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Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a transfer move for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Lowdown: Kvaratskhelia’s season so far

So far this season, Kvaratskhelia has made 17 appearances for Napoli across Serie A and the Champions League, scoring eight goals and delivering 10 assists along the way.

The 21-year-old only joined the Italian side during the previous summer window and has a contract that isn’t set to expire until 2027.

With the January transfer window around the corner, the Georgian has found himself on Newcastle’s transfer radar.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Kvaratskhelia

According to a recent report from The Times, Kvaratskhelia has emerged as a transfer target for the Tyneside club looking ahead to the January and next summer transfer windows.

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The report also adds that the Magpies have been scouting the winger in the weeks and months leading up to the World Cup.

The Verdict: A star signing for Newcastle

In addition to his numerous goals and assists this season, Kvaratskhelia has also racked up more shot-creating actions (58) and successful dribbles (19) than any other player at Napoli in Serie A, further showcasing his attacking talent.

Then from a defensive point of view, the Georgian has made more tackles in the attacking third of the pitch (10) than any of his teammates, showing how much of a hard worker he is off the ball.

His overall performances in Serie A this season have earned the youngster an impressive season rating of 7.55/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in the entire division.

Having been hailed as an “unreal talent” and as a “superstar” by journalist Kyle Bonn, it’s easy to see why Napoli reportedly have put a price tag of around £50m on their attacking star.

Moving forward, if Newcastle are able to secure a deal for Kvaratskhelia either in January or the next summer transfer window, this would surely be a star signing for the club and give them someone who could be a long-term figure in the team.

Chelsea return to Premier League action this evening as they take on AFC Bournemouth, with the Blues looking to win their first league match since October.

Graham Potter enjoyed a solid start to life as the Chelsea boss, however, the club lost their last three games before the World Cup hiatus and he will be aiming to rectify this by guiding his team to all three points tonight.

Potter will be without a whole host of players for the tie, with Mateo Kovacic or Hakim Ziyech unavailable due to their World Cup exertions, while Wesley Fofana will also miss the game due to limping off against Brentford B last week.

Chelsea will welcome back Reece James, however, and he should get some minutes with what is a boost for the club.

Another player the manager simply must unleash against the Cherries is Mason Mount, as the playmaker could give the newly-promoted side nightmares at the back.

On the chalkboard

Mount should be fit and raring to go following England’s World Cup exit at the quarter-final stage to France, and truth be told, the midfielder didn’t exactly shine in Qatar.

He featured in four matches for England, starting just two of them, while failing to score or assist and making just 0.3 key passes on average.

It wasn’t the impact he had hoped to make, especially considering his league form before the tournament began. The 23-year-old held an average rating of 7.24 via Sofascore and this ranks him as Chelsea’s fourth best performer of the season.

The Englishman also ranks second for assists (two), third for goals (two), and second for total shots per game (1.6), proving just how influential he is for the side going forward.

Compared to positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, Mount ranks in the top 30% for passes attempted, progressive passes, progressive passes recovery, tackles, and assists, suggesting that his all-round game is amongst the finest in the continent.

The £80k-per-week talent was lauded as an “incredible player” by reporter Joe Krishan earlier this campaign and if Chelsea are looking to secure what could be an important three points in order to kickstart their season, then Potter should be utilising the attacking capabilities of Mount this evening.

He may just have a point to prove following his underwhelming World Cup performances.

The Everton hierarchy are yet to sign off on a new contract for Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. 

The Lowdown: Pickford’s contract situation

As things stand, the Englishman’s contract at Goodison Park is set to expire in the summer of 2024.

This season has seen the 28-year-old, who is one of the club’s top earners with a wage of £100,000 per week, feature in all but one of Everton’s games in the Premier League.

However, some concerning behind-the-scenes details have emerged ahead of the upcoming January transfer window regarding Pickford and his future on Merseyside.

The Latest: Behind-the-scenes issues

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Everton are yet to sign off on the new five-year contract that Pickford apparently agreed to sign before the World Cup.

The report adds that this delay has led to increased doubt over the shot-stopper’s future at Goodison Park and has alerted the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to the situation.

The Verdict: A mistake from Everton

Even though Frank Lampard’s side have had a tough season in terms of their league results, Pickford has shown how important figure he is for the team.

For example, having faced the fourth-highest number of shots on target in the Premier League (81), the Englishman has made 62 saves, the second-highest of any goalkeeper in the division.

This has given him a save percentage of 79% – the fourth-highest in the league – in addition to his overall performance rating of 6.93/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player at Everton.

