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Everton could now allow a "really good" player to leave the club during the January transfer window in order to keep the same suitor away from Jarrad Branthwaite, according to a new update from Goodison Park.

Everton's January transfer plans

It isn't long until the Blues will once again be able to enter the transfer market, with the opening of the January window just three weeks away. Sean Dyche and his side have enjoyed a superb week or so in the Premier League, winning three matches in a row without conceding a goal, including against Newcastle United and Chelsea, and jumping out of the relegation zone in the process.

That's not to say that new signings aren't needed, however, and Everton have been linked with a move for Lyon centre-back Jake O'Brien, with the 22-year-old Irishman impressing France. Meanwhile, the Blues have also been backed to complete the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker, seeing him as someone who could add depth in the middle of the park.

It does look as though one Goodison player could be set to head the other way, however, in an effort to keep Branthwaite on the books.

Everton to offer up Godfrey to stave off Branthwaite interest

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Everton are willing to allow Ben Godfrey to leave in January, with Tottenham potentially snapping him up as an alternative to Branthwaite, who they are also interested in but the Toffees will refuse to sell.

"Everton are prepared to sell Ben Godfrey to Tottenham in January if a bid is submitted, sources have told Football Insider. Spurs are in the market for a new centre-back in January after losing both Eric Dier and Micky van de Ven to injury in recent weeks.

"The North London side have shown an interest in Toffees duo Jarrad Branthwaite and Godfrey in recent weeks as they look to bolster their defensive options."

This does feel like the natural time to allow Godfrey to leave, even though the 25-year-old is someone who legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti was a big fan of, describing him as a "really good" talent during his time in charge at Goodison. The Englishman is simply not in the current boss' plans however – he has featured for just one minute of Premier League action in total this season, as well as starting one solitary game in the EFL Cup.

James Tarkowski and Branthwaite have become Everton's undisputed first-choice centre-back pairing, and it is hard to see that changing any time soon, so this feels like the right moment for Godfrey to enjoy a fresh challenge.

European giants eyeing "exciting" Everton star who only joined last summer

This would be a huge blow for Sean Dyche…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 9, 2023

He could even flourish under Ange Postecoglou at Spurs, should he be given the chance to prove himself, and he is a powerful player who can enjoy a big influence on his day, whether that be at centre-back or right-back.

Everton could receive good money for him, ahead of his Blues contract expiring in the summer of 2025, and the longer they keep hold of him, the cheaper he will become, further highlighting why January is the best time to move him on.

Fulham are in pole position to bring an exciting overseas player to the Premier League, with a fresh report revealing that he’s viewed as a replacement for Joao Palhinha.

Bayern Munich's pursuit of Joao Palhinha

Over the summer, Bayern Munich held a strong interest in Palhinha and came close to completing a deal when the player even flew over to Germany to finalise his move on deadline day, but because Fulham couldn’t find a successor, the move fell through at the last minute.

However, Thomas Tuchel’s side are now considering another swoop for the talisman at the start of next year, so with Marco Silva now having a bit more time to assess his options in the market, he’s set his sights on a potential candidate who he wants to bring to England.

Fluminense’s defensive midfielder Andre has worked his way up through his club’s various academy ranks to get promoted to their first team where he’s so far made a total of 163 appearances across all age levels (Transfermarkt – Andre stats).

The Brazil international has made an outstanding start to the new season having firmly established himself as Fernando Diniz’s best-performing defensive player (WhoScored – Fluminense stats), and it’s this impressive form which has brought the 22-year-old onto the radar at Craven Cottage.

Fulham leading race to sign Andre

According to The Sunday Mirror (via The Boot Room), Fulham are at the front of the queue for Andre in January. Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool have also been scouting the central talisman this season, but it’s Silva’s side who are currently in pole position to secure his services.

Fluminense’s starlet is viewed as an ideal replacement for Palhinha should he depart, and it’s stated that he could cost approximately £30m to sign.

Craven Cottage could welcome "leader" in Andre

Naturally being a defensive midfielder, Andre’s best quality is getting stuck into challenges and trying to win back possession for his team which he’s excelled in this season, winning 36 out of his 50 tackles made, more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Fluminense stats).

The Ibirataia native is also calm and composed on the ball where he’s currently recording a 94.7% pass success rate (WhoScored – Andre stats), which is higher than any of Silva’s squad have managed to achieve since the start of the campaign (WhoScored – Fulham stats), showing he'd be an upgrade on the boss' current options.

