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Tottenham Hotspur have been named as one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing Fenerbahce attacking midfielder Arda Guler. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ transfer business

The north London club have not been shy when it comes to signing players from foreign countries over recent years.

Figures such as Cristian Romero, Ivan Perisic and Emerson Royal, among others, have all made moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from a variety of clubs across Europe.

Now though, it appears that the Lilywhites have their eyes on landing a transfer deal for another talent making a name for himself abroad.

The Latest: Guler links

Speaking to Radio Goal (via AreaNapoli), journalist Valter De Maggio had this to say about Guler and the interest in his services.

“Guler is an interesting footballer, he is doing very well and is also followed by Cristiano Giuntoli, now I add other details. On the footballer there are two other top clubs: PSG and Tottenham. It was also proposed to Napoli in the past.”

“A variable termination clause hangs on the footballer. If you dispute up to 1500 minutes with Fenerbahce, the clause is €5 million, If it exceeds 1500 minutes, it rises to €20 million. Reflections are underway at the Naples house.”

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The Verdict: A long-term investment?

With 59 appearances for Fenerbahce under his belt across their senior and youth sides, the 17-year-old has scored 20 goals and delivered 19 assists.

After scoring two goals in 21 minutes during Fenerbahce’s 6-0 win over Kasimpasa back in August, Guler has only played 13 minutes of league action across four substitute appearances.

Having scored three goals from 12 league appearances last season with just nine attempts on goal and six on target, this ended up giving the youngster the highest rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.85) at the club.

This highlights how much of a nuisance Guler, who has been described in the past by coach Erol Tokgozler as a “special” player, can be for opposition goalkeepers when given the chance to play.

Taking into account how young he is, it would be safe to assume that if Spurs were looking to sign the attacking midfielder, it could be seen as a long-term investment rather than as someone that would automatically be put into Antonio Conte’s side.

Newcastle United are reportedly strongly interested in signing Frankfurt central defender Evan Ndicka ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Ndicka is out of contract in the summer, meaning that he can leave on a free transfer or for a cut-price in January.

The Frankfurt ace can also sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in the winter window, and is sure to attract plenty of interest around Europe.

The likes of West Ham United, Manchester United and Arsenal have all been linked over the past few months, so a move to the Premier League could well be on the cards.

The Latest: ‘Strong’ interest

As per Italian news outlet Romagiallorossa.it, the St. James’ Park outfit, as well as fellow top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur, hold a ‘strong’ interest in Ndicka, as well as Serie A sides Roma and AC Milan.

Other clubs in the Premier League are also thought to be interested, so it will be interesting to see if they look to try and sign Ndicka in January, or as a free agent in the summer.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

Signing a player of Ndicka’s quality, especially for a cut-price, is surely a no-brainer for the North East club.

The Frenchman, who was unlucky not to make the France squad for the FIFA World Cup, has been described as an ‘exciting’ talent by Frankfurt journalist Christopher Michel at just 23 years of age, while Michel has also hailed his goal threat from centre-half as ‘enormous’, and his injury record as ‘incredible’.

Aside from the six-foot-two colossus’ defensive qualities, where he has won more aerial duels and made more clearances per game than any of his team-mates in the Bundesliga this season (WhoScored), the fact that he has an added goal threat makes him such a dangerous player in both boxes.

Indeed, Ndicka managed an impressive four goals and four assists in the Bundesliga from centre-back last term (Transfermarkt), and the fact that he stays injury-free is an added bonus which could really help the Magpies in the second part of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are among the multitude of teams interested in signing Josko Gvardiol, who was one of the standout players of the World Cup group stages.

Tuttomercatoweb reported last month that current Lilywhites star Ivan Perisic had been tasked with convincing the 20-year-old that his future should lie in north London.

During the summer window, RB Leipzig’s asking price was thought to be in the region of £70m and that would have only increased after announcing himself on the world’s biggest stage, with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid also keen on his signature.

Whilst he would cost sporting director Fabio Paratici a club-record fee, it should not put the Italian off from sealing a real piece of the future. Gvardiol could be one of, if not the, best centre-back in the world considering he’s already delivering at just 20.

And by winning the race to land him, Spurs could well eclipse the signing of Heung-min Son, who has undoubtedly been one of the Lilywhites’ best-ever deals. His returns of 136 goals and 76 assists for just £22m have been unmatched.

Croatia kept two clean sheets across their three matches, despite being in Group F with Belgium, one of the favourites for the tournament, though they didn’t qualify for the knockout stages.

