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Manchester City have joined the race to sign Youssoufa Moukoko as the Sky Blues ‘set sights on beating Liverpool’ to his signature.

The Lowdown: City eye new additions…

The Sky Blues have enjoyed a brilliant start to this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to retain their domestic crown for the third successive season.

No top flight side has scored more goals than City with their only loss coming against arch rivals Liverpool at Anfield, with summer signing Erling Haaland taking England by storm.

However, it has been reported that the Blues could still be in the market for fresh additions, with links emerging to the likes of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham among others.

The Latest: Man City join Moukoko transfer race…

According to Football Insider, City have now ‘set sights on beating Liverpool’ to a new target as an update comes to light involving another Dortmund sensation.

It is believed club chiefs and the City recruitment team are eyeing a move for Moukoko as they join the race for his signature.

Guardiola’s side are now ‘targeting the forward’ who has earned rave reviews from their star striker Haaland in the past.

The Verdict: Make the move?

Called an ‘incredible’ talent by reporter Ed Aarons, Moukoko has indeed also attracted praise from Haaland in recent years with the Norway international once calling him the ‘biggest talent in the world’.

Over his 11 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund this season, the scintillating 17-year-old has netted four goals whilst assisting three others – totalling a brilliant seven goal contributions in total (WhoScored).

Going by the numbers, Haaland’s verdict certainly still adds up, leaving little wonder City have taken a serious interest.

Aston Villa owners NSWE will back new manager Unai Emery with investment in the playing squad in 2023, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Emery announced

Villa officially confirmed on Monday evening that Emery will take over as head coach. The club didn’t reveal the length of contract for the 50-year-old, however, they did add that Emery ‘will take over from November 1st after his work permit formalities are completed’.

A move for the Spaniard has moved extremely quickly, and Romano has shared what he knows on the appointment.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to share further ‘details’ on Emery following the announcement. He stated that it is a long-term project and that Villa paid Emery’s €6m (£5.2m) release clause to Villarreal.

The transfer expert stated that there will be ‘investments in 2023 to improve the squad’, with Emery set to pick up a yearly salary of around €7m (£6.1m).

The Verdict: Exciting

NSWE haven’t taken long to find Steven Gerrard’s successor, and Emery arrives off the back of a successful period with Villarreal, where he won the Europa League.

It is exciting to know that the owners are set to back the new manager in the transfer market even though they have spent over £400m since returning to the Premier League in 2019.

It will be interesting to see where Emery wants to strengthen in 2023, and he’ll have plenty of time to assess his new squad during the break for the World Cup which starts next month.

Aston Villa are ‘crazy’ about the idea of bringing in Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim as their new boss, according to a fresh rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Amorim linked with move

Numerous figures have been linked with replacing Steven Gerrard in recent days, with Villa biding their time until they appoint the perfect successor.

Amorim is one individual who has been tipped to come in and turn the Villans’ fortunes around, as he continues to shine at Sporting.

It certainly appears as though Villa think highly of the 37-year-old, following a new update regarding the club’s ongoing search for a new manager.

The Latest: Villa ‘crazy’ about manager

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], Villa ‘insist’ on striking a deal to bring in Amorim, even though he has knocked back their interest so far.

The club are ‘crazy’ about him and are ‘thinking’ about him as their new boss, seeing him as ‘one of the best solutions’ to replace Gerrard in the Villa Park hot seat.

The Verdict: First-choice target?

It looks as though Villa see Amorim as their primary managerial target, perhaps alongside Brentford boss Thomas Frank, and he could be an exciting appointment.

At 37, he is very young in managerial terms and would bring with him fresh ideas, not to mention a winning mentality, having won five trophies as a manager to date.

Whether or not Amorim is willing to leave Sporting remains to be seen but the lure of the Premier League is always great and he could feel that now is the time for a new challenge.

The Athletic’s James Pearce has reacted to the latest injury update ruling Liverpool star Diogo Jota out of the World Cup.

The Lowdown: Jota’s injury

The Reds came away with three points at the weekend after a fiery tussle against Manchester City saw Mohamed Salah bag the only goal of the game in the 76th minute.