Sponsored by Nike, the in-demand star is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including four roles in the midfield and even at centre-back, highlighting his ability to provide cover in areas outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur.

Finally, Andre has recently had a taste of what it’s like to be successful having been crowned the 2022/23 Copa Libertadores winner, and with his organisational skills having seen him described as a “leader” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could be the ideal replacement for Palhinha.

One normal weekend of Barclays, that’s all Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team were left asking for on Saturday evening.

This season has seen an unparalleled amount of attention on the PGMOL and Howard Webb’s merry band of referees.

The standard of officiating in this country has seemingly plummeted to an all time low. Apologies have made, statements have been shared left, right and centre, and yet still decisions are being made incorrectly.

Arteta may well need to look closer to home for why they lost 1-0 to Newcastle at a raucous St James’ Park this weekend, but the officiating for both sides left a lot to be desired.

A ridiculous and untimely challenge from Kai Havertz in the first half could have warranted a red card on another day while Bruno Guimaraes could have been sent for an early bath too after deliberately using his forearm to hit Jorginho in the back of the head.

The biggest moment of controversy, however, came when Newcastle took the lead.

How Arsenal lost to Newcastle

Truth be told, the Gunners didn’t play too badly in the north east on Saturday night.

A rigid and organised defence that had kept a clean sheet against Manchester City was on display again while Declan Rice’s powerhouse nature ensured Arteta’s men won the midfield battle.

However, it was in attack where they were lacking. A 0-0 draw would have been a fair result until a moment of chaos ensued just after the hour mark.

A stray shot from Jacob Murphy almost went out for a goal kick down by the corner flag but Joe WIllock, once of Arsenal himself, didn’t give it up. On the angle we were given during the TV coverage, it looked as though the ball was out. Alas, that was one of three VAR decisions that was seen as fine after Anthony Gordon had scored from close range.

A flighted ball in was missed by David Raya and couldn’t be dealt with by Gabriel who was seemingly shoved to the ground by Joelinton. No foul was adjudged to have been made. The next decision was assessing whether Gordon was onside.

The VAR claimed he was, although Arteta wasn’t happy, launching an aggressive series of vocal attacks towards the officials in his post-match press conference.

Indeed, he could blame the officiating all he likes, but the fact of the matter is that a number of players in red and white let him down.

Arsenal’s worst player vs Newcastle

After a £65m move from Chelsea in the summer much has been expected of Havertz but it was his ludicrous tackle in the first half that nearly put Arsenal down a man.

It was a big evening for the German who was given more of a creative role with Martin Odegaard missing through injury. Create he did not. In fact, he only served to frustrate more as the Gunners failed to score.

A large part of their failings in offensive areas was also down to the average performance of Eddie Nketiah.

A week ago the club’s number 14 was in inspired from against Sheffield United, netting his first Premier League hat-trick.

It was a display that saw him become the club’s joint top goal scorer this season alongside Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. That fact doesn’t tell the full story though.

At home, Nketiah offers the ability to hold the ball up and run the channels. He doesn’t set the world alight but his performance levels are generally sufficient.

Away from home, however, the English striker has been the definition of mediocre. In 52 league outings on the road, he’s only found the net five times. For a team chasing a Premier League title that simply isn’t good enough.

It was feels harsh to criticise someone who’s scored three only a week ago but barring that, Arsenal need to see a lot more from Nketiah while Gabriel Jesus is out injured.

On Saturday, he struggled for any real service and was starved of the ball. That said, he very rarely made himself available.

As per FotMob, Nketiah only registered 33 touches of the ball, just one more than Raya and completed 16 passes, the worst of any starter for Arsenal, including the enigmatic Havertz. Even substitute Oleksandr Zinchenko made more with 30. Only two of those passes, meanwhile, were in the final third. Worrying for your focal point in attack.

Shots

1

Pass Accuracy

14/16

Expected Goals (xG)

0.15

Touches

33

Touches in opposition box

5

Successful Dribbles

0/2

Duels Won

5

Duels Lost

9

Fouls Committed

2

Stats via FotMob.

To make matters worse, the forward managed one shot, which was off target, and failed to complete either of his two attempted dribbles.

On top of that, the 24-year-old won 33% of his ground duels and 40% of his aerial duels as the Newcastle defenders well and truly bullied him. It was hardly a surprise to see his display get labelled as "anonymous" by some, including Arseblog's Andrew Allen.

