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Following Manchester City’s 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup which saw a number of youth players make their senior debuts for the club and ultimately earn praise from manager Pep Guardiola, who also praised the entire youth academy at the club for the players they have and how they have developed over the years, it’s safe to say that it’s a good time to be a young player there.

One young player who has risen through the ranks at City is Phil Foden, who worked his way through the youth system before making his senior debut in November 2017 in a Champions League match against Feyenoord.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who has been described as “fearless” by Harry Kane, has gone on to make 130 appearances for City across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 24 assists along the way.

In terms of his market value, in January 2018, not long after making his senior debut for the club, Transfermarkt had it listed as £4.5m, whereas it now stands at a massive £72m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has grown, developed and progressed in his career at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his efforts for City last season, while on the international stage, he has made 11 appearances for England’s senior team, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process.

With recent reports claiming that he is on the brink of putting pen to paper on a new six-year contract, this says to us just how important he has been for the club since making his debut and how much they want him to continue with them for the foreseeable future.

Looking ahead to the future, we feel that if Foden can continue playing regularly for the Premier League champions, picking up more goals, assists and trophies, he has the capability to achieve great things in the game and become a club legend at City, possibly seeing his market value rise even further.

The Englishman could also be seen as a shining example of a young talent making his way through the youth ranks at an elite club and becoming an integral part of their first team at such a young age.

In other news: Guardiola could unearth next KDB at Man City with “intelligent” 18 y/o, he’s a star in waiting

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has tipped the Toon to make a move for the English winger, although he believes that they will not be the only club interested in snapping him up from the London Stadium.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I can definitely see them trying to (sign Bowen). I think Jarrod Bowen is going to be a player that comes onto a few radars over the summer.”

The Hammers reportedly value the attacker in the region of £75m, amid interest from Liverpool, but it remains to be seen how much money PIF are willing to splash on him.

St. James’ Park would be rocking

Eddie Howe can get St. James’ Park rocking by securing a deal to sign the winger as he would be a major addition to the squad and be a signal of intent to the rest of the division.

He has been dubbed as an “unbelievable” player by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and journalist Joe Prince-Wright hailed him as “inspiring” earlier this month – citing his rise from non-league football. 

Unbelievable is what he would be for the Toon as he has proven himself in the Premier League and Europa League for the Hammers. In Europe, he has three goals and one assist in four starts – scoring in a crucial quarter-final clash with Lyon earlier this week to send David Moyes’ side through to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, domestically this season, he has produced nine goals and eight assists in 29 matches whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.07.

For context, no Newcastle player has more than six goals or three assists and Kieran Trippier – who has played four games – is the only player with a higher average rating. This means that Bowen would be an immediate upgrade on what Howe currently has to work with in the final third, both in terms of finding the back of the net and creating chances to score.

Therefore, St. James’ Park would be rocking with the arrival of Bowen as he would come in as the star of the attack heading into the 2022/23 campaign. He can be the player to spearhead their forward line to help them push up the Premier League table and compete in the top half instead of battling against relegation.

However, it is now down to PIF and Howe to splash the cash and then convince the Englishman to make the switch…

AND in other news,  “Howe would..”: Craig Hope issues major NUFC claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

As per Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey, some news has emerged on West Ham United’s transfer plans for January with a new forward on the agenda in Rubin Kazan forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing January…

The Irons are still competing on all fronts with manager David Moyes aiming to bolster his squad in the January transfer window and cope with the increasingly congested fixture calendar.

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Injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have prompted them to also hunt for an emergency centre-half but that hasn’t stopped them being linked to forward options.

Jesse Lingard is thought to be on the agenda, for example, while Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman also seek out a centre-forward as back up for Michail Antonio.

Now, some news has emerged on another attacker West Ham are now eyeing.

The Latest: West Ham ‘plotting’ Kvaratskhelia move…

As per Football Insider’s Veysey, West Ham and Everton are ‘plotting moves’ for Russian Premier League winger Kvaratskhelia as the Irons cast their net far and wide.

It is believed the Georgia international, a very highly rated prospect, now has concrete interest from West Ham as Newman and Moyes eye a swoop.

