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Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves for a potential transfer swoop, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Midfielder targeted

Central midfield is just one of the areas that Tottenham are looking at strengthening this summer, recently being linked to Lecce star Morten Hjulmand, who could be available for a price of just £13m.

The Lilywhites are also said to be leading the race for Inter Milan maestro Marcelo Brozovic, with Tanguy Ndombele potentially being used as a bargaining chip in negotiations for the Croatian, who has a lot of admirers in the Premier League.

Joao Palhinha is another target, with the Fulham midfielder being monitored by a plethora of top English clubs, while journalist Pete O’Rourke has urged Spurs to move for James Ward-Prowse, as the Southampton captain would be a ‘great fit’ in Antonio Conte’s midfield.

The Latest: Neves on the radar

According to a report from 90min, Tottenham, Newcastle United and Liverpool have all asked to be kept informed of Neves’ ongoing contract situation at Wolves, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season.

Julen Lopetegui is keen to tie the Portugal international down to a new deal, however his future is uncertain, as a result of the Old Gold’s difficult season so far.

Agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly made it clear that his client is prepared to seek pastures new this summer, potentially opening the door for a move to north London, with Spurs likely to be able to offer him European football.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Journalist Raj Chohan has previously lauded the midfielder as having the ability to be a ‘top fit as a defensive midfielder at an elite side’, while he has also branded him an ‘unbelievable technician’.

The 26-year-old is at the right age to take the next step in his career, having proven that he is capable of playing at a level above Wolves, ranked by Sofascore as by far and away their best-performing player in the Premier League this season.

The former Porto man has been well-known for his long-range goals for quite some time, highlighting the threat he poses going forward, but he is also well-versed in the defensive side of the game, ranking in the 98th percentile for clearances per 90 in the past year.

Neves would be an excellent addition for Tottenham in the summer, and the club should continue to monitor how his contract talks progress with Wolves.

Other than the obvious example of Declan Rice, West Ham have struggled to progress players from their academy into the first team in recent seasons.

However, Ben Johnson has shown over the last few years that he can now be considered a strong member of David Moyes’ squad at the London Stadium, with his market valuation continuing to soar.

How much is Ben Johnson worth now?

Since making his Premier League debut in the 2018/19 season, Johnson has gone on to make 79 appearances in total for the first team at West Ham, contributing two goals and one assist.

While he has featured mainly as a right-back, he has demonstrated impressive versatility in his career thus far, appearing in nearly every defensive and midfield position, so he is clearly a valued member of Moyes’ squad.

This season has seen the 23-year-old make 12 appearances in the Premier League, earning a 6.49 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him just behind Vladimir Coufal (6.53) and ahead of Thilo Kehrer (6.36) in West Ham’s squad, so it seems clear that the Englishman can be relied upon to be a big part of the Hammers’ defence in the future.

The youngster would earn plenty of praise from former goalkeeper Paul Robinson after he replaced Coufal in West Ham’s starting side back in 2021.

Robinson said: “It’s incredible because Coufal has been one of West Ham’s best players over the past 18 months.

“If you were Ben Johnson, you would have thought your only chance to play would be when Coufal was injured.

“But, Johnson’s performances have been of such merit that he deserves to be in the team. There is no doubt about that in my eyes. He has been absolutely brilliant since he has come in.”

There is little doubt that Johnson can be a big part of West Ham’s future if they can tie him down to a longer contract at the London Stadium, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of next season.

However, if he were to leave, the Hammers would be safe in the knowledge that he would command a sizeable fee, as his market value has shot up to €12m (£10.5m) according to Transfermarkt.

This represents a 1100% increase on the €1m (£876k) he was valued at back in 2020 when he first broke into West Ham’s team, a testament to his progression under Moyes.

Hopefully, for the Hammers, fellow academy players can look at Johnson’s journey into the first team and follow suit in the coming years, with the club undoubtedly striking gold with his marvellous development.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has worked hard in recent transfer windows to cultivate a squad full of talented young prospects to compete in the first-team.

