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Sunderland defender Danny Batth is ‘one of the best value’ signings that the Championship club has ever made, according to former Black Cats striker turned pundit Stephen Elliott.

The Lowdown: Batth profiled

The Stadium of Light welcomed the centre-back on a free transfer from Stoke City in January, ironically resulting in him playing under current Potters boss Alex Neil, and he’s become a rock at the heart of the backline ever since.

The Black Cats achieved promotion from League One last season and the 32-year-old played a significant role in helping them along the way, with the same level of performance having been carried through into the 2022/23 campaign.

The Latest: Elliott’s praise

In his column for the Sunderland Echo (via Football League World), Elliott was full of praise for Batth’s impact on the side and made a huge claim regarding where he ranks in the club’s history of transfers. 

He wrote: “I have to mention Danny Batth also. I’m running out of superlatives for the experienced stopper. His desire to defend his goal is immense and could go down as one of the best value for money signings the club have ever made.

“Big statement, but warranted in my opinion. Himself and Bailey Wright are becoming an imposing duo.”

The Verdict: New contract deserved

Sunderland risk losing Batth given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but when you look at how much he is valued on Wearside, offering him fresh terms would be nothing less than he deserves.

Labelled ‘top class’ by Josh Bunting, the 6 foot 2 colossus currently averages an outstanding four clearances and 3.8 successful aerial duels per league game (WhoScored).

Those returns place him joint-first and second for those respective metrics at the Stadium of Light (WhoScored), which perfectly illustrates why Elliot has been so effusive in his praise of the defender.

The Black Cats are only four points outside the play-offs, which shows how strong the defence has been, and this is exactly where promotion contenders need to be heading up to Christmas.

West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma could potentially be out of action for up to four months due to his knee injury according to medical expert Ben Dinnery. 

The Lowdown: Zouma’s injury blow

In the early stages of West Ham’s previous Premier League game against Leicester City, Zouma was forced off with a suspected knee injury.

Last week, the east London club revealed that the Frenchman had undergone surgery on his knee and will now begin his recovery process.

With domestic football on hold to make way for the World Cup, it appears that one medical expert has shared some details regarding how long Zouma could be out of action.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dinnery, who contributes to Sky Sports, had this to say about Zouma’s current situation and how long he could be spending on the sidelines, hinting at a possible three to four-month absence in a worst-case scenario.

“Depending on the extent of that surgery – whether it’s just a bit of a flush out and a bit of a trim or it’s something a little bit more involved in terms of the meniscus – you could be talking a period of four to six weeks or possibly three to four months.

“Imaging may not have been conclusive but, suffice to say, it would give a strong indication that if the player wants to play pain-free going forward, that decision to take the operation was the correct move to make.”

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed at West Ham

Across the 14 league appearances he’s made for David Moyes’ side this season, the £125k-per-week defender has racked up the second-highest passing accuracy percentage at the club (85.9%).

Having made more clearances (68) than any other West Ham player, this further showcases how much of an important player he is for the team and what they could be missing if he ends up being out of action for a significant period of time.

Taking all of this into account everyone at the London Stadium will undoubtedly have their fingers crossed that it will be a matter of weeks rather than months until the centre-back is back in action for the team.

Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis is poised for a surprise January exit from the Premiership champions, according to reliable reporters Scott Burns and Duncan Castles.

The Lowdown: 25 goals for Celtic…

The Greece marksman took time to settle in at Parkhead after arriving in Scotland last year due to a number of issues. However, the 27-year-old ended up netting 17 times under Ange Postecoglou last term, helping the Hoops to win a domestic double.

The ‘effective player’, as labelled by journalist Josh Bunting, has already netted eight times during the current campaign, but it seems as if he could be on his way out of Celtic.

The Latest: Giakoumakis poised for Celtic exit?

Burns and Castles shared a story for The Daily Record late on Wednesday night regarding Giakoumakis. They revealed that the striker is poised for a ‘shock exit’ in the New Year after contract talks stalled between player and club.

The reliable journalists add that there is already strong European interest in Giakoumakis, with Celtic actively looking for a new forward.

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The Verdict: Bigger blow than Juranovic?

Giakoumakis could leave Celtic alongside right-back Josip Juranovic in January, and you could argue that the forward’s prospective departure may be the bigger blow of the two.

Parkhead chiefs appear to be closing in on signing right-back Alistair Johnston, with the Canada international seemingly a like-for-like replacement for Juranovic.

However, the Hoops wanted a new forward prior to this development to rival Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi, so they may now be on the hunt for multiple attacking reinforcements in January.

