All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to sell Davinson Sanchez during the upcoming January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Sanchez’s season so far

This season has seen the defender make 12 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions, with just seven of those coming as a starter.

This suggests that he is not at the top of Antonio Conte’s pecking order in the defensive area of his team. With the January transfer window approaching, this has led to one pundit suggesting that the north London side should look to move the Colombian out of the club.

The Latest: Spurs urged to sell Sanchez

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs expert and pundit, John Wenham, had this to say about the current squad and what changes should be made in January.

“We need to improve the defence. The players I am happy with at the moment are [Eric] Dier, [Cristian] Romero, [Clement] Lenglet, and [Ben] Davies. That is four taken already.

“You then have to look and think about who we could realistically move on and get a decent fee for as well as someone who takes up a foreign player spot.

“That’s Davinson Sanchez or Japhet Tanganga. Tanganga, the whole world apart from me thinks he must be sold but they don’t understand the basic principles of the homegrown regulations. He counts as club trained as well so if Tottenham got an offer for either, I am telling you right now they would accept the offer for Sanchez.

“He is on bigger money and he counts towards one of the foreign player spots. Where do I stand on Sanchez? It is probably time now, he has been here for a number of years, we are playing three at the back now and he hasn’t established himself as one of the starters.

“Maybe he looked better when he first joined because he was playing alongside [Jan] Vertonghen or [Toby] Alderweireld, who were world-class defenders.

“I always thought he was ok while others criticised him. But we are at the point where we need to upgrade the defence and get someone out, he is the one.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: A decision for Conte

Despite not always being included in the starting XI, the 26-year-old has shown how much of a useful defensive option he can be as he currently sits in the top five for the average of tackles (1.4), interceptions (1), blocks (0.6) and clearances per game (2.4) at Spurs.

However, having been slammed for his “shocking” performances in the past by Jamie O’Hara, Sanchez’s efforts in the league this season have earned him a rather disappointing overall rating of 6.53/10 from WhoScored, leaving 11 Spurs players above him.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though Conte may have a big decision on his hands over whether or not he decides to keep the £65k-per-week defender at the club beyond January or not.

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to rumours linking Leeds United with a move for Newcastle United forward Chris Wood.

The Lowdown: Wood reunion?

The Whites appear to be on the hunt for a new forward in January and are thought to be plotting a move for Wood. Reports have suggested that the Leeds hierarchy are eying an alternative to Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford, and a loan swoop for the Newcastle marksman could be Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta’s solution.

The 30-year-old, who netted 44 times in 88 appearances at Elland Road, appears to have fallen out of favour at St. James’ Park, starting just twice in the Premier League this season.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Talking to Football Insider regarding a possible Elland Road return for Wood, Hutton, who now contributes for the BBC, believes the striker ‘would fit at Leeds’ but would need to weigh up a move back to Yorkshire.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-12/” 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”]

“Of course it is always going to be difficult.

“He is at a club now that is thriving. They are going places but you need to weigh that up. Is he going to be a regular starter? For me, no.

“That is no disrespect to him it is just how they are going at this moment in time. They are trying to get top four, go for league titles, get in the Champions League. So they are looking for a different type of player.

“Leeds are a big club with a big following but you do not want to fight relegation either. I think he would fit at Leeds but at this moment in time I am not sure what Leeds are capable of.

“Are they capable of being a mid-table team or are they going to be fighting relegation year-in year-out so he will have to weigh that up.”

The Verdict: Why not…

Bringing in an experienced forward like Wood could prove to be a shrewd move by Leeds officials and one that may take them away from trouble during the second half of the season.

New Zealand’s all-time record goalscorer knows where the net is at Elland Road, and a contribution of even five to ten goals could see Jesse Marsch’s side pick up some valuable points.

He may also give Marsch another way of playing in attack and an aerial threat in both boxes, so a loan swoop could be one to keep an eye on heading into 2023.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are on track to sign Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha in the January transfer window, according to a new report from Spain.

