The 29-year-old has only managed four Premier League starts during the current campaign and recently underwent surgery in Germany prior to domestic football returning.

Reports suggested that the procedure went well and that the forward was set to return to training before the New Year, but a worrying update has emerged.

The Latest: Bamford update

Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke shared news he’s heard out of Elland Road regarding Bamford in the last 24 hours.

He revealed that the Whites fear the forward could be out for an extended period in a new injury setback.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-13/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: New attacking addition crucial

Bamford just can’t remain fully fit for a period of time under Jesse Marsch, with this latest update seemingly another setback for both player and manager.

Therefore, it is even more important that the club bring in a new forward this month to help senior forward Rodrigo.

Failing to do so would be a huge worry ahead of the second half of the season, with Bamford potentially not returning to action for the foreseeable.

Chelsea would be silly not to sign Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Thuram’s future

Sky Sports man Kevin Hatchard recently claimed that he had received a text signalling ‘definite’ interest from Chelsea in signing Thuram this month, with Fabrizio Romano writing in his SubStack column that a Premier League move is the player’s priority (via CaughtOffSide).

The Frenchman has been unwilling to commit to a new contract to extend his stay with Monchengladbach beyond 2023, and so he could be available on a cut-price deal, with BILD claiming it may only take £6m to sign him. (via Football Insider)

The Latest: Taylor’s comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor claimed that the 25-year-old is definitely a player that they should be targeting, saying:

“I’m surprised United aren’t looking at this one, maybe even Arsenal, because he ticks that box. But, at the same time, I think Chelsea probably would be silly not to go for it at the moment given their depleted squad.”

The Verdict: Make it happen

Chelsea should be jumping at the opportunity to sign the forward, as they have been presented with a great chance to either get him for a bargain fee, or on a free transfer if a pre-contract agreement can be arranged.

The 6 foot 4 marksman has received some very high praise from people within the game, namely Arsene Wenger, who compared him to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, while he has also been lauded as ‘world class’ by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer.

Given Thuram’s very impressive attacking record in his career so far, it is clear to see why he has been the subject of such high praise, scoring 59 goals and registering 32 assists in 234 appearances at club level, a fantastic return given that he has played the majority of these games at left-wing.

Graham Potter is clearly in need of some new forward options, given that his side are in the bottom half for goals scored in the Premier League, and Thuram has a brilliant scoring record.

Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring Dusan Vlahovic to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato.it, who claim that, after being heavily linked with the centre-forward prior to his move to Juventus back in January of 2022, Mikel Arteta is once again interested in the Serbia international, with the Spaniard believed to be keen to bring the 22-year-old to The Emirates at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to suggest that Arsenal are not alone in their pursuit of the striker, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain also believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the forward – who the Bianconeri are thought to value at a figure in the region of €115m (£102m) to €120m (£106m).

Edu must move

Considering just how impressive Vlahovic has been in Italy in recent campaigns, the argument that the 22-year-old would be an unreal signing for the Islington outfit is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 36 Serie A appearances last season, the £80m-rated hitman was in breathtaking form, scoring an astonishing 24 goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.3 shots – 1.5 of which hit the target – making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the former Fiorentina attacker average a rather remarkable Sofascore match rating of 7.23, not only ranking him as Juve’s third-best performer in the league but also as the 17th-best player in the top flight of Italian football as a whole.

It has been a similar story over his ten league outings in the current campaign, with the £222k-per-week talent having already bagged six goals and provided one assist, as well as taking an average of 3.1 shots – 1.2 of which have been on target – making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per match.

These metrics have seen the Serb who journalist Raj Chohan dubbed “unreal” and Carlo Garganese labelled a “monster” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.15, not only ranking him as his club’s joint seventh-best performer in the division but also as the 31st-best player in Serie A as a whole.

As such, with Vlahovic undeniably being a centre-forward who knows how to hit the back of the net on an incredibly regular basis, should Arteta wish to maintain Arsenal’s position towards the top of the Premier League table in the seasons ahead, it would indeed appear wise for Edu to do everything he can to beat the likes of United, Chelsea and PSG to Vlahovic next summer.

