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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Mohamed Simakan to north London in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Times, who claim that Antonio Conte, Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy are said to be discussing the potential of a move for the RB Leipzig centre-back this winter, with the 53-year-old manager believed to be desperate to bring in defensive reinforcements ahead of the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

And, while the club’s top transfer target in the summer transfer window, Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, is once again said to be of interest to Conte in January, the Premier League side are believed to view the 22-year-old Frenchman as a potential alternative to the Italy international.

Bastoni 2.0

While it is undeniable that Bastoni would represent a magnificent addition to Conte’s current defensive options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Inter believed to be demanding a figure in the region of £50m in order to part with the centre-back, it is not difficult to see why Spurs are considering a move for Simakan as an alternative.

Indeed, the £35m-rated talent and Bastoni are both ball-playing defenders, with FBref ranking the RB Leipzig starlet in the top 20% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for passes attempted per 90, as well as the top 19% for progressive passes and the top 4% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

The £4k-per-week starlet is also clearly a threat in the final third, with FBref ranking the 22-year-old in the top 27% for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 1% for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 1% for progressive passes received over the last 12 months.

The former France U20 international also impresses in metrics more typical of his position, with FBref ranking Simakan in the top 11% of centre-backs for tackles won per 90, as well as the top 38% for interceptions and the top 42% for aerials won over the last year.

As such, considering these extraordinary returns, it is not difficult to see why the statistical database list Bastoni as one of Simakan’s most comparable players – with the Bundesliga sensation very much appearing to be a player in an extremely similar mould to that of the 16-cap Italian.

Furthermore, Jacek Kulig also rates the centre-back extremely highly, with the Football Talent Scout stating of the youngster in a post on Twitter: “One of the most underrated young defenders in Europe. Strong, fast, versatile, and very good on the ball. Complete centre-back who can also play as a right-back. Reminds me of young Lilian Thuram.”

So, should a swoop for the Inter Milan defender once again prove too difficult for Paratici and Levy to pull off this winter, a move for Simakan would appear to be an extremely wise one for Spurs to make, as the 22-year-old very much looks as if he could be Bastoni reincarnate at the back.

West Ham United are reportedly plotting a January transfer bid for Blackburn Rovers attacker Ben Brereton Diaz. 

The Lowdown: Previous interest in Brereton Diaz

The Hammers were linked with a move for the Chile international during the previous summer transfer window but nothing came of it.

With Brereton Diaz’s current contract at Ewood Park set to expire at the end of the season, the upcoming January window could be the last chance for the Lancashire club to potentially cash in on the player rather than risk losing him as a free agent in the summer.

Now it appears that the Hammers are keen on reigniting their interest in the attacker and bringing him to the London Stadium.

The Latest: A January transfer move on the cards

According to a recent report from Football Insider, the east London club are plotting a January move for Brereton Diaz, who some West Ham scouts were watching over the weekend.

The report also adds that David Moyes is a big admirer of the player and has made it clear to his scouts that he would like to see the Blackburn star added to his squad in January.

The Verdict: A smart move for West Ham

Hailed as an “elite” player by Gary Brazil, Brereton Diaz has scored 51 club goals throughout his career at senior and youth levels from 208 appearances.

Not only is the 23-year-old the Championship’s joint-top goalscorer with nine to his name, he’s also had more shots at goal than any other player in the division (61).

He also has the second-highest number of shots on target in the league (21), which could make him a useful signing for the Hammers given how they have the worst percentage in the top flight for shots on target (25.6%) prior to their game against Crystal Palace.

Moving forward, given how highly Moyes seemingly rates him, securing a January deal for Brereton Diaz could be a very smart investment for the Hammers to make.

Unai Emery could be set to make his first big foray into the transfer market as the new Aston Villa manager…

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Pau Torres has been named as a top target for the Midlands giants, who were given the green light to pursue the star by the new boss.

Villa plan to keep tabs on the centre back over the coming months, with a view to purchasing him either in January or next summer.

The report also states that his value stands at £40m, which is similar to the figure that was touted to both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United as they fought for his signature last summer.

He can light up Qatar

Having excelled at Villarreal under Emery, he could now be set to truly showcase his talent on the world stage as he travels to Qatar to compete with Spain for the World Cup.

The 25-year-old already has experience competing in elite competitions, having played a huge role in his side’s journey to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

A defensive stalwart, Torres could be the perfect man to come into Villa Park and help instantly implement a style he will know well.

He has featured 149 times for the Yellow Submarine, with last season’s league campaign particularly impressive given his average SofaScore rating of 7.09 and 11 clean sheets.

Although this season has not been quite as impressive (but still boasts a 7.02 rating), he still shows the ball-playing capabilities that make him one of the world’s most sought-after defenders.

