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A major update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of Manchester City forward Patrick Roberts…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats are expecting to seal a deal for the winger in the coming days and are only waiting on his loan with Troyes to be cancelled before bringing him in.

The report claims that all parties are happy with the move and have agreed to the transfer, with Lee Johnson poised to land his second signing of the January transfer window after Trai Hume.

Johnson will be over the moon

Johnson will be over the moon with this news, as it suggests that it is only a matter of time before Roberts is in front of a camera and holding up a red and white shirt.

Although the 24-year-old has not had the best of times in his recent loan spells, he has proven his quality in the past, and this move could be compared to the one which brought Alex Pritchard to the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats midfielder endured a rough spell at Huddersfield but has flourished since moving to the Lague One outfit.

Pritchard has two goals and five assists in League One this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.92 in the division. He has created 1.5 chances per game and is showing that he can be a regular threat for the Wearsiders, having failed to register a single goal or assist in the Championship for the Terriers last season.

Meanwhile, Roberts produced only one goal and one assist on loan at Derby County in the second tier last term. This suggests that, just like Pritchard, he was struggling to find his best form at that level, so dropping down a division could help him to get back to his best in the same way it has done for the former Tottenham playmaker.

The Manchester City forward previously enjoyed a superb loan spell with Celtic in Scotland. He provided 18 goals and 26 assists in 78 games for the Hoops, suggesting that he could regularly chip in with contributions in the final third for Sunderland if he rediscovers his top form.

This is why Johnson will be over the moon with the news that a deal is expected to go through. He is now set to have the chance to work with the 24-year-old on the training pitch to ensure that the winger is in the best possible state to come into the Sunderland team and make an impact in League One in the second half of the season.

AND in other news, Johnson can brutally axe £6.5k-p/w Sunderland dud by signing this wizard who “can change a game”…

Everton have been suggested as a potential destination for Spurs star Dele Alli in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Speaking on The Athletic’s The View from The Lane podcast, Jack Pitt-Brooke revealed that the England ace’s name had been linked with a switch to Rafa Benitez’s side this month.

He said: “Spurs had been hoping for a while that Newcastle would want Dele this month, but I gather that’s not the case. It’s been suggested to me that maybe Everton are considering coming in for Dele towards the end of the month, but as far as I’m aware there’s been no movement on that.”

Could revive his career at Everton

The £100k-per-week star has previously been hailed as a “freak of a talent” by former Spurs man Darren Anderton, while Mauricio Pochettino even made some quite incredible comparisons between Alli and the likes of Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho.

He said: “You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing. Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.

“Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”What Alli hasn’t had in recent seasons, especially with Pochettino’s exit, is consistent game-time and perhaps that trust he had with the Argentine.This campaign has seen him play just 657 minutes of Premier League football, featuring heavily under Nuno Espirito Santo to begin the season and then completely dropping out of favour under Antonio Conte.While Everton fans may look to his recent record and consider this a potentially underwhelming signing, his previous history and the fact he’s still only 25, could see him revive his career at Goodison Park.At his absolute best, Alli is a goal-scoring midfielder who can win games, and his still impressive record of 67 goals and 61 assists in 269 games for Spurs is a testament to that.If the Toffees do land him later this January, then it could be an exciting one for fans.Meanwhile, Benitez could form a deadly duo with this Serie A star…

Hugo Lloris is very close to extending his contract at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who delivered the very exciting behind-the-scenes update in a recent online Q&A session with supporters.

He revealed:

“That’s expected to be tied up very soon. Conte is confident and from what I understand Lloris is keen to stay and his modest demands have been deemed more than reasonable by the powers that be at Spurs so that shouldn’t take long at all now talks have finally started. It really should have been sorted a long time ago, not in the final six months of his deal.”

Indeed, Lloris had entered the final year of his £100k-per-week contract at the start of the season and had reported interest from his former club OGC Nice, fellow Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennes and the Major League Soccer.

Great news

This latest development will surely leave manager Antonio Conte absolutely buzzing as it means he has one less thing to worry about in 2022.

Having taken over from Nuno Santo in November, the Italian head coach has walked into an absolute nightmare of a situation and is in desperate need of reinforcements to this struggling Spurs squad.

The prospect of losing not just his captain but also a World Cup winner, and vastly-experienced and reliable option in the Premier League, would have been devastating, especially as he has been free to speak to foreign teams this month.