The Black Cats chief has struck gold with the likes of Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke, and Patrick Roberts, to name a few, and has also brought in quality, experienced, operators like Danny Batth and Corry Evans.

However, the club have not always had the greatest success in the transfer market over the years and have been prone to bringing in the occasional flop.

One player who they had a howler with at the Stadium of Light was Scotland international Steven Fletcher, who joined Sunderland from then recently-relegated Premier League outfit Wolves in the summer of 2012.

How did Steven Fletcher perform for Sunderland?

Then-boss Martin O’Neill snapped the centre-forward up for a £14m package and lauded the signing, saying: “I think Steven will be terrific for us. Steven has a proven track record of scoring goals.

“He’s underrated, but not by me. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring him to Sunderland.”

The striker came to Wearside off the back of scoring an impressive 22 Premier League goals in two seasons with Wolves and enjoyed a superb first campaign with the Black Cats.

Fletcher plundered 11 goals and one assist in 28 top-flight outings for the club – averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.98 – and won an eye-catching 5.1 aerial battles per match.

However, the following three seasons were littered with inconsistent displays and a lack of goals. The flop managed only 12 strikes in 66 Premier League games between the 2013/14 and 2015/16 campaigns – averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.73 or lower in that time.

He also failed to average more than four aerial battles won per outing in that three-year spell and that suggests that the 6 foot 1 attacker’s usefulness to the team faded alongside his goals.

Fletcher did incredibly well to score 11 in his first season but to then fail to score more than five in any of the following three campaigns was disappointing from the Scottish attacker.

This led to the Black Cats releasing him on a free transfer in the summer of 2016, prior to his move to Sheffield Wednesday in the lower tiers, which was just four years on from the £14m deal to snap him up from Wolves.

Therefore, O’Neill had a shocker with Fletcher as Sunderland, essentially, managed to get one good year out of the striker before being left with an underwhelming and inconsistent centre-forward for three years – after lavishing out a significant fee for his services and recouping none of it with his exit.

Tottenham Hotspur did hold an interest in the Southampton youngster Thierry Small over the January transfer window but the 18-year-old made a short-term loan move to St Mirren.

What’s the latest?

Spurs had a steady January transfer window with two first-team arrivals coming through the doors of Hotspur Way in Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro.

And Fabio Paratici was also able to bring in a young prospect in Jude Soonsup-Bell from Chelsea who will join the club’s U23s side.

However, it seems as if he was not the only young prospect on the north London club’s radar with the 18-year-old defender, Small, believed to be a player of interest.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has suggested the club showed an interest in Small but they did not follow up on their interest:

(54:40) “They also showed interest in Thierry Small he’s a Southampton, 18-year-old defender early in the window, left-back but they didn’t follow up on that as the weeks wore on.”

“So I think Spurs were looking at maybe getting in there but yeah, I was kind of told quite early yesterday [Tuesday] that wasn’t something that was going to be kind of reignited this window. Maybe something they look at in the future.”

One for the summer?

Small is yet to make his Premier League debut but has played in the FA Cup during his time at Everton where Carlo Ancelotti provided him with some minutes against Sheffield Wednesday.

However, he has taken no time in getting settled in the Scottish Premiership having played against Aberdeen on Wednesday night and providing an assist in his 14-minute cameo off the bench.

So it is apparent this is a player who could become a real player to watch in the remaining months of the 2022/23 campaign given his bright start to life north of the border.

And there have been some who have suggested he is a player who could become a real talent in the future with journalist Alfie House saying Small’s “potential is scary”

Going from Gold’s comments, it does seem as if, perhaps, this could be a player Spurs may come back to in the future given they did show a real interest in January.

In the summer, Destiny Udogie is set to return from his loan spell with Udinese and it will leave Ivan Perisic going into the new campaign at the age of 34.

With Ryan Sessegnon not showing many signs of consistency (in a positive sense) or improvement, perhaps this could be a position in which Spurs look to provide some further strength in depth over the summer.

