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Newcastle United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Malo Gusto to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Chelsea are now preparing a new bid for the Olympique Lyonnais right-back, believed to be in the region of €40m (£35m) after seeing an opening offer of €20m (£17.5m) turned down by the Ligue 1 club.

This is sure to have come as a huge blow to Eddie Howe, as Newcastle have also been heavily linked with a move for the France U21 international this month, with Italian media outlet calciomercato.com reporting as recently as Thursday morning that the Magpies are evaluating the 19-year-old ahead of launching a potential move.

Howe must move

Considering just how exciting a prospect Gusto has undoubtedly proven himself to be so far this season, the argument that Howe simply must at least match any offer Chelsea are to make for the Lyon starlet in January is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 15 Ligue 1 appearances in the current campaign, the £22m-rated talent has been a rock on the right of Laurent Blanc’s backline, helping his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 clearances and winning 4.8 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £7k-per-week full-back has also caught the eye going forwards, having registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.4 key passes, playing 2.5 long balls, finding his man with 1.9 crosses and completing 1.1 dribbles – at a success rate of 46% – per match.

These returns have seen the 19-year-old wonderkid – who journalist Bobby Vincent labelled both “very dangerous” going forwards and a “real talent” – average a simply sensational Sofascore statistical rating of 7.10, currently ranking him as Lyon’s fifth-best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, with Howe’s current first-choice right-back Kieran Trippier turning 33 years of age later this year, and with there being quite a significant drop off in ability to the Magpies’ backup options of Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo – it would indeed appear as if the right of the Newcastle backline is a position that requires more strength in depth for a top-four push.

And, with £35m very much appearing to be a fee that Newcastle can afford to spend this month, coupled with just how exciting a prospect Gusto evidently is, it is indeed an easy argument to make that Howe simply must match Chelsea’s impending offer this winter, as the Toon boss could just be rewarded with a ‘real talent’.

Leeds United are likely to make a new striker a priority after sealing their first signing of the January transfer window this week…

What’s the word?

The Yorkshire giants announced the arrival of versatile defender Max Wober in an £11m deal from RB Salzburg on Tuesday, reuniting with his ex-manager Jesse Marsch and two former teammates in Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson.

Now, according to transfer insider Dean Jones, the club could target a forward before the end of the month. When asked about the prospect of landing frontline reinforcements now that the Austrian is through the door, the journalist told GIVEMESPORT:

“Yeah, absolutely. This is the position that ultimately defines their season.

“Can they find a focal point in a team? A goalscorer? A new Patrick Bamford that they can lean on and know that those big moments, those big chances are going to be eaten up.”

Striker solution needed

The Whites’ troubles up top stem from Bamford’s sorry injury record over the past 18 months. Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, the Englishman has only been able to start 11 matches, coming off the back of a 17-goal and seven-assist return just a season earlier.

Bamford had undergone surgery during the recent World Cup break in a bid to be fit for the Premier League’s return, however, Football Insider have revealed that there has been a setback in his recovery, meaning he’s set to remain out for the foreseeable future, which is terrible news for Marsch.

Leeds director of football Victor Orta is now in a race against time to find a viable solution before January 31st as technically, the 29-year-old is the only senior striker at the club. Rodrigo has filled in superbly, having bagged ten goals this term, whilst summer signing Wilfried Gnonto and players like Joe Gelhardt can also play there.

But that isn’t enough as the Yorkshiremen are merely another injury or further problems to Bamford away from a disaster, so strength in depth in the role is desperately needed.

Whether they can find another version of the prime talisman, as Jones suggests, remains to be seen but they have been linked to a multitude of names, including Coventry City’s 12-goal bagsman Viktor Gyokeres and Southampton’s Che Adams.

There is certainly hope that they can give the remarks, so hopefully Orta can find the right man to help alleviate one of Marsch’s biggest problems at Elland Road at the moment.

AND in other news, Orta could sign Leeds’ next Milner in swoop for £40m “leader” who’s “Mr Dependable”…

Everton are ‘close’ to agreeing a new long-term contract with Anthony Gordon, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Iwobi breakthrough

Football Insider reported this week that Alex Iwobi is first in line for a new deal at Goodison Park after a ‘breakthrough in negotiations’.

The Nigeria international is apparently set for a ‘big money’ extension as a reward for his impressive displays in the middle of the park for Frank Lampard.

Now, it seems the boss is set to tie down another one of his top assets, with Kevin Thelwell also making progress on new terms for Gordon.

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The Latest: Gordon next up

According to The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe, deals for both Iwobi and Gordon are ‘progressing’ in an attempt to fend off January transfer interest.