This was not a night to savour for Nketiah who offered very little in attack. With the academy graduate largely underwhelming and Jesus’ fitness record inconsistent, the purchase of a new striker could well be looming in January. Such an eventuality may well determine whether Arteta’s men have what it takes to win the title.

Chelsea's most successful manager in recent times has been Thomas Tuchel.

The German tactician, who led the Blues to Champions League glory over Manchester City in 2021, was the last manager to deliver any sort of silverware to Stamford Bridge.

He recorded 63 wins in 100 matches and only tasted defeat 18 times in 20 months while reaching both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals in the 2021/22 season.

Despite this success, Todd Boehly and co ultimately decided that Tuchel wasn't the right man to take the club forward and according to his ex-wife, he was dismissed in September 2022 due to "off-field reasons and because the players lost respect for him".

While Tuchel's spell in charge ended on a sour note, so too did Chelsea's business during his time at the club, with the 50-year-old misfiring across all fronts in the transfer window.

He brought in the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Saul Niguez and Marcus Bettinelli – who all failed in the blue shirt – and also sold a whole host of talented stars, including Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Olivier Giroud, the latter of which has gone on to make the Blues regret selling him in 2021.

How did Olivier Giroud perform for Chelsea?

Throughout his career, Giroud has become such a likeable figure everywhere's been. During his six-year stint at Arsenal, the Frenchman earned plaudits for his consistent goal-scoring and his ability to produce the spectacular, scoring 105 times and assisting a further 41 in 253 appearances for the Gunners.

So it came as no surprise to see many Arsenal fans frustrated at the club's decision to sell him to their rivals for £18m in 2018, with Arsene Wenger claiming a year earlier that the striker was performing at the pinnacle of his powers.

He said: "I know how important he is not only as a player – he’s a fantastic player – but also in the group he has a big weight. It was a relief for me he decided to stay. Giroud in his prime is at the top of his game."

After moving to west London, Giroud would become a pivotal figure in the club's quest for European dominance and the "top level" forward – as formerly claimed by Wenger – would perform exceptionally in Europe's top two competitions.

In 2018/19, his eye-watering 11 goals and five assists in 14 appearances helped the Blues win the Europa League, ironically scoring the winner against his former club in the final.

Then in the 2020/21 campaign, the 6 foot 4 phenom would play an integral role in the Blues' run to the Champions League final, having scored a sensational six times in eight appearances, including all four goals in their 4-0 victory over Sevilla.

Given those standout performances on the big stage, it begs the question as to why Tuchel sold him to AC Milan for a measly £1m in the summer of 2021.

How many goals has Giroud scored since leaving Chelsea?

While supporters have been made to sit through the transfer saga involving Romelu Lukaku, the toothless Kai Havertz and the struggling displays of Nicolas Jackson since Giroud's departure, the Frenchman has been a revelation for AC Milan.

At the remarkable age of 37, the sublime finisher has showcased his final-third expertise at the Rossoneri and left Chelsea fans frustrated with the form he's producing.

In 95 appearances for Milan, he's scored 36 goals and supplied 14 assists, a total that has seen him outscore every Chelsea player since his departure.

The 126-cap international also outperformed the majority of his positional peers in the Serie A last season, ranking in the top 16% for non-penalty goals, top 4% for aerials won, top 18% for assists and top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty box, as per FBref.

Giroud's powers in front of goal have also shown no signs of slowing down in this campaign either with four goals and three assists in eight appearances in the Serie A.

The talented Frenchman may be approaching the twilight years of his career, but if anything, he's aged like a fine wine and he continues to make Chelsea regret selling him for such a nominal fee.

Leeds United are open to selling one of their regular first-team players in January alongside Marc Roca, and a new report has revealed the price that the club have valued him at should he leave Elland Road.

Who have Leeds United just signed?

Over the summer, Daniel Farke brought nine new players to the club in the form of Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Glen Kamara and Karl Darlow on a permanent basis, whilst recruiting Djed Spence, Jaidon Anthony and Joe Rodon on loan, alongside Sam Byram on a free transfer.

At Elland Road, Tyler Adams and Rodrigo were the only two to depart for good, with the likes of Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra and Marc Roca being sent out temporarily, the latter sealing a switch to Real Betis, as per Transfermarkt, and it’s been reported that his move is likely to become permanent.

Despite the deadline having passed, Illan Meslier is another player that could be heading for the exit door in the new year having attracted significant interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid over the course of the past few months.

