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Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for Denzel Dumfries in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte could be set to ‘repeat’ their summer move for Udinese Calcio left-back Destiny Udogie with the Inter Milan defender, by securing a deal for the 26-year-old this winter and allowing him to remain at the San Siro until the summer.

The report goes on to suggest that Spurs’ willingness to do so could see the club take a slight lead over Chelsea in the race for the €40m (£34m) valued Netherlands international, while it is also claimed that Inter could be tempted by a player-plus-cash deal including Emerson Royal – who is ‘not particularly loved’ by Conte, according to Corriere dello Sport.

Paratici masterclass

Considering just how impressive Dumfries has been for Inter over the last season and a half, coupled with how poor Emerson has been for Spurs in the same period, should Paratici indeed manage to pull off a player-plus-cash deal for the Dutchman in January, it would undoubtedly represent the biggest transfer masterclass of his tenure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so far.

Indeed, over Dumfries’ 33 Serie A appearances in 2021/22, the £43m-rated wing-back was in exceptional attacking form, scoring five goals, providing four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.4 crosses per match.

The £53k-per-week talent has continued this fine attacking form over his 15 fixtures in the current campaign, having already hit the back of the net once, registered two assists and created eight big chances for the Nerazzurri, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.5 crosses per game.

In comparison, over Emerson’s 31 Premier League appearances last time out, the £34.5m-rated full-back was rather less impressive, scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his side, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.6 crosses per fixture.

It has been a similar story for the £40k-per-week Brazilian over his 12 top-flight outings this season, scoring no goals, registering one assist and creating no big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 0.4 key passes and completing 0.3 crosses per game.

As such, with Conte known to favour attack-minded wing-backs, it is clear to see the “deadly” – in the words of Marco Messina – Dumfries would be a huge upgrade on the “complete liability” – in the words of Jamie O’Hara – Emerson at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that a swap deal between the two would indeed be a masterclass by Paratici.

West Ham United insiders Claret & Hugh have now dropped an injury update on left-back Aaron Cresswell.

The Lowdown: Injury concern

Cresswell could only complete 16 minutes of a friendly match against Cambridge United on Tuesday night, with the team looking to get back to full match fitness ahead of a Premier League trip to Arsenal on Boxing Day.

With Nayef Aguerd having to be withdrawn during Morocco’s World Cup match against Spain, and Kurt Zouma already on the sidelines due to a knee issue, injuries are starting to mount up in defence for David Moyes.

The Latest: Claret & Hugh update

According to Claret & Hugh, the 32-year-old suffered a minor hamstring injury against the League Two side, putting to bed any hope that he was only substituted as a precautionary measure.

It remains to be seen how long the Englishman is out for, but he was not named in the squad to face Udinese earlier today, which will concern West Ham fans.

The Verdict: Big blow

The Liverpool-born full-back has been a shining light in a disappointing Hammers team so far this season, deemed the second-best performer in the squad, according to average match ratings from SofaScore.

Not only that, but his likely replacement is on the other end of the scale completely, with Emerson Palmieri ranked as the second-worst outfield player using the same metric.

Previously dubbed an ‘amazing player’ by former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, Cresswell has been a fantastic servant to West Ham through good times and bad since arriving from Ipswich Town in 2014, racking up 311 appearances for the club, and will be a big loss for Moyes if his time on the treatment table proves to be considerable.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte will only commit to a new deal if he is backed by the club in the transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Talks ongoing

The Athletic reported back in October that talks had already commenced between Daniel Levy and Conte regarding a new deal, which would extend the Italian’s stay in north London beyond June 2023, when his contract is set to expire.

A fourth-placed finish was overseen by the 53-year-old last season, securing Champions League football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and with them now qualifying for the last 16, the negotiations now appear set to continue.

The Latest: Conte’s demand

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke has now broken the story that talks are set to start again from Monday, with the club having confidence that the former Inter boss will commit to a long-term deal with the club.

It is detailed, however, that any agreement will be determined not just by wages, duration and exit clauses, but by what the board are able to offer Conte in terms of new arrivals in the January transfer window, and they will need to show the manager that they have the same desire to win as he does.

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The Verdict: Back him!

Not only did the £288k-per-week earner secure qualification for Europe’s elite competition last season, but he is in a good position to do so again, with the Lilywhites currently sitting fourth in the Premier League standings.

With Harry Kane’s contract due to expire at the end of next season, the Italian extending his stay could prove crucial in the club’s bid to keep hold of their talisman, as he will want to have the assurance that an elite-level manager is in the dugout, given his desire to win trophies.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has described the tactician as a ‘serial winner’, as evidenced by him having nine trophies to his name in his managerial career, including two with Chelsea, highlighting his ability to compete for major honours in England.

