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Journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans is ‘one to watch’ for Arsenal in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy January?

It was reported on Monday night that the Gunners have submitted an official bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk, but it falls short of Shakhtar Donetsk’s valuation of the winger.

They have also been linked with the likes of Joao Felix and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, which suggests that they want to strengthen the squad to help their push for the Premier League title.

The Latest: Tielemans ‘one to watch’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Tielemans is also ‘one to watch’ for Arsenal in January, after making an ‘approach’ for him in the summer alongside Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.

The Italian stated: “Tielemans has always been on the list at Arsenal, he has always been appreciated. They always had his name on their list.

“At the moment, there are no conversations with Leicester, but I think this is one to watch because in the summer, Arsenal arrived in the final days to try to approach Leicester for Tielemans, then they did the same with Aston Villa for Douglas Luiz.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given that Tielemans will be out of contract at Leicester next summer, signing him for a cut-price in January is surely a no-brainer for Arsenal.

Hailed as an ‘outstanding player’ and ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’ by his manager Brendan Rodgers, the Belgium international ranks in the 85th percentile for tackles, 82nd for passes attempted and blocks and 81st for shot-creating actions among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBRef).

Scoring 28 goals and supplying 25 assists for Leicester in 177 games, including the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2021 (Transfermarkt), Tielemans has shown that he is capable of producing in big moments, and at 25 years of age, he has not even hit his peak yet.

If Mikel Arteta’s side can sign both him and Mudryk, they would surely give themselves a great chance of winning a first league title since 2004.

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis could have a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ in place over an improved deal, according to Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis shining for Hoops

The 28-year-old has become a popular figure at Parkhead since arriving from VVV-Venlo last year, scoring 25 goals in 50 appearances in total.

This season, Giakoumakis has netted six times in the Scottish Premiership, despite only starting four matches, and he has been hailed as ‘hugely important’ by Ange Postecoglou.

While the Greek’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, there has been plenty of talk about whether or not he will sign a new deal, with The Daily Record claiming he’s set for a ‘shock’ exit after talks stalled.

The Latest: New deal incoming?

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus claimed that an agreement may have been in place for a while, just not with the i’s dotted and t’s crossed:

“He has a while left on his current deal but there seems to be a gentleman’s agreement that if he came in and down well then Celtic would bump his money up.

“I don’t know if that is going to happen. He is obviously looking for a new contract on more money. Celtic are in a strong position though, they have him until 2026.

“You want your players to be happy. I think he has something like 25 goals in 50 games so he has a good record. I don’t know how this is going to play out but he has only been there a year.

“If they can get him tied down to a big new contract and everyone is happy, that has to be the aim for Celtic. They won’t want to lose him.”

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The Verdict: Long-term Parkhead hero?

This is an encouraging update from a Celtic perspective, with Giakoumakis someone who should be viewed as a vital part of the club’s future in the coming years.

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His aforementioned goalscoring record speaks for itself – a goal every other game is hugely impressive – and at 28, he should remain at a high level for some time yet.

Even if a new deal doesn’t come Giakoumakis’ way, Celtic certainly find themselves in a strong bargaining position if other clubs come calling, such is the length of his current contract.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has hinted at signing a new contract with the Premier League club, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Italian arrived in the capital just over a year ago and has made a remarkable impact, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms, his future at Tottenham is uncertain.

The 53-year-old had been heavily linked with a move back to his former club Juventus amid speculation, but there has now been a positive update from the man himself which Spurs supporters will surely be pleased to hear.

The Latest: Conte’s admission

Speaking about his contract situation, Conte admitted that whilst he feels like he has to earn his place at Spurs, it’s every manager’s dream to see out a long-term project.

Quoted by football.london (via TEAMtalk), he said: “You know very well that my contract expires in June. Until that moment the club has to make the best evaluation. I think that everything you need to deserve and it will be important to see the rest of the season and if we are happy with the improvement we are doing.

“I think that every situation it’s important to deserve. From my side, it’s important to feel that I deserve a new contract, to sign a new contract with this club. I have to feel this. We will talk with the club and find the best solution.”

“But you know, I think when you start a path with a club the dream is to stay here for many years and try to build something important. I think it’s very important the relationship you create with the players, the club and the environment around you.”

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The Verdict: Fully deserved

Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy offering Conte a new deal would be nothing less than the manager deserves when you look at how much he has transformed the Tottenham squad over the past 12 months.

The 53-year-old has won 33, drawn nine and lost just 16 of his 58 games in the Spurs dugout, averaging 1.86 points per match (Transfermarkt).

