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Tottenham Hotspur could make their best signing since Heung-min Son this transfer window…

What’s the word?

The Premier League side retain an interest in Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar and may look to try and complete a deal for him for the second time, according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.

In a recent column, the reliable reporter claimed that the 43-cap Slovakia international is seen as an alternative option to mooted top target Jules Kounde, nearly a year on from their first attempts to sign him.

Spurs’ technical and performance director Steve Hitchen flew out to Milan for talks last summer but the two clubs were far apart in their respective valuations of the player.

Major coup

Considering all of the Lilywhites’ defensive troubles last season, the decision to not stump up the cash for Skriniar has looked rather stupid but they could well atone for that error this time around, in what would surely be a massive coup.

If he’s an instant hit in North London, then he could well become Spurs’ best signing since Heung-min Son – a versatile attacker, who has racked up over 280 appearances and 160 goal contributions since his £22m move in 2015, as per Transfermarkt.

Nuno Santo has inherited a squad that recorded the worst defensive record of any of the traditional ‘big six’ in 2020/21 and missed out on either the Champions or Europa League for the first time in over a decade.

This has largely boiled down to the combination of individual mistakes in the backline, in which Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez were lambasted as one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League by ex-midfielder Jamie O’Hara, and a real lack of cohesion as the leader-like presence of Jan Vertonghen was never replaced.

The 26-year-old will soon be entering the peak years of his career and on the back of his Serie A triumph with Inter, there cannot be a better time to secure him.

Indeed, Skriniar played an integral role in Antonio Conte’s side recording the best defensive record in the division on their way to the league title.

As per WhoScored, he featured in 32 matches, rating as the Inter’s sixth-best player (6.9) behind many of their goal and assist providers. Furthermore, he averaged 2.7 clearances, 1.5 tackles and an impressive 92.2% passing success rate.

By comparison, this was more tackles than every one of Spurs’ central defensive options bar Sanchez, whilst he was better with the ball at his feet than every single player, including Pierre-Emile Hojberg (88.5%).

But not only is Skriniar an intelligent and powerful presence, but he’d also be able to fill that leadership void at the back, having been dubbed a “leader on and off the pitch” by his former youth coach Tibor Goljan to ESPN.

Also described as an “absolute beast” and a “monster” by journalists who have regularly watched him, the £34m-rated defender is exactly what Spurs need to improve such a crucial area of the pitch.

Skriniar could become as important to Nuno as Son, which is why he has to be considered an outstanding coup if they can pull it off.

AND in other news, Jota & Jimenez 2.0: Nuno could form lethal Spurs duo by signing £12.5m-rated “monster”…

Benfica are reportedly eyeing up a shock move for Wolves manager Bruno Lage, in what would be a potentially big blow for the Wanderers.

The Lowdown: Lage impresses in first season

The Portuguese tactician replaced Nuno Espirito Santo at Molineux last summer and he has shone in his first season, making Wolves an extremely difficult team to beat.

The Wanderers sit eighth in the Premier League table with six matches remaining, just two points behind West Ham and Manchester United in sixth and seventh, respectively.

The hope would surely be that Lage is in charge for some time yet given the progress he has made in a short amount of time, but a fresh update suggests that may not be the case.

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The Latest: Benfica keen on appointment

According to an outlet in Lisbon, Correio da Manha [via Sport Witness], Benfica are considering re-signing Lage after he spent a year there before heading to Molineux.

The job he has done at Wolves is seen as ‘proof’ that he could excel at the Champions League quarter-finalists once again, although the report also states that he could stay at Wolves in order to eventually join a ‘more competitive’ club, perhaps eyeing bigger and better things.

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The Verdict: European qualification key?

It would be a big blow to lose Lage this early in his tenure, with the positives comfortably outweighing the negatives for Wolves this season, having been hailed as ‘incredible’ by Robbie Keane.

Defensively, he has made Wanderers one of the league’s most stubborn outfits – they have conceded 28 goals, which is bettered only by Manchester City (20), Liverpool (22) and Chelsea (23) – and they have impressed with a three-at-the-back system.

The hope is that Lage shows loyalty and remains at Wolves beyond this summer – qualifying for Europe could be key in that respect, perhaps giving him more of an incentive to stay put.

In other news, two big clubs are keen on signing one Wolves player. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will back Steven Gerrard in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Ashley Preece, with the journalist stating in a recent Birmingham Live Q&A that the 41-year-old manager will get rid of a number of players he does not feel are of the standard required for Villa during the winter market, before going on to claim that NSWE will back the new Villa boss in pursuit of his own targets in the upcoming window.

