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Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves is ‘unlikely’ to sign a new contract at Molineux, according to journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Summer exit was close

The Premier League playmaker will be out of contract with Julen Lopetegui’s side in 2024 and his future is currently up in the air having not yet been offered or put pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Portugal international has been the subject of strong interest from several top-flight sides over the past couple of transfer windows, with the 25-year-old even admitting that he came close to leaving the club last summer.

The Latest: Madeley’s verdict

Taking to Twitter, Madeley was asked by a Wolves supporter whether Neves will be extending his stay in the Midlands, to which the reporter replied:

“We can all dream but I’d say it’s unlikely sadly. Neves genuinely loves Wolves. He’s grown up at the club and his kids have grown up in the city.

“But he’s a 25-year-old Champions League-level player who needs to maximise his talent. Sad but understandable.”

The Verdict: Opportunity deserved

Wolves would never want their captain to depart, but Neves has been dubbed a ‘beast’ by journalist Jimmy Conrad and he has been exactly that for the club, so deserves the opportunity to go on to bigger and better things.

The Nike-sponsored talisman has made a remarkable 238 appearances for his side and is an integral member of the starting eleven, where he’s been averaging 2.6 clearances and 2.5 tackles per league game this season (WhoScored).

The Mozelos native, however, is destined to play a level of football that Wanderers might not reach for some time, and with the substantial fee the club could get for him, it would be the right decision to let him progress to the next stage of his career.

Manchester United are in full flow under the tutelage of manager Erik ten Hag, riding a resurgent campaign thus far and still competing across every front, but the need for a world-class centre-forward remains paramount.

While imposing powerhouse Wout Weghorst was signed on loan this month to fill the hole left by Cristiano Ronaldo, who terminated his contract by mutual consent, there indeed remains a vacancy for a leading European goal-scorer to spearhead the attack of the new era of the club over the coming years, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen among the leading candidates for transfer at Old Trafford according to reports in Italy.

It would be a costly move, however, with any deal potentially set to cost in the region of €140m (£123m).

Haaland 2.0

The Premier League giants will undoubtedly be buoyed by the swift rekindling of former fluidity, having finished in sixth place in the division last term.

But in order to maintain the continuation of changes that are finally re-asserting the Red Devils’ authority after such tumultuous fortunes since Sir Alex Ferguson left his iconic managerial position in 2013, the crafting of a refined new skeleton must not waver.

And by landing the 24-year-old “machine” – as dubbed by reporter Mina Rzouki – that is Osimhen,  who has scored 13 goals and provided four assists from only 15 appearances in the Italian top-flight this term, the unabating flow of goals would fall into place at Old Trafford.

By forging a transfer, Ten Hag might actually have his answer to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has become something of a problem for the Premier League since his arrival last summer.

According to FBref, Haaland is indeed one of the most comparable players to the Napoli hotshot, ranked third on the list of ‘similar players’.

Haaland has obliterated the standard of what was considered superlative when assessing first-rate strikers in English football, with his 31 goals from 26 appearances across all competitions an unprecedented tally of offensive precision at the Etihad Stadium.

Osimhen, who ranks among the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 8% for touches in the offensive box indeed offers an arresting similarity to his Norwegian positional peer’s own arsenal, with both players mastering the fine art of pace and deadly precision in the penalty area.

Ten Hag will be all too aware of his side’s neighbours, who indeed have made much of the noise over the past decade in the prestigious footballing city, and Haaland’s introduction to City boss Pep Guardiola’s plans is a truly concerning conundrum for United, who are seeking their own clarity over their stature as a leading force.

Journalist Oluwashina Okeleji heralded Osimhen as a “monster”, and John Murtough could swiftly eradicate every ounce of worry by successfully swooping for Napoli’s Nigerian phenomenon, who could even the playing field and bring the Theatre of Dreams that crucial step closer to the return to former glory, and the Man United board must put issues over Napoli’s pricing and make their move.

Sunderland are not targeting Jerry Yates in January, according to journalist Phil Smith.

The Lowdown: Sunderland wanting a striker

Prior to Sunderland losing former loanee Ellis Simms, who was recently recalled by his parent club, it appeared that they needed a new striker due to Ross Stewart’s injury woes this season. Now Simms has left, that need will have likely increased.

The Black Cats are currently sitting just one point off the play-offs and will be hoping to kick on in the second half of the season, but some pressure perhaps has to be taken off Stewart’s shoulders.

As things stand, Sunderland have just one striker on their books, but someone who seemingly won’t be joining despite recent links is Blackpool’s Yates, who has got nine goals this season.

The Latest: Yates not on the radar

Smith has revealed on The Roar podcast that despite recent transfer links, he’s not heard anything about Sunderland exploring the signing of Yates.