The Lowdown: Wolves’ goal scoring woes

While the fact that they are bottom of the Premier League standings is reason enough for fans of Wolves to be concerned, they are also the league’s lowest scorers, having netted just eight times in 15 matches.

New manager Julen Lopetegui has his work cut out trying to turn around the Old Gold’s form upon the resumption of the season, and he now wants to bring in some more attacking firepower, with Cunha fitting the bill for a switch this winter…

The Latest: Lopetegui targets Cunha

According to Madrid-based outlet Marca, Atletico are open to letting the 23-year-old leave in the upcoming window, in light of him not yet scoring for the La Liga side this season.

“Although there are still three weeks left before the winter market opens, Cunha already has his departure for Wolverhampton on track,” the report says.

It is also detailed that the Brazilian’s omission from the World Cup squad may have strengthened his desire to seek pastures new, with the transfer now really starting to look like a formality.

The Verdict: Get it done

Although the £17m-rated ace is yet to get off the mark in La Liga this term, he previously exhibited his attacking competence with 12 goal contributions in 29 league outings last season, over double the amount compiled by positional rival Daniel Podence in the same timeframe.

The versatility that the speedster would provide Wolves is another key attribute, as journalist Alan Rzepa has pointed out that he is able to play up top, on the right, on the left and in the number ten role, while also lauding him as a ‘baller’, having scored 39 goals in 179 professional outings across these positions.

At just 23, Cunha has time on his side and is able to develop even further, despite his current numbers already being impressive, and he could be exactly what Wolves need to fire them to Premier League safety.

Aston Villa could be looking ahead to the January transfer window to strengthen the squad upon the arrival of new manager Unai Emery last month, and a new update has emerged from a reliable source on one potential target.

What’s the latest?

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Villa are looking to sign France and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram next month, as he could be a more attainable prospect than Joao Felix.

Taylor told GIVEMESPORT: “There are other targets that Villa are looking at that are probably much more attainable than Félix. One being Marcus Thuram who is out of contract at the end of the season and free to negotiate with foreign clubs in January. I see that as a realistic January target that could be available at a cut price.”

Huge Danny Ings upgrade

Emery was only just getting settled in at Villa Park before the World Cup break put club football on hold for over a month, but there is no doubt that the former Villarreal boss will already be working hard to improve the performances of his new team when they return to action against Liverpool on Boxing Day.

Villa are currently 12th in the Premier League after climbing the table with three wins from their last five in the top flight, and with the 51-year-old unbeaten in his first two league games, he will be hoping that the Villans can be in a good position to compete for a top-half finish at the end of the season.

As a result, the signing of Thuram could be the boost that Villa need in order to improve their consistency in front of goal and ultimately pick up crucial points over the second half of the campaign.

The £8.5m-priced World Cup finalist – who was dubbed “exceptional” by his manager Daniel Farke – has scored 41 goals and registered 26 assists in 119 appearances for Gladbach so far, with a goal contribution every 119 minutes proving that he is a consistent and reliable performer in front of goal.

In fact, Thuram could be a huge upgrade on current Villa centre-forward Danny Ings and could be the ideal replacement to offer a better goal threat in the team.

When comparing the two strikers over their respective season so far, Thuram has outperformed Ings in a number of attributes, including goal contributions (13 v 5), shots on target rate (53.6% v 45.5%), shot-creating actions (39 v 14) and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.53 v 0.25).

Furthermore, the versatile Frenchman can offer Emery options in terms of positioning, as the 25-year-old has gained a wealth of experience in playing both the centre-forward role and in the wider forward positions.

Signing Thuram would be a major coup for Emery in Villa’s pursuit to climb the Premier League table, and considering his modest transfer valuation, he would be an absolute steal for NSWE if they pick him up for the aforementioned amount.