Spurs have also booked their place in the Champions League last 16, and the manager would surely become even more of a fan favourite in N17 should he lead his team to a first piece of silverware since 2008 at the end of the season.

An update has emerged on Leeds United and their interest in Juventus central midfielder Weston McKennie ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Whites are one of the clubs who have sent scouts to watch the USA international in action for the Old Lady.

He Tweeted: “Juventus are open to sale for the right price (£20m+). But Spurs (& Antonio Conte in particular) still undecided whether to move. McKennie’s form has been inconsistent. He does have huge potential and is particularly well-suited in a 3-5-2, which Conte has been using.”

The reporter added: “Several Premier League clubs have scouted McKennie, including Newcastle, Leeds, Everton and Arsenal. But none have advanced interest yet. He’s a player who could well move to England in January but right now there is nothing advanced from any potential Premier League suitors.”

Forshaw upgrade

Victor Orta could land an upgrade on Leeds’ Adam Forshaw by securing a deal to sign McKennie from Juventus in January, as the American gem has much more to offer in the middle of the park.

Last season, Forshaw played 22 times in the Premier League and averaged an unimpressive SofaScore rating of 6.73 – placing him 13th in the squad. This shows that he was far from being one of the top performers for the club in the division.

The underperforming midfielder has played three of the Whites’ top-flight matches so far this term and is averaging a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.53, which shows that he is not improving and, if anything, is getting worse.

McKennie, meanwhile, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 or higher in all three of his Serie A campaigns with Juventus since joining them at the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

This suggests that he has the talent to perform at a much higher level than Forshaw on a week-in-week-out basis, as he has proven his quality over the course of two-and-a-bit years in Italy.

He could also offer more at the top end of the pitch as he ranks in the 87th percentile among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days for non-penalty goals per 90 at 0.24, whilst the Leeds man has averaged 0.00 non-penalty goals per 90.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described him as being “incredibly underrated” but his statistics suggest that the supporters at Elland Road would appreciate his performances more than Forshaw’s.

At the age of 24, he is also seven years younger than the current Leeds dud and that is another reason why he could be an upgrade on the former Middlesbrough man, as he has room to grow and develop as he gains more experience.

Former Sunderland owner, and current minority stakeholder, Stewart Donald endured a difficult spell as chairman of the club in League One.

He struggled as the Black Cats failed to earn promotion out of the third tier and he made his fair share of blunders in the transfer market along the way.

One player he had a nightmare with was the signing of Northern Ireland international Will Grigg from Wigan in the January transfer window of the 2018/19 campaign.

The Sunderland chief was desperate to replace Josh Maja on deadline day and heavily pursued the Latics centre-forward, with multiple failed attempts before he eventually snapped him up.

Then-manager Jack Ross, who was recorded by the Netflix documentary ‘Sunderland ‘Till I Die’, urged Donald against paying more than the £1.25m offer the club had made at the time of the conversation, with Richard Hill claiming that the player was not worth that much and the fee being quoted was “mental”.

Hill also attempted to talk him out of a move for Grigg by saying that it was not the “right thing” to do and that he had fallen into the January transfer window “trap”.

In the end, Sunderland signed the striker in a deal worth around £4m, almost £3m more than the fee Ross claimed was too much for the player.

All of the warning signs were there for Donald to realise that it would be a mistake but he went ahead with the big-money swoop in an attempt to bolster the club’s team in League One.

The forward went on to score four goals in 18 third-tier matches for the club in the second half of that season, before scoring just once in 20 matches the following campaign.

He had scored 19 or more goals in four of his last five League One seasons prior to joining Sunderland but failed to rediscover his goalscoring touch in the division for the Black Cats.

Ross claimed that more than £1.25m would be ‘mental’ and the £4m they eventually paid for him proved to be exactly that as he struggled badly on the pitch. The Scottish manager knew that the forward was not worth that kind of money and his poor goalscoring record proved the ex-Sunderland boss right.

After loan spells with Rotherham and MK Dons, the Black Cats released him on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 and he currently plays for The Dons in League One, where he has scored three goals in nine matches this term.

Donald undeniably endured a nightmare with Grigg as he grossly overpaid in the eyes of Hill and Ross. The player’s performances on the pitch and subsequent release prove that the pair were correct in their assessment of his value, as it turned out to be a huge blunder.

Newcastle United finally claimed their second Premier League victory on Saturday, strolling to victory over Fulham.