In response to a question regarding Aston Villa’s January business, the journalist said:

“Gerrard hinted at doing business in January during [Monday’s] interview. He’s going to be backed by NSWE. He’ll get rid of players he doesn’t like and he’ll attract a serious calibre of player [and] should business get done. January is a tough market but the Gerrard factor gives Villa an edge. Gerrard will have the next six weeks to see what he wants and needs in terms of new recruits.”

Fans will be excited

While the appointment of a new manager always brings with it the hope of a side going on to achieve great things under their new coach, the news that NSWE are willing to fund Gerrard’s rebuilding of the Aston Villa squad in January is yet another reason for the Villa Park faithful to get excited.

Indeed, there are a number of players currently taking up space in Gerrard’s first-team squad that are perhaps ready for the chop, such as Anwar El Ghazi and Keinan Davis, while, despite only being at the club for a matter of days, the former Liverpool captain has already been linked with moves for a host of exciting players, such as the likes of Ryan Kent, Julian Alvarez and Jesse Lingard.

As such, despite the fact that Villa are currently languishing down in 16th place in the Premier League standings, there is very much a great deal for fans of the club to look forward to in the coming months, particularly following Preece’s recent claim that Gerrard looks set to be given a war chest in a bid to improve his squad during the January window.

In other news: Purslow must sanction AVFC move for “outstanding” £18k-p/w ace, Gerrard would love him

Aston Villa were involved in one of the biggest transfer deals the Premier League has ever seen last summer when they sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City for a fee of £100m.

Now that the next summer window is on the horizon, it seems as though the Villans and Steven Gerrard could be set to cash in on another player that has been a part of the club for a fairly significant period of time.

What’s the news?

According to Football Insider’s sources, Norwich City are eyeing up a summer transfer move for striker Keinan Davis.

The report also claims that Gerrard is expected to give the green light to allow the striker to leave Villa Park this summer, with a reported transfer fee of £4m being touted for Davis’ signature.

Great news for Gerrard

Having joined Villa’s U18 side back in 2015, the centre-forward has gone on to make 122 appearances for their U23 and senior teams combined.

In those appearances, the striker found the back of the net 16 times and delivered 16 assists along the way.

Back in the previous January transfer window, the Englishman joined Championship club, Nottingham Forest, on loan until the end of the season.

Since joining the Reds, the 24-year-old has scored five goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances across the Championship and FA Cup.

To highlight how impressive the Villa man has been on loan, he is currently listed as Forest’s highest-rated player by WhoScored with a rating of 7.27.

He is also listed in the top five out of Forest’s players for the average of shots, key passes and dribbles per game he’s made in the second division.

Unfortunately, the attacker will have to spend the rest of the season on the sidelines after picking up a campaign-ending injury.

Having been described as being “a very difficult player to play against” by Lee Bowyer, Davis has shown that he has what it takes to play in the Championship and be an effective striker.

However, with only one goal in 34 Premier League appearances to his name for Villa, it’s safe to say that he hasn’t been able to cut it at that level.

With Norwich now looking likely to get relegated, it’s easy to see why they would want a player like the Villa loanee, who Dean Smith knows about, in their ranks for next season.

If Villa pick up a suitable transfer fee for the striker that they can then put towards adding some top-quality players to their squad, this would surely be great news for Gerrard.

In other news: Lange must seal £10m AVFC deal for “unplayable” £45k-p/w talent, Gerrard will love him

Keith Downie has now dropped some exciting Newcastle United transfer news involving Dan Burn.

The Lowdown: Bid made

As per Sky Sports journalist Downie, a bid of £8m from the St. James’ Park faithful has already been rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Burn, and it is expected that they will go in with another offer before the January transfer window shuts.

While they have signed Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, and Bruno Guimaraes looks set to join them on Tyneside, they have still not signed a central defender or a left-back, and so these are positions that still need filling as the clock ticks.

The Latest: Burn interested

According to Downie, Burn would be interested in a move to the Magpies before the deadline, as he is a Toon fan:

“Newcastle are expected to go back in for Brighton defender Dan Burn. 

“The St James’ Park club have had an initial offer in the region of £8m rejected for the 29-year-old. 