He averages 22 carries per 90 and paired with his 0.8 key passes per game, Torres can actually be an offensive threat despite being a centre-back.

The fact Emery is so desperate to reunite with him is not a surprise, given what he said last season on the 6 foot 2 machine: “Pau Torres is an amazing player”, he began. “I think he’s going to play at the highest level, he’s playing now in the national team but he can play in the top teams in Europe very soon.”

With his form and this glowing recommendation, there is no doubt that any success Spain has at the World Cup will be built around his solid defence.

It would be a dream signing for his compatriot, to usher in the new era at Villa with a bang.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to add to their squad in the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has set his sights on bringing Blackpool centre-forward Jerry Yates to Ibrox in 2023.

The report claims that the Light Blues have been scouting the striker and went to watch him in action for his club against Preston North End in a 4-2 win on Saturday.

It is stated that the Gers are on the lookout for a new number nine to compete with Antonio Colak for his position in the team in the second half of the campaign.

Alfredo Morelos upgrade

Morelos is out of contract at the end of the season and Rangers could move on from him by snapping up an upgrade in the January window.

The Colombian international has scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances, scoring once every 6.5 matches, in all competitions this season for the Teddy Bears.

Last term, he found the back of the net 11 times in 26 outings in the Premiership, a goal every 2.36 games, whilst also setting up seven goals for his teammates.

His form has taken a dive off a cliff since the arrival of Colak in the summer and Yates’ form for Blackpool suggests that he could be an upgrade on what the current Gers forward is offering the team.

Journalist Sean McGinlay recently claimed that the English gem is “on fire” and described him as “immense” earlier this season, which is backed up by his statistics.

Yates has plundered eight goals and two assists in 16 Championship outings. He has created six ‘big chances’ for the team and this indicates that he has been let down by his teammates at times as they have been unable to finish off the opportunities that he is creating.

The 25-year-old dynamo scored twice and set up one in the 4-2 win that Rangers scouts were reportedly present for and his display may have convinced the club that he is worth pursuing.

He has scored a goal every two matches in the English second tier and has proven that he can offer quality with his link-up play – creating chances for others whilst taking the ones that fall his way.

Whereas, Morelos has struggled in front of goal this term and could be heading towards the end of his time at Ibrox unless his contract is renewed.

Based on their respective form this season, Yates could be a big upgrade on the Colombian marksman, who is one year older than him, and Rangers must swoop for the goal machine in January to provide real competition for Colak’s place in the side.

Aston Villa have made some transfer howlers over the years, and the past few years of financial mismanagement have culminated in the pressure faced by Steven Gerrard.

He too spent big during the summer, unloading a reported £63m on seven incomings.

However, one player who he decided almost instantly was surplus to requirements was an old transfer in Egypt international Trezeguet.

Having been signed back in 2019 by Dean Smith for a fee of £8.75m, the winger has struggled to acclimatise to Villa Park. His statistics have certainly suffered because of this.

Before moving to the Midlands he was coming off the back of a fine season for Kasimpasa in Turkey. He had scored nine and assisted another nine in just 34 league appearances, so the decision to sign him and hand him a (€60k-per-week) £52k-per-week contract looked like a calculated risk.

Six goals in his debut season in the Premier League again actually showed promise, and at this moment it did not seem like a deal that would go so dramatically south.

But, inevitably, it did.

Just two goals the season following, and a loan spell back to Turkey last season all but sealed his fate. He left the club to return to a league he knew he could dominate, having rinsed Villa of a total of £16.85m.

Having spent just 153 weeks at the club, he took what he could whilst offering little back on the pitch.

He was a particularly useless asset for Gerrard from the off, not only due to his form but his position.

As a left winger, his place in a tactical identity that prefers narrowness in the midfield and the width to be created by full-backs instantly poses a problem.

With Lucas Digne and Matty Cash immovable in their respective positions, and Philippe Coutinho reverting to a central role after years of playing off the left, there was never a future for Trezeguet once the 42-year-old was appointed.

This, combined with years of poor form sealed him as a terrible transfer all-around for NSWE and Villa.

Celtic are currently blessed with a number of exciting young talents in the academy set-up at present, with promising midfielder Rocco Vata one such prospect who is currently catching the eye at Parkhead.

The highly-rated 17-year-old – who is the son of former Hoops defender Rudi Vata – has notably impressed for the club’s ‘B’ team of late, scoring four goals and laying on one assist in just 11 games so far this season.

That comes after the teenager had been one of a handful of emerging youngsters included in Ange Postecoglou’s travelling party for the trip to Austria during pre-season, having also been included in first-team training with the Old Firm giants last term.