Overall, we feel that if the Goodison Park board have delayed giving the green light to Pickford’s new contract, this has been a big mistake on their part, especially if the 28-year-old ends up having his head turned by one of the prospective suitors mentioned in the report.

Manchester United are desperately in need of a new talisman; following the club’s mutual termination of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract in November, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the only established players capable of adopting the role.

And with the January transfer window now open, the Red Devils are inevitably going to leave a trail of rumours with every slight movement, but there is one prominent forward that could alight the club’s silverware-chasing aspirations.

Reports from the closing months of 2022 stated that United manager Erik ten Hag has held an interest in Juventus’ prolific striker Dusan Vlahovic since before the departure of Ronaldo, despite the Serbian sensation only arriving in Turin last January, agreeing a £66.6m transfer from Fiorentina.

His value has risen a great deal since then with it likely to take a fee of around €100m (£88m) to see him don the famous red shirt in the Premier League.

And with United recently failing to complete the signing of Cody Gakpo, who had been of interest to the Old Trafford outfit since the summer but ended up joining Liverpool in a £35m deal, there are doubts around the likelihood of a concrete move this winter.

Van Persie 2.0

Vlahovic, still only 22 years old, burst onto the scene in the Italian Serie A and captivated La Viola faithful with his devastating strikes of the ball and innate goal-scoring movement in-and-around the penalty area.

For Fiorentina, he scored 49 goals and provided eight assists from only 108 outings, remarkable figures for an ace plying his trade throughout the maiden period of his professional career.

And last year, in the campaign that saw him swap Florence for the Old Lady at the midpoint, the 19-cap gem completed a stunning return of 29 goals and six assists from 45 total outings – etching his name into the book of the globe’s very elite forwards.

If United were able to forge a transfer, they would finally have an out-and-out striker to lead the line for years to come, a destructive offensive presence with a proven track record for club and country of bypassing the opposing goal with regularity.

The “monster” – as hailed by Carlo Garganese – could emulate the success of one Robin van Persie, who signed for the Red Devils in 2012 for £24m from divisional rivals Arsenal in a move that sparked an incensed wave of anger from the Gunners ranks.

Van Persie won the league during his debut season at the Theatre of Dreams, plundering 58 goals and 21 assists from only 105 appearances – including a tally of 30 goals and 15 assists during his first term at the club.

With both phenoms wielding a ferocious left foot, predators instincts within the box and a physicality that allows them to bully defenders with ease, it’s no wonder that Ten Hag wants to bring Vlahovic to Manchester, with hopes that he can indeed replicate the feats of one of English football’s greatest ever strikers.

And with immense praise from Nenad Bjekovic, the president of the Serbian FA, who said he’s “more complete than [Erling] Haaland” he might just be the diamond the Red Devils are seeking to return the club to former glory.

Wolverhampton Wanderers signing Carlos Alcaraz in the January transfer window would be a coup if they can pull it off, Pete O’Rourke has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Racing Club midfielder has been linked with a move to Molineux, with a potential move expected to cost around £17m.

The 20-year-old has already made 83 senior appearances for Racing Club, scoring 12 goals and assisting six times, and can play anywhere in an attacking midfield role or even as a winger.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fancast, O’Rourke claimed that the potential signing would give Julen Lopetegui’s side a real boost.

“It would be a huge coup, he’s a very highly rated player in South America playing for Racing Club,” he stated.

“He’s still only 20 as well. He’s an attacking midfielder, he scores goals and provides goals, and definitely would give that Wolves team a real boost if he was to sign.

The next Argentine prodigy?

The likes of Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez have quickly developed into top-class players within just months of trading Argentina for Europe, and Alcaraz could be the next prospect to hit stardom.

Inter Milan and Benfica are also reportedly interested, making a Wolves move look unlikely, but if they can convince him to move to the Premier League then they will be landing arguably their biggest transfer coup in years.

Wolves have already signed Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid, and Lopetegui is seeking to strengthen his squad as he looks to help the side survive a relegation battle.

If they are able to secure Alcaraz, it would be a signing for the present and future and could be the creative spark which takes this side up the table.

Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo has no future at the club, according to former goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The 26-year-old made just his second start of the season in the Whites’ 2-2 FA Cup third-round draw with Championship outfit Cardiff City at the weekend, having missed a large chunk of action with a knee injury.

However, the ex-England shot-stopper believes it was the wrong call to start him – speaking to MOT Leeds News, he said:

“Firpo has got no future at the club. Leeds have just signed another left-back and if he doesn’t play then Pascal Struijk will play at left-back. Why would you play Firpo, somebody who’s obviously going to leave the club shortly? He’s got no future at the club.”

