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Tottenham Hotspur are the latest side to be linked with a move for Azzedine Ounahi, who recently became a “revelation” at the World Cup for Morrocco, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig.

There are a whole host of clubs that were left impressed by the 22-year-old dynamo and according to Italian outlet La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), Spurs have made their move by making contact with his current club, Angers SCO.

It’s thought that the Ligue 1 outfit are asking for at least €35m (£30m) to consider a sale during the January transfer window, with the likes of Napoli and Premier League rivals Leicester City also vying for his signature, as per the report.

The door could open for Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici to strike as the Serie A side are unwilling to spend more than €15m (£13m), whilst the Foxes may only be prepared to pay €20m (£18m).

Interestingly, the Morrocco midfielder has some likeness to that of Tanguy Ndombele, who is currently on loan in Naples, according to FBref’s statistical profile comparison model.

As we saw in Qatar, the 6-foot maestro is potentially a far better prospect and whilst a new midfielder shouldn’t be high on the agenda for Antonio Conte and co, it would be hard to say no to Ounahi.

He started six of his country’s seven outings at the World Cup and garnered some impressive Sofascore ratings of 7.5 and 7.3 against Spain and Portugal before finishing fourth overall behind Croatia, France and eventual winners Argentina.

In terms of his domestic form, a first glance at no goals or assists is worrying but he is playing in a poor side and ranks very favourably compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five divisions.

Indeed, as per FBref – who also liken him to Gavi and Frenkie de Jong – Ounahi sits amongst the top 1% for completed dribbles, as well as the top 25% for interceptions and shot-creating actions per 90, too.

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has been impressed by the Angers star, claiming that he had been “absolutely incredible,” whilst journalist Zach Lowry lauded his exploits as “sensational,” also predicting him to make a big move in the near future.

Indeed, that could come in the form of Spurs and just like at the World Cup, he could be a ‘revelation’ under the stewardship of Conte, particularly given the stature of names mentioned above and his obvious quality on the pitch.

AND in other news, Big concern: £44m-rated Spurs ace who lost the ball 16x was “dreadfully disappointing”…

Chelsea are a club in transition, with a new manager and new ownership during 2022 resulting in a very different sheen to the Stamford Bridge outfit, and the ongoing January transfer market must now be utilised in order to spearhead success at the new era of the club…

What’s the word?

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram has been in electric form this season and has consequently come to the fore as a new major force on the European striking scene, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, the shark tank of suitors will surely intensify their efforts to land him.

Manchester United have been the notable suitors vying for a deal, but French publication Foot Mercato are now reporting that Chelsea manager Graham Potter is determined to land the 25-year-old before the conclusion of the winter transfer window at the end of the month.

If Chelsea were able to snag Thuram and bring him to Stamford Bridge, it would represent a shrewd and exciting acquisition, landing a new talisman to lead the line and possibly arriving for a cut-price fee of roughly £10m, according to reports from Bild.

Anelka 2.0

The 25-year-old has 13 goals and four assists from 17 outings for Gladbach this term, casting off the cobwebs of an injury-stricken 2021/22 campaign and coming joint-second in the scoring charts in the Bundesliga.

Indeed, Chelsea-bound Christopher Nkunku is the only player to have scored more than Thuram’s ten league strikes this term, and the Blues could certainly do with the striking exploits of that pair right now. Chelsea have only scored 20 goals in the Premier League this season – the fewest of any team in the top half – with no player in Potter’s squad scoring more than six goals across all competitions.

If Chelsea manage to complete the transfer, they would have a fresh face in the mould of former Stamford Bridge star Nicolas Anelka, with Thuram’s nomadic countryman a forward bearing many similar attributes to the touted Blues target.

Anelka signed for Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers for a reported £15m in January 2008 – a winter signing, which Thuram could also be.

With Anelka exemplary in the craft of selfless centre-forward play, he dazzled with his pace, elegance and aerial dominance, scoring 59 goals and supplying 36 assists in 184 appearances for the west London giants.