As such, Conte being at the helm gives Tottenham their best chance of competing for the biggest trophies, and it is absolutely vital that Levy ties him down for years to come.

Nottingham Forest have had their fair share of injury problems over the Premier League season and now a new update has emerged on another setback ahead of their return to action later this month.

What’s the latest?

Forest boss Steve Cooper has revealed a concerning update on Cheikhou Kouyate’s recovery timeline after suffering a hamstring injury at the World Cup, which led to the midfielder needing surgery.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look good for Cooper, who revealed to NottinghamshireLive:

“That’s going to rule him out now for 10 to 12 weeks. It’s a challenge for him that he’s got to embrace and give his best to.

“We’ll miss him, for sure – on the pitch and, equally, off the pitch, because of the character and the personality that he is. It’s slightly unfortunate about how it all evolved with the injury, but we don’t really want to get into that. It’s happened now, so we all have to commit – including Cheik – to get him back as quickly as possible.”

It’s bad news for Cooper

There is no doubt that it is bad news for the manager that Kouyate will be unavailable for the next few months as the Welshman has a huge challenge ahead of him to secure safety in the Premier League over the second half of the campaign.

Forest are currently 18th in the top flight, spending the majority of their promotion season inside the relegation zone so far, however, the run of form displayed ahead of the World Cup break will have given Cooper hope that his team can finally start competing.

Over their last five league outings, Forest collected points from four of their fixtures, leaving them just one point shy of climbing out of the bottom three ahead of their clash with Manchester United on Boxing Day.

Losing the experience and consistency Kouyate has been offering the Tricky Trees in the centre of the pitch will be a big blow for Forest, especially when you consider his output so far.

With a Sofascore match rating of 6.78, he is the seventh-best player in the squad so far and indeed their joint-best midfielder alongside Ryan Yates when compared to that metric.

That comes courtesy of some productive displays over 12 appearances, with the 32-year-old having scored one goal, created one big chance and completed a whopping 84% of his dribbles.

Furthermore, he has averaged 1.8 tackles – the best of any midfielder in the squad – 1.6 clearances and 3.9 duels won per game.

With that being said, the absence of Kouyate will be a big loss for Cooper but he will now need to rely on his other midfielders to deliver crucial points in the Premier League over the upcoming fixtures.

Wolverhampton Wanderers still have the potential to get a deal done for West Ham United defender Craig Dawson, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Wolves’ Dawson interest

As per the Daily Mail, the 32-year-old was keen on a move to Molineux in the summer, but his manager David Moyes did not allow him to leave on transfer deadline day as the Irons failed to sign Jan Bednarek as a replacement, having joined Aston Villa instead.

The Athletic reported that the centre-back wanted to leave east London to be closer to his family, who live in Cheshire, and it seems like there could still be a possibility to bring him to the Black Country in the near future.

The Latest: Jones’ update on Dawson

According to Jones, the door may still be open for Wolves to sign the 32-year-old from West Ham, with Old Gold manager Julen Lopetegui reportedly keen to add more British players at Molineux.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t know that the Craig Dawson link is going to particularly be one of the priorities in terms of looking for a British player.

“Dawson’s been on their profile for a while and they know there might be the potential to get that deal done.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Head of talkSPORT Lee Clayton previously lauded the defender as a ‘warrior at both ends’, a fitting description given that Dawson has not been averse to popping up with goals for West Ham despite that not being his main responsibility, with nine in 84 appearances for the club.

The 6 foot 2 powerhouse netted twice in the Hammers’ Europa League run last season, a competition in which he was ranked by Sofascore as his team’s third-best performer throughout the tournament behind only Declan Rice and Issa Diop.

Furthermore, Dawson has displayed stellar defensive acumen over the past year, averaging 1.81 blocks per 90 minutes, a figure which puts him in the 95th percentile compared to other centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.

Wolves could definitely do with someone who has such high-level experience playing at the heart of their defence, with current regular Nathan Collins just 21 years old, while Max Kilman is 25.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui got off to the perfect league start with a 2-1 victory over Everton on Boxing Day, however, there will be tougher matches ahead.

The win marked the club’s first three points since October and the Spaniard will be hoping this can be a catalyst for a markedly improved 2023 under his leadership.

The January transfer window is looming into view and with Lopetegui still assessing his squad, there could be plenty of ins and outs during the month.

Joao Moutinho hasn’t quite lived up to his high standards this season and with Wolves having reportedly been offered American Weston McKennie, it might be time for the club to ditch the Portuguese midfielder.