He said: “In January, things can change incredibly quickly, so you would never be definitive about any player. My understanding is that Yates certainly isn’t one who’s been on the radar up until this point.

“I think if you look at Yates, he’s a very good Championship striker, no doubt about that – he’s also 26 and I think he would cost a fairly large amount of money to sign him from Blackpool.

“So he doesn’t really fit what Sunderland have been trying to do over the last few windows and want to do moving forward.”

The Verdict: Sunderland going in a different direction

Smith is right to acknowledge Yates is a top-level Championship striker, as he currently sits as the league’s fifth-highest goalscorer this campaign, but with Stewart already the definitive first choice at the Stadium of Light, it’s unlikely Yates would settle for playing second fiddle.

This, along with the fact Sunderland and Tony Mowbray are seemingly looking to build a young and energetic side with players such as Amad Diallo, Aji Alese and Dan Neil featuring prominently, so a young striker would look to be a more likely move.

It would make a lot of sense for Sunderland to dip back into the loan market this month to replace Simms, not least as he was only a Black Cats player on a temporary basis. This would save money for the summer and also allow Mowbray to continue his great work developing young stars.

Liverpool are eyeing up a swoop for a midfielder who could be a cheaper alternative to Argentinian star Enzo Fernandez…

What’s the news?

James Pearce of The Athletic has claimed that Sofyan Amrabat would be a cheaper option for the Anfield side compared to Fernandez, with Benfica demanding £105m for the World Cup winner on the back of his impressive performances in Qatar.

Amrabat, on the other hand, would only cost £35m from Serie A side Fiorentina according to The Mirror (December 23, page 53) and this may allow Jurgen Klopp to save funds in order to sign his main target Jude Bellingham in the summer.

Dream Fernandes substitute

Liverpool were reportedly working on a deal to bring the Benfica midfielder to England during the World Cup. Still, with the club announcing recently that a £44.3m deal for Cody Gakpo is set to be completed, Klopp might turn to a cheaper alternative.

Amrabat certainly fits the bill, and with his impressive performances in Qatar, he could be a worthy addition to the Reds.

The midfielder played all seven games for Morocco as the country became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, and he averaged a solid Sofascore rating of 6.83 across all his appearances.

He enjoyed an average of 56.6 touches and completed 85% of his passes per match, proving that he constantly demanded the ball and was comfortable distributing it to teammates, which was vital in the Atlas Lions’ success.

Defensively, he was excellent, making 0.9 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, and 1.4 clearances per outing, while also winning 3.4 duels each game – at a success rate of 48% – and this was a key reason why the nation conceded just five goals all tournament, and only one in their first five matches.

The 26-year-old was dubbed “different class” by journalist Lorenz Kohler earlier on this year, and although his displays in the Middle East have boosted his stature, he has shone on the international stage before the World Cup.

Klopp needs a midfielder in January and signing Amrabat could give his side a boost heading into a crucial second half of the campaign.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to Tottenham Hotspur’s reported interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

The Lowdown: Rabiot linked with Spurs

Labelled a ‘footballing giraffe’ by Paolo Di Canio, the Frenchman has been linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks. Reports have suggested that Antonio Conte’s side are keen on bringing the 27-year-old to England in 2023.

The France international, who has scored 39 goals during his career for club and country, is currently away at the World Cup and is out of contract in Turin at the end of the season.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke was talking to GiveMeSport regarding a possible move to north London for Rabiot. He said it ‘could be a great signing for Tottenham’, whether that be in January or next summer, where the midfielder could become a free agent.

The journalist said: “I think you’d have to say he would be a marquee signing. He could be a great signing for Tottenham, whether it’s in January or next summer, potentially on a free transfer when his contract runs out at Juventus.

“We all know Tottenham and Juventus’ links between Conte and Paratici. So, they’ll be well aware of Adrien Rabiot. He came very close to joining Manchester United in the summer before that move fell through.”

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The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Rabiot has already impressed at the World Cup for France, scoring and providing an assist in a 4-1 win over Australia. He has plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country and is capable of playing in a number of midfield roles.

You’d expect that he still has plenty left to offer at the age of 27, so a cut-price move or free transfer could be a wise piece of business from Spurs officials, especially with Conte’s side still in the Champions League and pushing for another top-four finish.

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao in January and the Brazilian could be David Moyes’ own version of AC Milan sensation Fikayo Tomori.

According to Tutto Udinese (via Sport Witness), the Hammers have joined Everton in their chase for the 26-year-old, who has caught the eye with his performances in Serie A in recent seasons.

The Udinese centre-back has seemingly been of interest to the Toffees for some time, but now both clubs are said to be “always on alert” to sign the centre-back after the World Cup.