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Across nearly a decade at the club, the 35-year-old shot-stopper has registered 394 appearances for the club, in which he has kept 134 clean sheets – and to his credit, he has done so with many differing defences in front of him. The latest has arguably been his worst.

The likes of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and many others have been inconsistent and on the odd occasion, error-prone, often leaving Lloris there to bail out Spurs.

It’s no wonder ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino once deemed him to be “one of the best in the world, no doubt” after one particularly impressive display against Watford in 2018.

Conte has also waxed lyrical about the 136-cap France international. Coincidentally, it was after another wiin over the Hornets, where he told reporters (via football.london):

“The keeper has to follow the game and not only stay on the goal line to make saves. Hugo today showed that he is top, and he is always focused. For us, he is very important. And I am sure that in a short time, they can find a solution with the club because he loves Tottenham and Tottenham loves him.”

Therefore, it’s easy to see why he’d be absolutely buzzing by Gold’s recent claim that his contract is on the verge of being done and dusted. It’s surely now a matter of time before we hear an official announcement.

Conte and co can now focus on bringing in new additions this month.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal biggest Spurs signing since Son in £45m-rated “extraordinary talent”…

After managing to snatch a point from being 2-0 down against Manchester United in their latest Premier League match that ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to second-half goals from Jacob Ramsey and Philippe Coutinho, Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side are currently sat in 13th place in the league table with 23 points from 20 games.

Looking ahead to the second half of the season, it seems as though Gerrard may not have to wait much longer to have one of his squad options back to full fitness, which will surely please a lot of fans at Villa Park.

What’s the news?

In a recent report from Birmingham Live, Villa winger Leon Bailey is set to make a return to action next month after being out of action with a thigh injury he picked up during Villa’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester City back in early December.

On the subject of Bailey, the report quotes Gerrard as saying that the Jamaican international is “progressing well with his rehab,” which should be a big positive for everyone at the Midlands club.

Villa signed the 24-year-old back in the previous summer transfer window from German club Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth a reported fee of £25m.

Since then, the winger has made nine appearances for Villa in the Premier League, scoring one goal and providing two assists in the process, with the first assist coming on his Villa debut during their 3-2 defeat against Watford at the start of the season, showing what a useful attacking option he can be for the team when he’s fit.

Moving forward, if Bailey can get back to full fitness as soon as possible and stay fit for the remainder of his debut campaign at Villa, he could certainly have a big say in whether the team finishes in the top half of the table or not if he manages to add some more goals and assists to his record.

This would surely not only delight a lot of Villa fans but prove to the likes of Johan Lange, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris why they were to right to launch a move for Bailey in the first place.

In other news: Deal agreed: Fabrizio Romano delivers Villa transfer update, Lange is working wonders – opinion

The transfer window slams shut next week and Rangers have been relatively busy in the market as they have brought in two players and sold one from Ibrox for a club-record fee.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has signed James Sands and John Souttar, whilst selling Nathan Patterson north of the border too. He has also recalled striker Cedric Itten from his loan and reintegrated him into the first-team set-up.

In the last week or so of the window, the Gers may have some big decisions to make on players whose deals expire in July. One player who could be in trouble of being cut loose is Canadian midfielder Scott Arfield, with the 33-year-old’s contract up in the summer.

Axe him

Van Bronckhorst could jettison him from the squad this month or in the summer by bringing in a new player. He has missed a whopping five ‘big chances’ in the Premiership this season and lost 65% of his individual duels, whilst only creating 0.6 chances per game – as per SofaScore – and this suggests that it could be time for him to be axed.

One attacking midfielder who has been linked with a switch to the club is 18-year-old PSG youngster Xavi Simons.

He too is out of contract at the end of the season and this means that the Gers could replace Arfield without having to splash millions and millions in the transfer market. Instead, they could snap up the teenage Dutchman on a free and pay a nominal compensation fee via tribunal or through an agreement with PSG.

In doing so, they could land a terrific player for the future as Simons has shown immense potential in his fledgling career to date.

Football scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him as “phenomenal” earlier this season for his form in the academy side with the French giants. He has scored five goals and provided six assists in 13 appearances for the U19’s, showing off his quality at youth level.

This suggests that he is already too good to be playing reserve team football and that is emphasised by his first-team involvement in France this term. He has played four times for the Ligue 1 side this season, picking up one assist in those games.

His agent, Mino Raiola, previously stated that his client has a “big future” and PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino believes that he will mature with time, saying: “Xavi Simons? There is a big difference between the reserve and the first team. Xavi can play in different positions; as a torchbearer, he can also play on the side. Maturity comes with time; you have to take into account the leadership of the team and complementarities.”

