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Newcastle United are believed to be stepping up their approach for Everton sensation, Anthony Gordon, with the Magpies yet to strengthen the first-team squad this month.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, sporting director Dan Ashworth is seemingly readying an offer for the 21-year-old before the end of the window, albeit with the Tynesiders set to face competition from free-spending Chelsea for the Englishman’s signature.

Writing on Twitter about that battle to land the young forward, the transfer insider revealed: “Chelsea rekindle Anthony Gordon interest as Newcastle prepare bid for Everton star.”

In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that Ashworth and co have ‘done their homework’ on the Liverpool-born starlet and are said to have been ‘pleased’ by the reports that they have garnered.

The report also goes on to add that the Toffees could well consider offers for the versatile attacker – who has been valued at around £30m plus – after failing to agree a contract extension, with the player’s existing deal set to expire in 2025.

‘Unbelievable’

It looks as if Eddie Howe’s side are hoping to finally secure a high-profile addition before the window is out, with the high-flying outfit’s only signing to date having been that of Australian teenager, Garang Kuol – who subsequently joined Scottish Premiership side Hearts on loan.

While the acquisition of Gordon may not be the glamour name that some Newcastle supporters will be craving, the England U21 international has certainly shown flashes of his quality in recent years after making the breakthrough into the first team at Goodison Park.

Tipped to become an “unbelievable player” in the near future by pundit Paddy Kenny, the £10k-per-week dynamo enjoyed a standout 2021/22 campaign to truly announce himself at senior level, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 35 Premier League games.

While it has proven a far more difficult season this time around both on an individual and collective basis, the 6-foot speedster still has three top-flight goals to his name thus far, with that a greater tally than fellow wingers, Allan Saint-Maximin (one) and Jacob Murphy (one) have achieved at St James’ Park.

Equally, it is perhaps unsurprising that Gordon has been unable to truly flourish on Merseyside amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding the club, with manager Frank Lampard having been sacked on Monday with the struggling outfit languishing in 19th in the table.

Freed from the shackles of the pressure that has been put on his young shoulders at his current side, it could well be the case that the “frightening” talent – as lauded by Kenny – could go on to be an unbelievable addition if he is to link up with Howe and co in the next week or so, as he would help to supplement an already rampant outfit.

With the Magpies having previously shown interest in the much-coveted asset during the summer, the aforementioned Ashworth can now finally get a deal done this time around.

West Ham United have made a late move in a bid to bring Sheraldo Becker to the Premier League on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Florian Plettenberg, with the Sky Sports Germany reporter revealing in a recent post on Twitter that David Moyes has submitted an enquiry to Union Berlin regarding the 27-year-old forward – who is believed to have an asking price in the region of €15m (£13m).

However, the journalist went on to suggest that the Hammers are not alone in their pursuit of the Suriname international, with Everton also said to be considering launching a late move for the former Ajax talent over what remains on the January transfer window.

Regarding the interest in Becker, Plettenberg said: “News Becker: A player to watch out on deadline day! There’s movement in it. Everton are considering an official offer because [Conor] Gallagher is close to being off as reported. West Ham also inquired about the fast winger from Union Berlin.”

“Quality”

Considering just how poor West Ham have been in the final third so far this season – with the Hammers’ 17 goals scored ranking them as the joint third-worst attack in the Premier League – coupled with how impressive Becker has been in Germany this term, it is not difficult to understand why Moyes would be keen on a last-minute swoop for the Union forward on Tuesday.

Indeed, over his 18 Bundesliga appearances in the current campaign, the £8.5m-rated talent has been in sensational form going forwards, having already scored seven goals – outperforming in xG of 2.16 – registered four assists and created four big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.7 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.2 crosses per game.

These returns have seen the £9k-per-week forward average a rather remarkable Sofascore statistical rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Urs Fischer’s third-best performer in the league but also as the joint 16th-best player in the top flight of German football as a whole – playing a key role in Union currently sitting just one point behind top of the table Bayern Munich.

