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Arsenal are reportedly one of the three Premier League clubs that have an interest in signing PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo. 

The Lowdown: Previous Premier League interest in Gakpo

The winger was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League during the previous summer transfer window, with the likes of Leeds United and Southampton interested.

Having stayed at PSV, Gakpo has since found himself showing what he’s capable of in the World Cup, as he has scored two goals in two games for the Netherlands.

This has then led to an update being shared regarding the current interest in the 23-year-old.

The Latest: Gakpo on Arsenal’s radar

After seeing Gakpo score in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw against Ecuador, journalist Ben Jacobs gave an update about the player and the current transfer interest in him in a Twitter post.

He said: “Cody Gakpo has been directly involved in 34 goals in 28 games for club and country this season. He’s scored 16 and assisted 18. He’s firmly on the radar of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.”

The Verdict: A star signing for Arsenal

With 222 appearances for PSV under his belt across their senior and youth sides, Gakpo has scored 82 goals and delivered 61 assists.

This season has seen the winger, who has been described as “electric” by journalist Josh Bunting on Twitter, find the net nine times and supply 12 assists for his side, leaving him with more goal contributions than any other player in the Eredivisie.

In addition to that, Gakpo has racked up more shots at goal (49) than any other player in the division, as well as the joint-highest number of key passes (59).

This shows how much of an exciting attacking figure he is and why he’d be such a star signing for Arsenal, who only have Gabriel Martinelli as their main senior left-winger.

With all of that in mind, we feel that the Gunners should do all they can to beat Liverpool and United to Gakpo’s signature as soon as they can.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been dealt a blow to their hopes of securing a move for Ruslan Malinovskyi. 

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with Malinovskyi

Spurs have been linked with the Atalanta midfielder in recent weeks ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

Across 142 appearances for the Serie A club, the Ukrainian has scored 30 goals and delivered 28 assists in the process.

As the winter market approaches, though, it appears that some behind-the-scenes issues may have dealt Spurs a significant blow to their hopes of signing the midfielder.

The Latest: Spurs dealt Malinovskyi transfer blow

According to a recent report from Il Giorno, Spurs’ chances of securing a deal for Malinovskyi have taken a blow due to Fabio Paratici’s reported involvement in the investigation surrounding Juventus and their market operations over the last few years.

The report adds that fellow Premier League side West Ham United and Ligue 1 outfit Marseille both have an interest in signing the Atalanta ace.

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The Verdict: A worry for Spurs

Last month, it was reported that Paratici is among six people under investigation as part of a probe into alleged financial corruption at Juventus, with the transfer of Cristian Romero from Juventus to Atalanta being part of the probe.

If this investigation is likely to scupper Spurs’ chances of sealing a deal with Atalanta for Malinovskyi, who has been hailed for his “unreal” shooting ability in the past by journalist Carlo Garganese, it may well be the north London club’s best option to play it safe and walk away.

Bearing in mind how only two players at the Serie A club have taken more shots at goal in the league this season than the Ukrainian (19), and with just two players making more progressive passes than him (41), this highlights the sort of player that Spurs could be missing out on in January.

Overall, with Paratici involved in the investigation surrounding Juventus, this could be a worry for Spurs and his efforts in potentially seeing new players come to the club in January.

Wolves journalist for The Athletic Steve Madeley has now revealed a significant update on reported transfer target Matheus Cunha.

The Lowdown: Cunha move ‘on track’

It was reported by Spanish news outlet Marca on Sunday afternoon that a move to take Cunha from Atletico Madrid to Molineux is ‘on track’, and that the player has ‘already headed’ to the Midlands club.

The Brazilian’s omission from his country’s FIFA World Cup squad may have strengthened Cunha’s desire to look elsewhere, with the January transfer window presenting an opportunity for him to leave.