Therefore, he could have the potential to improve further over the years and develop into a top player, which is why he could be a fantastic replacement for Arfield as the ex-Burnley man is nearing the end of his career.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

Leeds United have already begun pre-summer talks to sign January target Brenden Aaronson in the next transfer window, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Aaronson a primary target

No player has been more strongly linked with a move to Elland Road in recent months than Aaronson, having initially emerged as a January target.

While the 21-year-old remained at RB Salzburg during the last window, Leeds’ interest in him hasn’t gone away after two separate bids in the winter window, with constant reports tipping him to join the Jesse Marsch revolution.

Now, a new update suggests Aaronson could indeed join the Whites in the coming months.

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The Latest: Leeds in pole position

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them of a ‘major update’ – the midfielder is Victor Orta’s ‘number one priority’ this summer and talks are already underway to sign him.

A deal worth between £21million and £25million is mooted, with the player apparently keen to join.

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The Verdict: Tick all the boxes

There is an inevitability about some signings and that seems to be the case with Aaronson, with so much pointing towards him becoming a Leeds player.

Perhaps most significantly, he played under Marsch at Salzburg, meaning the Whites boss knows all about his qualities, in terms of fitting into his system at Elland Road.

Aaronson is also exactly the type of midfielder Leeds crave too, with a lack of guile in a No.10 role this season often leading to a decreased goal threat in attack, especially with Patrick Bamford so often sidelined through injury.

In February, the USA starlet became the youngster player since Lionel Messi to create five chances in a Champions League knockout game.

He and the Whites feel like a match made in heaven, and if they missed out on signing him now, it would be a big blow to Marsch and his plans, with Premier League survival perhaps paramount in that respect.

In other news, an injury expert has made a key claim over one Leeds player. Read more here.

Glasgow Rangers have now been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing Josh Stones.

The Lowdown: Hat-trick hero

Stones, who plays his trade at National League North side Guiseley, scored a hat-trick for England’s U18 Schoolboys on Friday, and captained them as they beat Scotland U18 Schoolboys 4-0 in the Centenary Shield.

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The young talent has attracted plenty of interest from a number of high-profile teams in England, as well as the Ibrox faithful.

The Latest: Deal agreed

As per Football Insider, Stones has now ‘agreed’ to join English League One side Wigan Athletic ahead of their division rivals Sunderland, as well as the Teddy Bears who were also in the race.

A recruitment source has revealed that he has accepted a three-year contract offer from the Latics, but the deal cannot officially go through until July 1st.

The Verdict: Big blow

It certainly looks as if the Light Blues have missed out on Stones’ signature, which will come as a big blow.

The 18-year-old has been scoring goals for fun at club level this season, and recently showed his credentials against a Premier League club’s Academy, putting in an ‘excellent‘ performance against Crystal Palace in February after finding the back of a net in a 1-1 draw.

Nonetheless, Stones could have learned from the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe if he joined the Gers, but now a move to Wigan looks all but done.

In other news, find out what ‘phenomenal’ RFC update has Alex McLeish wowed here!

ExWHUemployee has dropped a promising injury update concerning West Ham United right-back, Ben Johnson.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments made on The West Ham Way podcast, the club insider revealed that, despite missing out on the Hammers’ recent 2-1 win over Everton due to a tight hamstring, the 21-year-old could be in line for a return to David Moyes’ matchday squad for the visit of Olympique Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Regarding the current condition of the England U21 international, Ex said: “Ben Johnson felt his hamstring a little when he was playing for England’s U21s and he trained on Friday and Saturday. But, at the end of training, he spoke to Moyes and said it felt a little bit tight. Hopefully, he’ll be available to start the Lyon game.”

Moyes will be buzzing

Considering how impressive Johnson has been for West Ham in the current campaign, the news that the right-back’s injury is nothing too serious, as well as Ex’s claim that the 21-year-old could make a return to first-team action in what is undoubtedly the Hammers’ biggest game of the season this Thursday, is sure to have left Moyes buzzing.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League appearances this term, the £8.1m-rated defender has excelled on the right of the Irons’ backline, scoring one goal, creating one big chance and helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 2.5 clearances and winning 3.2 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns have seen the £19k-per-week dynamo average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as West Ham’s best performing right-back – ahead of both Vladimir Coufal and Ryan Fredericks – as well as the club’s 11th-best player overall.