Kvaratskhelia has apparently caught the eye of Hammers scouts after a stellar performance for the Georgians in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Sweden last month.

The Verdict: Exciting option?

Targeted by the likes of Tottenham before, it is clear that the 20-year-old certainly has bags of ability – with journalist Fabrizio Romano taking to his Twitch stream earlier this year and explaining that he is ‘incredible’ (via HITC).

He had many suitors in the summer window also, including Borussia Dortmund, with Sky Sports reporter Max Bielefeld saying that Kvaratskhelia is considered a ‘very interesting, but expensive’ player with a price tag that could reach €20 million (£16.9m).

The Kazan ace has also been dubbed ‘The Georgian Messi’, such is his stellar reputation, but we believe West Ham are better placed prioritising an out-and-out striker right now given Antonio’s poor run of form.

Their central defensive crisis also takes precedent, but a swoop for Kvaratskhelia certainly shouldn’t be ruled out for the future.

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Ivorian gem Ibrahim Sangare, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign the PSV midfielder as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his Magpies squad in the coming weeks.

The report, however, does not state how far along a move is or how much the Eredivisie club want in return for his services.

Midfield beast

Howe can find the midfield beast his side has been lacking this season by securing a deal to sign Sangare from the Dutch giants in January.

He has been sublime for PSV this term and is producing performances that suggest he could be a huge asset for the Magpies in the Premier League. Sangare has averaged a brilliant WhoScored rating of 7.59 in the Eredivisie – making a whopping 5.6 tackles and interceptions whilst also producing 2.8 key passes and dribbles per game.

Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff’s 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game leads the way for Newcastle in the Premier League, with the academy graduate averaging 0.8 key passes and dribbles per match. This suggests that the Ivory Coast international would come in as a sizeable upgrade in the middle of the park as he is efficient from box to box and can dominate teams with his physical strength.

PSV head coach Roger Schmidt showered the midfield monster in praise earlier this season, saying:

“Ibrahim Sangaré is important in any system. It has nothing to do with a system. He has everything a central midfielder needs. He could already win balls, but now he makes better decisions and uses his ability to dribble. He had to hold the ball a little longer for that. Sometimes he is just unstoppable.

“He really grows into a very crucial player for us. He is better on the ball, makes fewer mistakes and plays forward more often. Last season he could be characterized as a player with quite a few lateral and backward passes during the game and that is a lot easier. Passing forward is more difficult, but you have to show that at the top level. He does that now.”

It is worth saying that it is impossible to guarantee that he will be able to translate his form over to the Premier League, but there is risk attached with every signing and Newcastle can only go off the sample size he has provided in the Netherlands.

His statistics and these quotes from Schmidt suggest that he could be a monster for Howe and the ex-Bournemouth boss must ensure that a deal gets done this month.

AND in other news, Howe can land NUFC’s new Andy Carroll in swoop for £72k-p/w beast who’s “Sheareresque”…

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes defender Joe Rodon could seal a north London exit in the final days on the January window, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Rodon under Conte

Rodon is one of five senior centre-backs on the books in north London but has hardly featured under Antonio Conte.

The 24-year-old has made just one appearance under the Italian, coming against Morecambe in the FA Cup earlier this month. He’s been a regular in Conte’s Premier League matchday squads but hasn’t managed to make a cameo off the bench.

Leeds were name-checked with an interest in Rodon ahead of the January window, with reports suggesting that Spurs were likely to give the green light to a temporary exit. However, Alasdair Gold recently admitted that Spurs are yet to receive any official offers for the Wales international.

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The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Wenham was talking to Football Insider regarding Rodon and a possible exit this month.

Here’s what he had to say, labelling it a ‘surprise’ that no offers have come in but backing Rodon to seal an exit ‘in the last days of the window’.

“It is a surprise there have been no offers.

“He might not have played much this season but he did really well at the Euros, clubs must know how good he is.

“A lot of clubs should be looking for a centre-back with plenty of Premier League experience, is capable of playing in a two or three at the back and a full international.

“It does surprise me that it has been reported there have been no offers. I think this is one of those things that might ramp up in the last days of the window.

“Maybe it’s one where clubs will look to sign him after they have been snubbed by their preferred targets.