And with Small, there would be the possibility to send him straight out on loan for the season – as they did with Udogie – as Perisic potentially sees out the remaining year in his contract.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hakim Ziyech to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent column for GIVEMESPORT that David Moyes is still looking to add greater fire-power to his current squad over the remainder of the winter market, and is considering launching an offer for the Chelsea winger – who is reported to be available for a figure in the region of €20m (£17.5m).

However, reports from Italy suggest that the Hammers are not alone in their pursuit of the Morocco international, with both AS Roma and AC Milan also thought to be keen on a move for the 29-year-old forward this month – although it is suggested that neither side can afford the Blues’ current asking price for the attacker.

Payet 2.0

While it is true that Ziyech has somewhat failed to hold a regular spot in the Chelsea XI down since his £36.7m move to Stamford Bridge back in 2020 – starting just 56 of his 98 appearances for the club – the winger has nevertheless still managed to impress during his time in west London.

Indeed, over his 23 Premier League fixtures last season – only 14 of which came from the off – the £22m-rated talent was in fine form going forwards, scoring four goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles – at a success rate of 43% – per game.

These returns saw the £100k-per-week trickster average an extremely impressive Sofascore statistical rating of 7.09, ranking him as the Blues’ 12th-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

The 29-year-old also caught the eye over his nine outings in the Champions League last term – five of which came as starts – bagging one goal, providing two assists and creating three big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles – at a success rate of 35% – per match.

These metrics saw the player who Frank Lampard dubbed an “absolute dream” and Elliot Hackney labelled “unreal” average an incredibly impressive Sofascore statistical rating of 6.97 – playing a key role in Chelsea reaching the quarter-finals of European football’s most prestigious club competition, where they would narrowly lose out to eventual champions Real Madrid.

Furthermore, with Ziyech being able to operate from a number of different positions in both midfield and attack – including central and attacking midfield, on either flank, as a support striker and even as an out-and-out number nine – the Moroccan’s extremely impressive positional versatility would also come as a huge plus for Moyes and his side.

So, with the former Ajax sensation evidently being a huge threat in the final third who is capable of operating from a variety of different positions, as well as a player who is exceptional with the ball at his feet, should Moyes manage to get a deal over the line for the forward this month, he could well have unearthed the Irons’ next Dimitri Payet-esque talent in attack.

As such, considering the fact that Ziyech appears to be available for an extremely reasonable £17.5m this month – roughly £4.5m below his current market valuation – it would seem an extremely wise move for the 59-year-old to launch a late bid for the Chelsea outcast before tomorrow’s deadline, as he may just be rewarded with the discovery of the Irons’ next talismanic winger.

West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Brighton striker Deniz Undav this month and the German forward could be the ideal player for Carlos Corberan as he looks to boost the Baggies’ promotion chances.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, West Brom are amongst a number of Championship sides interested in signing Undav in the transfer window, with Sunderland, Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Millwall also said to be keen.

The Seagulls signed Undav from Union Saint-Gillioise in a deal worth £6m in January 2022 but he has struggled for regular game time under both Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi since arriving at the Amex Stadium in the summer.

The 26-year-old is yet to start a game in the Premier League for Brighton but does boast goals in cup competitions against Forest Green Rovers and Middlesbrough, so could add a goalscoring threat to Corberan’s side.

Corberan needs him

Since arriving at the Hawthorns, Corberan has overseen an impressive transformation of West Brom which has seen them diminish any fears of relegation and instead launch a promotion charge, which sees them occupy the final playoff spot after their 4-2 win over Luton Town last weekend.

Corberan has done so without last season’s top scorer Karlan Grant, who has lost his regular starting spot in the first team, with Brandon Thomas-Asante impressing since his summer switch from Salford.

Daryl Dike has only just started to play regularly after suffering a number of injury issues during his time at the Hawthorns, while the forgotten man, Kenneth Zohore, is currently sidelined through injury.

If the Baggies are to seal promotion this season then they will need plenty of depth in attack and therefore, considering Dike’s injury history, they should definitely be looking at a striker such as Undav this month.

Last season saw the German forward hit a remarkable 25 goals and ten assists in just 33 appearances in the Belgian Pro League, so he can certainly be relied upon in front of goal when given regular opportunities.