Chief executive Angus Kinnear recently confirmed that the French goalkeeper did have opportunities to leave, but the 23-year-old has himself admitted that he wanted to stay at the club because he felt responsible following relegation to the Championship.

Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds?

According to Football Insider, Leeds are "relaxed about the prospect" of selling Meslier in January because they signed Darlow from Newcastle United over the summer with the view of him being their first-choice between the sticks.

The LS11 outfit had a "willingness" to move on the former before the September 1st deadline, but they failed to receive a suitable offer.

Previously, the shot-stopper had a £40m price tag placed on his head, though it's unknown whether this is the fee that would be demanded at the start of the new year.

How many clean sheets has Illan Meslier kept?

During his time at Leeds, Meslier has kept 31 clean sheets from 131 appearances which doesn’t sound like a lot, but having previously been praised for making some “unreal” saves by journalist Graham Smyth, there’s so much more that he brings to the side.

The Lorient native, who is naturally left-footed, ranks in the 98th percentile for most defensive actions outside of his penalty area, showing that he’s not afraid to come out of his net and clear the danger away, but he’s also impressive with the ball at his feet.

The YPFC client has a 100% pass success rate for both his short and medium dispatches since the start of the current season, via FBRef, which highlights his calmness and composure when playing out from the back to his outfield teammates.

Furthermore, Meslier helped the club to achieve promotion to the Premier League back in 2019/20 so he knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level, therefore, it would be a huge blow to lose him in January.

Gayle b Sidebottom, and impromptu entertainment courtesy a pitch invader

Jon Guard16-Jun-2009Why I picked this match
I chose this fixture because I thought England had a good chance of making it to the Super Eights. I also expected, as the organisers probably did, that Australia would be the opposition. That they were not did not matter. West Indies are a formidable Twenty20 team. The result was difficult to predict – England’s resilience under pressure against Chris Gayle’s attacking batsmen. My money was on England to squeeze through.Key performer
Ramnaresh Sarwan – rarely will a batsman score such a crucial 19 not out. He came in at 45 for 5 with 35 needed off 22 balls and with England on a roll. He responded with three fours and calmly led his team to victory.One thing I’d have changed about the match
The weather. Games subjected to Duckworth-Lewis always lose some lustre. Sustaining eight runs per over across 20 overs rather than nine across nine might have been too much for West Indies.Face-off you relished
Gayle against any England bowler. The nonchalant West Indies captain has an aura of power. If Gayle gets going, no total is safe.Wow moment
Gayle had calmly dispatched three boundaries, but the final ball of the second over, bowled by Ryan Sidebottom, was full, fast and splayed his stumps. England must have sensed possible victory.Player watch
Andre Fletcher fielded at square leg when West Indies bowled from the Pavilion End. He took a fine mid-air catch above his head to get rid of Owais Shah. Luke Wright fielded there for England and made a fumble late on to give away a second, vital run – not appreciated by the crowd.Shot of the day
Kevin Pietersen’s first ball, bowled by Kieron Pollard, was pulled to the midwicket boundary. No messing around, straight into his stride.Crowd meter
The game was watched by a full house, cheering every England run, wicket and dot ball. There were a good number of West Indies supporters, as well as Pakistanis who had watched the earlier game, with flags for the various countries being waved all round the ground. As the game reached its climax, the noise lessened as the bowlers ran in, the atmosphere very tense, before rising in cheers or groans depending upon the outcome.Entertainment
As the crowd awaited the start of West Indies’ reply, the mood was lightened by a man in just his pants running onto the pitch and sliding on his belly across the covers. Not the right thing to do, of course, but he made an impressive slide and got a huge cheer before being escorted away.Overall
England’s innings got off to an aggressive start, although they lost momentum towards the end, before the rain prevented a genuine, full-length contest. Nevertheless, West Indies’ nine-over reply had the crowd on the edge of their seats. The game came down to the wire, as Twenty20 matches should.Marks out of 10
7. Tense finish, but England slightly unlucky to go out in shortened match.

With Manchester United currently enduring what has been a rather dismal first few months of the campaign, supporters will likely already be looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window in the hope of some fresh blood being brought in to bolster the ranks.

The Red Devils were notably particularly active during the winter window earlier this year after snapping up the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Jack Butland and Wout Weghorst on short-term deals, albeit with the latter man, in particular, failing to fire amid a limp six-month stay at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman – who scored just twice for the club in total in 31 outings – had been brought in to plug the gap following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, with a striking addition seemingly again required this time around, as Anthony Martial has just six months left to run on his existing contract.