Time certainly seems to be running out for the left-back, who cost around £13m from FC Barcelona in 2021, particularly after the arrival of Max Wober from RB Salzburg as he’s capable of playing in the role, as is Pascal Struijk.

Reports in Spain have also recently emerged suggesting that the Dominican-born ace could return to another former club, Real Betis. They have just sold Alex Moreno to the Whites’ Premier League rivals Aston Villa, so are in need of a left-back.

Whatever offer comes forward, manager Jesse Marsch and director of football Victor Orta must be in agreement over his future and that should lie as far away from west Yorkshire as possible.

Whilst he wasn’t the worst player on the pitch against the Bluebirds, Firpo has been a pretty poor signing all round in the last 18 months. His inconsistent form and nature of playing on the edge once saw Mirror journalist David Anderson slam him as a ‘liability.’

“All he seems to do is get booked all the time,” he said to GIVEMESPORT before adding: “I think he’s been a big let-down.”

Indeed, you’d imagine that the American head coach thinks something of the same because he has rarely featured, despite returning from injury earlier in the season. He has been named on the bench in eight of their last nine league outings, whilst since his arrival, Leeds have leaked more than three goals in the top-flight on ten occasions when he has featured.

Clearly, it’s easy to see why Robinson may think that Firpo has no future at Elland Road and as such, Marsch and Orta must look to shift him on before deadline day on January 31st.

AND in other news, Phil Hay: Orta closing in on £35m “huge talent” who could take Leeds to new heights…

Pep Guardiola has been handed a significant injury boost at Manchester City, which might just serve to reignite the Premier League title race.

Defeat against Manchester United in the derby last weekend, combined with Arsenal’s north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, means that the Citizens are currently eight points behind the Gunners in the title race.

Poor recent displays against United, Southampton and Everton have cost City significantly, with Guardiola’s side struggling at both ends.

Erling Haaland has not looked nearly as prolific since the World Cup ended, with the Norweigian failing to score in each of his last three appearances, while a once-strong defence now looks susceptible, with clean sheets only coming in consecutive games against Chelsea.

This could be down to the absence of both Ruben Dias and John Stones, with the former picking up an injury at the World Cup which has ruled him out of all subsequent action, while the latter out of action since his superb display at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

Fortunately for Guardiola, it seems as if both players are now pushing to start against Spurs on Thursday evening, as the club confirmed on Tuesday that they were back in training.

Although Spurs have been something of a bogey side for Guardiola in recent seasons, three points must be considered a must at the Etihad this week, especially as Arsenal face an in-form Man United side at the weekend.

The return of two arguably world-class defenders in Stones and Dias is likely to give the Citizens a significant boost and hopefully get them back to their best after some questionable recent defensive displays.

If their return can inspire City to three points against Spurs this week then suddenly the gap closes to just five points, with two fixtures against Mikel Arteta’s side still to come, which emphasises that the title race is far from over.

Considering WhoScored ranks Dias and Stones as the top-performing centre-backs in Guardiola’s side so far this campaign, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them resume a partnership in the defence in upcoming fixtures, which could subsequently see the Citizens rediscover the sort of form needed to win the title this term.

Goncalo Guedes has been at the centre of Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer news this week with reports suggesting that he is looking to cut his time at Molineux short but Julen Lopetegui should hand him one final chance vs Liverpool.

The Portugal international joined the Old Gold in a deal worth £35m from Valencia in the summer but has struggled immensely in the first half of the season, managing just one goal and one assist in 13 Premier League appearances, averaging a shocking 6.38 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him as the 17th-best performer at Molineux so far this campaign, so it seems clear that he hasn’t lived up to expectations and it is perhaps no surprise to see him linked with a move back to the Mestalla Stadium this month.

However, it was no surprise that the former Paris Saint-Germain ace was struggling in such a goal-shy Bruno Lage side and under Lopetegui, he has shown some small signs of improvement, scoring in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the initial fixture.

Although Alisson passed the ball straight to Gueudes in the penalty area, he still did well to finish the chance and looked dangerous for large parts of that game, also testing the Brazilian shot-stopper with a long-range effort.

It was something of a surprise when he was left out entirely against West Ham at the weekend, having only played 45 minutes against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup in midweek.

He has clearly struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League but there is no doubt that Guedes is a talented player, as he hit 11 goals and six assists for Valencia in the Spanish top-flight last season.

When Wolves confirmed his signing in the summer, the versatile attacker earned plenty of praise from talkSPORT’s European expert Andy Brassell. He said:

“For Wolves I think Guedes will be absolutely fantastic, they need that little bit of extra bang up front, maybe they could be in a bit of trouble if they’re not scoring goals.