“Burn is a Newcastle fan and we’re told he’d be interested in a potential move back north.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The fact that Burn is a NUFC supporter and would be interested in a move back north is very exciting ahead of Transfer Deadline Day, as it means that should a fee with the Seagulls be agreed, personal terms and add-ons should not be a problem when negotiating his transfer.

Crucially, Burn is equally as comfortable at left-back as he is at centre-back, and so can add depth in both positions for Eddie Howe with no difficulties.

Nonetheless, he would be an upgrade on the Magpies boss’ current options, as he averages more tackles, interceptions and passes at a higher accuracy than Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles in the Premier League so far this term (WhoScored).

Even with an opening £8m bid rejected, this is a deal that should not cost too much given he is out of contract next year, and thus could potentially end up being a bargain.

In other news, find out which ‘amazing’ attacker alongside Eddie Nketiah Newcastle could sign here!

Tottenham Hotspur sit top of Group G on goal difference as they return to UEFA Europa Conference League action later this evening.

Nuno Santo and his side will be looking to make it four straight wins in all competitions when they head to the Netherlands to face Vitesse at the GelreDome.

The Portuguese is expected to ring the changes, keeping in mind their Premier League clash with West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, so not all of Spurs’ first-team stars will make the trip.

One player who shouldn’t travel is centre-back Cristian Romero, who narrowly made it back from South America to face Newcastle United at the weekend.

He started and played the full 90 minutes as the Lilywhites defeated the Magpies 3-2 at St James’ Park but you could tell that his preparation for the match was far from ideal, thus he should remain in England and be rested for tonight’s encounter.

During the match, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick described the 23-year-old defender as “unsurprisingly very shaky”, whilst football.london’s Alasdair Gold made note of his blunder for the home side to open the scoring.

Romero was beaten far too easily by Callum Wilson just minutes into the game and he never really recovered, not that it was his fault for his selection.

Just a couple of days earlier, he featured for Argentina in their win over Peru in Buenos Aires, he then had to fly back on a private jet along with Spurs’ other three players who had been on international duty in the continent, only just making it back on Saturday – one day earlier.

Meanwhile, as per SofaScore, the £31.5m-rated colossus was dribbled past three times, the second-most in the match, whilst he also lost possession 13 times and made just 49 of his 60 passing attempts, only proving that he was sloppy and a little sluggish on the afternoon.

He should remain in Nuno’s first-choice XI, however, he could probably do with sitting this one out in order to be fresh for this weekend’s London derby.

This decision could be hugely beneficial heading into Sunday.

AND in other news, £27m-rated “freak of a talent” facing fight to save Spurs career amid latest Nuno call…

Lots of Wolves fans have been left buzzing as the Midlands club released their third kit for the 2021/22 season.

Footage of the new shirt was released on their Twitter page, with players like Raul Jimenez, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore modelling it.

The jersey boasts a pre-dominantly white colour, with traditional Old Gold strips across the shoulders and around the sleeves and neck line.

After the home and away strips, it is safe to say that Castore have done a good job here once more, as the Molineux faithful will now be looking forward to their team wearing it throughout the campaign.

Nonetheless, it is now available to buy on WWFC’s website for those supporters eager to grab hold of and wear it when going back to games.

Wolves fans on third kit

These Wanderers were left buzzing as the third kit was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘stunning’:

“Stunning”

Credit: @BVitler

“That is beautiful”

Credit: @jaijjordan

“Castore have smashed it with all 3 kits this season”

Credit: @joee290896

“Work of art”

Credit: @rmpoodles

“Wow doesn’t get better, beautiful well done Castore”

Credit: @GodersTim

“Love love love love it”

Credit: @clolouisez

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano update has been lauded by Wanderers here!

So far this season, Sunderland have managed to win 13 of their 21 played league games, drawing three and losing five, earning them 42 points and placing them in third place in the league table.

With Sunderland having had a number of injury issues to deal with for the past few weeks with the likes of Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin, Denver Hume, Aiden McGeady and Luke O’Nien all out, this shows how well manager Lee Johnson and the available players he’s had at his disposal have done lately.

Having gone unbeaten in their five previous league games, it seems as though the Sunderland fans could have something to be excited about and look forward to during the upcoming January transfer window that could help Johnson’s side make their final push for promotion.

On the subject of the January market, Johnson had this to say on the matter over the weekend.

He said: “Our aim will be to come out of the January transfer window better than we went into it. There’s always a natural evolution of any squad. I think we will be able to recruit – I expect us to be able to recruit. Nobody has told me any different.”