Nottingham Forest had an ambitious transfer window in the summer ahead of their return to the Premier League with 23 new players joining the squad at The City Ground, however, the expectations set haven’t been met by the newly-built team.

The Tricky Trees have spent the majority of their long-awaited top-flight campaign in the relegation zone due to a difficult and disappointing start to the season, which led to Evangelos Marinakis sacking his head of recruitment and head scout in October.

Indeed, Steve Cooper had seemingly started to build some positive form in the last five outings Forest had before the World Cup break but even going unbeaten in four out of the five fixtures hasn’t been enough to secure safety as of yet.

Although Forest managed to acquire as good as an entirely new squad during the last transfer window, remarkably there were still some transfer targets that were missed during the £150m spending spree, something that clearly irked Marinakis due to his dismissal of his recruitment team.

One player who the newly-promoted club tried to sign was Valencia and USMNT star Yunus Musah, with a £25m bid submitted for the midfielder during the summer but it was quickly rejected by the LaLiga club.

Since then, Musah has been capturing the attention of the football world after making a standout appearance at the World Cup in Qatar with his national team and has quickly become a hot prospect for many elite Premier League clubs.

According to 90min, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all expressed an interest in the young talent with the two latter clubs even making contact with the player’s representatives after his impressive displays for USMNT.

Over four World Cup appearances, the 20-year-old – who was hailed the “real deal” by journalist Ives Galarcep – tallied up an 87% pass completion rate, as well as averaging one shot on goal, 58.3 touches, two tackles, one successful dribble and 4.5 duels won per game.

In fact, Musah would have been the perfect upgrade for Forest’s Ryan Yates in the centre of the pitch, with the Valencia wonderkid having been superior to his positional peer in many attributes.

Over the season so far, Musah has outperformed Yates in his assists (2 v 1), pass completion rate (80.4% v 80.1%), shot-creating actions (23 v 14) and tackles won (14 v 12).

With that being said, the signing of Musah would have been a great piece of business for Forest, however, it is looking like that ship may have sailed for the club as the competition for his signature has tightened significantly and after a fantastic international campaign, his transfer value will likely soar.

England and penalties. Two words that will spark fear in the eyes of many across the country.Throw in two more words – major tournament – and that fear gets even larger. There is a reason the Three Lions haven’t won anything since 1966 and on a night inside the Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar, that wait would grow even longer.This may have been a crushing defeat, but at the same time, it left many feeling proud of England. There hasn’t been mass hysteria in the press, pundits were also glowing of Gareth Southgate’s men at full-time.That might not be a trophy but it’s an achievement in itself.Of years gone by, this national team has been vilified, thrown under the bus and told not to even come back to England.There was a night in France six years ago when they tasted their worst defeat at a major tournament yet, as Roy Hodgson’s side were disgraced by minnows Iceland.There was no embarrassment this time. England had been the better team against none other than the World Champions. However, sport isn’t fair.You’d have put your mortgage on Tottenham striker Harry Kane scoring a penalty if required. You’d have gleefully turned your car in, given your savings away. Perhaps even your firstborn. And indeed after the striker found the net from one spot kick against clubmate Hugo Lloris, you’d have done that all over again after Mason Mount had been bundled over late on.Up stepped the Spurs star again, but this time the ball flew into the Qatar sky never to be seen again.Yes, the man you’d just given away your house for had missed a penalty. It was the biggest of his career, it was a spot kick that would have earned him England immortality. He had already equalled Wayne Rooney’s Three Lions record on the night and had this found the back of the net, he’d be the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer.That day will inevitably come for the Tottenham man, just on a less grand stage than a World Cup quarter-final.Kane hadn’t struggled in the opening rounds of the tournament as England’s star man, but he will leave the Middle East behind with just two goals to his name. It’s unlikely many will remember them in two years’ time at the Euros, but this team must bounce back and quickly. They will learn from the experience and surely in 18 months’ time, they will be in an even stronger place to win a tournament.The striker will primarily hold most of the responsibility for their exit last night but he cannot shoulder it all. It feels harsh to play the blame game. Kyle Walker did a good job against Kylian Mbappe. Jordan Henderson ran himself into the ground. Bukayo Saka gave Theo Hernandez a rough night and Jude Bellingham was constantly on the front foot.Yet, when it mattered, Harry Maguire became a cause for concern again. His selection for this competition had always been controversial and until last night he had arguably been England’s best defender in Qatar.As ever, he was a set-piece threat in the final third and defensively, looked largely untroubled in what was a revival period for the Manchester United man.Sadly, he was the man who lost Olivier Giroud who scored what would be the decisive goal in Al Khor on Saturday evening.