“I still expect him to leave.”

The Verdict: Will Conte need him?

If Rodon doesn’t seal a Spurs exit before the end of the month, it may not be the end of the world for Conte. That’s because the Spurs boss could be down to the bare bones at the back with Cristian Romero and Eric Dier injured and Japhet Tanganga linked with a move to AC Milan.

Should the latter of the three depart and no defensive reinforcements arrive, Rodon would be one of two fit centre-backs available, meaning the Italian may be forced to use him over the coming weeks.

Things could change between now and the end of the month of course, so the Welshman’s future could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Spurs make 11th-hour attempt to dramatically scupper rivals’ move for £40.5m-rated ‘beast’. 

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A massive cohort of Celtic fans are in transit towards Valencia for Thursday’s Europa League tie in the Mestalla.

Last week’s 2-0 defeat in the first leg has barely dampened enthusiasm for the trip – in contrast to the equivalent fixture last season in St Petersburg where a heated stadium was needed for the match to go ahead.

Tickets for Thursday’s match are at a premium but that isn’t bothering the fans who are arriving at airports from Barcelona southwards with Alicante seeing a flood of green and white Hoops coming through the Arrivals gate.

Brendan Rodgers will take his squad out on Thursday, host a media conference then continue his preparations to pull off a shock result.

There isn’t likely to be any surprises in the team Rodgers selects but if the visitors open the scoring the locals will know all about it – there will inevitably be some fans in the home sections struggling to keep their emotions intact.

Everton’s fast start to the season may have been undermined by a string of injuries to key players, but there could yet be a significant silver lining to their recent fitness woes.

Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure joined the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina on the sidelines after picking up a foot injury against West Ham United, leaving a sizeable gap in the Toffees’ engine room.

Rafael Benitez attempted to plug the gap in the centre of the pitch with Tom Davies and Allan last time out against Watford, but with disastrous consequences.

The industrious pair were unable to cope with the pace and physicality that every Premier League game now produces and were overrun in the midfield, heavily contributing to the 5-2 mauling that the Hornets handed out at Goodison Park.

However, Benitez may not have to search too long and hard to discover the solution to his latest managerial conundrum.

Academy starlet Tyler Onyango has caught the eye with a string of impressive performances in recent years, and the timing of Doucoure’s recent setback could hardly have come at a better time for the 18-year-old.

The former England under-17 international scored two goals and provided a further two assists in 17 Premier League 2 outings last season but suffered a serious injury of his own towards the end of the campaign, ruling him out for six months.

Onyango made a successful return to action in the under-23s’ game against Leeds United on 18 October – just a day after Doucoure picked up his foot problem – before featuring against Arsenal’s and Burnley’s youth sides respectively.

It has led to speculation that the box-to-box dynamo could make the leap to the first team over the coming weeks, with his playing style deemed most similar to that of the absent Doucoure.

The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland tweeted: “In Doucoure’s absence, Tyler Onyango was close to making the Everton squad on Saturday. The teenager has impressed since returning from injury & is seen by some as the natural successor to the Frenchman”.

It seems as though the talented teenager is making a strong case for his inclusion in Benitez’s matchday squad for the upcoming trip to Molineux on Monday night after some standout displays following his return to fitness.

“He looks sharp and has come back really well,” said under-23s coach Jose Baxter recently (as relayed by The Athletic).

“It shows his professionalism returning earlier than expected, right in at the deep end. He’s a great lad and a great professional. You’re seeing it now with his performances.”

Only time will tell if Benitez is brave enough to select Onyango from the off as the Toffees attempt to get back to winning ways on Monday night, but reports that the midfielder is so highly-rated and thriving once again will surely have Everton supporters buzzing with excitement, especially with Doucoure out of action.

In other news… Brands must sanction Everton swoop for 23-goal “predator” lauded by Kaka

Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt was forced off for the under-23s on Monday evening with a fresh injury concern.

The Lowdown: Gelhardt’s season so far

He has featured in four of the five Premier League games under Jesse Marsch, scoring a crucial winner against Norwich City last month.