Rather unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old’s performances have seen him earn a considerable amount of praise, with journalist Shark Gutierrez dubbing the attacker both “quality” and “class” back in November, while Josh Bunting labelled the five-cap international both “clinical” and “creative” earlier this season.

As such, with it very much appearing as if Becker could be exactly the sort of player Moyes requires to inject some life into his West Ham attack in the second half of the season, it would indeed appear as if the Union sensation would represent a quality last-minute signing for the east London club this winter.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing both Lewis O’Brien and Nathaniel Chalobah in the January transfer window, according to reports on Sunday morning.

The Lowdown: West Brom looking good for play-offs

The Baggies have recovered from a disastrous start to the season in the Championship, with Carlos Corberan changing their fortunes after the exit of Steve Bruce in the autumn.

West Brom now sit 10th in the table and are only one point off the play-offs and their recent form suggests that they could rise further up the division in the coming months.

New signings may be required for that to become more likely, though, and an intriguing reports has emerged in the morning hours.

The Latest: O’Brien and Chalobah in talks with West Brom

According to The Mail on Sunday [via West Brom News], Albion are in discussions to sign both O’Brien and Chalobah before the transfer deadline on Tuesday night.

The duo are currently in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest and Fulham respectively, but neither have been regular presences at those clubs and could be allowed to leave this month.

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The Verdict: Could be a great double coup

If the Baggies were able to bring in O’Brien and Chalobah, it would have the potential to be game-changing in their promotion push, considering the quality they both possess at Championship level. They have only made a total of seven starts in the Premier League between them this season (O’Brien six, Chalobah one) and could be itching to feature more prominently elsewhere.

Although things aren’t working out for them in the top flight, the former started 46 Championship games for Huddersfield Town last term, averaging 2.1 tackles per game as they reached the play-off final, while the latter has 142 appearances to his name in the second tier and has been promoted from the division with Watford and Fulham in the past two years.

O’Brien and Chalobah could provide stiff competition in the middle of the park at West Brom for the likes of Okay Yokuslu and John Swift, giving Corberan the depth to rotate his squad and keep players fresh as the game comes thick and fast in the final four months of the campaign.

West Ham manager David Moyes has praised defender Nayef Aguerd for one key reason as he makes an intriguing transfer claim on the Morocco international.

The Lowdown: Aguerd absence…

The centre-back, signed from Rennes in a £30 million deal last summer, has been absent from West Ham’s season for the vast majority of 2021/2022.

In total, Aguerd has missed around 15 Premier League games through injury since putting pen to paper on a transfer to east London – much to the frustration of Moyes and supporters.

The African, however, is now becoming a West Ham mainstay – starting their last three league matches and putting in a brilliant FA Cup display against Derby County.

The Latest: Moyes praises Aguerd…

Speaking after the win over Derby, Moyes heaped praise on Aguerd and drew particular attention to his ‘stylish’ play, also revealing that the Irons had been chasing the player for ages.

The Scotsman explained (via The Evening Standard):

“We really wanted to buy him two years ago.

“He’s a really good player, really good on the ball, stylish. He’s got some really good attributes and I think he will big a plus to us.”

The Verdict: Right to be impressed…

The 26-year-old, despite suffering reoccurring injuries at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar also, managed to contribute to their semi-final run in parts.

As per WhoScored, Aguerd averaged their joint-second highest rate of clearances per 90 at the tournament whilst also making Morocco’s third-most blocks per match as well.

This was perhaps a glimpse into the player’s defensive qualities with Aguerd now seriously coming into his own at West Ham.

Moyes also had praise for the ex-Ligue 1 star after his performance against Everton in a crunch relegation encounter, branding Aguerd’s display as his ‘best’ for West Ham to date.

If the central defensive ace continues in this form injury free, Irons supporters could be about to see a key player emerge.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been fairly active over the last two transfer windows in an effort to retain their position in the top half of the Premier League table with the side earning a 10th-place finish in the 2021/22 season.