Player

Goals

Scott McTominay

6

Bruno Fernandes

5

Rasmus Hojlund

5

Casemiro

4

Alejandro Garnacho

3

Marcus Rashford

2

Anthony Martial

2

Stats via BBC Sport

Amid that need for a genuine rival to young Rasmus Hojlund, recent reports have indicated that Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy is of interest to United, even though the 27-year-old could well represent just another Weghorst as far as Erik ten Hag is concerned.

Man Utd transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

As reported by The Guardian's Ed Aarons last week, Ten Hag and co are believed to be interested in signing the Guinea striker and have even made contact with agents regarding a possible swoop in the New Year.

As per the piece, the former Ajax boss is chasing a suitable alternative to Hojlund with the Dane failing to score in the Premier League so far this season, while there is a potential for the club to try and 'find a buyer' for the floundering Martial.

Any deal for Guirassy is likely to be an attractive prospect due to his minimal release clause of just €17m (£15m), albeit with the Red Devils set to face competition from top-flight rivals Newcastle United, who also have the in-form marksman on their winter shortlist.

The stats to show why Man Utd shouldn't sign Serhou Guirassy

On the face of it, the 6 foot 2 brute looks like the perfect, bargain option to help ease United's attacking woes.

Available for as little as £15m, the former Stade Rennais man is among the top forwards in Europe at present with regard to his goalscoring form in 2023/24, having already netted 16 Bundesliga goals this season.

To put that into perspective, that figure is only bettered by former United target Harry Kane (18) in the German top-flight, while in the Premier League, Erling Haaland leads the way with 'just' 14 league goals.

Ruling out signing Guirassy may look rather foolish when the player is currently in such esteemed company, although as data analyst Ben Griffis has suggested, such a hot streak is a result of "xG over-performance" in front of goal.

According to Griffis, the forward's 'over-performance' is seemingly "very unsustainable", while he is also usually "wildly inconsistent" – hardly the words those at the Theatre of Dreams would like to hear.

While the one-time Lille man did net 11 goals in just 22 league games last season for Stuttgart, prior to that he had very much been a middling striker, never scoring more than ten league goals across his entire career in a single campaign.

Equally, as Ten Hag learned with Weghorst, success in the Bundesliga is not always a good judge of a player's talents, with the towering Dutchman, for instance, previously scoring 70 goals in just 144 games for Wolfsburg, prior to his woes at both United and Burnley – for whom he also scored just twice.

Having been stung by the frankly desperate signing of the current Hoffenheim man, the Red Devils must think again before repeating that mistake with regard to Guirassy, with it likely better to wait until the summer in order to land a target with a proven track record over a sustained period.

Wolverhampton Wanderers returned to winning ways against Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday, as a single goal from Hwang Hee-chan ensured the club took all three points and this result will give them a massive confidence boost heading into the festive season.

With ties against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Everton to come before the end of December, Gary O’Neil could take his side closer to a top-half finish with a few more wins.

His squad is ticking over quite nicely at the moment, and they have managed to secure big wins against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur recently.

One of the main strengths has been their ruthlessness in attack, as players such as Matheus Cunha and Hwang have both been in excellent form, scoring four and nine goals respectively as they lead the scoring charts at the club.

While the 40-year-old will be pleased he has two strikers who are in form approaching a hectic spell, if one gets injured, this may cause some problems.

With this in mind, O’Neil could certainly turn to the January transfer window in order to sign another centre-forward, and it looks as though he has someone who is currently starring in the Bundesliga on his radar – Serhou Guirassy.

Wolves transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

At the beginning of December, 90min claimed that the representatives of the Stuttgart striker were confident they could secure him a move to the Premier League in the upcoming transfer window.

There have been scouts sent by clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Brentford to monitor his performances, while he has even been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Wolves have also been mentioned as a club who have shown interest in the forward, alongside Arsenal, Everton and Spurs, and it appears as though the Old Gold will have a major fight on their hands to secure his signature.

He could be available for a fee of around £15m as this is his reported release clause, and it could prove to be a solid bargain, especially if he can continue his recent breathtaking form.

While Cunha has been impressive this term, there is no doubt that Guirassy could be a big upgrade on the Brazilian if he does secure a move to the Midlands.

