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West Ham United would ‘definitely’ sign Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the right price, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: West Ham target right-back

West Ham have endured a very difficult Premier League campaign so far, and summer signing Thilo Kehrer has not fared well at both centre-back and right-back, with Brown telling GIVEMESPORT that the German looks ‘a yard off the pace’.

Vladimir Coufal has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium, while the club have so far failed to meet Ben Johnson’s contract demands, so David Moyes has identified the need for a new right-back in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Brown’s comments

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Brown claimed that the Hammers would be interested in signing Wan-Bissaka this month, but only for a price that they deem acceptable, given that they do not plan on spending big on a full-back:

“I think if the price was right, it’s definitely one they would do. But I don’t think West Ham will spend a lot of money on a full-back this window.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

The 25-year-old has recently started to be selected again by Erik ten Hag, in light of Diogo Dalot suffering a hamstring injury, and he has impressed considerably, ranked as the second-best outfield performer on the pitch in the 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with a 7.5 SofaScore rating.

Lauded as ‘incredible’ by football writer Arjun Pradeep, the Englishman specialises in his tackling ability, as indicated by an average of 3.03 tackles won per 90 over the past year, a figure that puts him in the 97th percentile compared to other right-backs in the top five leagues.

Given that he has impressed since coming back into the fold for Man United, it is unclear whether Ten Hag will still be willing to let him leave, as he was back in November, but if a deal is possible then Wan-Bissaka would be a fantastic signing for Moyes, capable of alleviating some of the Hammers’ defensive issues.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur are now putting Harry Kane’s needs and future ahead of Antonio Conte’s.

The Lowdown: Daniel Levy changing tactics

This is quite the outlandish claim for Jacobs to make amid the reported contract standoff occurring between Tottenham and Conte, with the Italian seemingly unwilling to commit his long-term future to the club.

However, Conte has recently insisted that he’s still happy at Spurs despite their recent run of defeats, as well as the potential uncertainty over how much money will be spent this winter and what calibre of players will be brought into the club.

It just goes to show how desperate Levy and Spurs are to ensure they don’t lose their star striker Kane in the near future by putting him before the manager and consulting him on club affairs.

The Latest: Spurs focusing on Kane

Jacobs has revealed on The Done Deal Show that Levy is now prioritising Kane over Conte as he looks to keep his star man.

He said: “We also don’t know what’s going to happen with Antonio Conte, so this is the consideration with Kane and for Tottenham.

“Do they go Conte deal first, then Kane; or Kane deal first, then Conte? And my understanding is that, as I said before… I’m told by Spurs sources that anything Tottenham do, they want to go to Kane first – even if he hasn’t signed a deal, and even if it’s not directly related to the contract talks – they want to seek the advice of Harry Kane.

“So Kane gets this feeling in the second half of the season that he’s a part of everything, that he’s integral to the decision-making. And therefore, he gets this de facto sense of authority and importance at the football club, so when they then put an offer down, he feels like the club are doing everything in keeping with Kane’s own thinking to give him the best possible chance of getting him to re-sign.”

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The Verdict: Spurs must keep Kane at all costs

While many may feel Spurs have no chance of winning silverware if they lose Conte, should they see Kane depart, there’s arguably no like replacement, whereas, there are plenty of managers out there such as Mauricio Pochettino who could come and work at Tottenham.

Therefore, Spurs seemingly putting Kane before their manager is a smart decision from Levy to ensure he keeps his star man onside and try to lure him into signing a new long-term deal to put any talk of him leaving to rest.

Levy should be looking to keep both Kane and Conte if he wants Spurs to have the best chance of winning some silverware, but if there was only to be one, Kane must remain the priority.

Newcastle United will be forced to “wait and see” over Scott McTominay’s availability in January, according to Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Scott McTominay’s situation

McTominay has lost his place at Manchester United after being replaced by the £70m arrival of Casemiro at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old started six of United’s opening seven Premier League games before he was dropped following the 6-3 Manchester Derby defeat, not starting in the league since.

A youth team product, McTominay has played 190 times for the Red Devils after making his debut in 2017 but he may find that he will have to head somewhere else to re-find first-team football heading into the prime of his career.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

It was recently reported by The Mirror that Eddie Howe’s side are interested in bringing the Scotsman to the North-East this month.

Speaking on NUFC Matters, Jacobs confirmed the Magpies’ interest but is unsure about whether a deal can come to fruition.

“Somebody like McTominay coming in could add that tactical versatility, so I don’t think it’s a bad signing.