The Latest: Not as far advanced

Taking to Twitter, Madeley revealed his own update on Cunha, sharing that although the Old Gold are ‘in the hunt’ for his signature, things ‘aren’t as far advanced’ as reports in Spain have suggested:

“As I understand it, Wolves are still very much in the hunt but things aren’t as far advanced as some in Spain have suggested.”

The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

A deal for Cunha does not seem as easy as it has perhaps been made out to be, and so Julen Lopetegui’s side should not focus all of their attention on the 23-year-old, and instead look at other targets if needs be.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein swiftly reported after the news from Spain that the likes of Leeds United and Everton are also interested in Cunha, and so a more to the Wanderers does not seem like a foregone conclusion.

With just eight goals scored in the Premier League so far this season, the fewest in the division, Wolves need a goalscorer to come in more than anything, and Cunha is yet to find the back of the net in 17 appearances for Atletico.

Thus, the club should also be identifying more prolific targets in case a move does not work out.

Chelsea have been urged to surge ahead and sign one of Europe’s most prodigious talents in Youssoufa Moukoko, who could form a devastating partnership with prospective new signing Christopher Nkunku.

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg tweeted that Chelsea have been pushing to sign the 18-year-old Germany international, who club Borussia Dortmund have been attempting to tie down to a long-term deal with the club.

And Sport BILD (via The Mirror) stated last month that the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United had been interested in the player, with a fee of just £26.2m due to the contract situation.

When asked by Football FanCast for his thoughts on the matter, O’Rourke said: “It’d be a really exciting signing, he is a top young player widely regarded as one of the best young strikers in Europe. He’s already achieved so much so early in his career to be the youngest player to represent Germany at the World Cup.”

Imagine him & Nkunku 

Breaking into the Dortmund first-team this term, Moukoko has plundered six goals and six assists apiece from just 22 showings, exhibiting clinical prowess that eclipses the expectations for someone scarcely into their adult years.

The two-cap gem was one heralded by former teammate Erling Haaland as the “biggest talent in the world”, high praise indeed from a striker who has scored 23 goals from his first 18 appearances for Manchester City since his summer move from Dortmund, and Chelsea might be looking to repeat their divisional rivals’ trick.

As per FBref, the teenage starlet ranks within the top 7% for both rate of goals and assists when compared to forwards across the entirety of Europe’s major leagues this past year, hinting at a future laden in prolific success.

Should Chelsea prove successful in their endeavours, they could forge a deadly partnership between Moukoko and another prospective signing in the form of £63m Christopher Nkunku, who will arrive from RB Leipzig in the summer.

Nkunku, who operates a deeper role than the traditional centre-forward, has had a season bearing fruit himself, scoring 17 goals and registering four assists from 23 appearances at club level this term.

With the “wonder” Moukoko and Nkunku both bringing heaps of direct threat, the duality in Chelsea’s forward transitional efficiency would be immense; and for a side currently sorely lacking in goals – Chelsea have scored only 17 goals from 14 matches in the Premier League this term, languishing in eighth place.

With one box already ticked, Chelsea must utilise their wealth and stature on the global footballing stage to lure a talismanic talent to partner a monumental deal in the 25-year-old Nkunku; it would secure their future among Europe’s elite over the coming age.

Newcastle United are believed to have made an approach to sign Shakhtar Donetsk winger, Mykhaylo Mudryk, as the Magpies seek to win the race for the Ukrainian’s signature.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth is believed to have made a move for the 21-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, with the Tynesiders said to be ready to do battle with Premier League rivals Arsenal for the forward.

The report suggests that the northeast side’s owners, PIF, have given the ‘green light’ for Ashworth to spend in the New Year, with any deal for Mudryk likely to surpass their recent, club-record capture of Alexander Isak.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has previously suggested that while the youngster’s current side are publicly demanding a fee of around €100m (£86m), the belief is that a slightly lower offer could also see a deal agreed.

He’d be ‘frightening’ at St James’ Park

As journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed, a new winger is believed to be something of a priority for the St James’ Park outfit in 2023, as Ashworth and co look to bolster the current bid for Champions League qualification.