Whilst it was a fantastic result for Jurgen Klopp’s men, in the final few minutes of the match, Liverpool suffered a major blow as the Portugal international went down with an injury, requiring a stretcher to get him off the pitch.

Following the game, reliable journalist David Ornstein revealed the 25-year-old was set for a scan, with fears that he may be out of action until after the World Cup now confirmed.

The Latest: Pearce reacts

Pearce took to Twitter to react to Jota’s injury nightmare, saying his ‘worst fears’ are ‘confirmed’ and the calf injury is very ‘serious’.

As quoted by The Athletic, Klopp echoed the sentiment, revealing Jota will be out ‘a long time’ and calling it ‘very sad news’.

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The Verdict: Huge blow

Alongside missing the World Cup with the Portugal national team, Jota will also be unavailable for the Reds’ next five Premier League games and their last two Champions League group stages fixtures – all scheduled before the international break (via The Athletic).

In four continental appearances this season, the 25-year-old has impressively contributed four assists to Klopp’s side, with three of those coming in the demolition job against Rangers.

With Luis Diaz already out injured for the next couple of months, the Portugal ace was expected to come in as a regular in Liverpool’s front line.

Therefore, with this injury news, both Portugal and Reds fans will be grieving, with the talented attacker missing out on a huge individual chance to shine.

Leeds United are still being linked with a move for Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Lowdown: Late summer approach

The Whites left it extremely late in the summer to sign a new forward but eventually brought in teenager Wilfried Gnonto.

Leeds chiefs reportedly pushed to land Brereton Diaz on deadline day prior to signing Gnonto. Brereton Diaz, who is out of contract next summer, has continued to score goals in the Championship after a personal best tally last season, netting seven times in 14 appearances this term.

The Latest: New update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo regarding Brereton Diaz.

They claimed that Almeria, Sevilla, Valencia, and AC Milan are in the race for the forward, but Leeds and Everton are also possible destinations for the Blackburn star in a potential free transfer.

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The Verdict: Shrewd addition

Leeds could well be on the hunt for another attacking addition next year, and providing Brereton Diaz’s situation remains the same, Victor Orta could look to lay the groundwork over a possible free transfer.

The 23-year-old, labelled ‘very intelligent’ by Chile manager Eduardo Berizzo, can play anywhere across the front three but is primarily a centre-forward, so could prove to be Patrick Bamford’s long-term successor.

Leeds will need to pip plenty of sides to Brereton Diaz’s signature, but it looks as if it will be one to watch over the coming months.

Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui is reportedly one of the frontrunners to become the new Wolves manager but he could be a repeat of Bruno Lage should he make the move to Molineux.

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, Lopetegui and Bo Svensson have emerged as “top targets” to replace Lage, who was sacked at the weekend after his side lost out 2-0 against West Ham.

The Old Gold currently sit 18th in the Premier League with just three goals in the top flight to their name, with a combination of negative tactics and injuries in the final third seeing Wolves’ goalscoring issues from last season continue to haunt them in the current campaign.

Any new manager in the dugout will have to change the way Wolves are set up if he wants to solve the problem of putting the ball in the back of the net, so a move for Lopetegui makes little sense when you consider Sevilla’s less than impressive start to the season.

The Spanish side currently sit 17th in La Liga after winning just one of their opening seven matches, with seven goals to their name.

They are also bottom of their Champions League group after losing 4-0 to Manchester City and drawing 0-0 with Copenhagen, with another tough game to come on Wednesday when they face Borussia Dortmund.

Therefore, despite possessing one of the top sides in La Liga, goalscoring is clearly an issue for Lopetegui’s side at the moment and there is little to suggest that he could turn Wolves’ current situation around.

The former Spain boss averaged a shocking 1.43 points per game during his time at Real Madrid, which is nearly as bad as the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves, despite possessing what was undoubtedly one of the top squads in world football during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A 5-1 defeat against Barcelona also led the Spanish media to describe Lopetegui’s time in charge as “awful” and while they would qualify for the Champions League last season, the 56-year-old’s current form makes it hard to make a case for him being a success at Wolves.