The game was made considerably easier when Nathaniel Chalobah was dismissed just eight minutes in, and Callum Wilson put the Magpies in front three minutes later.

The game already seemed a foregone conclusion by this point, but another three goals meant that Eddie Howe oversaw a 4-1 win over the Cottagers.

It was comprehensive, as they dominated the stats, having 69% possession and 19 shots.

Although Miguel Almiron scored twice and has earned the lion’s share of the plaudits, Bruno Guimaraes was truly unstoppable in midfield.

His intelligence as he made Marco Silva’s side chase hopeless balls was superb, whilst his defensive display also negated any chances of a slip-up.

Guimaraes’ efforts actually saw him receive the highest SofaScore rating on the pitch of 8.4, bettering even that of the two-goal Paraguayan.

The Brazilian “hero” managed just 59 minutes due to his return from injury but was industrious with his limited game time.

He created two big chances, one of which bore an assist, as well as delivered four key passes.

Not only was he creative, but – as aforementioned – his use of the ball was imperative towards tiring out an already depleted opposition. He was accurate with nine of his 12 long passes, showing how his expansive play would have made them work extra hard.

What must have been even more frustrating was that as well as being so influential offensively, he still won 100% of his duels, making three tackles and one clearance.

To do all this in just 59 short minutes is sensational and shows how he truly was the star man for Howe today.

This was a game they simply had to take all three points from, as they were winless before their opening day victory over Nottingham Forest.

Guimaraes will now get a well-deserved week-long break, and hopefully, be fit enough for a full 90 minutes when his side host Brentford. Another tough game, but with the Brazilian in midfield the Magpies will always stand a better chance of victory.

Rangers have started off the season well, with some new signings gelling into the side quite well, the Ibrox side have won four out of five Premiership matches and reached the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2010/2011 following an aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven.

The Old Firm clash against Celtic will be a big test for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his side and even though its still very early on in the title race, a Celtic victory could see them go five points clear after only six matches.

With this in mind, the Dutchman made sweeping changes to his side that won 3-1 against Queen of the South in the League Cup on Tuesday evening but the strongest players will be back in against Celtic.

One player that the Van Bronckhorst must unleash is on loan American Malik Tillman, who has impressed in his first few weeks in Glasgow.

On the chalkboard

20-year-old Tillman has arrived at Ibrox on a season-long loan from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and they have inserted an option to buy clause into the deal, which is looking like a wise move after every game.

The 6ft 1 maestro has settled into life in Scotland with ease, showcasing his incredible talents by scoring twice and grabbing one assist in eight matches.

The American has certainly been a more than able replacement for Joe Aribo, offering some much-needed creativity in the side and he could be crucial against Celtic.

Van Bronckhorst certainly thinks Tillman has everything required to reach the top, hailing him as “epic” following the Ibrox sides victory over St Johnstone last month, with his performances so far, there’s no doubt he can trouble the Celtic rear-guard.

The 20-year-old averages 1.3 key passes per match, with his ability to create a variety of chances for his teammates one of his main strengths.

Completing 67% of his attempted dribbles suggests he likes taking players on and with a Celtic defence that’s only conceded one league goal all season standing in the Ibrox sides way, Tillman could give them some food for thought with his dribbling ability.

It will be a tough match for Rangers, but if everyone turns up and play how they can, the Dutchman can lead his side to all three points.

The rumours linking Manchester City star Bernardo Silva with a move to Barcelona will simply not go away.

Despite playing a starring role in Pep Guardiola’s side last season as they won the Premier League title, the Portugal international has been regularly linked with a switch to Spain.

Even with Barcelona’s financial issues, they are clearly very keen on recruiting the former AS Monaco man, but the latest reports suggest that City have no plans to let him leave the Etihad.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, City are expecting an approach from the Catalan club for Silva, but won’t budge on the €100m (£84m) valuation they placed on him at the start of the window.

They suggest that, while City appreciate that Silva is keen on a move to Barcelona, it seems unlikely that the club would sanction any sale, as replacing him with just two weeks to go of the transfer window could prove to be an impossible job.

Pep will be delighted

Silva has established himself as a world-class player during his time at Manchester City, making 253 appearances in total, in which he has contributed 48 goals and 50 assists.

Last season saw the 28-year-old make 35 appearances in the Premier League for City, contributing eight goals and four assists, averaging a superb 7.27 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the fifth-best performer in Guardiola’s side last season, so it is clear to see just how important he was to their success in the top flight as they took home the Premier League trophy ahead of Liverpool.