Lopetegui must ditch Moutinho

This season, the 36-year-old veteran has seen his influence wane in the starting XI. He has played 14 Premier League matches so far this term and registered just one goal contribution, taking an average of 55.8 touches, and having a pass success rate of 85%.

These numbers may sound impressive enough, but compared to last season, where he averaged 68.5 touches and a pass success rate of 87%, there is a noticeable drop-off.

Serie A side Juventus are interested in signing Rayan Ait-Nouri and have offered McKennie as part of the deal according to reports in Italy and the American would make a good signing.

The 24-year-old has struggled for game time this season, starting just nine times, however, he has achieved a solid enough Sofascore rating of 6.84/10 for his performances.

He has double the amount of goal contributions than Moutinho while creating three big chances and making 0.6 key passes per match.

Defensively, the £55k-per-week star has made 0.6 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 0.8 clearances on average per match and his versatility could be another bonus for Lopetegui, as the player can also operate in a centre-back role if required.

His former sporting director at Schalke, Christian Heidel claimed four years ago that McKennie could be destined for big things, saying: “Weston is a very good footballer, but he also has a lot of traits that are very, very important to Schalke. The fans love the way he plays, and the work he puts in. His body language is extraordinary.”

He may not have lived up to this potential as of yet, but a move to the Premier League where he would get much more regular game time could help massively.

This in turn would allow Lopetegui to ditch Moutinho and move towards a future filled with younger talent who can steer Wolves away from danger.

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that Harry Maguire could be a good signing for West Ham United amid recent links in the media.

What’s the latest?

It’s no secret that the Manchester United defender has been much maligned in recent times. As a result of his poor form, he has been dropped at club level, making just three Premier League starts all season.

With the January window now open, talks have begun to suggest that he could be on his way out of Manchester in the near future with the Hammers named as a possible destination.

Indeed, former England International Stuart Pearce told TalkSport: “If I was West Ham, if I was Newcastle, if I was Aston Villa, I’d be all over trying to get Harry Maguire out of there. I’d be asking the question whether he’s available.”

Amid all this, Ex has weighed in on the idea of a possible transfer. He told The West Ham Way podcast (8:37): “There was talk of Harry Maguire. You know, West Ham fans will laugh at that but I would take him.

“Not that I think that we need him with [Kurt] Zouma and [Nayef] Aguerd back but if [Craig] Dawson goes, possibly.”

Redemption arc

Before his move to the Red Devils, Maguire had established himself as one of England’s finest central defenders – hence the £80m transfer fee paid for him.

And while he all know how things have turned sour recently, he did remind plenty of his quality with his performances for the Three Lions at the World Cup.

With that in mind, it certainly seems plausible that he could rediscover some of his past best form if he leaves Man United and moved to the right club.

It remains to be seen if West Ham have any real interest in a deal but with Dawson long linked with an exit, perhaps the club will be in the market for a new centre-back in the near future.

Chelsea crashed out of the FA Cup at the first opportunity against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, on the end of a 4-0 clobbering at the Etihad Stadium.

If Pep Guardiola’s City represent a fortified stronghold, Graham Potter’s Chelsea are nothing more than a dilapidated ruin; six losses from the Blues’ past eight matches across domestic competitions, Stamford Bridge is in danger of hosting a truly woeful campaign if requisite adjustments cannot be swiftly made.

The disparity between the two outfits is great, with City on course for another resounding season, fighting for major silverware on every possible front, and Chelsea languishing in tenth place in the Premier League, also defeated in both domestic competitions, both at the hands of the Sky Blues.

Injuries have played their part in the west London club’s downfall this term, but there is no excusing the manner in which Chelsea surrendered the tie, the levels in which City roared several octanes above their opposition.

At the epicentre of the defeat was Kalidou Koulibaly, summer signing of £33m from prominent Serie A outfit Napoli, who has thus far been on the end of scathing criticism over his standards on English soil with regularity.

Granted, Kepa Arrizabalaga was woeful in between the sticks, recording a match number of 5.9, as per Sofascore, but it was the Senegalese titan that once again failed to stamp his authority on proceedings, failed to display the assurance and defensive might that left fans and pundits alike waxing lyrical over his skill-set while plying his trade in Italy.

In a back-four containing the inexperienced Lewis Hall and Bashir Humphreys, it was the 30-year-old ace illuminated for his substandard showing, bypassed with ease by the fluid, cohesive City offence.

Recording a match-worst rating of 5.8, Koulibaly failed to make a single tackle – despite City finding space to unleash seven shots on target – and also conceded one of the two penalties that the home side buried into the net.