It seems clear, therefore, that Wolves should avoid appointing Lopetegui unless they want a repeat of Lage’s underwhelming spell at Molineux. Just like the Portuguese coach, he has been incapable of driving out any inspiration in the final third from his players. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

It was reported yesterday that there was concern surrounding Liverpool forward Diogo Jota’s fitness status after he was not seen in training on Thursday and was subbed off for Portugal, but now Jurgen Klopp has confirmed a triple boost after doubts on three players.

What’s the latest?

After returning late from international duty, the Liverpool manager has set the record straight on speculation surrounding Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, confirming all three will be in contention to start against Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.

Klopp took to his pre-match press conference to settle the worries surrounding the South American players in the squad who were not seen in training on Thursday (via Liverpool Echo):

“Luis [Diaz] only landed yesterday morning. I heard he’s good. Darwin [Nunez], with caution after intense period. Same for Diogo [Jota].”

It’s great news for Liverpool

The Reds have had their fair share of injury problems over the season so far with several players picking up fitness issues and prolonged injury problems over the last few months, but it is finally looking promising ahead of their return to action against Brighton on Saturday.

The injury crisis at Anfield would have certainly contributed to the club’s worst start to a Premier League season during Klopp’s tenure so far, but with nine fixtures this month there is plenty of opportunity for the Kopites to pull back some much-needed points to climb the table.

Currently nine points off the top spot occupied by Arsenal, Liverpool will face both Manchester City and Mikel Arteta’s formidable side this month giving them the chance to close the gap between themselves in 8th and the top two positions in the Premier League.

Not only that, the Reds return to action in the Champions League and Klopp will surely be hoping the extended break will give his team the rest they needed to refresh and rebuild their confidence after a difficult start on all fronts.

With that being said, taking all three points when they host Brighton at Anfield will be non-negotiable for Liverpool if they want to get a good start in a very congested month of fixtures as they cannot afford to lose many more points if they want to be in contention for the title.

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have shared a behind-the-scenes update as manager David Moyes hatches a plan to tie down Craig Dawson.

The Lowdown: Dawson homesick?

Reliable reports near the end of the latest transfer window indicated that the veteran defender was eyeing a move away from east London.

Indeed, Dawson allegedly wishes to move further north in order to be closer to his family, with the 32-year-old making that crystal clear to West Ham, who remained desperate to keep the centre-half.

He ended up staying at Rush Green, however, even despite late internal talks with both personal issues and a reported offer from Wolves nearly resulting in an exit.

Losing Dawson would have been a blow for the Premier League side given their recent injury woes in defence, but now reports suggest Moyes could now attempt to tie down his man.

The Latest: Moyes hatches contract plan…

Club insider Claret & Hugh claim the Scotsman is personally ‘ready to try tempting’ the former West Brom star into signing a new deal at West Ham with his current contract expiring in 2023.

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Moyes is apparently determined not to lose Dawson, who was in great form last season and has just recovered from a thigh injury this campaign.

The Irons head coach is allegedly planning to offer the defender a year’s extension with an attached 12-month option with a C&H source telling the outlet it is a ‘more than probable likelihood come January’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

If Moyes and West Ham chiefs can convince Dawson to remain and sign a new deal, it would be a brilliant move.

The Englishman was an ever-present in the Irons starting eleven last year, playing the seventh-most top flight minutes out of any West Ham player whilst starting 30 games (WhoScored).

Dawson can also be a real threat when it comes to set pieces and Tomas Soucek is the only West Ham player to win more aerial duels per 90 out of their squad.

A no-nonsense centre-back, he made more blocks per 90 than any of his teammates over 2021/2022 and fell only behind partner Kurt Zouma in terms of clearances (WhoScored).

The numbers back why Moyes is keen to tie down Dawson and we believe it would be a major boost for West Ham.

Sunderland spent four years in the third tier of English football as they struggled to get out of League One following their relegation from the Championship in the 2017/18 campaign.

In the 2018/19 season, the Black Cats brought in a host of players as they looked to bounce straight back to the second division at the first time of asking.