The addition of Mudryk would certainly be a real lift heading into the second half of the season, with the “frightening” talent – as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting – having dazzled both domestically and in Europe in recent times.

The eight-cap speedster boasts a remarkable haul of ten goals and eight assists in just 18 games in all competitions so far this term, including seven goals and six assists in just 12 games in Ukraine’s top flight.

It is in the Champions League, however, where the fleet-footed asset has truly made his mark in the current campaign, having been “on fire” in the group stage, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Lauded as the “Ukrainian Neymar” – as per Kulig – the 5 foot 9 gem was particularly impressive in the opening game win over RB Leipzig after registering a goal and two assists away in Germany, having also sparkled in both meetings with Old Firm giants, Celtic.

The explosive asset netted a goal in each game against Ange Postecoglou’s side, showcasing the full extent of his breathtaking speed and elite finishing prowess after terrorising the Hoops from his left-wing berth.

Such performances having unsurprisingly caught the attention of Ashworth and Eddie Howe, with it a truly ‘frightening’ thought as to the havoc that Mudryk could unleash at St James’ Park were he to sign on the dotted line.

The January transfer window is only a matter of days away from opening for business and Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray could be in the market to improve his squad.

He arrived at the Stadium of Light towards the end of the summer transfer window and that meant that he was unable to have a big say in the recruitment that took place ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The former Blackburn Rovers coach will now be able to work hand-in-hand with Kristjaan Speakman to identify targets to bolster the team heading into the second half of the season.

One position that the club could need to recruit a player in is central midfield after Elliot Embleton suffered an ankle fracture and ligament damage, which is set to keep him out in the ‘long term’.

The academy graduate had featured in all 23 league matches, starting 13, this season before picking up his injury and this shows that he has been an important player for Mowbray.

Embleton, who was once described as a “nightmare” to play against by Lee Cattermole, has chipped in with two goals and two assists from the middle of the park in the Championship and Sunderland could use the January window to sign a replacement for the gem.

The Sun reported, back in November, that the Black Cats are interested in a deal to snap Bradley Dack up from Blackburn and he could come in to fill the void left by this latest injury blow.

He is a similar player to Embleton, positionally, as he can play as a number eight, as a 10, or out wide and this means that he could slot straight into the squad as a like-for-like replacement.

Mowbray, who once dubbed the 28-year-old’s love for the game as “amazing to watch”, worked with the gem at Ewood Park and managed to get the best out of the playmaker.

In 150 games under the current Sunderland manager, Dack produced 50 goals and 26 assists from midfield and this shows that he has the quality to be a match-winner from the middle of the park as he is capable of scoring and creating goals.

The Blackburn maestro is a proven Championship performer, with over 100 appearances in the competition, and his pre-existing relationship with Mowbray indicates that he could hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light.

This means that he could be the perfect signing to replace Embleton as he would not need time to adjust to the standard of football or the manager’s tactics, which is why Speakman must now work hard to get a deal over the line for the ex-Gillingham man.

Glasgow Rangers are set to compete in the Premiership for the first time in 2023 this afternoon as they take on arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox.

The Light Blues have the opportunity to cut the gap between the two sides to six points by picking up a victory against Ange Postecoglou’s outfit.

They are currently nine points off the top of the table, despite Michael Beale winning all four of his league matches in charge so far, and they are in desperate need of a win today to put them back in the title race.

Rangers beat Motherwell 3-0 last time out, as Alfredo Morelos, Connor Goldson, and Malik Tillman all found the back of the net, but their convincing victory may not stop the head coach from making alterations to his starting XI.

One player who must be unleashed into the line-up after sitting on the bench in the last match is Finnish central midfielder Glen Kamara.

Whilst Scott Arfield scored two goals in two games prior to being an unused substitute against Motherwell, the former Arsenal man should be the player to come back into the midfield against Celtic.