While a competitive senior appearance has thus far eluded him, the playmaker is seemingly a player destined for big things in the coming years, having been lauded by coach Darren O’Dea back in February, who stated:

“I’ve known Rocco for a while, naturally I’ve been with the 18s for the last two seasons so he’s someone I know really well. He was in the school programme and is someone I’ve brought up with the 18s and played in a couple of games. The most impressive thing about him is probably his mentality, his attitude to the game.

“We had a pre-season friendly this year that didn’t go particularly well but he’s someone that has a killer attitude that never stops, he has a fantastic ability to beat people and create chances.

“On top of that he’s someone who has a really strong mind so he’s someone who’s very young and needs to be managed well. But he’s going in the right direction, it’s a case of supporting him.

“I’m confident to say that if he reaches his full potential which is our goal as a staff to do that, that potential could take him to the top, to be fair.”

On the international stage, the creative gem is also part of a young group of Republic of Ireland stars who “can do something special” in the words of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, having qualified for the country through his Dublin-born grandmother, after being born in Scotland.

Such is his outstanding quality, the dynamic sensation – who was also included in Kulig’s top 40 talents in world football born in 2005 – has also earned comparisons to former World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez, as a result of his ‘dribbling and flair’, in the words of talent scout Jake McGhee.

From a Celtic perspective, however, the hope will be that young Vata could prove to be the potential heir of another playmaker in the form of Tom Rogic, with the Australian magician having only recently left Glasgow after nine years of brilliant service to the club.

The 29-year-old – who has since joined West Bromwich Albion – overcame an injury-plagued start to life in Scotland to become a vital asset under a succession of managers, scoring 46 goals and providing 49 assists in 272 games in all competitions.

That haul included an impressive 2021/22 campaign in which the 53-cap gem proved integral to the title success under Postecoglou, providing six goals and laying on ten assists in all competitions to bow out on a high.

While Matt O’Riley has seemingly helped to fill that void with five assists in just eight league games already this season, there could well be room for another exciting asset such as Vata to add an even greater creative touch.

Fulham have made Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa their ‘priority target’ this summer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Fulham open Kurzawa negotiations

The Frenchman has two years remaining on his deal at the Parc des Princes, but has reportedly been told that he is free to leave in the coming weeks after falling out of favour since the arrival of new manager Christophe Galtier.

The Daily Mail credited the Cottagers with an interest in the 29-year-old on Tuesday, stating that Marco Silva’s side are in talks regarding a potential move, and it appears that they are serious about bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: Fulham make Kurzawa ‘priority’

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that both Fulham and Silva are ‘keen’ on completing the signing of Kurzawa, with discussions for Justin Kluivert also developing.

“Fulham want to sign Layvin Kurzawa as priority target as new left back. Marco Silva also keen on signing the French LB from PSG.

“Negotiations progressing also on Justin Kluivert deal with AS Roma.”

The Verdict: Cover needed

Joe Bryan fractured his hand prior to the start of the new season, leaving Antonee Robinson as the only senior player available in that left-back position, so Fulham have got to prioritise this deal for Kurzawa.

The 13-cap international, who once dubbed himself ‘crazy’, has provided 23 assists and netted 14 goals during his spell at PSG, via Transfermarkt, showing that he is more than capable of turning it on when given the chance to perform.

The Cottagers are unbeaten so far this top-flight campaign having one won and drawn two, and these impressive results and encouraging signs could play a huge role in Kurzawa deciding where his next destination will be.

Nottingham Forest kicked off their first Premier League campaign in over two decades yesterday but were unable to take any points from their visit to St James’ Park losing 2-0 to Newcastle United.

Steve Cooper spoke out following the defeat in his post-match interview to detail where Forest got it wrong:

“We fell short in our performance today, but we live and learn. We were not right today in possession, and there were not enough passes when we could get them off, and that ultimately cost us the two goals.”

The Garibaldi have had an exciting summer transfer window with 12 new signings secured at The City Ground, and six of those made their debuts for Forest on Saturday, but could there be an opportunity to strengthen the team even further?

One player who has been linked with a move to the newly-promoted club in the last few days is Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler, a player who could certainly improve the problems with possession that Cooper referenced in his comments after the Newcastle game.

Over last season, the 30-year-old scored one goal, delivered three assists and created three big chances, tallying up a pass completion rate of 92% in his own half while taking 73.2 touches per game, proving he is certainly comfortably with the ball at his feet.

Freuler has been the recipient of high praise for his consistent and reliable performances in midfield for Atalanta, with Tuttosport journalist Giordano Signorelli hailing the £8.5m talent in an interview with BBC Sport:

“Gasperini likes players who listen and apply themselves, and Freuler is a true professional. He has become fundamental in midfield, alongside Marten de Roon. He has a great spirit of sacrifice, is strong physically, but also sound technically and possesses a good shot.”

Cooper could even land his very own N’Golo Kante by completing the signing of the Switzerland international this summer, as the Chelsea star is the fourth most comparable player to Freuler over the 365 days according to FBref.