Wolves have been credited with an interest in breakthrough World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi recently and the Moroccan could prove to be Julen Lopetegui’s own version of Frenkie de Jong at Molineux.

According to 90min, the young midfielder has been scouted by a number of Premier League clubs, including Wolves, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham, while PSG and Barcelona could also be keen.

The 22-year-old, who represents Angers SCO in Ligue 1, was one of the stars for Morocco as Walid Regragui’s side reached the semi-finals in Qatar, before losing 2-0 to France. 

Ounahi was already showing ahead of the World Cup that he has the potential to be a top midfielder, averaging a solid 6.74 rating from WhoScored for his performances in France’s top flight.

For context, only Ruben Neves has earned a higher average rating from Wolves’ squad so far this campaign, which emphasises the quality he could add to Lopetegui’s squad should he arrive at Molineux in next month’s transfer window.

The competition will certainly be fierce for Ounahi, who has earned plaudits from those at the top level for his performances with the Atlas Lions, with Jose Mourinho lauding him as “absolutely incredible” after Ounahi helped to knock out Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Should he join Wolves in the January window, he could perform a similar role to one of the world’s most renowned defensive midfielders, Frenkie de Jong.

According to FBRef, the Barcelona and Netherlands star is the fourth-most similar player to Ounahi when compared to other midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

This season has seen the two young midfielders register very similar statistics with regard to expected goals (both 1.8), long balls completed (45 vs 46), goal-creating actions (both three) and the number of dribbles tackled (both ten).

WhoScored also suggests that both De Jong and Ounahi excel at dribbling, while they both like to play short passes and avoid diving into tackles, so they are clearly similar types of player.

Considering Manchester United were willing to pay £75m for De Jong earlier this year, Wolves would surely be foolish to turn down any opportunity to sign Ounahi, especially after such an impressive World Cup, so Lopetegui should do all he can to bring the 22-year-old to Molineux.

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with Hertha Berlin striker Davie Selke in recent months and the German forward could prove to be Carlos Corberan’s own version of Wolves star Raul Jimenez.

According to German publication BILD, the former Werder Bremen forward is keen to force a transfer through in January, with the report naming the Baggies as one of the interested sides in the six-foot-five forward. 

The 27-year-old has been limited to just three starts in the Bundesliga so far this campaign and clearly feels ready for a new challenge, and he could be a stellar addition at the Hawthorns as West Brom look to continue their recent resurgence under Corberan.

The Baggies have now won their last six Championship games in a row to completely distance themselves from the relegation fears that were present under Steve Bruce, with a play-off charge now seemingly on the cards.

However, much of the recent success has come down to West Brom’s strength in defence and keeping clean sheets, as Brandon Thomas-Asante’s goal against Bristol City on Boxing Day now means he is their top scorer in the second tier with just five goals to his name.

This suggests that the Baggies are lacking quality in the final third and Selke could certainly offer a different option in attack, as he has hit double figures in the German top-flight in the past, with the official Bundesliga Twitter account labelling him a “strike sensation” back in 2015.

While Selke hasn’t really lived up to the potential he showed when he was first with Werder Bremen, his physical attributes suggest that he could be a big threat in the Championship.

According to FBref, the sixth-most similar striker to Selke when compared to other forwards from Europe’s top leagues is Wolves frontman, Raul Jimenez.

The two strikers have registered very similar numbers this season with regard to non-penalty expected goals and assists (1.3 vs 1.2), progressive passes received (18 vs 15) and touches in the attacking penalty area (12 vs 16).

Considering Jimenez was once regarded as a “world-class” forward for the Old Gold and boasts 40 Premier League goals, West Brom would surely be foolish to turn down someone so similar.

While both have struggled for regular game time this season, Selke’s return of 2.55 shot-creating actions and 0.96 goal-creating actions per 90 suggests how much of a threat he can be when he is on the pitch.

Therefore, the Baggies should definitely try and bring the German forward to the Hawthorns in next month’s transfer window.