“Now we have to wait and see whether, 1) Newcastle move – there’s definitely interest there; and 2) if Manchester United are prepared to sell, and as important, are they now prepared to sell for a rival who is competing with them for a top-four place?

“And that’s the key point in all of this, that McTominay may want the move to Newcastle or any club to get the game time, but Manchester United, as per my understanding, don’t really want to sell him, which means that Newcastle can have all the interest in the world, but Erik ten Hag is going to be very clear. I think that he doesn’t want that many outgoings.”

The Verdict: Increasingly difficult

Despite McTominay’s drop in minutes at United, he does still hold a key role in the squad and his versatility – which has seen him play occasionally at centre-back as well as in central and defensive midfield – is something that could benefit the Magpies, but Ten Hag will be reluctant to let go.

With depleted numbers in midfield following Jonjo Shelvey’s injury mean only Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Joelinton remain the centre-midfield options available to Howe, with the latter deployed at left-wing of late.

The final sticking point of a January move is that United surely won’t want to strengthen a top-four rival. With both sides level on points, it seems a move will have to wait until the summer to sign the gem, dubbed as “immense” by BBC journalist Bill Rice, if it is to happen.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Manchester City ace Phil Foden for his poor form amid a disappointing display in the recent derby day defeat.

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, Pep Guardiola’s men fell to a 2-1 defeat away against rivals Manchester United despite taking the lead at Old Trafford.

Indeed, Jack Grealish opened the scoring on the hour mark before a controversial Bruno Fernandes goal levelled the scores, allowing Marcus Rashford to net the winner just four minutes later.

Foden managed just 57 minutes in the game before Guardiola had seen enough and he was actually substituted off for Grealish who made an immediate impact with his goal.

While speaking about the game on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton questioned the form of the 22-year-old, suggesting that he hasn’t played well for some time now.

He explained (25:15): “I don’t know what’s happened to Phil Foden at this moment in time, he hasn’t played well since he’s come back after the World Cup.”

World Cup hangover?Since Premier League football returned after the pause for the winter World Cup, Foden has played four times in the English top flight. In that period, he has started twice but failed to deliver a notable performance.Indeed, he has not done enough to earn a match rating higher than 6.6 (according to SofaScore) in any of those outings, and against the Red Devils he really struggled.The Englishman managed just 15 touches, losing the ball four times, failing to get off any shots or create any key chances, while also being caught offside twice. No wonder he was hooked after 57 minutes.As a consequence of the loss, City now find themselves eight points off Arsenal at the top of the table and just one point above Man United and Newcastle United.

Nottingham Forest are plotting a potential move for Newcastle United striker Chris Wood in the January transfer window, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Wood struggling for minutes

The New Zealander has found himself pushed down the attacking pecking order at St James’ Park this season, with Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson usually preferred when fit.

Wood has only made four starts in the Premier League so far in 2022/23 and it could be that the idea of more minutes elsewhere appeals to him.

Now, it looks as though the 31-year-old could be offered a route out of Newcastle, following a fresh report.

The Latest: Forest keen on signing

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that Forest are eyeing up a ‘surprise move’ for Wood, with manager Steve Cooper ‘keen’ to sign a striker.

It is believed that the Reds are looking at back loan and permanent moves for the attacker, whose current Magpies deal runs out at the end of next season.

The Verdict: Great January addition?

Goals have come at a premium for Forest this season, with only 15 scored in 19 league matches, so the acquisition of Wood could suddenly improve that weakness.

Granted, the 33-goal and 70-time capped New Zealand international hasn’t been prolific this season, but he has 54 Premier League goals to his name, which shouldn’t be sniffed at.

Wood may not solve Forest’s attacking woes on his own but he would be a physical and experienced addition to Cooper’s squad, having been described as ‘exceptional’ by journalist Jordan Cronin last year.

Chelsea have been woeful this season, with seven defeats and just three victories from their past 12 matches across all competitions, and have consequently been throwing the kitchen sink at the January transfer market.

Having fortified the offensive ranks with the £9.7m loan signing of Joao Felix and sealing a monumental permanent deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk for £88.5m – also agreeing a £30m fee for Noni Madueke – the west London outfit have more recently seen a £55m opening offer for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo rebuffed by the South Coast club, there appears to be an onus on bolstering further departments of the field.

The right-back position is an area illuminated for swift investment, with established phenom Reece James missing 16 games due to injury this season and the 33-year-old stalwart and captain Cesar Azpilicueta approaching the twilight stage of his career at Stamford Bridge.