A fee of around €20m (£17m) is touted in the report, although the Italian outfit will also reportedly push to renew his contract that expires in 2024, which could see potentially put an end to the Hammers’ hopes of bringing him to the Premier League.

Should he make the move to the London Stadium in January, he could emulate former Chelsea star Tomori, who has been hugely impressive for Milan and England in recent seasons.

After struggling for regular game time with the Stamford Bridge outfit, the young defender made the bold move to the San Siro, where he played a vital role in the Rossoneri winning the Serie A title last season.

The 24-year-old would make 31 appearances in the Italian top flight, averaging a strong 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which led to him earning a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad last season.

Despite strong form again this campaign, which has helped him to a 6.96 average rating from WhoScored, he was controversially omitted from the Three Lions’ World Cup squad, although he seems certain to play a big part in the future given he is still only 22 and valued at around €60m by CIES Football Observatory.

According to FBRef, Tomori is the ninth-most similar player to Becao when compared to other centre-backs across Europe’s top leagues, while WhoScored suggests that both the Milan star and the Udinese man excel at tackling.

This season has seen the two defenders register extremely similar statistics with regard to non-penalty expected goals and assists (both one), blocks (14 vs 10) and tackles won (14 vs 19).

Therefore, the two are clearly similar types of defender and given Tomori’s impressive reputation, GSB would surely be foolish to turn down the “insurmountable” Becao in January.

Aston Villa are seemingly eyeing a January swoop for Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, according to recent reports.

What’s the latest?

As per Sky Sports Germany (via Sport Witness), the Midlands outfit are reportedly ready to move for the Frenchman in the coming window after news that the German club are faltering financially.

With the 25-year-old’s contract due to expire in the summer, this represents the final opportunity to garner a fee for their star man, who was reportedly available for €40m (£35m) in the summer of 2021. This fee will surely have diminished now given their ever-worsening financial situation.

With clubs such as Arsenal and Crystal Palace also named as interested parties, Unai Emery will want to act quickly to secure this signing which would prove a sensational coup.

Emery’s new Martinelli

Whilst manager of the Gunners, the Spaniard was involved in plenty of transfers which have gone on to earn success at the Emirates.

One such name who could draw comparisons to this ongoing deal for the Villans is Gabriel Martinelli, who similarly to Thuram, can feature on both the left wing and up front.

The Brazilian youngster seems to now have grown into the player Emery clearly thought he could become, with five goals and two assists already this season.

Both boasting blistering speed and quick feet, Martinelli ranks in the top 18% and Thuram in the top 8% respectively for dribbles completed of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues over the last 365 days.

However, what they more importantly share is a keen eye for goal, despite the French forward appearing to be more of a finished article than the 21-year-old was when he brought first arrived in north London.

This is exemplified by his sensational start to the Bundesliga season, where he has already scored 13 goals and registered four assists in 17 games in all competitions.

Not only is he clearly more proficient than Martinelli, but physically he is near-unstoppable. The Parma-born marksman pairs his pace with a 6 foot 3 frame, with French coach Herve Renard seeing fit to label him a “physical monster”.

To tempt him to Villa Park would mark a sensational piece of business, and talent as “phenomenal” as he is – as dubbed by former teammate Denis Zakaria – are sure to take the club to the next level.

They must pounce on this opportunity, as few as lucrative as this will appear again for a long time.

Speaking ahead of Leeds’ clash with Liverpool on Saturday evening, Jesse Marsch looked beaten.

His days as manager at Elland Road were seemingly numbered with segments of the stadium craving his exit from Yorkshire.

Usually such an upbeat character, the American admitted: “I’ve never lost this much in my career. I’m sick of it.”

Evidently, Marsch has the thirst to get Leeds out of their current predicament and we saw that at Anfield.

Virgil van Dijk hadn’t lost there in 70 Premier League matches, while the club as a whole had not tasted a league loss at home since March 2021.

With that in mind, there looked like there was little hope for the Whites going into that match. It’s what makes their 2-1 win even more staggering.

Leeds have been walking towards a relegation battle again but they looked revitalised against Liverpool, even if they did have to withstand a barrage of attacks. Rodrigo was gifted a goal early on and then Crysencio Summerville, who celebrates his 21st birthday today, popped up with a late winner that sparked incredible celebrations.

Although the Dutchman will take the plaudits, it was goalkeeper Illan Meslier that ensured Leeds won the game. Without the giant stopper, they’d have been dead and buried, with the Frenchman putting in arguably his best display in a Leeds shirt.

He made nine saves throughout the encounter, the most by a goalkeeper in a Premier League match this term and the highest number Meslier has made in a single game since he moved to English football.