Despite their efforts to improve the team, the Midlands club have struggled over the first half of the current campaign and ultimately parted ways with Bruno Lage in late 2021, replacing the manager quickly with Julen Lopetegui in November.

Lopetegui has significantly improved the squad’s fate since taking the reins when the club found themselves in the relegation zone and thanks to his impact they are now 15th in the league table, although there is still a long way to go to make a convincing difference with a comfortable finish at the end of the season.

Indeed, the likes of Matheus Nunes and Nathan Collins have made a positive impact on the team since joining in the summer, however, there was one player who the club missed out on that has become one of the stand-out performers in the Premier League this season.

Former Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha was heavily linked with a move to Molineux last summer and it was reported that the club rejected the chance to secure his services allowing newly-promoted Fulham to swoop in and sign the player for just £20m.

There is no doubt that the missed opportunity will be something that the Wolves hierarchy will now regret as the Portuguese talent has taken like a fish to water in the top flight, proving to be a crucial component in his current club’s rise to eighth in the league table.

Over 21 Premier League appearances, Palhinha – who was dubbed “incredible” by Sky Sports broadcaster Nubaid Haroon – has scored three goals and tallied up an 82% pass completion rate so far, as well as averaging 1.3 shots in total, 51.5 touches, 1.3 interceptions, 4.7 tackles, 1.9 clearances and an impressive 8.2 duels won per game.

It suggests he is an all-rounder in the middle of the park, a player who uses his long strides to bound about the pitch in such a fashion that Haroon also comedically implied that he had “18 legs.”

The 27-year-old midfielder is currently the highest-ranking player in the entire Premier League for tackles won (98) by some distance with Leeds United ace Tyler Adams behind him in second with 76 won, as well as winning the most duels (171) – 32 more than any other Premier League player this season so far.

As such, it will be frustrating for Lopetegui as Palhinha could have been the dream heir to succeed Ruben Neves, a move that would have considerably taken the pressure off the club as the Wolves star has been heavily linked to moves away from Molineux ahead of his contract expiration in 2024.

With that being said, there is no doubt that the powerbrokers at Molineux will rue their decision to not sign Palhinha when they had the chance last summer. Instead, they will now have to hope they can convince Neves to commit his future to the club in order to avoid weakening their midfield in the next transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur have it all to do back in north London after they were beaten 1-0 by AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the San Siro on Tuesday night.

Brahim Diaz’s seventh-minute header was the only difference between the Serie A champions and Spurs, who coped pretty well in the absence of some of Antonio Conte’s most important stars.

A youthful pairing of Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp looked comfortable for large spells, in the absence of the suspended Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the injured Rodrigo Bentancur, but were rarely able to build any attacking threat, with Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son thwarted by a resolute backline.

The same couldn’t be said for the visitors as on another day or against more prolific opposition, mistakes would have been punished even more. It was another worrying outing for Conte’s backline, spearheaded by the calamitous Cristian Romero, who should have been sent off for the second successive game.

How did Cristian Romero perform against Milan?

Rated as the Lilywhites’ poorest player on the night with a 4/10 rating, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick lambasted the Argentina international for his involvement in the Rossoneri’s goal, claiming that he was  ‘meekly beaten in the air by Theo Hernandez.’

He also added: “Lucky not to pick up another red card for a wild tackle on Sandro Tonali.”

Indeed, despite winning 100% of his aerial duels (62.5% overall) and putting in four clearances, the 24-year-old – who cost around €55m (£48.5m) – was a walking disaster throughout the match as he lived life on the edge.

It very much continued his poor form since returning from his World Cup triumph in Qatar earlier this year.

The £165k-per-week titan’s last outing before this one saw him sent off for a careless lunge on Jack Grealish, then in his absence at the weekend, Spurs were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City.

Four of Romero’s last five outings across the Premier League and Champions League have seen him fail to register a WhoScored rating of above 6.32, which would see him rank as Spurs’ second-worst performer in the former and worst in the latter (of those to start 60% or more games).