Taking this into account, it certainly sounds that Johnson will be looking to strengthen his squad in January as the Black Cats aim to finally win promotion back to the Championship after spending the previous three seasons in League One.

Given their injury issues, particularly in the defensive areas, perhaps this should be where the Wearside club look to add in the winter to make sure they don’t miss out on promotion.

With this in mind, January could provide Kyril Louis-Dreyfus with a great chance of giving Johnson exactly what he needs to get Sunderland through to the end of the season and in with a chance of securing their place in the Championship for next season.

In addition to any potential new players coming in, Sunderland also have the option of recalling some of their players currently loaned out elsewhere such as Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes, which could also give Johnson some extra options in his squad to get them over the line to promotion.

In other news: Big blow: Sunderland dealt yet another injury setback that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

With Everton having racked up a mixed bag of results in the Premier League so far this season with five wins, three draws and seven defeats, they have the opportunity to do some business in the upcoming January transfer window to help revitalise the squad and get them on track for the second half of the campaign.

One bit of business which could be done at Goodison Park in January could see one of their current players wave goodbye to the club before any potential new signings walk through the door.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Everton journalist Phil Kirkbride in the Liverpool Echo, Toffees manager Rafael Benitez is seemingly keen to offload players in January, including Cenk Tosun.

Everton secured the signing of the Turkey centre-forward back in the 2018 January transfer window from Turkish club Besiktas in a deal worth a reported fee of £27m. Since then, he has had a loan spell at fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, as well as a temporary return to Istanbul last season.

Overall, the 30-year-old has made 59 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists along the way.

Even though he has been injured for a significant period this season, Tosun has only played six minutes (in one game) in the six matches in which he has featured in Everton’s senior squad in the Premier League in 2021/22.

This suggests to us that he is not regarded fondly by Benitez, even though the Toffees have had Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for quite a while.

With this in mind and the manager seemingly preferring Salomon Rondon, who has played in 10 league games without scoring for Everton so far this season, it’s not surprising to hear that the Spaniard would be willing to move Tosun on from the club in January.

Moving forward, if Everton receive an offer to take him off their hands on a permanent basis for a suitable transfer fee, this could be the best option for all parties if he’s able to get regular playing time elsewhere and the Toffees are able to get his £69k-per-week wages off their books.

Getting Tosun out the door could be a significant step in Benitez revitalising Everton’s stagnant season, especially if it helps to finance a new signing next month.

In other news: Moshiri risks further Everton fury as links emerge on “complete” £110k-p/w machine

Celtic talisman Odsonne Edouard has been shortlisted by European giants AS Roma as they look to beef up their offensive arsenal, as reported by Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Celtic undergo mini-exodus as 2021/22 gets underway

As the 2021/22 season gets underway, new manager Ange Postecoglou has began to initiate the rebuilding processes needed at Parkhead in earnest.

Multiple senior exits were always likely this summer, as reflected by the departures of influential figures such as Scott Brown, Kristoffer Ajer and Olivier Ntcham [Transfermarkt], and the Hoops now look set to lose yet another prize asset following recent reports.

The Latest: Edouard on Roma shorlist as Dzeko exit imminent

Edouard is rumoured to be on a shortlist at the Stadio Olimpico to help bolster their striking options, as per Daily Record.

Circumstantially, this has come around as a result of the imminent transfer of Roma striker Edin Dzeko to divisional rivals Inter Milan, creating a need for a new centre-forward in the Italian capital to replace the two-time Premier League winner.

Mauro Icardi is also said to be on the Giallorossi’s radar, but his prospective financial expenditure within the realm of a transfer fee and wages makes him an unlikely candidate. [Daily Record]

Could this pave the way for the 6 foot 2 Edouard to make the switch to Roma?

The Verdict: Right time for player and club to amicably part ways

With only 12 months remaining on his contract in Glasgow, it would be wise for Celtic to take advantage of the Frenchman’s value and try to make a profit on his services.

In 2020/21, he made a sustained impact for the Hoops , registering 28 goal contributions in 40 appearances with 22 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt]. Furthermore, his average of 3.5 shots per game in the Premiership last year illustrated his ability to trouble defences regularly [WhoScored].

Once labelled as “magnificent” by former Hoops manager Neil Lennon [Glasgow Live], now may well be the correct time for Celtic and Edouard to amicably part ways while they can still recoup a transfer fee for him.

In other news, a Premier League club are in pole position to sign this Celtic star.