The AC Milan man, who enjoyed spells in England with Arsenal and Chelsea, had become France’s record scorer over the last few weeks, defeating none other than Thierry Henry and his strike this weekend was perhaps typical given his own history in the United Kingdom.

He was left open by Maguire behind inside the box as the French forward evaded his marker before guiding the ball beyond Jordan Pickford.

This moment perhaps summed up Maguire’s form throughout 2022. Indeed, one pundit even said it was a “huge mistake” to take him this autumn. Cast aside at his club, it is for errors such as these that he hasn’t been trusted by Erik ten Hag. The mistake was perhaps not as high profile as it could have been but the way he left Giroud free was inexcusable.

He left Pickford with no chance and penalty miss or not, must shoulder some of the blame for last night after his 101 touches on the night.

That said, Maguire deserves another chance, whether it be at Old Trafford or in Southgate’s ranks. He is still one of the nation’s best centre-backs and often does not deserve such harsh criticism.

For most of the tournament, he was a pillar at the back while his bullish nature at the opposite end of the pitch meant he put fear into the eyes of many. Sadly for the defender, there was no such fear in Giroud’s eyes on Saturday night. Rather, there was glee and happiness.

As England fly home, few would bet against France becoming just the third team after Brazil and Italy to retain the famous trophy.

Wolves appear to be closing in on their first signing of the Julen Lopetegui era, as reports suggest that the Spaniard is keen to reunite with Isco at Molineux.

What’s the word?

Having signed the former Real Madrid man for Sevilla in the summer, the 56-year-old now reportedly wants to bring Isco to the Premier League, with Spanish news outlet AS reporting that he has personally asked for the Old Gold to sign the midfielder.

They also report that the 30-year-old would be delighted to work under Lopetegui once again, which suggests that it is simply over to Jeff Shi to get a deal done in the January transfer window, as both player and manager are clearly keen on a reunion.

Isco’s perceived poor performances and high wages at Sevilla make him very likely to depart next month, but Wolves could face competition from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, as it is claimed that both north London clubs are also keen on signing the former Spain international.

Shi must deliver

Lopetegui is crying out for some creativity in a Wolves team which has mustered just eight goals in the Premier League so far this term.

No player in the squad has more than one assist in the top flight, which emphasises a key problem that Lopetegui will need to solve if he is to get the Old Gold out of trouble this season.

Isco certainly has a reputation as a creative player, as he was a regular with Real Madrid for a number of years, registering 53 goals and 56 assists in 353 appearances for Los Blancos.

WhoScored claims that the experienced Spaniard excels at key passes, dribbling and long shots, which suggests that he still has the ability to unlock a defence with his ability on the ball.

He would certainly arrive at Molineux with a big reputation, as he was once described as “incredible” by Andres Iniesta. The Barcelona legend is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era, so this is high praise indeed.

Isco arrived at Sevilla in the summer on a free transfer, so it seems likely that the club would entertain selling him for relatively little in January.

Given that both the 30-year-old and Lopetegui are reportedly keen to be reunited, Shi must ensure that Wolves win the race for the midfielder in next month’s transfer window.

Everton would need to stump up a significant transfer bid to sign Ismaila Sarr in January, according to journalist Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: Everton linked with Sarr

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Toffees are interested in signing the £40k-per-week Senegal winger.

Prior to making four appearances for his country in the World Cup, the 24-year-old had scored six goals and delivered three assists in 18 Championship appearances with Watford this season.

With the January transfer window now close to opening, some details have emerged regarding what it could take for Everton to land the winger.

The Latest: Jones drops Sarr claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones had this to say about Sarr and the possibility of Everton making a move to sign him next month.

“If they are exploring this one, I think they’ll probably be discovering that it’s going to take a massive bid to land him because Watford are trying to keep the door shut on this.

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“I’m told he won’t leave in January unless it’s a really, really big bid, mainly because they still want promotion and they need him.”

The Verdict: A financial gamble

Described as a “scary” attacking player by Ben Foster, Sarr would follow in the footsteps of the likes of Richarlison and Abdoulaye Doucoure if he were to make a move from Vicarage Road to Goodison Park in the coming weeks.

As well as his goals and assists in the second division, only Joao Pedro (39) has had more shots at goal than the winger (38) at his current club.

Also, only one other player has delivered more crosses into the 18-yard box than the winger (8), which further showcases the attacking impact he has.

While the Watford star clearly has significant attacking talent, the financial aspect of a potential January deal is definitely something that Everton and their hierarchy will need to consider before launching a move for him.

West Ham United were linked with a move for Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski during the summer transfer window and according to Gazzetta dello Sport, if the player doesn’t sign an extension to his contract, the Serie A side will look to sell him in the summer.