Upon his arrival at Brighton, Undav promised fans goals and he could potentially provide what’s required at the Hawthorns in the second half of the term to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive.

Undav said: “I can score from everywhere. I have no typical type of goal. I try to score with my head, with the left foot, right foot, with my shoulder, with everything.”

Considering Thomas-Asante leads the way for Championship goals at Albion this season with just five to his name, you could definitely argue that Corberan needs a clinical striker in his squad, and Undav would surely be the ideal man if he joins the Baggies.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Villarreal defender Alfonso Pedraza, with the Spaniard having previously enjoyed a brief stint at Elland Road.

What’s the word?

According to Football Espana, the Yorkshire side – as well as Serie A outfit Inter Milan – are keen on signing the 26-year-old in the New Year, with the Whites already having a connection with the player after signing him on loan back in 2017.

The report suggests that the Premier League side could well receive encouragement in their bid to land the full-back as the player is said to be open to a departure, while the LaLiga club could also be willing to sanction a sale.

A new left-back does appear to be on the agenda for sporting director Victor Orta, with recent reports having also claimed that Philadephia Union gem Kai Wagner is also a target for the club.

Marsch’s own Perisic

Despite having hardly pulled up any trees during his brief time in England – scoring once in just 14 appearances – Pedraza has certainly gone on to impress since then, with his total tally for the Yellow Submarine now standing at 11 goals and 18 assists in 147 games across all fronts.

The 6-foot ace was particularly impressive under Unai Emery last term after scoring four goals and registering five assists in 28 league outings from his defensive berth, having also been part of the side that reached the last four of the Champions League.

The £65k-per-week maestro – who has chipped in with three goal involvements in 12 appearances for the Yellow Submarine this season – will no doubt have caught the eye of Orta and co as a result of his breathtaking speed, having previously been compared to Wales icon Gareth Bale for that running power in the past.

The highly-rated “machine” – as described by Simon Harrison – would surely add notable quality to Jesse Marsch’s ranks at Elland Road, with that emphasised by the fact that the former Real Betis loanee shares a number of stylistic and statistical similarities to Tottenham Hotspur’s Ivan Perisic, as per FBref.

That likeness is evidenced by the fact that not only do the two men typically operate on the left flank, but they are also similar in their desire to impact play in the final third, with Pedraza ranking in the top 2% in Europe among those in his position for touches in the attacking penalty area, while Perisic ranks in the top 1% in that regard.

That attacking threat is also illustrated by the fact that the later man ranks in the top 10% for non-penalty goals, while the Villarreal star ranks in the top 3% for the same metric, proving himself something of a weapon from open play.

Such a comparison is noteworthy as a result of the impact that the Spurs man has made in the Premier League in recent months, with the veteran Croatian having settled swiftly in Antonio Conte’s side, recording an impressive tally of seven assists in just 22 games for the club to date.

To think that Leeds could land their own version of the 33-year-old in the form of Pedraza is no doubt an intriguing prospect for Orta and co, with the hope being that the former Spain U21 international can seal a return to Elland Road in the near future.

Newcastle United would need to stump up a “massive” transfer offer if they want to land James Maddison in January, according to journalist Ryan Taylor. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Maddison

The Tyneside club, who are a lofty third in the Premier League, have been heavily linked with the Leicester City midfielder and even had two bids for him rejected during last summer’s transfer window.

Since then, the 26-year-old has gone on to score seven goals and provide four assists in 13 Premier League appearances for the Foxes, whose recent good form has seen them move away from the relegation zone.

Looking ahead to January, one journalist has made a claim regarding what it could take from the Magpies to sign Maddison in the coming weeks.

The Latest: Taylor drops Maddison claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor discussed the likelihood of Newcastle signing Maddison next month.

He said: “James Maddison is obviously a player they really like, but Leicester are not really rolling over for a sale.

“Maddison has probably been the difference between being in the relegation zone and being where they are this season, so I don’t see that coming off, certainly in this window unless there’s a massive, massive offer. But that’s not to say that Newcastle won’t look at strengthening.”