The reporter reveals an agreement for the Scouser is ‘close’ and the Blues even hope to make an announcement soon to put an end to any speculation going into the winter window.

The Verdict: Important

It’s fair to say Gordon hasn’t lived up to the standards he set last season, with some fans frustrated by his lack of end product from the wing.

The 21 year-old has managed to score three goals this term – only one less than his tally last campaign – but he is averaging far less key passes and successful crosses this time around, no doubt contributing to the Toffees’ lack of firepower up front.

That said, whether or not the youngster re-finds the form that saw him burst onto the scene is irrelevant in the need for a new deal. If he does explode back into form, then Lampard and Thelwell would no doubt rather keep a talented rising talent on their books, and if he doesn’t then the contract will put them in a much stronger negotiating position should they decide to cash in.

Leeds United have reportedly made an enquiry for one of the World Cup’s heroes…

What’s the word?

According to La Gazzetta Express, the Whites have asked about signing Sampdoria midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri, who is currently starring for Morocco on their way to the quarter-finals in Qatar.

It’s believed that they want to sign him in January but face competition from Olympique Lyonnais, Real Betis and Sevilla. The Serie A side may be forced to sell him due to their financial situation, whilst any exit could take the form of a loan-to-buy agreement.

It remains to be seen how much the 26-year-old would command, with CIES Football Observatory valuing him at just €10m (£8.5m).

World Cup hero

Some may vaguely recognise Sabiri’s name as he once played for Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town and whilst he didn’t exactly make his mark in England, he did have one particularly glowing game against Leicester City, where he terrorised Harry Maguire and co.

His only goal contribution across 13 appearances came in the 2017 encounter, where he created two key passes and provided an assist for Laurent Depoitre’s opener, via Sofascore.

Fast forward some five years and now Sabiri is one of the surprise names lighting it up on the world’s biggest stage.

Not only did he bag a goal against one of the tournament favourites in Belgium but he has also slotted home a penalty to see Morocco past another titan in Spain to set up a quarter-final tie with Portugal.

Both of his appearances against the two European giants saw the former Terriers flop earn Sofascore ratings of 7.0 or better, building on from the Serie A’s official Twitter feed lauding his ability to “produce wondrous moments.”

Sabiri has also been described as a “great talent” by his former youth coach Daniel Meisinger in the past and the creative no.10 could be exactly that for Leeds as when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s elite divisions, he ranks very favourably.

Indeed, the Sampdoria star sits within the top 5% for shots, the top 10% for goals and the top 15% for expected assists per 90 over the last year, via FBref.

Given his estimated worth, director of football Victor Orta could well discover quite the bargain in Sabiri this winter.

AND in other news, Leeds may finally land £55k-p/w “animal” Bielsa wanted for nothing, he’s Dan James 2.0…

Everton forward Anthony Gordon is ‘not doing enough’ at Goodison Park, according to BT Sport pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Summer transfer interest

Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Chelsea were both credited with a strong interest in the 21-year-old over the summer, with the latter even reported to have been prepared to pay the £60m asking price set by the Toffees.

Frank Lampard has dropped the forward to the bench for the last two games, but the 44-year-old has since revealed that the youngster has been playing with a broken hand, hence the reason he has been a substitute.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor suggested that Gordon’s valuation will have now been reduced as a result of his decline in performance.

The 36-year-old said: “That £60million has come down to £30million. I feel like he doesn’t do enough, he doesn’t score enough goals, for me. He’ll get the odd one or two and then go quiet.

“There’s a reason why he’s on the bench, he’s not doing enough. Maybe, has the interest from Chelsea got to his head? He’s got to knuckle down.

“He should have been one that should have been in the running for the World Cup. Now he’s gone quiet and he’s not even being talked about again.”

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The Verdict: Slightly overrated?

Whilst Gordon undoubtedly has plenty of potential, he’s definitely not worth £60m at this moment in time and is probably overvalued by his club. Indeed, his current Transfermarkt value comes in at €40m, which equates to just under £35m.

The England under-21 international has only scored seven goals in 75 appearances for the Toffees and currently averages just 0.6 dribbles and 0.6 key passes per league game (WhoScored).

Although he is Everton’s leading Premier League scorer with three goals this term, Gordon only ranks ninth in WhoScored’s overall performance metrics at Goodison Park, which suggests that his all-round game has plenty of room for improvement.

It’s easy for players to get distracted by transfer speculation when big clubs come sniffing around, but it’s important that he gets his head down and focuses on the job at hand.