Indeed, the devastating forward could just be an unreal addition to their ranks as the Londoners go in search of their first title triumph since 2004.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are believed to be interested in Tottenham Hotspur right wing-back Djed Spence amid this January’s transfer window.

What’s the latest?

There have been some reports that Spurs would be willing to allow Spence to depart this month in a bid to get the 22-year-old playing more regular first-team football.

However, there have also been some suggestions claiming Antonio Conte would be keen to keep the player in north London despite him not playing a big role in the Italian’s squad, with Lyall Thomas saying:

“That’s what I’ve been told by my sources so far. As things stand, at the moment, he’s not going anywhere.”

But it would seem apparent that the Englishman does not hold an immediate spot in Conte’s plans given that he is yet to start a game for the Lilywhites since signing in the summer.

And speaking on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed the Wolves manager, Julen Lopetegui, is a big fan of the young wing-back:

“With Spence, there’s always been a massive amount of interest and I know that at Southampton, in particular, unlike when Ralph Hasenhuttl was there, Nathan Jones really likes the player. So that might be one to watch.

“And then Wolves have got a new manager too in Julen Lopetegui and he’s doing really well and he rates the player as well.”

A way out for Spence?

It has been a turbulent spell for Spence since making the move to north London in the summer for a fee believed to be worth in the region of £20m

The 22-year-old has now made six appearances in almost six months at Spurs and all of those six outings have come from the substitute’s bench racking up a combined 41 minutes worth of football (via Transfermarkt).

This is following an impressive stint in the Championship last season where the wing-back totalled 4372 minutes across all competitions for both Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest.

And looking back on his arrival at Spurs, it would seem as if Conte set his stall out pretty early on in Spence’s time at Spurs after he had the following to say about the signing of the 22-year-old:

“Spence is an investment of the club. The club wanted to do it. I said ‘OK, this player is young but he showed he can become a good, important player for us’. The club decided to buy him.”

In comparison to Wolves’ Nelson Semedo – and caveated by playing in the Championship – last season, Spence was able to provide almost double the amount of shot-creating actions as Semedo has this season (via FBref).

On top of that, the Englishman – hailed as “brilliant” – was able to complete over three times (1.89) as many successful dribbles per 90 minutes to the mere 0.49 average by Semedo this season.

So it would seem as if Lopetegui could be interested in providing more of an attacking threat down his right side of defence but it could take Spence some time to get up to speed having sat on the sidelines for so long now.

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their pursuit of a deal to sign winger Mykhailo Mudryk during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Gunners are on the right track to securing a transfer for the Shakhtar Donetsk wide man this month.

He Tweeted: “Told very positive talks took place between Arsenal and Shakhtar on Monday. As reported, sources close to Mudryk say he will be “very disappointed” if a transfer doesn’t happen in January. #CFC have not placed any bid following their own meeting with Shakhtar.”

The reporter added: “Arsenal have still indicated, directly and via intermediaries, they don’t want to pay €100m. But structure of the deal being discussed will be more important than the final number. Shakhtar wanted more money upfront from the second bid (under €70m).”

Jacobs then Tweeted: “Told discussed offer will increase overall total but with some less ‘gettable’ add ons. It means #AFC can stick within valuation (& top-end of guaranteed fee they wish to pay) & offer extras that are either less likely or simply worth paying because tied to success if triggered.”

Kevin de Bruyne 2.0

Mikel Arteta worked with Belgian superstar Kevin de Bruyne during his time as Manchester City’s assistant manager, which lasted for 201 competitive matches, and could land his own version of the gem by signing Mudryk.

Pep Guardiola’s midfield magician has been in sensational form in the Premier League this season and is once again showing that he is one of the best in the business when it comes to creating chances.

The 31-year-old has registered nine assists – three more than any other player in the division – in 17 top-flight matches but has created a whopping 18 ‘big chances’ and averaged 3.5 key passes per game this term.

He ranks in the 99th and 99th percentiles respectively for non-penalty goals and assists per 90 amongst his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues and European competition over the last 365 days, which shows that he is one of the best attacking midfielders on the continent in terms of scoring and creating goals.