According to L’Equipe, Olympique Lyonnais’ 19-year-old right-back Malo Gusto is being closely monitored by Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell, with a potential £35m move indeed considered to provide competition for James.

Alphonso Davies 2.0

While James’ position down the right flank provides Chelsea boss Graham Potter with one of the most exciting and eminent in the position in the Premier League, if not the globe, the addition of a talented starlet to push for a starting berth and step in when required could prove the difference in the pursuit of silverware, with marathon seasons indeed calling for healthy rotation.

And Gusto is indeed displaying his worth as one of the most exciting young full-back talents on offer, having made 15 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, his performances and consistency on the pitch belie his youth and inexperience.

As per Sofascore, his impressive league rating this term of 7.10 is an indication of the expanding pool of ability that stems from his core, with his 1.4 key passes and 85% passing accuracy an illustration of his offensive pedigree and the 1.5 interceptions and 2.1 tackles further proof of his dynamic arsenal.

And as per FBref, the Frenchman ranks among the top 15% of full-backs for assists, the top 5% for attempted passes and the top 19% for dribbles completed in Europe’s big five leagues, proving to be an effective offensive outlet from the right flank.

With blistering pace and innate ball-playing ability, the “special” talent – as hailed by Goal – could follow the blueprint of Bayern Munich sensation Alphonso Davies, who is listed as a comparable player to Gusto by FBref.

The 22-year-old Davies has made 135 appearances for the Bavarian outfit since his arrival, scoring six goals and providing 21 assists,  and ranks among the top 7% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for dribbles completed and the top 12% for attempted passes in Europe, showcasing direct similarities to that of Gusto.

£35m might appear somewhat steep for a relatively raw and unknown commodity, but given a platform to nurture his skills and earn his way into a role of greater magnitude with one of the most prominent side’s in world football, Gusto could indeed live up to each and every penny, growing into a lightning-hot force to cement the right-back position at Stamford Bridge as one of the very best any team has to offer.

Journalist Dean Jones has slammed the recent form of star Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah after a damning statistic has emerged.What’s the latest?After scoring over 20 goals in all but one of his Premier League campaigns since joining the Reds in 2017, a lot has come to be expected of the Egyptian.However, with seven league goals in 19 games this season, Salah is clearly below his usual scoring rate and hasn’t hit the back of the net in his last six appearances across all competitions.What’s more, in his past three league outings – coming up against Brentford, Brighton and Chelsea – he has managed just one shot in each of those games, failing to hit the target with any attempts (via SofaScore).After learning of this stat on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones suggested that Liverpool may well regret giving Salah a new contract after this poor run of form.He said: “That’s just insane. I don’t know what’s happened.”I bet they wish they hadn’t signed him up to a new contract, they should have taken the money for him while it was there.”He has fallen off a cliff.”Player in decline?Seeing as Salah was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 23 goals, it’s certainly fair to say his form has dropped off.Coincidentally, he shared that accolade with Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min and the South Korean has struggled even more than his counterpart this term with just four goals in the English top-flight.Worryingly for the Reds, they made Salah the highest-paid player in their history when he signed a new three-year contract worth around £350,000 per week during the summer.Figures like that mean he will be extremely hard to sell if he can’t fix his form. However, he is still 30 years of age and his drop-off may be related to Liverpool’s bad performances this term, as opposed to any personal decline – after all, they do sit ninth in the league at the moment.

Everton are believed to have been given the green light from their expected new manager, Sean Dyche, to make a late move for the Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees are expected to announce Dyche as their new manager soon following Frank Lampard’s departure from Goodison Park last week.

And this comes amid the final hours of the January transfer window with the Merseyside club still searching for their first arrival of the month.

Everton’s struggles up top are there for everyone to see and with Tuesday’s deadline on the horizon, it seems as if Dyche may have already identified a potential option to bolster his side.

Writing in his latest column for GiveMeSport, insider Dean Jones has suggested the Swedish striker could be a player who they could look to bring in:

“Dyche is believed to be onside with the idea of an £18million offer for Viktor Gyokeres of Coventry City but other options were still being discussed, as of Saturday night,” said Jones.

Much-needed reinforcement

It has been a struggle for the Toffees so far this season with their main striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, having only provided a return of just one goal in his 10 league appearances.

This comes following a difficult start to his season through injury which saw him miss the first eight games through a knee issue (via Transfermarkt).