David Moyes made some excellent signings in the summer transfer window for West Ham United, bringing in the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta to form a wonderful spine to the team.

The signing of Flynn Downes appears to have largely gone under the radar, but Moyes may have a real diamond on his hands in the 23-year-old.

With Irons stalwart Mark Noble having retired last season following an 18-year spell in the first team, West Ham may just have unearthed his ideal heir.

Downes plays in the same position as the former club captain, while he is also a lifelong Hammers fan and has all the attributes which could make him the perfect midfield replacement, although the former Swansea man might just go one better than the 35-year-old by winning a senior England cap.

Former West Ham academy graduate and England international Joe Cole praised Downes on BT Sport following his performance against FCSB, saying he has been an “outstanding” find for West Ham, and Moyes has done the correct thing by easing him into first-team action this season.

The Englishman has started four matches in the Europa Conference League, averaging a rating of 6.98/10 from SofaScore, and he has impressed in the club’s engine room.

A 92% pass success rate and an average of 58.2 touches per match would suggest that he isn’t fazed at this level, while he has added some excellent defensive protection to the West Ham side in Europe.

Downes has made three tackles and one interception and won possession back 1.6 times per match, while also displaying his strength in one-on-one situations by winning 64% of his duels in the competition.

Journalist Josh Bunting has said that Downes “adds another dimension” for the Hammers, and with these numbers from the Conference League playing a part in Moyes’ side winning the group with six wins out of six, the praise is certainly justified.

The next step will be to transition these performances on the continent into regular appearances in the Irons’ starting XI in the Premier League.

Only then can the 23-year-old claim to be the heir apparent to Noble, but so far, the early signs are looking hugely positive.

Arsenal are already weighing up some moves ahead of the January transfer window with a winger apparently high on their radar.

What’s the word?

The Gunners attempted to bring a wide player to north London in the summer, registering an interest in Raphinha.

However, the Brazilian eventually made a move to Barcelona. Now, Edu is hot on the heels of another South American forward.

That’s according to Charles Watts who has revealed that the Premier League side are in early talks to sign Orlando City’s Facundo Torres.

Taking to Twitter, the Goal reporter said: “Discussions over a potential move for Facundo Torres very much at an early stage. He has made an impression on the scouting team, but it hasn’t really gone beyond that yet – Further talks planned as Arsenal continue to look for Saka cover.”

He’s ready to explode

Torres’ potential right now is quite considerable. He has already been compared to another diminutive South American in a certain Lionel Messi and his numbers appear to be getting better year by year.

The Uruguayan has scored 29 career goals, 13 of which came during the 2022 MLS season. It was a captivating campaign for the 22-year-old who also registered ten assists while playing in a multitude of roles.

The Orlando City star featured on the left, on the right and as a second striker behind a centre-forward. It’s eye-catching that he can play right across the frontline and Arsenal have already felt the full force of his Messi-like qualities.

Mikel Arteta’s men played against his club side in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, a match in which Torres scored. Cutting inside from the left in trademark fashion, the youngster rifled a shot home on his left foot.

It was a wonderful goal and shows exactly why Arsenal are in discussions to bring him to the club.

Most similar to former Gunner, Joel Campbell, per FB Ref, the £6.3m-rated jewel’s numbers have been rather extraordinary. Indeed, when compared to players in his position across the next eight best leagues (away from Europe’s top five divisions), he ranks in the best 5% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 10% for passes into the penalty area and the best 18% for through balls.

It paints a vivid picture that Torres is not just clinical, but also incredibly creative. The offensive “monster” – as dubbed by compatriot Luis Suarez – sits inside the top 40 players for key pass ending carries in MLS, proving that once he brings the ball forward, he tends to pick out a teammate with a crucial pass.

All of this surely makes him a shoo-in for a place in Uruguay’s World Cup squad. The wide attacker has been capped ten times by his country and is now ready to make himself a household name.

There is no better place to do that than at the World Cup, where the nation of Qatar is ready to witness his exciting talent.

The tournament kicks off in a matter of weeks so Arsenal supporters may well be able to catch a glimpse of his talent before a formal January bid is launched. Based on the aforementioned numbers, it would be a shock if they don’t accelerate their interest in the immediate future. He is ready to explode at a higher level.

Sunderland lost their fourth game of the season in the Championship this afternoon after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, and Tony Mowbray will surely be frustrated with the results and some individual performances.

It is now the Black Cats’ fourth consecutive game without a win, which has led to their fall into 11th in the table, and the struggles with injury problems in the forward line are further presenting themselves as the weeks go on.