One such save came from the boot of Darwin Nunez in the second half, as the 22-year-old raced out and smothered the attempt at goal. Another sharp stop from Jordan Henderson at his near post epitomised a remarkable performance between the sticks.

What makes it all the more incredible, is that during the game he completed zero passes from his 25 attempts. Leeds weren’t able to build from the back but it didn’t seem to matter, as the young ‘keeper put in a classic goalkeeping display, putting kicking to one side and instead relying on his hands, as one should when you don the number 1 jersey.

It was a performance late in the day that may well earn him a spot in France’s World Cup squad. Mike Maignan faces a race against time to be fit for the tournament and as the Athletic’s Adam Crafton suggests, the “potentially brilliant” goalkeeper will “be France’s no 1” in the future.

The 6 foot 6 behemoth is yet to be capped by his country at senior level but performances like this will only aid his cause. There could be a space in Didier Deschamp’s squad and Meslier should certainly be in with a chance of being Hugo Lloris’ understudy.

Having won 100% of his duels during the win over Liverpool, the youngster looked “shellshocked” at full-time, such was the performance. Dubbed “immense” by Leeds Live’s Will Jackson and “outstanding” by Graham Smyth, it was a display that will live long in his memory.

As statisticians SofaScore put it so well at full-time, he was well and truly their “Anfield hero” on Saturday night.

Everton host Manchester United at Goodison Park on Sunday night, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that the Toffees can continue their unbeaten run, especially with the fresh injury lifeline that he revealed yesterday.

What’s the latest?

The 44-year-old took to his pre-match press conference on Friday to reveal that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in contention to start against United this weekend, after recovering from an injury which has rendered the player unavailable for the entire season so far.

The Everton manager told the media about the England striker: “Yes, he’s in contention. We’ll have to see how match-fit he is but in terms of the injury he’s better. It’s a really good boost.

“He’s a good player for us, pivotal in us staying in the league last year and want to get him playing regularly.”

Lampard surely buzzing

There is no doubt that Lampard must be buzzing about the potential return of Calvert-Lewin on Sunday, and the striker’s return could not have come at a better time for the Toffees manager.

Everton will face Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United over the next two weeks, three fixtures which will offer a real test of how far the team has come since the arrival of the nine summer signings, and the 25-year-old’s inclusion would only give them an even greater boost.

The talented predator has scored 58 goals and delivered 18 assists in 191 appearances for the Merseysiders, making him by far the most reliable forward at the club after Richarlison’s exit this summer.

Although Everton are enjoying a good run of form, they have scored as many goals as they have conceded (seven) so far this season, so they could really use the star quality and experience of Calvert-Lewin in the team in forthcoming fixtures to boost their tally of goal contributions.

The 25-year-old hasn’t had the easiest 12 months, with a number of injuries plaguing his ability to contribute to the team consistently, but the Goodison Park faithful will surely be hoping that he can now return in fine form to see out the rest of the season in his customary centre-forward role.

With that being said, Lampard must be 100% sure that Calvert-Lewin is ready to return to action this weekend, as rushing him back could be detrimental to his recovery. However, it is without question that the striker’s presence on the pitch would make Everton a much tougher obstacle for Erik ten Hag’s side tomorrow night.

Former Scottish Premiership striker Noel Whelan has claimed that Glasgow Rangers supporters will ‘worry’ about recent exit news involving two players.

The Lowdown: Kamara and Kent exits?

It was reported last week that the Ibrox outfit are willing to sell Glen Kamara in the January transfer window, after his proposed deadline day move to Ligue 1 side Nice collapsed.

They need to sell a number of big-name players if they are to generate the funds required to invest in the squad, with Ryan Kent another name that has been linked with a move away, namely to Leeds United in the Premier League.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has claimed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team cannot afford to lose any more of their spine, having already let the likes of Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun leave in the summer:

“No.

“That would be a massive loss. Kamara and Kent are two pivotal players and players who have been standouts for Rangers.

“They’ve got different attributes, but they have a similar stature at the club.

“How do you replace those players? Especially when you consider the players they’ve already lost in the summer [Bassey and Aribo] and how they were replaced.

“They’ll command big, big money because of the quality they have – but how do you follow that up?

“Losing two big names like that – this has got to worry the Rangers fans.”

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The Verdict: Worrying indeed

As Whelan claims, Gers supporters should be worried by the latest exit news surrounding a number of their key players, especially after how many they let go in the summer.

In the Scottish Premiership this season, Kent is among the Light Blues’ top five best-performing players, leading the assist charts with James Tavernier with three, while Kamara has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average interceptions per game and pass success rate (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, with the Teddy Bears seemingly slipping away from their bitter rivals Celtic, who thumped them 4-0 earlier this term and are two points clear at the top of the SPFL table, they simply cannot afford to lose any more of their core group at this moment in time.