In terms of similarities, the pair of midfielders came close on pass completion rate with Kante just tallying up a better percentage by 1.3% at 85.8 to 87.1.

The pair were also almost level pegging on their shot-creating actions with Freuler making 60 and Kante 61. The Atalanta star did, however, outperform the Frenchman in tackles won (43 vs 34). They did make exactly the same number of tackles (22) in the defensive third, demonstrating how similar they are when it comes to winning the ball back.

With that being said, the signing of Freuler would be a major addition for Nottingham Forest and could potentially resolve some of the issues Cooper is aware of in the team.

Indeed, signing a Kante-like midfielder would definitely bring a wealth of attributes to the side.

Everton have been linked with a move for Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, and a reliable source has now given an update on the club’s stance on signing the player before the transfer window shuts.

What’s the latest?

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, the Toffees are still keen on signing the Wolves midfielder.

Taylor told GIVEMESPORT: “I do think there’ll be an emphasis on scrambling some deals through. Gibbs-White is obviously one they still like. There is interest in others.”

Imagine him & Calvert-Lewin

Frank Lampard will be delighted that the powers at Goodison Park are finally starting to make some signings to improve his squad ahead of the new season, and Gibbs-White could be a great addition to add crucial depth to Everton’s midfield.

Wolves’ rising star has been capturing the attention of many Premier League clubs, including newly-promoted Nottingham Forest, following his impressive season-long loan with Sheffield United last term.

Gibbs-White was named the Blades’ Player of the Year following his impactful contributions to the team, scoring 12 goals and delivering 10 assists in finishing the campaign as their second-highest scorer.

The 22-year-old also created a whopping 16 big chances, taking 2.4 shots, winning 4.9 duels and completing 1.3 dribbles per game, proving that he is a complete midfielder who could become a valuable asset to Lampard this season.

Due to his outstanding season with the Blades, Gibbs-White has been the recipient of high praise, and Barnsley head coach Poya Asbaghi was in awe of the £30m-valued phenomenon following his team’s clash with Sheffield United, saying (via Yorkshire Post): “He’s a really good player. I think Sheffield United have a lot of good players, but he is the most outstanding one.”

“He is so good when he drops in-between the centre backs and the midfield to receive the ball to attack the spaces from there.”

Lampard could form a fantastic attacking partnership between Gibbs-White and Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Combining the Wolves midfielder’s creativity with the 25-year-old’s eye for goal (58 in an Everton shirt) could be an absolute nightmare for their opponents this season in the Premier League.

The signing of Gibbs-White would be a major coup for Everton to improve their goal threat and, in turn, lead to better results in the league to cope comfortably without the headache of another relegation battle.

AND in other news – After McNeil: Journalist claims Everton “trying” to sign £17.5m target, it would be a big coup

Liverpool have already made three signings this summer with Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay all joining the Anfield outfit ahead of next season, but there could be room for more new faces in Jurgen Klopp’s trophy-chasing squad.

The Reds have now had nine departures in total during the current transfer window, with Sadio Mane, Taki Minamino, Neco Williams and Divock Origi to name a few of the players that have been making moves away from Merseyside over the past few weeks.

As a result, there is surely an opportunity to bring in new players and add further depth to the squad as Liverpool will be wanting to repeat their success of last season by competing across all competitions to win as many trophies as they can.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to the six-time Champions League winners is Martin Terrier, who has been in impressive form for Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.

With Mane joining Bayern Munich and Roberto Firmino in the last year of his contract currently, the £34m-valued Frenchman could be the perfect replacement for the Brazilian forward going forward if the club decides to part ways with their player next summer.

Over 37 league appearances last season, Terrier scored 21 goals, delivered three assists and created five big chances. The striker also made 1.1 key passes, 1.5 tackles and managed 1.6 shots on target per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (53%), proving he has the complete package and a consistent goal threat.

Terrier who was hailed “high-level” by Bruno Genesio also ranked second for the most shots on target (47) just behind Kylian Mbappe and ranked sixth for big chances created in the entirety of Ligue 1 last term, proving that he is not just a stand-out in his team but also in his league.

Klopp could quite literally land the second coming of Mane as according to FBref the Senegalese winner was the second most comparable player to Terrier throughout the last 365 days.

Although Mane completed more passes (819) and had a better success rate for pressures (31.6%), the French attacker had more league goal contributions (24), had a better shot-on-target accuracy (50.6%) and produced more shot-creating actions (99) than the former Liverpool star.

With that being said, not only could Klopp deploy a player who can recover the loss of Mane’s attacking threat by signing Terrier, he could even be an upgrade in Liverpool’s forward line next season.

AND in other news: In talks: FSG preparing £60m Liverpool bid for “top player”, imagine him & Nunez