They signed the likes of Tom Flanagan, Jon McLaughlin, Charlie Wyke, and Will Grigg and had mixed success with their business, although they failed to land promotion at the end of the season.

One of the players they snapped up that summer was central defender Jack Baldwin, who arrived at the Stadium of Light from Peterborough.

Jack Ross was the manager at the time and said: “Jack is proven in this league and he’s at a good age with his best years ahead of him, and he has a hunger to improve and do well. He sees this as a big opportunity and has the core attributes we have been looking for.”

He quickly established himself as a regular fixture in the team and played 34 times in the third tier throughout the course of the campaign, making 42 appearances in total, with journalist Josh Bunting once describing him as “outstanding.”

However, they then opted to loan him out to Salford in League Two, much to the frustration of some of the fanbase, before the Black Cats decided to release him in 2020, allowing the defender to join Bristol Rovers on a free transfer, as Phil Parkinson seemingly did not have the player in his plans.

After a year with Rovers, Baldwin sealed a move to Premiership side Ross County in the summer of 2021 and then-manager Malky Mackay claimed that he is in the “prime of his career”, which has been proven by his impressive performances on the pitch.

He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88 in his debut campaign as he played 30 times in the Scottish top-flight, making 5.2 clearances per game. This term, he has averaged a rating of 7.02 across six outings – making 4.2 clearances and 5.4 tackles and interceptions per match.

Meanwhile, no natural Sunderland centre-back with five or more appearances has averaged a score higher than 6.88 in the Championship this term and that was also the case in League One last term – with Bailey Wright leading the way on both fronts.

This suggests that Baldwin would be the club’s top performing central defender, or at least on par with Wright, in his current form, which is why allowing him to leave for nothing was a blunder by the Black Cats.

Sunderland could have held out hope for the 6 foot 1 defender until he hit the prime years of his career and then enjoyed his impressive defensive talents on the pitch. Instead, they received £0 for him and Ross County are now benefitting on the pitch in Scotland from their mistake.

They should regret ditching the enforcer and may be wondering how well he would be doing in the current team under Tony Mowbray.

West Ham United’s triumph over plucky Danish outfit Silkeborg on Thursday evening saw defender Craig Dawson make his first start of the season, with the Englishman having only recently made his return from a thigh injury.

The former Watford man’s sole outing prior to that had come as a late substitute in the win over FC Steaua Bucharest a week earlier, with it having been a welcome sight to see the 32-year-old come out unscathed during last night’s victory.

The typically reliable centre-back marked the occasion with a header late in the first half to put the Hammers firmly in control, with that effort eventually proving vital as the visitors were forced to hold off a late rally to claim a hard-fought three points.

Such an impact has seemingly become the norm for the old-fashioned “warrior” – as described by manager David Moyes – with the £2.7m-rated man having recorded an impressive haul of nine goals in 76 appearances for the east Londoners since his arrival just over two years ago.

While something of an unglamorous addition at the time, the £42.5k-per-week colossus has since become a real cult figure among the club’s support, having notably played a crucial role in the surge to the Europa League semi-final last season – earning a place in the UEFA Team of the Season as a result of that impressive form.

His importance to the side has also been illustrated as a result of his absence in the early weeks of the season, with the London Stadium outfit having picked up just four points from their opening six league games, with the defence having been a particular issue thus far.

An injury to summer signing Nayef Aguerd during pre-season left Moyes distinctly short of options at the heart of the backline, with veteran gem Angelo Ogbonna only recently returning from a long-term injury, while Issa Diop sealed a switch to newly-promoted Fulham.

Although Thilo Kehrer has somewhat eased those concerns after joining from Paris Saint-Germain, there still appears to be a real need for Dawson in the side, with it having been a wise decision from sporting director Rob Newman not to sanction his departure over the summer.

The one-time West Bromwich Albion man had seemingly been keen on a return to the Midlands and appeared close to making a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers on deadline day, only for West Ham to pull the plug after failing to secure a replacement in the form of Jan Bednarek.

That failed move has seemingly proved a blessing in his disguise, with Moyes badly needing a fully-fit Dawson back in his side on a regular basis.