Comparing Serhou Guirassy to Matheus Cunha

The 24-year-old moved to Wolves on a loan deal last December and there was an obligation to buy clause inserted into the deal. The club didn’t take long to activate this, making the move permanent in January.

He currently ranks second in the squad for goals in the league (four), while Cunha also ranks second for big chances created (four) and first for shots on target per game (1.1), showing how effective he has been in front of goal.

When compared to his positional peers over the previous 12 months, however, the Brazilian fails to rank in the top 50% for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.29) and for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (4.21), indicating that he needs to be much more consistent.

For Stuttgart in the Bundesliga this term, Guirassy ranks first among the team for goals scored (16), shots on target per game (1.9) and second for big chances created (five), showcasing better numbers than Cunha.

Wolves could land Cunha upgrade in January swoop for £51k-p/w "record-breaker"

The Old Gold have been touted with an interest in a move for the teenage attacker.

ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2023

Not only that, but when compared to his positional peers, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 13% for both shot-creating actions (3.21) and touches in the attacking penalty area (6.1) per 90, again, much better statistics than what Cunha has achieved in the same period.

This suggests that O’Neil could perhaps secure an upgrade on the former Atlético Madrid frontman by making a concrete move for the Guinean hitman, and he has the required skillset to thrive in the Premier League.

4

16

3

1

1.1

1.9

2.2

0.5

4

5

Not content with being an upgrade on Cunha, Guirassy is similar in style to Harry Kane and this could be another bonus for the manager heading into the second half of the season.

Serhou Guirassy is similar to Harry Kane

Both players find themselves battling it out at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts this season and the Stuttgart striker is currently trailing Kane by only two goals and the winner will surely come from one of these men.

The Englishman has enjoyed a wonderful start to life in Germany and, while some doubted whether he could sparkle at Bayern, his performances are proving a lot of people wrong, and he is arguably one of the best strikers in the world at this moment in time.

According to FBref, Kane is the second-most comparable player to the 27-year-old and, given his stature in the world of football and his ruthlessness in front of goal, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, the duo have registered similar statistics this season with regard to goal contributions (23 vs 17), shots on target per 90 (both 2.06), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.9 vs 3.01) and touches in the attacking penalty area (66 vs 62), demonstrating how similar the players are to each other.

It is clear that the duo have showcased their respective talents in front of goal on a regular occurrence during the current season and while Kane may be a tad too expensive for Wolves, Guirassy is not.

The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the Molineux faithful as they will be hoping O’Neil can not only lead his side to another few important league wins, but also begin to make more concrete offers for his January transfer targets.

Adding another goalscorer to his squad would be a shrewd move, especially as one of Hwang or Cunha could go off the boil at any time.

Guirassy may be a late bloomer, but he is certainly making up for that and with 57 goals scored since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the "ice-cold" finisher – as hailed by teammate Denis Undav – will no doubt be able to add to that tally should he arrive in England next month.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared news on a "crucial change" Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has made to Spurs training.

Spurs transformation under Postecoglou

The north Londoners are scarcely recognisable from Antonio Conte's regrettable last season in charge. Indeed, since arriving in June, new head coach Postecoglou has taken Spurs supporters on a rollercoaster ride of superb results. Winning eight out of a possible 10 Premier League matches so far, the Lilywhites are yet to taste defeat in the top flight and currently sit pretty atop the table.

Stars like Son Heung-min and summer signing James Maddison have thrived as part of Postecoglou's new-look Spurs side, and it looks as if they could even mount a title challenge. Tottenham's popular new manager heaped praise on his squad's mentality after their latest win, a 2-1 over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

"Top of the table is great and the results are great but it's more in the manner we're doing it," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's form told the media.

"Pretty much from the first game we've had all sorts of different challenges we've had to overcome. Every time there has been a real focus and clear-headedness about the group collectively to deal with that. That has been a really pleasing thing and because they're getting rewards from that then that gives us opportunity to accelerate the growth of giving them more tools out there to help them for whatever we need to overcome."

Ange implements "crucial" Spurs training change

There are many factors contributing to Spurs' phenomenal run, with Maddison being praised for his stellar impact after joining from Leicester City. Meanwhile, new defender Micky van de Ven has dazzled for Spurs alongside Cristian Romero.

Postecoglou's new brand of attacking football has both thrilled supporters and on-lookers, with respected journalist Romano now sharing news on an "important" switch up by Spurs' new manager. Indeed, Postecoglou has implemented a "crucial" training change at Spurs, something which has proved pivotal as Romano explains on his YouTube channel this week.