The £21k-per-week dynamo, who was once hailed as being “made of iron” by former boss Neil McCann, has won 46% of his individual duels and completed 84% of his passes in the Premiership this term, after winning 51% of his battles and completing 91% of his passes last season.

These statistics indicate that he can hold his own on the physical side of the game, after Steven Gerrard once tipped him to be a “monster” in midfield, and that he is reliable in possession as he rarely misplaced his attempts to find teammates.

Arfield, meanwhile, has lost 67% of his duels and completed 79% of his attempted passes in the Scottish top-flight this season and these statistics suggest that the veteran midfielder does not offer as much as Kamara in general play.

The former Burnley man could be a liability to Rangers, due to his weak play out of possession and his sloppy passing, and that is why Beale should not consider him for a place in the starting line-up and should, instead, bring the Finland international back in to be a rock in the middle of the park.

Kamara averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across Beale’s first three league matches in charge, which is higher than Steven Davis, James Sands, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack’s respective seasonal scores, and deserves to be in the XI due to his resurgence under the English coach.

Newcastle United target Matheus Franca has been hailed as a player with real talent amid the January transfer reports by Sky Sports’ South American expert, Tim Vickery.

What’s the latest?

The Magpies have been linked with a potential swoop for the Flamengo youngster this month as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen the fight on Tyneside for a spot in the Champions League.

And the reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has now claimed he is expecting the Magpies to begin their push for the 18-year-old again in the coming days.

Franca has only made 25 appearances for the Brazilian side in which he has been able to find the back of the net on six occasions (via Transfermarkt).

And despite the majority of those appearances coming from the bench, Vickery has been left wowed by the youngster from what he has seen in his early stages of his career in Brazil:

(27:50) “He’s an attacking midfielder. And there is real talent there. He’s very strong on the ball. He’s got a lovely dip in the shoulder.

“As I’m saying Flamengo are the experts at this model. They sell promises. They sold Vinicius Jr. They sold Lucas Paqueta, they sell promises in order to bring back players from Europe.

“They have a very strong team Flamengo. They are the champions of South America. It’s hard for Matheus Franca to get a game when they’re at full strength. So I think Flamengo would be open to selling him but they want money for him.”

One for the future

The Magpies are flying high this season in the Premier League with a real grasp on the top four following their bright start to the 2022/23 campaign.

However, Eddie Howe has expressed his belief that this month’s transfer window may be restrained by their need to adhere to the FFP regulations.

With this in mind, it does seem as if big money moves for their believed target James Maddison could be put back until the summer window where funds may be more accessible for the Toon.

And given the funds for big moves this month may not be there, this is seemingly providing PIF with an opportunity to build for the future through young prospects such as Franca.

Newcastle have already seen Garang Kuol arrive on Tyneside following his signing over the summer after the Australian was identified as a potential star of the future by Newcastle.

But it will be interesting to see whether the potential signing of Franca would see the Brazilian play a part in Howe’s squad for the remainder of the campaign if he is to join.

Having played so few games in his homeland, and of such a young age, it would make a lot of sense if the Magpies were to loan him back to Flamengo or to find him a possible short-term deal with a European side as they’re seemingly doing with Kuol.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that Newcastle United may wait until the summer to try and sign Harrison Ashby on a free.

What’s the word?

For some time now, it has been expected that the young West Ham United right-back would be heading to the club’s northern Premier League rival.

Indeed, in December, The Guardian tipped the Magpies to make a move for the defender this winter so he could provide cover for Kieran Trippier at right-back.

However, it sounds as though Newcastle may well wait until the summer to do any deal as they could then pick him up when his contract expires without having to pay a transfer fee.

When speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex explained: “I asked my top sources what’s happening with him and why he’s not signed for Newcastle. And the top source said, ‘He’s no closer to signing a contract for West Ham, we’ve tried.’