Gvardiol played an integral role for the Vatreni, combining his frightening physicality with his deft touch on the ball – form that led transfer guru Fabrizio Romano to laud him as a “monster”.

Across those three matches, the Croat colossus has averaged a 90% passing accuracy, despite managing near 70 attempts per game, via Sofascore. A feat that outranks every one of Spurs’ current starters, including Eric Dier, who averages an 87.6% accuracy rate from 66.7 passes per game.

Gvardiol has also managed a whopping 5.7 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game at the World Cup too. By comparison, not even Cristian Romero has averaged more interceptions, whilst the Leipzig titan would also lead the way for clearances.

Meanwhile, his performances have also seen him dubbed as the Erling “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, only further emphasising just how much of an instant impact he has made.

Journalist Zach Lowry even praised him as a “Rolls-Royce” and as a “sensational centre-back,” having been the best player on the pitch despite sharing it with Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric.

With Romero now a permanent presence at Hotspur Way, Paratici and co could really land their best-ever signing by luring the Leipzig superstar to north London in 2023. They may need to wait until the summer and fork out in excess of £70m but he’d be worth every penny and more.

AND in other news, Conte could land dream Maddison alternative in Spurs move 22 y/o World Cup “superstar”…

Everton have been linked with a move for Ismaila Sarr for some time now, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, the Toffees are exploring the opportunity to sign the Watford winger when the transfer window reopens next month.

As per the report, despite Watford’s intentions to keep Sarr at Vicarage Road for their promotion charge in the second half of the Championship season, Everton are plotting a £35m bid for the player.

It’d be a major coup

There is no doubt that the signing of Sarr would be a major coup for Frank Lampard in his pursuit to improve his team after another disappointing start to their Premier League campaign.

Everton are currently teetering on the edge of the relegation zone in 17th after a string of poor performances left them just one point above the bottom three ahead of the World Cup break.

One of the biggest issues that the Toffees are currently experiencing is their lack of attacking threat and prolific finishing in front of goal, scoring the joint-second fewest goals of any team in the top flight so far.

As a result, if the powers at Goodison Park can secure a deal for Sarr in January, the Watford winger could be a hugely valuable asset to Lampard over the remainder of the campaign.

In 109 appearances for Watford, the 24-year-old – who was once dubbed “outstanding” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks – has scored 30 goals and registered 21 assists with a goal contribution every 174 minutes, proving that he is a consistent and reliable threat in front of goal.

Furthermore, Sarr has been a standout performer for Senegal during the World Cup in Qatar, helping his nation to the round of 16 in the prestigious tournament.

Across four appearances at the finals, the talented forward scored one goal and successfully completed 69% of his dribbles, along with averaging 1.5 key passes, 2.8 shots per goal, one tackle and a whopping 9.5 successful duels per game.

Lampard is in desperate need of a player who can make an instant positive impact on the attacking threat in the team, and Sarr could be the perfect player to make the difference which might save Everton from another difficult relegation scrap at the bottom of the table over the second half of the season.

Aston Villa have had a lot of change over the last couple of months with the appointment of Unai Emery and now the new manager could be set to make a huge move as a new potential transfer target is revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Joao Felix.

As per the report, many Premier League clubs are competing to secure the signature of the talented attacker with Manchester United and Chelsea also interested, alongside Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

It could be bye-bye Coutinho

There is no doubt that the signing of Felix would be a major coup for Aston Villa, especially when competing with some of the biggest clubs in the world, but if they could pull it off it could put the club in a fantastic position to compete for a higher placement in the Premier League.

The talented 23-year-old ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers over the top five European leagues for interceptions, proving his defensive efficiency but of course, it’s at the opposite end of the pitch where he is so devastating, sitting in the top 15% for dribbles completed, progressive passes and assists.

Not only that, Felix has been representing Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar over the last few weeks and has played an integral part in his nation’s progression to the quarter-finals of the prestigious international tournament.

Over three World Cup appearances, the £113m attacker – who was dubbed an “immense talent” by Yannick Carrasco – has scored one goal, registered two assists and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging one key pass, 1.3 tackles and winning 4.7 duels per game.

In fact, if Villa did secure the signature of Felix it could spell the end of Coutinho’s short-lived tenure at Villa Park. Indeed, the former Barcelona star has been linked with an exit next year and Felix would clearly be a huge upgrade.