Whilst Son has been horribly out of sorts over the last few months, Romero’s erratic nature is costing Conte dearly at the moment. He’s ultimately lucky that there are few that could rival his place in the starting lineup.

The 53-touch Argentine was slammed as being an “absolute reckless liability” by content creator Rory Talks, whilst talkSPORT’s Max Rushden labelled him “needlessly violent” and also backed up Kilpatrick’s aforementioned claim by suggesting that Romero “could have had two reds.”

Spurs can count themselves fortunate to return to N17 with 11 men and only a one-goal disadvantage, given just how poor Romero was for the side on Tuesday night.

Southampton reporter Jacob Tanswell has claimed Jesse Marsch’s collapsed appointment comes as a ‘shock’ and ‘crazy’ for two key reasons.

The Lowdown: Saints talks go nowhere…

Earlier this week, it was widely believed that Marsch, after leaving Leeds United, was nailed on to become Southampton’s next Premier League boss.

The Saints sacked Nathan Jones and swiftly moved on the American, and after holding talks, it was believed that an agreement was imminent.

However, the move then went nowhere and negotiations broke down, with Tanswell sharing why it is such a ‘shock’ bit of news.

The Latest: Tanswell makes claim after failed Southampton move…

Taking to Twitter, the reporter has called Marsch’s failed move ‘genuinely crazy’ for two key reasons – mainly because the contract conditions were seen as ‘favourable’ and the feeling was ‘positive’.

He explained:

“Genuinely crazy as the contingencies in place with Marsch (initial six-month deal with an option to extend) were seen as favourable and the feeling was positive it would be worked out after Monday’s meeting.

“A shock and a setback.”

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise?

Marsch comes across as eloquent and intelligent when speaking to the media and also possesses a real energy behind-the-scenes – as evident by his passionate dressing room speech when Leeds avoided relegation last year.

However, the Whites dismissed Leipzig’s former boss due to their lack of faith he could keep the Elland Road side in this division – making you wonder if he would have been the right man for Southampton.

In terms of other candidates, assistant and current interim coach Ruben Selles is highly thought of in the Saints dressing room and free agents like Marcelo Gallardo carry plenty of pedigree.

The latter man in particular is an attractive candidate, having been linked with a move to St. Mary’s and even being likened to Mauricio Pochettino.

Currently a free agent, we believe Gallardo is the right man and Southampton should do all they can to appoint the Argentine.

Presenter of the HLTCO podcast, Dan Cook, believes manager Patrick Vieira will be “angry” after Crystal Palace dropped two points and teams below them won key games on the weekend.

What’s the latest on Patrick Vieira and Crystal Palace?

On Saturday afternoon, the Eagles were just moments away from picking up an impressive Premier League win away from home thanks to a 69th-minute goal from Eberechi Eze.

However, Brentford managed to claw back a point when Vitaly Janelt netted an equaliser in the 96th minute of the game. Conceding such a late will have come as a bitter blow to the club but results around them will only have rubbed salt in the wounds.

Indeed, relegation candidates below Palace such as Everton, Southampton, and Bournemouth all picked three points, which may be concerning for the club.

While talking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook explained: “It wasn’t a particularly good weekend for us in terms of teams below us in the table and their results. So it just makes that two points dropped feel like an extra kick in the stomach really.

“And I’m sure Patrick Vieira is genuinely angry. I’ve seen plenty of people on social media suggesting it’s Vieira, it’s the mentality, it’s the mindset. You know, we’ve got to change it’s been this way for our Vieira’s time in charge.

“And I understand all of those grumbles because it’s very easy to look at it from a microscopic perspective and say that the trend under Vieira’s management has been for us to drop late points. We’ve also gained a lot of points from behind as well, by the way. But I don’t think you can legislate for the events that led to that equalising goal going in.”

What does the draw mean for Patrick Vieira and Palace?