However, it was over the 2-1 aggregate victory over Sevilla in which Johnson really caught the eye, with the 21-year-old making a total of seven clearances, six tackles and two key passes, as well as blocking three shots, winning nine duels and completing 66 passes over the two legs – with these metrics seeing the right-back earn a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.4 in each fixture.

As such, should the England youth international indeed be fit to face Lyon on Thursday night, it is clear for all to see that this would come as a huge boost to West Ham’s chances of taking a lead to Parc Olympique Lyonnais on April 14 – a result that would represent a massive step in the Hammers’ hopes of securing a spot in the semi-finals of the competition.

AND in other news: Moyes can finally axe “shocking” WHU flop with £120k-p/w ace who’s “out of this world”

Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson has claimed that Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks could be forced out of the north London club in the summer.

The Lowdown: Winks’ lack of minutes

The 26-year-old has struggled for minutes in the Premier League under Antonio Conte following the deadline day arrival of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

Whilst the homegrown midfielder maintained a string of games in the starting XI during the middle of the season, the Italian has reverted to using Winks as a substitute. As a result, the former England international has totalled just 17 minutes in the Lilywhites’ last six league matches.

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The Latest: Robinson’s claim on Winks…

Robinson, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that Winks could see himself being forced out of Hotspur Way in the summer.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “Hojbjerg and Bentancur are the preferred partnership.

“You always worry about players adapting when they come to the Premier League but Bentancur has settled in brilliantly. He’s been an excellent signing. He demands a starting spot every week. It is him plus one and at the moment it is Hojbjerg.

“Winks has found it hard to get into the team. It looks like the time has come for him to move on. He needs to be playing every week given the stage he is at in his career. He needs a manager who will show him a bit of love and play him every week.

“Hojbjerg and Bentancur are the first choice right now. Hojbjerg has not been consistent this season but he is playing really well at the moment. Bentancur is the one setting the bar.”

The Verdict: Winks should move elsewhere

Hojbjerg and Bentancur have truly stapled themselves as the default options in Conte’s midfield, and with youngster Oliver Skipp now close to making his return to action, Winks could see himself fall even lower down the pecking order at Spurs.

This will come as a disappointment to Tottenham fans who were once excited at the youngster’s potential, given Mauricio Pochettino’s “amazing” appraisal of the player earlier in his career.

However, in the current circumstances, it seems that Winks’ time in north London could be coming to an end, so as Robinson has claimed, an early move in the summer could appear to be the best option for all parties involved.

In other news: Tottenham source shares big exit update

Leeds United have been handed an injury boost concerning central midfielder Lewis Bate.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the 19-year-old shared an image of himself back in Leeds United first-team training – something which would appear to suggest that the England U20 international could now be back in contention for the trip to Crystal Palace on Monday evening, having been out of action since picking up an ankle injury in March.

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Marsch will be buzzing

While it is true that Bate is not exactly a first-team regular at Elland Road – so far making just one Premier League appearance this season – the fact that the midfielder has made a return to training at Thorp Arch will nevertheless have left Jesse Marsch buzzing.

Indeed, hopes for the Whites’ £1.58m signing are extremely high, with the former Chelsea starlet having already earned a considerable amount of praise for his performances with the club’s U23 side – none more so than from Jermaine Beckford, who said of the teenager earlier this year:

“I’m a huge fan of his. He’s got a low centre of gravity which means he’s able to turn and get away from players quickly.

“He likes to pick the ball up in awkward and tight situations, so it gives Leeds United opportunities to give someone the ball who isn’t afraid to get the ball in tight areas and drive with it. He can also deliver a great cross-field pass which is something else to look forward to.”

Furthermore, Marcelo Bielsa also appeared to be extremely excited about the £900k-rated midfielder’s future at Elland Road, with the Argentine manager saying of the 19-year-old talent:

“He performs better every time in the games he’s a part of. He’s a player who is constantly managing the ball and he doesn’t lose it very often. He has a good sense of a pass. He can thread it through the eye of a needle.”

As such, considering the sheer amount of potential those in the know believe Bate possesses, it would very much seem as if the return of the midfielder is indeed great news for Marsch and his side – particularly ahead of the run-in of the current campaign.

Indeed, while a recent upturn in form has seen the Whites move away from the relegation zone, the American manager’s outfit could still use at least one more win to make their Premier League status in 2022/23 much more concrete.

AND in other news: Orta could now seal “dangerous” £45k-p/w Leeds target, he’s “extraordinary at his age”