When comparing the two versatile attacking player’s season so far it is clear that Felix is outperforming his positional peer.

First and foremost, he has registered more goal contributions (6 v 0), and as a result, has also produced more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (3.68 v 2.99).

Felix has also won more aerial duels (46.2% v 25%) and has a better shot on target rate (47.4% v 37.5%).

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Villa to pursue the signing of Felix, however, they will have some tough competition from many clubs and will need to provide a very tempting offer to secure his services.

West Brom have been boosted by the news that Grady Diangana and Kyle Bartley could make a return from injury this weekend, reports journalist Joe Chapman.

The Lowdown: Baggies back in action

The Baggies picked up an excellent result on Monday evening, coming from behind to seal a 2-1 victory away to Sunderland in a key Championship clash.

Carlos Corberan’s side are back in league action on Saturday afternoon, this time welcoming Rotherham United to the Hawthorns for what looks a winnable fixture.

West Brom were unable to call upon Diangana and Bartley against Sunderland but that could be about to change.

The Latest: Double injury boost

Taking to Twitter, Chapman confirmed that the duo could be in line to return this weekend, bolstering Corberan’s options in the process:

“Diangana & Bartley could be back as soon as this weekend.”

The Verdict: All coming together

After a dire start to the season, in which West Brom were rooted to the relegation zone and Steve Bruce lost his job, this does feel like a positive spell.

Corberan has come in and made an immediate impact and if he suddenly has Diangana and Bartley to call upon as well, his squad options will be looking strong.

The former will bring added firepower to the team, having registered three assists and scored two goals this season, while the evergreen Bartley has averaged an impressive 4.9 clearances per game in the competition in 2022/23.

Philippe Coutinho is likely to leave Aston Villa now that Unai Emery has replaced Steven Gerrard as manager, according to the club’s former striker Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Coutinho struggling for game-time

The Brazilian’s career has taken a nosedive since his time with Liverpool, having grown into arguably one of the best players in the Premier League at one point – he was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2015.

Coutinho has been disappointing for Villa after a bright start during his loan spell in 2021/22, joining permanently during the summer but only starting six league games so far this season.

Recent reports have suggested that the 30-year-old could be sold by the Villans in January, with Emery not seeing him as a part of his plans.

The Latest: Coutinho could leave Villa

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor claimed that Coutinho could depart Villa Park in favour of a fresh challenge, especially now that his ex-Liverpool team-mate Gerrard isn’t in charge in the Midlands.

The talkSPORT pundit said of the Brazilian playmaker:

“I don’t think he’s going to have the motivation. He missed out on the World Cup and that will have hurt him. The manager who brought him in, Steven Gerrard, has gone.

“It’s just not the same Coutinho who was at Liverpool. He didn’t do it at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. When Aston Villa signed him you thought ‘Can he get back to that level?’ but he’s just not the same player. Sometimes you are just not the same player, you don’t have the legs and can’t get around the pitch as much.

“I just don’t see him playing in that side. If you look at Emery’s tactics in the last game against Brighton, it was four centre-midfielders across the midfield with Buendia playing behind Ings.

“I just don’t see Coutinho getting game time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes to America or Brazil and plays the last bit of his career there.”

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The Verdict: Time to move on

It makes sense for everyone for Coutinho to leave in January, with the 30-year-old seemingly a shadow of the player he once was, simply not influencing matches as much anymore. That can be seen in how his WhoScored performance ratings have dwindled since his Liverpool days.

There was hope that he could be an inspired signing by Villa, raising the quality of those around him, but he instead looks like a player lacking the spark that he virtually guaranteed in previous years.

Selling Coutinho in January would free up a substantial portion of the Villans’ wage bill – the £125,000-a-week man is their third-highest earner – and free up funds to sign a younger replacement with greater long-term potential who could make more of an impact in 2023 and beyond.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their interest in signing Stefan de Vrij ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Spurs are one of the clubs keen on a deal to snap up the central defender from Inter Milan in 2023.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Manchester United and unnamed MLS outfits are also eyeing up the Dutch international.

It is stated that Antonio Conte wants to be reunited with the 30-year-old defender as he was one of the coach’s ‘pillars’ during their time together at the San Siro.

His contract with Inter is up at the end of the season and it remains to be seen whether Tottenham want to sign him on a cut-price deal in January or for a free next summer.

Lenglet upgrade

Clement Lenglet is currently on loan, from Barcelona, at Spurs until the end of the season and has yet to prove that he is worth pursuing on a permanent basis.