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The Verdict: Worth the wait

In addition to his goals and assists, the Englishman has also played more key passes (31) and taken more shots at goal (39) than anyone else at Leicester in the current campaign.

In fact, his form this season earned him a place in England’s squad for the World Cup, only for him to not get the chance to play even a minute of action in Qatar.

With Maddison’s contract at the King Power Stadium set to expire in 2024, next summer’s transfer window could be the best time for Newcastle to try and sign him, especially if Leicester feel that this would be the best time to cash in on their midfield star.

If the Foxes are adamant that they won’t be selling the 26-year-old in January, Newcastle shouldn’t waste their time trying to sign him then, instead biding their time for another few months.

The new manager of Glasgow Rangers faces an arduous task ahead of him during the second half of the season.

The Ibrox side are currently nine points adrift of Celtic in the Premiership title race with the team devoid of confidence and ideas, it will be a brave man who fancies the challenge of winning title number 56 this season.

Ross Wilson has earmarked former Rangers first-team coach Mick Beale as the primary target and this would be a wise move, considering he knows the club and the majority of the players rather well.

The 42-year-old will have to work his magic in order to get a tune out of Alfredo Morelos – scorer of just three goals this season – and Ryan Kent, who has largely disappointed.

Beale must put his main focus on reviving the fortunes of Ridvan Yilmaz however, as the young Turkish left-back faltered under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The £12k-per-week player was signed for £5m from Besiktas in the summer and there were high hopes he would displace Borna Barisic and become a mainstay in the starting XI. It hasn’t quite worked out like that so far.

Wilson was full of praise for the youngster, dubbing him “high quality” but he has yet to show this during his brief spell in Glasgow.

Under the Dutchman, Yilmaz made just seven appearances in all competitions, a grand total of 376 minutes and although he has shown a few glimpses of his talent, the lack of game time has held back his progress.

Beale of course knows Barisic well from his previous spell at Rangers, and while the Croatian offers an excellent attacking threat, defensively, he can be very hit or miss and this could play on his mind when deciding who will be the starting left-back going forward.

Yilmaz has been linked with a January move away from Ibrox, however, he has every intention of remaining at the club for the long term, saying: “I want to play in the top leagues in Europe until the age of 28 or 29 at least and prove myself. So I have no intention of returning to Turkish football right now.”

A new manager might just give the Turkish international a boost and he could certainly thrive under Beale if he were appointed.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch may have to make a ruthless call in January.

After signing no fewer than three new midfield options in the form of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, the chances of long-serving stalwart Adam Forshaw making the American’s starting XI again are becoming slimmer by the week.

Not at least because he’s on the treatment table yet again.

And according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, the 31-year-old could be on his way out after the Qatar World Cup – speaking to Football FanCast, he said:

“I think it’s tough for Forshaw to get into that side.

“There’s so much competition in the midfield engine room right now. You’ve got the summer signings of Roca, Adams and Aaronson in there as well. I think Leeds are now well-stocked in that midfield department.

“So it’s probably looking unlikely that Adam Forshaw will get many first-team opportunities for the club going forward. And he’s out of contract in the summer as well.”

Indeed, it would make sense for the Whites to cash in on the former Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic man, even if for a nominal fee as at least they’d be getting some sort of return for a player that can leave for nothing in a little over six months time.

Forshaw has been a fantastic servant for the club since joining from the northeast in 2018. A lot of that time has been spent on the sidelines, with the £20k-per-week enforcer missing as many as 77 matches through injury but he has never let the team down when featuring on the pitch.

It would be a merciless but necessary decision given he’s among the key leadership group considered by Marsch and has made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, on top of only 17 starts last term.

“Adam’s an important player for us. He’s a big leader for us. He helped set up [a] couple of goals with some of the plays he made. He’s a very reliable leader and player for us. No question,” claimed the 49-year-old back in July.

For the sake of the player and his career, it would be best for Marsch and co to find him a new club in January, considering the evidence above and the fact that Leeds will only lose him for nothing come the summer.

AND in other news, “Superb” Leeds talent who lost the ball 11x hit his stride for the World Cup vs Spurs…