Mudryk, whose pace was described as “frightening” by journalist Josh Bunting, ranks in the 99th and 98th percentile respectively in the same statistics for Shakhtar Donetsk over the last 365 days.

The 22-year-old produced three goals and two assists in six Champions League outings for his club earlier this season and has racked up seven goals and six assists in 12 matches in the Ukrainian top-flight.

He has shown incredible promise at his young age and his statistics indicate that he could have a similar creative impact to the one that de Bruyne is currently having for Manchester City – Arsenal’s title rivals.

Southampton could look to sign Villarreal winger Nicolas Jackson this month, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Jackson a wanted man

The 21-year-old has matured into an impressive young footballer, becoming a key figure at Villarreal, scoring and assisting twice apiece in La Liga this season.

Jackson certainly isn’t without suitors currently and there has been recent interest from the Premier League, with Aston Villa arguably the front-runners to sign him and Saints linked, too.

Now, a new update regarding Southampton’s interest in the attacker has emerged.

The Latest: ‘Save themselves’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth said that Jackson could be a long-term addition for Nathan Jones’ side but is already good enough to save them from relegation:

“I think Nicolas Jackson will be one of those players that not only would they look at: yes, he can help us in the future, but in the short-term, could his goals and performances help Southampton get out of that bottom three and just, just save themselves from relegation.”

The Verdict: Ticks lots of boxes

Jackson could be a really astute signing by Southampton, hopefully in the January transfer window, adding the firepower that they need in the final third.

Granted, last weekend’s vital 2-1 win away to Everton has eased some pressure on Jones, but there is a dearth of goals in attack, with Che Adams the highest-scoring attacker with four in the league.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has said Jackson is having a ‘great time’ this season, and the versatile speedster could spearhead Saints’ attack between now and the end of the season, and beyond.

Tottenham Hotspur are not fully convinced about potentially bringing Mauricio Pochettino back to the club if they are to part ways with Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

Results – and performances – are failing to improve on a consistent basis in north London under the Italian with the latest defeat showing the difference between Spurs and their local rivals who finished below them last season.

And this is putting the future of Conte under the spotlight with reports suggesting his future in N17 is becoming increasingly uncertain.

Next up for Spurs is an away trip to the title-chasing Manchester City and a defeat coupled with results elsewhere could see a real gap begin to emerge between them and the top four.

Amid the speculation over Conte’s future, journalist Alasdair Gold has spoken on his YouTube channel about there being some inside the club who are not convinced about potentially bringing back Pochettino:

“I think bringing Pochettino back in would be admitting a huge mistake. And I know that there’s mixed views within that club, about certain people that would like Poch back and there’s certain people that really wouldn’t like him back.”

Deep-lying issues

A number of managers – top-class ones at that – have come and gone from Spurs in recent years but one thing which has remained as the constant factor among those is ENIC and Daniel Levy.

Conte pulled off a stunning second half of the 2021/22 campaign to clinch the Lilywhites a spot in this season’s Champions League.

Close to £150m was then spent in the summer across a number of signings and now it appears as if the Italian is resigned to lowering the expectations of the fans.

Fans are free to determine how good the think the signings over the summer were, however, the reality is pundits were discussing whether these were additions that could even propel Spurs into a title charge.

Now, there could be an argument made that more could have been done but the reality is Spurs are unlikely to spend as much as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City in a transfer window.

And in the likes of Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic, Conte was receiving a midfielder who was dubbed as perfect for Conte and a wing-back who has proven quality over the years.

And yet Bissouma has struggled enormously under Conte and Perisic did not start in the game against Arsenal in which Ryan Sessegnon dropped a 4/10 display.

So yes, there may be more that can be done in the windows but Conte is seemingly not extracting everything he can from the players he has available.

And that is something which Pochettino was able to do during his time in north London as he operated on a shoestring budget.

Despite not being backed for two transfer windows in a row, Pochettino was able to deliver consistently with Spurs with just one finish outside of the top four to his name.

Does this mean a change in manager would suddenly solve Tottenham’s long-term problems? Probably not as we have seen with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Conte.

However, if Conte is not willing to commit to a future at Spurs and results don’t improve alongside the performances, then we think someone like Pochettino could possibly come in and get more from the current crop of players.