“But we don’t have to sell him. His contract is going to go in the summer so we’ve set a fee for him to be signed in January. And the club reckon that what Newcastle might do is take a chance and let his contract go in the summer and [for] it to go to compensation and hope that the compensation figure is less than what they would pay this window for him from West Ham.”

Worth the wait?

As Ashby is still under the age of 24, if he was to leave West Ham and move to Newcastle in the summer a compensation fee would have to be paid.

For instance, the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) forced Liverpool to pay Fulham a guaranteed fee of £1.5m in February 2021, plus a further £2.8m in contingent sums, when the midfielder joined the Reds as a teenager.

Of course, though, that fee may have been less than what the Cottagers would have demanded for the player in the transfer market. That clearly seems to be what Newcastle are weighing up now.

As Ex makes clear, West Ham have put a price tag on Ashby if he is to leave this January. But the Magpies may well feel as though the compensation fee will be cheaper if they take their chances and wait until the summer.

However, if they delay, they run the risk of a rival moving for the right-back as Leeds United have been linked with a possible deal in the past as well.

Leeds United could have another Charles De Ketelaere situation on their hands as interest intensifies surrounding mooted transfer target Azzedine Ounahi this month…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Angers SCO midfielder is keen to secure a move to Serie A leaders SSC Napoli before deadline day, despite the Yorkshire side offering a better deal.

The Ligue 1 outfit are thought to want around €25m (£22m) to let the Moroccan leave and whilst it’s thought that the 22-year-old is yet to reach an agreement with Gli Azzurri, it is believed to be his first-choice destination.

Elsewhere, other reports from the Daily Mail suggest that the Whites’ interest in Ounahi has been parked for the time being due to the uncertainty surrounding under-fire manager Jesse Marsch – either way, it seems as if director of football Victor Orta and co are fighting a losing battle.

De Ketelaere all over again

This situation is an all-too-familiar one to those at Elland Road, having missed out on a similar deal for Charles De Ketelaere during the summer window.

Fabrizio Romano claimed that Leeds were prepared to smash their club-record fee to sign him (around £35m) from Club Brugge but the Belgian attacking midfielder was eager to move to Italian champions AC Milan instead, despite chairman Andrea Radrizzani sanctioning a better deal.

He eventually got his wish before the start of the season, leaving the Whites to look back and think about what could have been.

They are at risk of a repeat scenario here unless they can convince Ounahi to make the switch to west Yorkshire before January 31st.

And that’s what Orta must do, to give Marsch the best chance of success – or if their managerial future does lie elsewhere, he could set up the new man with an absolute gem in the engine room.

Ounahi was a relatively unknown prospect before the World Cup but he became an overnight sensation with his impressive performances for the fourth-placed African nation. “He can really play,” claimed then-Spain boss Luis Enrique as Morocco beat La Roja, as well as Belgium and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals.

Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho was another keen admirer as he dubbed him “absolutely incredible” during the group stages, whilst talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as the “revelation” of the tournament at one stage.

The “fast and dynamic” midfielder – also in the words of Kulig – averaged 3.02 progressive passes, 0.95 key passes and an 81.5% passing accuracy per 90 throughout the World Cup, highlighting his expertise in finding the right man with positive, forward-thinking play.

He also registered an average of 1.27 tackles won, 1.11 interceptions and 1.59 successful dribbles per 90, via FBref, to further display his immense qualities as a box-to-box animal.

It is exactly why Orta and Radrizzani cannot let Ounahi slip away as they did for De Ketelaere, something must be done to convince the Angers “protege” – as once described by his former coach Corentin Bouchard – to become Leeds’ third signing this January transfer window.

The Whites cannot miss out on another one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, otherwise they’ll be left to rue the matter for the coming months, to the point where the problem will only arise again once the transfer window reopens in the summer – hopefully, Leeds remain a Premier League outfit by then, too.

AND in other news, Orta could form “unplayable” Leeds duo by signing £35m machine, imagine him and Adams…