“He’s someone who can play as a striker or as a winger, lightning quick, on his day as good as it gets.”

Although Wolves did move out of the relegation places with a 1-0 win over the Hammers at the weekend, they are still in a battle at the bottom this season and Guedes could still have a big part to play, especially if he starts to rediscover the form he showed in Spain.

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Therefore, after his goal against Liverpool last time out, Lopetegui should unleash the 26-year-old forward once again on Tuesday night.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Lyon starlet, Malo Gusto, with manager Erik ten Hag seeking a long-term solution at right-back.

What’s the word?

According to French outlet RMC Sport, the Red Devils may well be looking to hijack Chelsea’s move for the 19-year-old sensation, with the Blues reportedly having had a bid rejected for the right-back.

The report suggests that United have ‘asked those around the player not to rush their choice’, seemingly insinuating that Ten Hag’s side are hopeful they can dissuade the youngster from moving to Stamford Bridge.

This follows a previous report from the Daily Mail which named the Old Trafford outfit – as well as top four rivals Newcastle United – as potential suitors for the France U21 international, with the player said to be valued at around £35m.

Ditch Wan-Bissaka

The need for a new addition on the right of the defence has come into further focus following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s dismal display in the recent defeat to Arsenal, with the Englishman having been a real “weakness” for the visitors at the Emirates, as per journalist Tyrone Marshall.

The 25-year-old – who has replaced the stricken Diogo Dalot in the side in recent weeks – has started the last six Premier League games, although his shortcomings were laid bare against the Gunners, having been culpable for Eddie Nketiah’s opener.

The former Crystal Palace full-back was simply caught napping as the striker leapt high to nod home past a helpless David De Gea, having inexplicably failed to track his man nor attempt to attack the ball himself.

That loss of concentration has seemingly been a hallmark of the £50m addition’s game during his time at the Theatre of Dreams, with club legend Roy Keane stating post-match on Sunday: “I actually don’t think he’s a good defender.”

Such an underwhelming outing – in which he lost possession on nine occasions – has perhaps illustrated just why the £90k-per-week dud was deemed surplus to requirements prior to the start of the month, with it seemingly no surprise that Ten Hag is now eyeing a move for Gusto.

The latter man could well help to hasten Wan-Bissaka’s exit having thrived in Ligue 1 of late, with the teenager – who has been described as a “real talent” by journalist Bobby Vincent – offering far more of a threat in attack, as he ranks in the top 15% among his European peers for assists, while Wan-Bissaka ranks in just the bottom 9% in that regard.

While the current United man has been labelled “useless” on the ball in the past by club icon, Paul Scholes, Gusto, by contrast, has been lauded as “very dangerous” going forward, as per Vincent, showcasing their differing quality in the final third.

Equally, the Frenchman has also been lauded as being “very good at defending one-versus-one situations” by Vincent, while his average of 2.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions from his 15 league games this season only slightly lower than that of Wan-Bissaka, who averages 2.3 and 1.6 for those same two metrics, albeit while having only made seven top-flight outings.

The fact he can almost match the Englishman with his ball-winning prowess as well as offer far more offensively should ensure that Gusto is the perfect upgrade as far as Ten Hag is concerned.

Leeds United have accepted defeat in their pursuit of Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, according to 90min’s Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Ounahi rumours

The Whites have been linked with a move for Ounahi during large parts of the winter window and even reportedly made a bid for the player, who Jose Mourinho hailed as ‘absolutely incredible’ during the World Cup.

However, a transfer has failed to gather real pace, although Leeds were still thought to be keen despite links of a move for Juventus’ Weston McKennie.

The Latest: Ounahi update

Bailey shared a story for 90min on Friday morning, claiming that the club’s talks with Juventus for McKennie are at an advanced stage. He said that Leeds have ‘all but accepted defeat’ in their pursuit of Ounahi.

Later on Friday, RMC Sport revealed the midfielder is closing in on a switch to Marseille instead, surprisingly for a fee of just €10m (£8.8m).

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed for McKennie

It looks as if all of Leeds’ eggs are now in the McKennie basket when it comes to a late midfield addition. Bringing in a new midfielder could be crucial in terms of the club’s battle to avoid relegation, with senior options fairly short in the middle of the park following Mateusz Klich’s exit.

Both McKennie and Ounahi featured at the World Cup for the USA and Morocco respectively, and McKennie actually has more experience at the highest level than Ounahi and comfortably outperformed the Angers man last season, as per WhoScored, so if a move can go through for the Juventus man, Leeds may feel like they have got the better deal.