The Frenchman has played nine times in the Premier League this season and averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.78, after averaging a score of 6.67 in La Liga across 21 matches for the Catalan giants last term.

These statistics show that he has struggled to impress on the pitch at Barcelona and now with Tottenham and the club could look to the January transfer window, or next summer, to sign an upgrade on him.

De Vrij, who was once dubbed a “monster” by his former teammate Mauricio, could be exactly that as he has proven his quality in the Italian top-flight over the course of a number of years and has already worked with Conte.

He played a whopping 88 matches in two seasons with the current Spurs coach and was crucial to Inter’s 2020/21 title-winning campaign.

The £120k-per-week enforcer averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 across 32 matches as Conte led the side to glory in the Serie A, with the Dutch international winning 60% of his duels and helping the team to keep 11 clean sheets.

Between the 2015/16 and 2020/21 seasons, de Vrij averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 or higher and this shows that he was able to maintain a consistently brilliant level of performance over an extended period of time, although his score of 6.87 in the current campaign is a slight dip from his usual levels.

These statistics indicate that he could be an upgrade on Lenglet in terms of what he offers week-in-week-out at the back. He was one of the pillars of Conte’s team at Inter and he could arrive at Spurs to do the same job in the Premier League, if Fabio Paratici can secure his signature in the coming weeks.

Leeds United’s move for Birmingham City starlet George Hall in January will depend on the fee the Championship side demand.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, following a number of reports linking Victor Orta with a £3m move for the 18-year-old, whether or not the director of football manages to get a deal over the line for the central midfielder this winter will depend on how much Birmingham command for the youngster.

In response to a supporter asking for an update on Leeds’ interest in the reported Everton and Liverpool target, Nixon said: “Been after him before… would come down to the cost.”

A big signing

Considering just how exciting a prospect Hall very much looks to be, the argument that Orta could seal a big signing by beating the likes of Everton and Liverpool to the addition of the teenager this winter is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, the £1.6m-rated talent is already beginning to establish himself as a key figure in John Eustace’s first-team squad, having scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances over his 18 Championship fixtures – five of which have come as starts – this season, as well as taking an average of 0.3 shots, making 0.2 key passes and completing 0.2 dribbles per game.

These displays have seen the £577-per-week starlet – who is able to operate from central, right, left and attacking midfield – come in for a significant amount of praise, none more so than from Eustace, who said of the 18-year-old last year:

“George is a fantastic young player who’s a big player for us and for the team… he’s a top young player. But all I want to do is to keep on developing George in the right way, which I think we have done so far.

“For me, George Hall is one of the top young players in the league. He’s a very effective player whether he starts or we have him coming off the bench. He’s only just turned 18 – and he’s got an opportunity to showcase himself here. We don’t want George Hall going anywhere.”

As such, while a figure in the region of £3m is undoubtedly a great sum of money to spend on a player who has played just 20 senior fixtures in his career to date, considering the sheer amount of potential for future growth the midfielder possesses, it is easy to make the argument that for the sake of the future of Leeds’ midfield, this would be a big acquisition.

Newcastle United’s attempt to sign Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda is ‘fairly’ now a ‘done deal’, according to Reuters journalist Fernando Kallas.

The Lowdown: The story so far

The Premier League high flyers are reportedly on the lookout for a new right-back this month and have identified the 18-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Magpies have been credited with a strong interest in the youngster, and speculation of a move was increased after head of recruitment Steve Nickson was spotted with his agent at a match last week.

The Latest: Kallas’ comments

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Kallas revealed that Fresneda is set to make the move to St James’ Park, with farewells already underway in La Liga.

Quoted by Newcastle World, the reporter said of the Valladolid defender: “He’s 18 years old and he made a very good game over the weekend. He neutralised Vinicius Junior when Real Madrid played Valladolid. I heard the coach and his team-mates are already saying goodbye to him because it’s fairly a done deal that he’s going to Newcastle.”

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The Verdict: A rock at the back

Eddie Howe’s side have already completed their first signing this month as Garang Kuol’s transfer was activated, and Fresneda could be the next to follow at Newcastle.

The Spaniard currently averages 3.3 tackles, 2.9 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per league game, highlighting the rock that he can be at the heart of defence (WhoScored).

PIF will be keen to bolster their ranks in a bid to secure a top-four spot at the end of the campaign, and the addition of Fresneda would surely only increase the chances of that happening.