Thuram could emulate his compatriot by bringing a host of skills to dominate in the talismanic centre-forward role for years to come, with eyes on a repeat of the Premier League title and two FA Cup triumphs in which Anelka basked while at Chelsea.

As per FBref, the “world-class” Thuram – as once dubbed by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer – ranks within the top 7% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022 for non-penalty goals and the top 6% for dribbles completed, highlighting his cutting edge and transitional prowess.

Hailed as a “beast” by Atul Kasbekar, the nine-cap phenomenon would be a worthy addition for Potter’s side; and if Chelsea are serious about righting the wrongs of the season so far and forging a path to success in 2023 and beyond, then signing Thuram is of paramount importance.

Chelsea are eyeing up Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo as the potential solution to their current midfield issues, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Caicedo a wanted man

The Ecuadorian has stood out as one of the Seagulls’ most important players in recent times, providing energy and quality in the middle of the park.

Caicedo has started 16 of Brighton’s 17 Premier League matches so far this season, averaging 2.9 tackles per game, which is only matched by Alexis Mac Allister on the south coast.

Liverpool have been constantly linked with a move for the 21-year-old but now it looks as though they could face competition.

The Latest: Chelsea keen on signing

According to The Guardian‘s Jacob Steinberg, Chelsea are ‘lining up a move’ for Caicedo, having become ‘frustrated’ in their attempts to sign Argentina World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.

The Brighton man’s signature is seen as ‘more achievable’ than teammate Mac Allister, who is also considered a target.

The Verdict: Exactly what the Blues need

Chelsea’s midfield has looked ageing and one-dimensional at times this season, with N’Golo Kante and Jorginho now in their 30s and Mateo Kovacic turning 29 this year.

Caicedo could be the perfect player to come in and provide some bite and fresh legs in the middle of the park, considering he has averaged 1.4 interceptions per match in the league this season, not to mention showcasing his technical quality with an 87.7% pass completion rate

Graham Potter knows the youngster inside out after their time together at Brighton, which can only bode well – he hailed him as ‘fantastic’ last summer – and he could help turn Chelsea’s stuttering season around.

West Ham United have made an offer for Aston Villa forward Danny Ings, according to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath.

The Lowdown: 15 goals…

The Hammers have struggled for goals this season, despite bolstering their attacking options by signing striker Gianluca Scamacca and attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta over the summer.

David Moyes’ side have netted just 15 times in 19 top-flight fixtures, with Wolves the only side to score less. The club’s poor form in front of goal has contributed to their current battle at the bottom, and it looks as if they are looking to sign a new forward this month.

The Latest: Ings offer

McGrath shared a story for The Telegraph on Wednesday evening regarding Ings and West Ham, claiming the Hammers have made an offer for the forward’s services.

He said that ‘Villa could be tempted by a sale which would add to their own January transfer kitty’, with Moyes previously looking at a move for Ings during his time in charge of Real Sociedad.

The Verdict: Good move?

The Irons have lacked goals this season, so signing Ings, who has been called a ‘special’ player by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, could be a wise move.

Now 30 years of age, Ings has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, contributing to 87 goals in 188 top-flight games. He has scored six times for Villa in 818 minutes of league action, and that sort of form could come in handy at the London Stadium during the second half of the season.

Scamacca and Michail Antonio are the only senior centre-forward options available to Moyes at this moment in time, and with the Hammers moving for Ings, it appears as if the West Ham boss feels he needs more firepower to improve the club’s chances of survival.

Scottish champions Celtic could well be targetting Hibernian ace Kevin Nisbet this month, as manager Ange Postecoglou continues his search for a new centre-forward.

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Scotland international is said to be back on the Parkhead outfit’s radar, having previously been linked with a £3m move for the 25-year-old back in the summer of 2021.