The January transfer window is now officially open for business and Sunderland could be busy this month as Kristjaan Speakman attempts to improve the squad.

Tony Mowbray arrived at the Stadium of Light towards the end of the summer window and this means that he has not had much of a chance to stamp his own mark on the side by bringing in his own players.

In spite of the circumstances around his arrival, the ex-Blackburn Rovers boss has led the Black Cats to eighth in the Championship table and in contention to fight for a play-off spot at the end of the season.

Mowbray must now reignite the club’s interest in central defender Dion Sanderson as he could be an excellent signing for the club heading into the second half of the campaign.

Scottish giants Rangers and Birmingham, who currently have the centre-back on loan, are reportedly vying to land him on a permanent deal from Premier League side Wolves and the Black Cats must now throw their hat into the ring.

The Northern Echo reported that Sunderland were keen on a deal to sign Sanderson, on loan or permanently, last summer but he ended up moving to St. Andrew’s but Mowbray must now make another move for the enforcer.

He would be an upgrade on current central defender Bailey Wright and would be an exceptional signing in the immediate term and for the future.

The Australia international has played 13 times in the Championship this season for Sunderland and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85. He has made 1.1 tackles and interceptions per match, completed 81% of his attempted passes and won 56% of his individual duels in the second tier.

Sanderson, who former Mackems boss Lee Johnson once dubbed a “Rolls-Royce”, has averaged a score of 6.92 across 24 appearances for Birmingham. The 6 foot 2 colossus has made a whopping 3.1 tackles and interceptions per outing and won 55% of his battles at the back, which shows that he has a similar level of efficiency to Wright but is far more active in cutting out opposition attacks.

His average score also suggests that he has been performing to a higher level than the ex-Bristol City man and that he would be an upgrade on Sunderland’s options in that area of the pitch.

At 23, he is also seven years younger than Wright and would be a signing for the future as well as the here and now. He would suit the approach of signing young players with potential to improve, with the ambition of selling them on for considerable profit further down the line, and Mowbray must now reignite Sunderland’s interest in his services.

Anton Toloui believes that Arsenal are edging closer to sealing a deal for Mykhailo Mudryk.

The Lowdown: Gunners still keen on Mudryk

Arsenal have long been linked with Mudryk and the Ukrainian winger has not hidden the fact he would be keen to make the move to the Emirates Stadium after some interesting Instagram posts.

However, the Gunners are no longer the only club looking to step up talks, with Chelsea now reportedly set to hold talks with Shakhtar Donetsk in the coming days.

Following Arsenal’s 0-0 draw against Newcastle United – the first time they’ve failed to net in the league this season – Mikel Arteta will likely be very eager to add more attacking options for the second half of the season.

The Latest: Arsenal close to agreeing a deal

Speaking live on Sky Sports, Toloui was asked on Wednesday morning how close are Arsenal to agreeing a deal to sign Mudryk and he delivered an exciting update.

He said: “Getting close. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s there yet by any stretch of the imagination.

“We know Shakhtar want around £85m for the 21-year-old, so obviously a lot of money; one source close to the deal telling us Arsenal are prepared to get a bit closer to that deal, so clearly the two sides are in negotiations.”

The Verdict: Edu must secure the signing

Considering how long Mudryk and Arsenal have been linked with each other, it would be insane for them to not only miss out on the signing, but also see him join a Premier League rival in Chelsea.

Therefore, Edu and Arsenal may well have to swallow some of their pride and pay slightly over the odds for someone who’s only ever played domestic football in Ukraine and hope he can translate that form over into English football, which could be likely given how well he’s performed in the Champions League this term.

Last night against Newcastle, Arteta made just one defensive-minded change, and that may be seen as a message to the board that he is in need of attacking reinforcements, or they could struggle against other in-form sides this season.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte wants to sign Alessandro Bastoni ‘at all costs’…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Calciomercatoweb.it, who claim that the Italian head coach has requested that sporting director Fabio Paratici brings his former Inter Milan centre-back to Spurs.