And these struggles up top were highlighted when they were forced to recall striker Ellis Simms from his loan with Sunderland in which he has since played just 15 minutes of league action.

But in Gyokeres, the expected new Everton manager could be bringing in one of the Championship’s most-potent strikers with 12 goals to his name thus far.

The 24-year-old – who’s been hailed as “unplayable” by his teammate Maxime Biamou – has made 28 appearances in the second tier this season and has impressed with a rich vein of form in front of goal as well as provided Coventry with four assists.

And it appears this form has attracted the attention of the Premier League strugglers, Everton, who feel as if he could be the man to potentially turn around their season.

The signs so far this season will provide Everton fans with little optimism for the remainder of the campaign, however, a new lease of energy up top could potentially provide the Toffees with enough to climb out of the drop zone over the coming months.

Leeds United have already bolstered in a number of key areas this January window, with Victor Orta looking to avoid another repeat of last season’s narrow escape from the drop.

Unloading a club-record deal on a forward and reuniting Jesse Marsch with Max Wober strengthened up front and at the back, whilst Weston McKennie continues to be a top target of theirs.

However, one name that persists and was only mentioned again earlier this week was that of Michael Keane.

The Everton defender has endured a tumultuous time at Goodison Park ever since his £30m move, and despite the imminent arrival of his old boss Sean Dyche it remains to be seen whether he has a future on Merseyside after so many poor performances.

He could be offered an exit plan though through the Whites, who would welcome him as a solid option to potentially be the perfect foil alongside Wober.

When confident, the Englishman is a solid centre-back with a better passing range than many give him credit for. The issue is that since leaving Burnley he has struggled for consistency and so he has not garnered enough belief in himself.

Under Carlo Ancelotti however, he showed glimpses of what he could do when given the backing of his manager, as he earned a 7.06 rating across the 2020/21 campaign.

During this season he would average 4.5 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per 90, alongside an 87% pass accuracy (via Sofascore).

The 6-foot-3 titan uses his hulking frame to dominate his opposition and shares plenty of similarities with the aforementioned Austrian.

In fact, Keane was being lauded as recently as February last year, with Harry Redknapp labelling him “immense at the back”.

This is made more impressive given his stark drop-off in game time since the arrival of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski.

Before making the switch to Elland Road, Wober was averaging a 7.24 rating and had been dubbed “a leader” by journalist Beren Cross.

The 24-year-old would then showcase his more creative assets through his 0.7 key passes per game and five big chances created.

His presence beside Keane could be the catalyst to getting the best out of the 30-year-old, with their dominant stature sure to frighten any centre forward and the classy qualities of Wober sure to shine through further.

Combining these two could be the foundation that ends their defensive troubles, of which only four other teams in the league have conceded more.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that the Arsenal move for Jorginho will leave Mikel Arteta happy as he is getting a good player and will still have money to spend next summer

What’s the latest? On transfer deadline day, the Gunners completed a £12m transfer for the Chelsea midfielder who signed an 18-month contract with the option of a further year.Of course, we all know Arsenal were prepared to spend big on trying to land Moises Caicedo instead but Brighton refused to sell their key man.What’s more, the north London outfit have also been linked with a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and while neither of those deals were sorted in the winter, the money spent on alternative signing Jorginho will not halt the club’s transfer plans next summer.While speaking on YouTube, Watts explained why it was a “sensible” deal for a number of key reasons.He said: “I think he’ll make Arsenal stronger in the second half of the season. And that is obviously the most important point of the January transfer window. So I can see why they’ve done it.”And I can see why Arteta will be quite happy about it. And importantly, it leaves a lot of money in the bank for the summer when Arsenal are really going to really push for their big priority targets again in midfield.He added: “It’s one that I can understand and it looks sensible. It’s definitely safe.”Wise call?Of course, some fans may feel slightly underwhelmed when the club looked ready to spend over £70m on 21-year-old Caicedo but they end up handing £12m to rivals Chelsea to land 31-year-old Jorginho.However, if he can play a key role in the club’s title push – having won the Champions League, Euro 2020, and more in his career so far – and end the campaign a Premier League winner with Gunners, supporters won’t mind one bit.And, as made clear by Watts, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Arsenal will still have the funds to go out and strengthen their squad with a move for someone like Caicedo, Rice, or even both, next summer.And seeing as this deal already looks to have the approval of the squad – with the transfer sparking “excitement among the players and staff” – this may well be quite a savvy stop-gap signing.