The report suggests that the striker’s recent impressive return to action following a lengthy injury lay-off has ensured that he has caught the eye of the Old Firm giants once again, with the Hoops said to currently be analysing data to determine whether the ten-cap gem would be ‘fit enough’ to flourish in Postecoglou’s ‘high tempo’ system.

This comes amid reports that the Glasgow side could be set to lose Greek marksman Giorgos Giakoumakis this month, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club have received an offer from Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds for the 28-year-old.

Stokes 2.0

As mentioned above, Nisbet has enjoyed a truly rampant run of form in recent weeks since getting back to full fitness, having now scored seven goals and provided one assist in just six Scottish Premiership outings this season.

That includes a stunning haul of five goals from just his last two top-flight outings, with that hot streak having seen the former Dunfermline man lauded as “the best player in the league at the minute” by pundit Tam McManus, having been “absolutely flying” for Lee Johnson’s side.

Although the 5 foot 11 sensation did endure an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign in which he scored just five league goals, the year prior had seen the one-time Raith Rovers ace bag 18 goals in all competitions during his debut season at Easter Road.

Such form has seen the Glasgow native even tipped to potentially make a move to Paradise in the future by former Bhoys winger, Aiden McGeady, with it looking as if the in-form goal machine could be edging closer to making that switch.

The hope would be that Nisbet could mirror the success of another man to have trade life at Hibs for Celtic in the form of Anthony Stokes, with the former Republic of Ireland international having thrived following his £1.2m move from Edinburgh in 2010.

The Dublin-born menace had scored 24 goals the year prior to making that move and would continue to prove a reliable goalscoring presence at Celtic Park, notably hitting the ground running with 20 goals across all fronts during his debut campaign.

The ruthless figure would ultimately go on to net a remarkable haul of 76 goals and lay on a further 64 assists in 192 games for the club in all competitions over the next six years, albeit with the departure of Neil Lennon in the dugout – and the subsequent appointment of Ronny Deila – ultimately bringing his time at Celtic to an end.

Nevertheless, that move proved an undoubted success as Stokes played his part in five Scottish Premiership triumphs, with the hope being that the addition of another Hibernian asset – Nisbet – can be just as fruitful for both the player and Postecoglou.

Journalist Charles Watts has revealed that Oleksandr Zinchenko got right in the face of Leandro Trossard to fire him up as he made his debut for Arsenal.

What’s the word? On Sunday, the Gunners picked up a huge three points in their quest for Premier League glory this weekend as they beat Manchester United 3-2 at the Emirates.Despite having trailed to a Marcus Rashford goal, Mikel Arteta’s men fought their way back into the game and took the lead only to then be pegged back by a Lisandro Martinez header.With the game at 2-2, Trossard was brought on for his debut and actually helped change the game as he played a ball through to Zinchenko who crossed in the box which led to Eddie Nketiah’s late winner.While speaking on YouTube after the game, Watts praised the Ukrainian for his display but also his leadership qualities that were vital on the day.He explained: “I thought Zinchenko, as I said at the start, was absolutely exceptional. He was the guy before the match, in the pre-match huddle, he was leading things there, Zinchenko.”And he carried that on during the game as well. He was constantly pushing, constantly going up to his teammates. When Leandro Trossard came on for his debut with 15 minutes to go, Zinchenko was right in his face straight away, geeing him up.”And Trossard had a big impact on the goal itself. So it was just a really, really big afternoon for him [Zinchenko], I thought.”True leaderZinchenko only joined Arsenal in the summer – moving from Manchester City – but his experience of winning four league titles seems to already be helping shift the mentality of those around him at his new club.Indeed, speaking to Premier League Productions (via The Mirror) after the recent win the left-back explained that he has always felt the club can lift the title and while some of his teammates didn’t initially believe him they do now.He said: “To be honest when I just arrived, the quality I saw – obviously I knew the Arsenal team, I knew all of them before – but still, I realised on the pitch that we have everything to achieve the big things. And I started to speak in the dressing room like, ‘guys, forget top three or whatever it is, we need to think about the title’.“Some of them were laughing, but no one is laughing now. All of us are dreaming, but like I said, there are a lot of games and United are back, City are always there obviously. Let’s see what’s going to happen, we need to move step by step.”No doubt the Gunners will be helped in their cause with the new addition of Trossard. The former Brighton man only signed for the club this week for a reported £21m but was registered in time to make his debut.Zinchenko’s motivational actions seemed to inspire him too as the Belgian seemed to impress with for Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas saying the 28-year-old looked “composed and confident already”.