“What I wanted to share with you is that the players of Tottenham, from what I’m hearing, are not just happy with what they’re doing on the pitch on Sunday or during the week.

“But what they’re doing in training was the crucial change, from what I’m hearing, already in the pre-season and then now. They enjoy the training sessions, they’re very happy with the high-pressing wanted by Ange Postecoglou. New mentality, new approach, new ideas. The pressing is absolutely crucial for Postecolgou, he’s really pushing. For Postecoglou it’s really important.

“But the players are enjoying the training sessions, they really like the manager’s approach, the manager’s ideas, the new tactical idea. They are very, very happy with Postecoglou. Many people didn’t know how good he was, now the numbers speak for him. But training sessions are always crucial to understand how good a manager is. In this case, it was absolutely something important for Tottenham.”

Tottenham take on Chelsea next Monday, and all the signs suggest they'll head into the game favourites, looking to compile more misery on ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Aston Villa have had an electrifying start to the 2023/24 campaign, as Unai Emery continues to inject added quality into his squad at Villa Park.

The Spaniard took just a year ago, and Villa haven’t looked back, highlighted by them picking up where they left off last season in their 7th-place finish in the Premier League.

From performing in Europe to sitting a point outside of the top four in the league table, the Villans are building something special with Emery, however, reports suggest that the former Arsenal boss is far from finished in the market.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news

As the January window approaches, Villa have been linked with a host of players, particularly ones that could bolster the Midlands side’s options in the final third.

One name that has been mentioned by media in Portugal, relayed by Sport Witness, is former Wolves forward Pedro Goncalves, who was prolific for Sporting CP last season by recording 35 goal contributions in 51 appearances.

Another potential acquisition in the winter window is Emery’s former talent at Arsenal, Dani Ceballos, who was linked to the Villans in the summer.

A report by DefensaCentral has claimed that Villa may be willing to offer between €15m (£13m) and €18m (£16m) for his services, as he struggles to secure game time at Real Madrid.

In other news, Ceballos is not the only target for Emery from the Bernabeu, as a report from Sport, relayed by BirminghamLive, explains that Villa are one of the clubs interested in Brahim Diaz.

The 24-year-old playmaker is said to be valued at €20m (£17m) by Los Blancos, who according to Sport, would be “happy” to sell the sporadic talent in the coming window.

Brahim Diaz could be the perfect Nicolo Zaniolo replacement

Once lauded as a “lethal” asset by journalist Maxi Angelo, Diaz could arrive at Villa already installed with the critical trait of having experience in playing in England.

The Spaniard is a product of Manchester City’s academy, where he developed for five years before returning to his homeland to sign for Madrid.

The versatile forward made 15 senior appearances for City under Pep Guardiola, with his insight into the game in England making him a potentially strong target for Villa to chase.

In Zaniolo, Emery equipped his side with an equally versatile spark to fill the void left by Emiliano Buendia’s injury, however, the Italian has had a slow start to life in the Midlands, in an area that Diaz could thrive in.

The Malaga-born gem, who has been on loan at AC Milan for the past three seasons, is an expert creator, as portrayed by his seven assists and 11 big chances created in Serie A in the 2022/23 campaign, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

In 2019 during a La Liga contest, journalist Hasan Karim praised Diaz as being a presence that was “lighting up” the game, with one of his most notable strengths being his ball-carrying ability, which is reinforced by his 1.2 successful dribbles per game last term.

Diaz vs Zaniolo 2023/24 respective league form

Brahim Diaz

Nicolo Zaniolo

Appearances

8

7

Starts

1

4

Minutes per game

18

48

Goals

1

0

Passing accuracy per game

84%

73%

Big chances created

1

0

Via Sofascore

Zaniolo has averaged only 0.7 key passes per game for Villa in the Premier League so far, as well as maintaining a frail pass completion rate of 73%, suggesting that he is yet to find his feet in England after his summer move.

In acquiring the Real Madrid ace, Emery could bolster his team with a presence to compete with Zaniolo, in a player that is statistically comparable to Premier League wizard, James Maddison, telling of his calibre, via FBref.

Only time will tell if the Villans decide to stick or twist with Zaniolo, however, there would be no harm in exploring the possibility of signing Diaz in January, who could provide more creativity in an attacking midfield position, as shown by his aforementioned statistics.