It feels as though Palace have a pretty nice buffer between themselves and the bottom three as they sit 12th in the table six points above West Ham United in 18th.

However, things can change quickly in football and with things being so tight in and around the relegation zone, the Eagles aren’t out of the wood just yet.

Form certainly hasn’t been that impressive of late for Vieira’s men who have failed to win any of their last five Premier League matches, drawing four of those games.

With that in mind, it certainly would have been a big blow to drop points on the cusp of victory against the Bees and perhaps the club’s French manner is only a few defeats away from coming under serious pressure.

You never know it football, things really can change so suddenly.

Journalist Liam Keen has criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Nunes for his attitude and display during their defeat to Bournemouth.

How did Nunes play against Bournemouth?

Nunes has been one of Wolves’ standout players this season, and the summer signing has already been linked with a move to Liverpool.

However, in Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, he was far from his best, and completed just 78% of his passes as he gave the ball away carelessly on a number of occasions.

Speaking on the Express and Star Podcast, Keen claimed that his poor performance was not a reflection on his ability, but his mindset during the game.

“Matheus Nunes. I rate, he’s certainly a very good player, but he’s had peaks and troughs in a Wolves shirt. There were moments in that first half where he glided past the opposition and got into some good areas going forward. It was all a bit too easy for him,” he stated.

“At times when it is a bit too easy for him, he lets his guard down too much. And that’s what I felt like Wolves overall were doing, but I can use examples for him. His first touches, for a player of his quality, were so lackadaisical.

“The crossfield passes, and 10-yard passes that were totally out of bounds, were just not good enough unfortunately,  and it’s not because he isn’t good enough or doesn’t have the talent, it was that he was just allowing the game to pass him by, he knew he was better than the players around him.

“That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You cannot think that ‘right I’m head and shoulders above the players around me.’ And that’s what it looked like for me, and that meant that he got punished.”

Could Nunes leave in the summer?

Even if Wolves do survive the threat of relegation, it seems they may be resigned to losing captain Ruben Neves, who is in the final year of his contract, and losing Nunes as well would be a big blow.

Liverpool look ready to swoop in on the Portuguese midfielder, and his attitude in the Bournemouth defeat could be a worrying sign that he may push for a move if a bid comes in.

Nunes arrived at Wolves for around £38m, and whilst the club will likely make a profit on him if he moves on, losing two crucial central midfielders in the summer could be damaging, and may harm Julen Lopetegui’s chances of success next season.

The Spaniard has navigated Wolves away from the relegation zone, although there is still a long way to go before the end of the season with his side just three points clear of the drop.

Leeds United head coach Javi Gracia could explore the possibility of playing both Georginio Rutter and Patrick Bamford against Chelsea, Phil Hay reports.

The Lowdown: Rutter against Fulham

Record signing Rutter made his first start under Gracia against Fulham in the FA Cup on Tuesday. The 20-year-old had a goal disallowed and hit the post, as he was one of Leeds’ best performers on the night behind Marc Roca, as per SofaScore.

He made way for Bamford just after the hour mark, but it looks as if Gracia is considering playing them both from the off in the Premier League.

The Latest: Hay’s post

Hay was at Thorp Arch for Gracia’s pre-Chelsea press conference on Thursday, where he was asked about the decision about Bamford or Rutter as a centre-forward.

He said ‘it’s a real option to play with two options up front’, with Joe Donnohue saying that Gracia was ‘sufficiently impressed’ by Rutter on Tuesday.

The Verdict: Something different

Leeds have only played with two up front on one occasion in the Premier League this season against West Ham back in January, as per Transfermarkt.

The Frenchman wasn’t a Leeds player at that time, so playing both Bamford and Rutter at Stamford Bridge would be interesting.

The Whites have been defensively sound under the Spaniard so far and haven’t given their opponents a ‘big chance’ in his opening two games, so you could say that playing two up front may impact those defensive improvements, and it’ll be one to watch heading into this afternoon’s trip to Stamford Bridge.