Manchester City play host to Arsenal in the FA Cup tonight, with Pep Guardiola no doubt wanting his side to set down a marker ahead of the crucially important upcoming fixtures against the Gunners in the Premier League.

The Citizens are currently five points behind Mikel Arteta’s side in the top flight having played a game more but still have to face Arsenal twice in the league, which emphasises that the title race is far from over.

Therefore, it is imperative that City attempt to knock Arsenal’s confidence with a win in the FA Cup this evening and Guardiola should hand Joao Cancelo a start after dropping him for recent fixtures.

The Portugal international has lost his starting place to 18-year-old Rico Lewis on a number of occasions since the World Cup break, with his only two 90 minutes resulting in two defeats against Southampton and Manchester United respectively.

He was also hooked at half-time in the 1-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which suggests that he certainly isn’t in Guardiola’s good books right now.

Reports seem to confirm this, with Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez reporting that a number of first-team regulars including Cancelo, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all “disgruntled” with the current situation at the Etihad.

The Telegraph recently reported that the Portuguese star was attracting interest from around Europe after losing his place in the side, so there’s no guarantee he will remain at the Etihad Stadium much past January, let alone the summer transfer window.

It is perhaps not a surprise that some players are unhappy, as Guardiola didn’t hold back in his criticism of his players after the recent comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur, suggesting that he didn’t recognise his team.

However, with Lewis forced off with injury against Spurs, it opens the door for Cancelo to start and hopefully rediscover some of the form that saw him recognised as one of the best in the world last season.

Since his £60m switch from Juventus in 2019, the former Valencia dynamo has gone on to make 154 appearances for the Citizens, contributing nine goals and 22 assists.

Part of Arsenal’s success this season has come from Oleksandr Zinchenko being afforded the freedom to roam from his left-back position and almost play as another midfielder but if Cancelo is given license to push forward and support Riyad Mahrez on the right-hand side, it could force the Ukrainian back into a more defensive area.

There is no doubt that the Portuguese defender is capable of being a world-class playmaker on his day and if Guardiola wants to repair his seemingly strained relationship with the 28-year-old, then he must restore him to the starting side against the Gunners tonight.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth says that both Albert Sambi Lokonga and Cedric Soares could now leave Arsenal on loan before the deadline.

The Lowdown: Marquinhos leaves

Arsenal confirmed this morning that young Brazilian winger Marquinhos has joined Norwich City in the Championship on loan for the rest of the season.

They had already loaned out seven members of the first-team squad in the summer, with Marquinhos being the eighth, but it now looks as if two more first-team players could go out on loan before the deadline.

The Latest: Two more departures?

Taking to Twitter tonight, Sheth says that aside from the now confirmed signing of central midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea, Lokonga is ‘close’ to joining Crystal Palace on loan, while there is ‘cautious optimism’ that Cedric will also go out on loan to Fulham:

“Arsenal: Jorginho formal announcement soon… Albert Sambi Lokonga loan to Crystal Palace close… Cedric Soares loan to Fulham – “cautious optimism” it gets done.”

The Verdict: Good moves

Both Lokonga and Cedric have suffered from a lack of game time so far this season, with just eight appearances between them in total in the Premier League.

Lokonga’s game time would have been even more limited by the arrival of Jorginho, while Cedric has Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu to compete with in the right-back position.

They also reportedly earn a combined £125,000-per-week at the Emirates Stadium, and letting them go on top of Marquinhos would help cover Jorginho’s salary, with his move to the Gunners now confirmed.