Both Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart are sidelined with injuries, so Mowbray has been deploying Elliot Embleton and Alex Pritchard in the centre-forward positions, and it’s safe to say that it’s not working out.

Despite having equal possession (50%), taking more shots (11 v 10) and winning more duels (44 v 40) than their opponents today, Sunderland failed to take their chances and be clinical with their shots, with only three of their 11 attempts getting on target.

In the first half, the hosts dominated the possession (56%) and found the back of Sunderland’s net comfortably, with Oliver Cooper opening the scoring in the 13th minute and Harry Darling making it 2-0 in the final moments before the half-time whistle was blown.

In the second half, Sunderland came out fighting, with Jack Clarke scoring in the 53rd minute to try and inspire a comeback for the visitors. However, it wasn’t Patrick Roberts’ day as he was hooked in the 64th minute after losing the ball every three touches with his performance.

Unfortunately, Mowbray’s side were unable to conjure up the creativity to pick up even a point from the game, and at full-time another defeat was tallied for Sunderland.

One player who let Mowbray down in today’s clash was Alex Pritchard, struggling to make his presence known in the most advanced role on the pitch, which ultimately cost his side the game in south Wales.

The 29-year-old ace failed to register a single shot on or off target despite being played as a centre-forward, lost five of his six duels, misplaced 100% of his crosses and lost possession of the ball 11 times from 47 touches (once every 4.2 touches) before he was replaced by Amad Diallo in the 77th minute.

Pritchard’s performance should finally ring alarm bells for the Sunderland manager and the result should inspire sporting director Kristjaan Speakman to explore the free agent market once again, although there are reports that the club are intending to do so.

If Sunderland are to have any hope of securing a place in the play-offs, they need to add more depth to the attacking options in their team as the Championship table can very quickly change. Luckily there are still 33 opportunities for the Wearsiders to fix their attacking problems, but they must act fast if their woes aren’t to further escalate.

Celtic will be ‘slightly concerned’ but feel they will be able to retain the services of manager Ange Postecoglou, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Australian’s future in the Scottish Premiership has been up in the air lately after he was named as a strong contender to take over at Brighton following the departure of Graham Potter.

Recent reports suggested, however, that the 57-year-old currently has no plans to leave Parkhead and is happy with what he’s built in Glasgow, despite the Hoops’ hierarchy failing to agree an extended deal with the 57 year-old as of now.

The Latest: O’Rourke reacts

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke claimed that whilst Celtic will be ‘concerned’, Postecoglou is likely to stay and continue his project.

“I’m sure they’ll be slightly concerned but they are still pretty confident that they will be able to keep hold of Ange Postecoglou.

“It’s just a reward of what Postecoglou is doing right now at Celtic that other Premier League clubs are being linked with his services.

“He’s transformed the club, winning the league last year and getting off to a good start so far this season as well.”

The Verdict: Tie him down

Celtic won’t be surprised that Postecoglou is receiving attention, but it’s vital that they do everything they can to keep hold of him.

The boss has more than excelled during his debut season in charge, leading his side to both the Scottish Premiership and League Cup titles, and has just got his first point on the board in the Champions League following a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Being offered fresh terms would be nothing less than Ange deserves, and the Hoops must act fast to tie him down if they don’t want to risk losing him in the weeks ahead.

Sky Sports journalist Micheal Bridge has made a ‘surprise’ Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Wales international Daniel James.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked…

The Lilywhites and their manager Antonio Conte have been linked with further moves in the transfer window despite having already sealed eight major signings in total.

Including a permanent deal for superstar defender Cristian Romero, Spurs have also added Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie to their roster.

The Premier League giants have been linked with late moves for James and Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech, with Bridge now sharing what he knows on the former.

The Latest: Bridge makes ‘surprise’ James claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter says that Spurs eyeing the 24-year-old comes as a ‘surprise’.

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Bridge added that Conte has given the green-light for Tottenham to make a move, as the journalist stated:

“It sounds to me that it’s one Conte’s given the thumbs up to. It is a bit of an eye-opener. There is an element of surprise to it, but it seems like Tottenham are playing a certain way, aren’t they? You know, breaking on the counter-attack.”

The Verdict: Make the move?

Hailed by Wales boss Robert Page as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘talented’ for his displays in his country’s colours, if James were to replicate that at club level, Spurs could have a real talent on their hands.

At the very least, the 24-year-old’s ‘frightening pace’ could prove an asset for Conte and a nightmare for defenders, especially in the final stages of closely-contested matches.

Indeed, the young forward could prove to a useful weapon for Spurs if they manage to get him over the line before the 11pm deadline, although they will have to fend off serious interest from Fulham.