The Spanish manager is also a huge fan of the midfield maestro and sang his praises after a superb start to last season.

He said: “Now he is undroppable because of what he does on the pitch.

“Sometimes he didn’t play because he wasn’t undroppable; he was not at the level. The year we got 98 points and won the league, he was the best.

“It’s difficult to find a player like him in the world right now.”

That said, Silva has slightly relinquished that undroppable status, appearing from the bench during the opening two league fixtures, but he is still a phenomenal player for City.

With that in mind, Guardiola is perhaps waiting for this transfer saga to be over before restoring him to his starting XI. However, the manager should no doubt be delighted to hear that he won’t be allowed to join Barcelona easily. He is too important a player to let go of this summer.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of a new forward in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk has confirmed that the Magpies are plotting a swoop to sign Timo Werner as Dan Ashworth looks to improve the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “TRUE Newcastle @NUFC is interested in @TimoWerner @ChelseaFC.”

It has been reported that the Blues will be looking for a fee of around £33m to allow the Germany international to move on, although it remains to be seen how much the Toon are willing to pay for him this summer.

He can axe Chris Wood

By snapping up a deal to sign the Chelsea attacker, Newcastle can axe their New Zealand international flop from the team.

The Magpies signed Wood from Burnley in January and he struggled badly as he registered just one goal from open play – two in total – and zero assists in 17 Premier League matches for the club in the second half of the campaign.

Werner’s team-mate Kai Havertz once dubbed him “unpredictable”, and his record in England suggests he could be an exciting player for the fans to watch.

Since making the move to Stamford Bridge, the 26-year-old has scored 23 goals and set up 21 in 89 appearances in all competitions, playing out wide and up front. He joined the Blues after racking up an eye-catching 93 goals and 40 assists in 158 matches for RB Leipzig in Germany.

His record in the Champions League for Chelsea is particularly impressive. The attacker has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 17 outings, winning the competition in his first campaign with the club. This came after he managed seven goals and two assists in 14 appearances for Leipzig at that level.

Werner has also scored 24 goals in 53 caps for Germany at international level, showcasing his quality and versatility on the domestic and continental stages.

Therefore, he would be a big upgrade on Wood at the top end of the pitch, and bringing him to St James’ Park would allow Eddie Howe to axe the former Burnley man.

Based on their respective statistics, the Chelsea star would offer far more in terms of both goals and assists, chipping in himself whilst consistently creating chances for those around him.

It is now down to Ashworth to pull off this deal and improve Howe’s squad before the transfer window slams shut at the end of August.

AND in other news, In talks: NUFC make “contact” for “extraordinary” £25m target, he can be Howe’s Zidane…

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Emmanuel Dennis throughout the transfer window and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Nottingham Forest have now held discussions with the Watford forward’s agent Drew Uyi.

As per the report, no concrete offers have been submitted to Watford for Dennis as of yet but Everton, Southampton and West Ham United join Forest in the race to acquire the player’s services ahead of next season.

It’d be a huge coup

Despite signing 12 new players so far, Steve Cooper has reportedly identified the striker role as one of the key positions that still needs strengthening this summer, and if Forest can secure a deal for Dennis it would be a huge coup for the newly-promoted side.

Despite being relegated with Watford last season, the Nigerian forward has proven he is more than capable of offering a consistent and reliable attacking threat in the Premier League and was the club’s top goal scorer in their ill-fated campaign.

Over 33 Premier League appearances, Dennis scored 10 goals and contributed six assists, with 2.13 shots per 90 mins, 91 shot-creating actions, won the majority of his tackles (28/46) and successfully received the majority of his passes (62.9%).

The 24-year-old who has a reported price tag of £25m has been lavished with praise following his outstanding performances and progression over his career, with a member of the Nigeria coaching staff Tunde Adelakun hailing Dennis as “very skilful” in an assessment of the player’s style of play with The Athletic:

“He (Dennis) is a very skilful player and confident in his abilities with a cocky attitude on the pitch that he can do anything that he wants to do with the ball.”

If Cooper is indeed looking for another forward to bolster his front-line when Nottingham Forest make their long-awaited return to the top flight, then Dennis could be a great option for the Reds as he clearly has a lot of talent and strengths that the Welsh manager can take advantage of.

With that being said, the signing of Dennis should be a priority for Forest because they will need to make sure they have enough talent and creativity to covert their chances going forward next season and the Watford star could be the perfect profile of player to deliver that.

AND in other news:, “Terms agreed”: Forest closing in on 13th signing after Mangala, Cooper will be elated…