Everton suffered in the January transfer market as they scrambled to secure the elusive striker that Farhad Moshiri promised.

It was a position that everyone could see needed bolstering, with the Toffees having scored only 15 goals in the Premier League before this weekend, yet it seemingly took until deadline day to spark them into action, ultimately to no avail.

Sean Dyche was left without any additions of his own, burdened with a relegation-threatened squad desperately lacking confidence.

Despite that, yesterday saw him mark his return to management with a famous win at Goodison Park over league leaders Arsenal. His team were resolute and disciplined, with James Tarkowski’s powerful header the difference between the two sides.

He may instil a tireless attitude and some much-needed defensive security, but again Everton require a consistent finisher if they are to comfortably pull away from the relegation mire.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 62nd-minute substitution was indicative that he is not yet truly fit following a spate of injuries, and with Dyche’s preferred 4-4-2 formation, the 25-year-old will need a reliable partner should he even remain available.

Neal Maupay somewhat lacks the physical assets needed for Dyche’s system, ranking in the bottom 21% of strikers in Europe’s five main leagues for aerial duels won. Meanwhile, Ellis Simms is expected to play an improved role, but it does leave the Toffees without a viable backup at centre-forward.

It seemed like they had one in Tom Cannon, who had hit a vein of unstoppable goalscoring form for the youth team before being sent out on loan to Preston North End last month.

To recall him and offer him some well-earned senior experience could be the answer to Everton’s transfer howler, which has left them light in a position of huge importance.

Even with yesterday’s win, the Toffees have still scored just 16 goals in 21 top-flight games, while the 20-year-old alone boasted seven goals in just 11 Premier League 2 matches, and he seemed poised to demolish his eight-goal tally from the 2021/22 season before his loan exit to Deepdale.

Cannon’s youth coach Paul Tait had predicted where his career might be heading early in the new year, praising the prolific forward and outlining what he could offer teams by saying: “I think the next part of his journey and pathway will probably be a loan, I would imagine. He certainly didn’t do himself any harm showing his finishing power with that strike.”

Clearly drawing the attention of numerous Championship clubs, Preston was elected as his chosen destination. He may well thrive at Deepdale, but he could also have done so at Goodison Park to quell Everton’s toothless form.

Dyche may have come in too late to prevent the club from making a howler in January by loaning Cannon out, but the 51-year-old can put that to rights by unleashing the youngster properly on Merseyside later this year.

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up West Brom manager Carlos Corberan as a replacement for increasingly under-fire boss Jesse Marsch.

The Lowdown: Marsch sacked

The Whites suffered another disappointing Premier League result on Sunday afternoon, losing 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest.

It is a defeat that leaves Leeds sitting 17th in the table and hovering ominously above the relegation zone, with a statement on Monday confirming Marsch has now been sacked.

It is perhaps unsurprising – across the last ten games, the Whites have picked up just two league wins, suggesting that a managerial change is absolutely required if they are to escape another last-gasp battle with the drop.

The Latest: Corberan a candidate

According to The Daily Mail, Corberan is seen as a ‘candidate’ to replace Marsch in the Elland Road hot seat for Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Group.

The 39-year-old has shone since replacing Steve Bruce as Baggies manager, guiding them into the playoff places after inheriting a struggling team.

The Verdict: Looks like a strong candidate

Marsch would have hoped he had just enough credit in the bank after his side’s dramatic survival last season, but results and performances simply haven’t been improving.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418869″]

Corberan meanwhile looks like an extremely impressive replacement, winning 11 out of his 16 total matches in charge of the Baggies (69%), turning what was a relegation candidate under Bruce into genuine play-off challengers.

Whether or not he would be willing to leave West Brom remains to be seen, though – he could prefer to stay put and attempt to steer them back into the Premier League – but he looks to have a big future in the game and has been hailed as ‘incredible’ by journalist Daniel Hewitt.