This could be great news for David Moyes, and he could even test Napoli’s resolve with a bid for the Polish international during January as he would be an excellent addition to the side.

In fact, by signing Zielinski, Moyes could secure his very own Martin Odegaard, and with the form the Norwegian midfielder has been in this season, registering 12 goal contributions and averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.57/10 for his Premier League performances this season, it isn’t bad company to be compared to.

The Arsenal star is first-most comparable to Odegaard via FBref’s similar player model and West Ham would certainly benefit from someone with his qualities in the heart of their midfield.

The two players have registered extremely similar statistics when it comes to assists (five to four), shots on target per match (1.09 to 0.93), pass completion rate (80.1% to 79.1%), and goal-creating actions (both seven).

These stats clearly indicate that the two offer a solid attacking threat from the midfield area and will create plenty of opportunities for teammates.

The £107k-per-week sensation has been dubbed a “baller” by journalist Patrick Boyland in the past and the last few years have seen the player develop into one of the most underrated players in Italy.

Signing him, either in January or the summer, would signify a statement of intent by Moyes and it would be a move that would vastly improve the West Ham starting XI.

It’s evident that something needs to change over the coming months if the club doesn’t want to be embroiled in a relegation battle, and if that means splashing out on a couple of new signings in the winter transfer window, then it might well save Moyes’ job.

Tottenham Hotspur target Pedro Porro is not likely to be Antonio Conte’s priority in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tottenham’s Porro interest

It was reported earlier this week that Tottenham were closing in on the signing of Porro, who currently plays for Portuguese club Sporting CP, with a £35m deal expected to be completed.

Conte was believed to be targeting a right-wing back due to the possibility of either Emerson Royal or Matt Doherty being sold in this transfer window, but a new update details that the position is not of the utmost importance to the Italian.

The Latest: Jones ‘surprised’

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones said the Porro news is surprising, claiming that the manager is more eager to strengthen two other positions:

“There are a few factors that make me question whether he would be a priority. Everything I hear, it’s a forward creative player or a centre-back rather than a right-sided wing-back.

“I’m not going to rule it out, but I’d be surprised if that was accelerated ahead of everything else.”

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The Verdict: Worth signing?

It is clear to see why Conte would prioritise the signing of a centre-back, considering his side’s terrible defensive record so far this season, conceding an average of 1.47 goals per game in the Premier League, more than the likes of West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

Spurs already have an array of options in attack, with fantastic players like Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski at their disposal, although the latter is currently an injury concern due to an ankle problem, while Richarlison is also out with a hamstring issue.

Emerson Royal has looked unimpressive, while Porro has been lauded as a ‘baller’ by journalist Jack Collins, and has averaged 4.61 shot-creating actions per 90 over the last year, an increase on the 1.85 figure from Royal.

Being able to improve all three areas is no doubt the ideal situation for Conte, but injuries to attackers and the poor performances from centre-backs means that strengthening the right-wing back area should be of less concern.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic not lighting up the World Cup could work in Arsenal’s ‘favour’ in terms of a potential move.

The Lowdown: Arsenal in pole

It has recently been reported that Arsenal are in pole position to sign Milinkovic-Savic, either in January or in the summer.

The Lazio central midfielder seems to be convinced by Mikel Arteta’s project, and so a move to the Emirates Stadium is now possible.

The Latest: Advantage Gunners?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that Milinkovic-Savic not having the best World Cup with Serbia could work in the Gunners’ ‘favour’, adding that they would have a ‘reasonably clear run’ should they decide to sign him in this window:

“The one thing in Arsenal’s favour here is that Milinkovic-Savic didn’t quite light up the World Cup in a way that he could have done.

“If Arsenal do want him, this would probably be the time to make their move, because they’d have a reasonably clear run at him.”

The Verdict: Sign him and Mudryk?

The North London club are already strongly linked with a big-money move for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, and with the injury to Gabriel Jesus, they should be prioritising attacking reinforcements in this window.

Milinkovic-Savic would also be a real statement of a signing though, given that he is one of the best in the world in his position.

The midfielder ranked in the top 7% in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022 for non-penalty goals, non-penalty xG, shots, assists, xAG, npxG + xAG, touches, progressive passes received and aerial duels won per match at club level (FBRef), but was unfortunately knocked out with Serbia in the group stages of the World Cup in Qatar.

Hailed as ‘magic’ and on the ‘same level of Kevin De Bruyne’ by his Lazio team-mate Ciro Immobile, Milinkovic-Savic is still rated very highly in Italy, and Arsenal would do very well to sign him on top of Mudryk in January.