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The 19-year-old has slowly been establishing himself as a valuable figure in the American’s squad from the bench and played 31 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

He was given a start for the under-23s in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday evening, but it didn’t go to plan.

The Latest: ‘Bad news’ for Gelhardt

The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news of Gelhardt’s injury on Twitter, describing it as ‘bad news from Elland Road’.

They added that the forward had an issue with his left leg and had to receive treatment, with the Whites’ initial hope being that it is a dead leg.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Gelhardt started for the under-23s looking to build up his fitness, with a reported fake positive virus test impacting the striker during the international break.

Fans may well be wondering why he was even playing on Monday, considering that both Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are long-term absentees.

Hopefully the issue is a minor one and the 19-year-old can be available for selection for the huge trip to Watford this weekend following the club’s assessment this morning.

In other news – 9.1/10 rating: Leeds target produces incredible display after Orta name-dropped him

Celtic are not giving up on their pursuit of Shabab Al-Ahli forward Mehdi Ghayedi and want a move finalised before the winter break ends, Varzesh Seh report.

The Lowdown: Attacking additions

The Hoops have already bolstered their attacking ranks with the acquisition of Daizen Maeda, while young starlet Johnny Kenny has joined as a more long-term prospect.

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Ange Postecoglou also wants to make Jota’s loan move a permanent one, with the Hoops now eyeing another wide forward.

Ghayedi, labelled as an ‘extraordinary killer’ finisher by @ADSportsTV, can play anywhere across the front three and has scored 41 goals during his career so far.

The Latest: Another approach

Reports earlier this month suggested that Celtic have had a bid turned down for Ghayedi.

Now, Varzesh Seh claim that Postecoglou is desperate for the 23-year-old to join the club during the winter break, with the Hoops making another approach.

The winter break comes to an end for Celtic in just over 72 hours on Monday when they take on Hibernian at Parkhead, so this one could move pretty quickly if the manager wants it done by then.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Postecoglou was planning to raid untapped markets this month, and it seems as if the Hoops are looking in the UAE with Ghayedi.

The Iran international only joined Shabab Al-Ahli in the summer and is under contract until 2026, so it could take a tempting offer for the Dubai club to sell.

Transfermarkt have a probability of a move to Celtic Park at 76%, so even though Postecoglou recently slammed transfer lies in the media, a move for Ghayedi could be one to monitor before the end of the month.

In other news: Journalist drops big transfer claim as Celtic eye £12.5m-rated midfielder; Ange ‘a big admirer’. 

As per a report in the paper edition of Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, there has been a development in Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing move…

The Croatia international is yet another one of Antonio Conte’s former Nerazzurri men who he personally wants to bring to north London alongside defender Stefan de Vrij.

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As per recent updates, the 52-year-old wants Brozovic at Tottenham with TUTTOmercatoWEB even claiming that he is ‘ready’ to welcome the player with ‘open arms’.

This comes amid his 2022 contract situation at the San Siro, and despite Brozovic himself admitting he would like to extend, Tottenham and many other clubs are waiting in the wings ready to take full advantage if talks break down.

The Latest: Spurs make approach…

As per Tuttosport (via SW), Tottenham are one of the many clubs to make an approach to the player’s representatives alongside Manchester United, París Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and even Newcastle United.

It is also believed that one of these clubs may have already offered Brozovic an €8 million-per-year (£6.7m) salary, which roughly translates to around £129,000-per-week.

The Verdict: What Spurs need?

Surprisingly, despite being a traditionally more defensive player, the 29-year-old could come as a temporary solution to fill the Christian Eriksen-shaped void.

The 70-cap star was remoulded as a playmaker at Inter last season whilst superstar duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were the only Tottenham players to match or better some of his creative stats in their respective leagues.

Brozovic averaged the same amount of key passes per 90 in the final third as Kane (1.4) over 2020/2021 whilst racking up six assists, highlighting how he could make an impact for Tottenham further forward (WhoScored).

Former Inter Milan and Udinese boss Andrea Stramaccioni described Brozovic as a ‘very precious’ player for the Serie A giants and we believe he could become just as important under Conte in the Premier League.

In other news: Journalist says ‘worldbeater’ could now be tempted to join Spurs, find out more here.