Losing possession 14 times, he only won one of his four total duels and could only complete 54 passes at an accuracy rate of 78% – despite having 75 touches in total.

Chelsea writer Jai McIntosh was particularly dismayed by his dreadful display, saying “Koulibaly can’t defend”; words that would hit the African ace hard considering the reputation he has forged for himself over the majority of his professional career.

The £160k-per-week star has also only recorded an average Premier League rating of 7.03 this term, far lower than the veteran Thiago Silva’s 7.31, and if he cannot combine the cogs and demonstrate why he earns a regular place in the side for the new Chelsea project, moves must be made to replace the beleaguered centre-back, despite his recent arrival at Stamford Bridge.

Celtic are set to ‘listen to offers’ for Scottish Premiership defender Stephen Welsh, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

The Hoops are already flying high at the top of the table, but January presents the perfect opportunity for the club to cash in on some of their out of favour players to generate transfer funds for future signings.

The centre-back’s current deal at Parkhead isn’t set to expire until 2025, but having fallen down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou, an early exit could now be on the cards.

The Latest: Welsh set to depart?

Taking to Twitter, Joseph revealed that Celtic are now open to considering bids for Welsh this month, with the boss having acknowledged he needs to find more game time elsewhere.

“Celtic are now willing to listen to offers for defender Stephen Welsh in this window.

“Welsh is attracting interest from clubs in Europe & the MLS.

“Ange Postecoglou clearly likes him, but recognises his needs & desires for regular football to progress.”

The Verdict: Allow him to leave

Welsh has been a magnificent servant to Celtic having worked his way up through the ranks from the club’s academy, but now seems like the right time to let him go.

The Coatbridge-born talent has only made four league starts this season which just shows that Postecoglou doesn’t view him as part of his long-term plans moving forward.

Nevertheless, Welsh has been hailed a ‘leader’ by Josh Bunting and will go on to make a great signing for any of his potential suitors.

Manchester United’s nine-game winning run came to an end in frustrating fashion on Wednesday evening, with a late Michael Olise stunner seeing Erik ten Hag’s side held to a 1-1 draw away to Crystal Palace.

After the highs of Saturday’s derby day triumph over Manchester City, the Red Devils struggled to truly get going in what was a limp display at Selhurst Park, having been left thankful for some David De Gea heroics to help deny Patrick Viera’s men.

The long-serving Spaniard had expertly tipped Odsonne Edouard’s dipping effort onto the crossbar just before the break, with United then subsequently taking the lead through Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of half-time.

With the visitors’ focus seemingly appearing to shift to Sunday’s upcoming encounter with league leaders Arsenal, the Old Trafford outfit then suffered the double blow of seeing Casemiro pick up a yellow card – ruling the Brazilian out of the trip to the Emirates – before that man Olise curled home a delightful free-kick at the death.

That performance and the eventual result has reinforced the notion that any talk of a title charge for the away side was undoubtedly premature, with United’s primary concern likely to be fending off the chasing pack in the battle for a top-four berth.

If Ten Hag’s men are to achieve that latter goal, they will no doubt need more from their leading figures in attack, with recent addition Wout Weghorst having endured an “indifferent” outing on what was his first appearance for the club, as per journalist Steven Railston.

The 6 foot 6 colossus had appeared something of a left-field signing for those at the Theatre of Dreams after joining on-loan from Burnley, having since failed to silence any doubters after making a limited impact against the Eagles.

Although the towering Dutchman – who had spent the first half of the campaign with Turkish giants Besiktas – did show flashes of his impressive hold-up play, the 30-year-old ultimately proved rather anonymous as he made just 28 touches in total – fewer than the aforementioned De Gea in the sticks (33).

That 69-minute showing also saw the one-time Wolfsburg brute complete just 14 of his 20 passes and lose possession on eight occasions, with his solitary attempt on goal having been a tame header that looped over the crossbar.

While it is far too early to write the 19-cap marksman off, there will have been concern at his failure to truly dominate in attack, having only won two of his eight total duels up against the youthful centre-back pairing of Marc Guehi and Chris Richards.

Such a tepid showing seemingly left the Mirror’s Dan Marsh feeling “underwhelmed”, with Weghorst no doubt needing to show much more if he is to truly challenge the absent Anthony Martial for a starting berth in the coming weeks.

With this hectic fixture list set to continue against the Gunners at the weekend there will be ample opportunity for the Netherlands international truly show what he can do, although there will no doubt be frustration that he was unable to make a bigger contribution on debut.