It’s thought that the north Londoners could soon make their first move, which would be a swap deal involving Emerson Royal plus cash.

The report also suggests that Paratici and co will need to come forward with a convincing offer as the Serie A outfit rejected their advances during the summer transfer window.

A few months ago, InterLive relayed that €55m (£48m) would be needed to sign the Italy international in January and whilst it remains to be seen if that is still very much the case, particularly if involving a player going in the other direction, you’d imagine he’s worth that – if not more.

Get it done Paratici

If the Lilywhites’ hierarchy can complete a deal of this nature, then they’d be onto a winner – swapping one of their arguably worst and unreliable options for a supreme talent that’s adored by the manager.

Indeed, Conte and Bastoni have worked together before, so his interest should be no surprise. The pair were at the San Siro for Inter’s first Scudetto in over a decade back in 2020. The 23-year-old played a starring role by featuring in 33 matches, where he accounted for a whopping 2.45 points per game on their way to the title.

Also per FBref, the Italian stallion registered 2.34 tackles and interceptions per 90, highlighting why concentration has been listed as a strong attribute of his, whilst also registering an average of 2.98 progressive passes per 90, one of his strongest attributes, according to WhoScored.

It’s perhaps no wonder Conte wants him at Hotspur Way as he’s clearly a perfect fit for what his current tactical setup commands and not to mention the fact that he’s also left-footed, which will be a problem again come the summer when Clement Lenglet returns to FC Barcelona following his loan spell.

Bastoni, once lauded as a “phenomenon” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy and a “Rolls-Royce” by others, has a statistical likeness to fellow transfer target Piero Hincapie, as well as current Spurs star Ben Davies, which is another good sign for his suitability in this system, via FBref.

It would also be a stunning move from Paratici to ditch Emerson in the process as the wing-back previously lambasted as a “complete liability” who’s “not good enough” by talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara has hardly set pulses racing in N17. “He’s a mistake waiting to happen,” he added.

Indeed, the writing has been on the wall for the Brazillian ever since Conte was appointed as just a few months into his reign, The Times suggested that he was not convinced by his ability to play the role required – something that has not changed to this day.

Hardly a surprise as he’s WhoScored’s worst-rated Lilywhites player to have started ten or more Premier League games this term (6.57).

Therefore, getting Bastoni in exchange for cash and the £62k-per-week dud would be pretty remarkable business from Paratici and the club’s recruitment staff.

The tried-and-tested Italian is surely a far better option to have in the backline than Emerson, so Spurs must do all they can do get this one over the line before next season.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Kane: Spurs can form scary duo by signing “biggest talent in the world”…

Leeds United could look at another January transfer after finalising a move for a new forward, according to Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Rutter to sign?

It appears as if the Whites could secure the services of Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter in the coming days.

Sky Sports have said that a club-record transfer worth around £35.3m is close, with the 20-year-old expected to have an Elland Road medical in the next 48 hours. Rutter would become the club’s second winter arrival after Max Wober, but Leeds officials may not stop there.

The Latest: Another move incoming?

Leeds correspondent Smyth shared a transfer state of play for Yorkshire Evening Post in the last 48 hours, which included news on Rutter.

The reliable reporter teased even more recruitment after a move for a forward, saying that ‘the YEP understands it’s possible that they could now also add a further signing in another area of the pitch.’

The Verdict: Exciting for Leeds

Leeds supporters have had to make do with quiet January transfer windows since their return to the Premier League, with the club completing their business in the summer instead.

Therefore, the possibility of another arrival after Rutter is an exciting one, and it would be interesting to see what position Andrea Radrizzani would look to bolster.

A new versatile midfielder could be beneficial following Mateusz Klich’s recent departure, so this will be one to watch in the coming weeks.