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Sunderland are believed to have identified an "amazing" player as their "top" target in the January transfer window, according to an update from journalist Alan Nixon.

Sunderland transfer news

The Black Cats will feel that they are right in the Championship promotion mix currently, finding themselves seventh in the table and only outside the playoff places on goal difference.

Michael Beale's reign is still in its infancy, however, with the Englishman replacing Tony Mowbray as manager last month, and he may feel that he needs to bring in players who can suit his style of play in the January transfer window, in order for his team to have the chance to making it back into the Premier League.

Sunderland have been linked with a host of different attacking players recently, including Barnsley forward John McAtee, who they are looking to sign ahead of fellow Championship side Ipswich Town. Blackburn Rovers attacker Sam Gallagher is also seen as a target for the Black Cats, and he is seen as a good alternative for Bournemouth ace Kieffer Moore.

It would certainly be a surprise if the club failed to complete a single signing in the whole of January, and a fresh update has outlined which individual is wanted by them more than most.

Sunderland want Kieffer Moore

According to reliable reporter Nixon on X [via Sunderland News], Sunderland see Bournemouth striker Moore as a top transfer target in January.

He is thought to be at the "top of the list" when it comes to reinforcements this month, as Beale looks to complete some important business to aid his side's promotion chances, with no bid made for Gallagher due to their desire to land Moore.

Moore could be a fantastic addition by Sunderland this month, possessing so much experience at the top level, including playing for Wales at major tournaments, scoring 12 goals in 40 caps for his country in the process. The 31-year-old is someone who has been valued by so many of his managers down the years, and former Cardiff City boss Mick McCarthy once lauded his quality as a player, saying:

"He's been terrific. Not only that, when he's not scored he has been on the pitch almost every minute of every game. The shift he puts in every week is amazing. We have not got a direct replacement for him, so he has played all the games. Testimony to that is that he knows we haven't got a direct replacement and he knows he is going to play all the games, but he doesn't take his foot off the gas, he keeps going."

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Moore is an attacking player who could give Sunderland that extra bit of firepower between now and the end of the season, with his physicality and aerial presence a nightmare for defenders to handle at times, and he will surely be keen to get more playing time away from Bournemouth.

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Michael Beale could land an attacking boost.

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His aforementioned international pedigree speaks volumes about his ability, and he has also netted 47 times in 155 Championship appearances, showing what a force he can be in the division.

Southampton splashed the cash on deadline day as they snapped up Ross Stewart from Sunderland for an initial fee of £8m, which could rise to £12m including add-ons.

Who are Southampton's most expensive striker signings?

The Saints have not been afraid to lavish out big fees in order to find a consistent number nine to bolster their attacking options over the years.

They will now be hoping that the former Black Cats star does not follow in the footsteps of a certain Guido Carrillo, who turned out to be a huge flop at St. Mary's after his move to the club under Mauricio Pellegrino.

Top five signings (excluding Carrillo)

Fee paid (via Transfermark)

Danny Ings

£21.6m

Paul Onuachu

£15.5m

Adam Armstrong

£15.2m

Manolo Gabbiadini

£14.6m

Che Adams

£14.4m

The club have had mixed success with their recruitment at the top end of the pitch over the years but the signing of Carrillo was a particularly poor piece of business, all things considered.

How much did Southampton pay for Guido Carrillo?

Southampton signed the centre-forward from French side AS Monaco for a club-record £19m fee in January of 2018 in an attempt to find a reliable scorer.

The striker had worked with Pellegrino, who was the manager at the time, at Argentine club Estudiantes and the club decided to back their head coach by securing a record deal for Carrillo, with vice-chairman Les Reed stating that he was confident that the player would benefit the Saints for "years" to come.

It was reported that the Argentine boss made a number nine signing a priority after £75m was raked in from Liverpool for central defender Virgil van Dijk, which provided him with the funds to splash out on a big addition.

However, it was a strange move for Southampton to make as Carrillo was 26 and had yet to prove himself to be a consistent or reliable goalscorer.

Football Transfers rated his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €13.1m (£11.2m) at the time of the move, which suggests that they paid far above the going rate to secure his services.

The £19m signing arrived off the back of just 15 goals and four assists in 65 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco. He had joined the French side after scoring 40 goals in 140 appearances for Estudiantes in his home country.

During the first half of the 2017/18 campaign, the 6 foot 2 forward scored only four goals and created zero 'big chances' for his teammates in 15 league outings for Monaco.

That came after the towering striker plundered seven goals and one assist in 19 Ligue 1 matches for his former club throughout the 2016/17 season.

These statistics show that Southampton signed a relatively experienced player who had yet to find his scoring boots on a regular basis at senior level.

They were gambling on him finally developing into a consistent scorer whilst being able to adapt to English and Premier League football. That turned out to be an expensive gamble that did not work out.

How many goals did Carrillo score for Southampton?

The Argentine ended up playing just ten matches in all competitions for the Saints and did not find the back of the net on a single occasion.

Pellegrino handed him seven Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, which included five starts, but he was unable to hit the ground running at St. Mary's with zero goals and zero 'big chances' created.

Carrillo only completed 66% of his attempted passes and lost 63% of his duels throughout those top-flight matches for the club, as per Sofascore, an indication that he struggled with the quality and physicality of the division.

The former Monaco marksman did not provide a goal threat, did not create for his teammates, was not a reliable passing option through the middle of the pitch, and was dominated by opposition players from a physical perspective.

Pellegrino was sacked in March 2018 and his replacement, Mark Hughes, opted to send Carrillo out on loan to LaLiga outfit Leganes for the 2018/19 campaign.

The Argentine finisher spent two seasons on loan with the Spanish outfit and contributed with ten goals and two assists in 60 appearances for the club.

How did Carrillo leave Southampton?

Southampton eventually decided to cut ties with the £19m flop as they released him on a free transfer in the summer of 2020, two-and-a-half-years after his club-record move to the club from Monaco.

Journalist Josh Bunting described it as a "disappointing" situation for the Saints as they received £0 back off their initial £19m investment on the striker.

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It was a howler of a move by Reed and Pellegrino in 2018 as they gambled on a player who had shown few signs of being ready to take the Premier League by storm after his struggles in France.

The warning signs were there and it turned out that they should have been heeded as Carrillo went on to flop in England and left for nothing after failing to score a single goal for the club.

Where is Carrillo now?

He is currently back playing for Estudiantes in Argentina at the age of 32 and has scored five goals in 27 games since making the move earlier this year.

Football Transfers currently rates his xTV at just €1.5m (£1.3m), a whopping £17.7m less than the fee that Southampton paid to secure his signature at the start of 2018.

He has not proven his worth since departing the Saints on a free transfer which only goes to emphasise the disaster that played out regarding Carrillo during his time in England.

Reed seemingly trusted Pellegrino's opinion on the centre-forward, as he had already worked with the ex-Monaco man in Argentina, and was willing to spend a huge sum of money off the back of his thoughts, despite the statistics not backing it up.

It ended up being a costly howler and Russell Martin will be hoping that Stewart does not go down the same route over the years to come.

The head of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau has claimed that fans will have a say in whether or not current Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro will stay in charge.

Why will fans have a say in the next Nigeria manager?

The former Porto and Sporting Lisbon manager took over back in May 2022, and it was claimed then that he would have a potentially hard time winning over supporters.

Indeed, BBC Sports writer Oluwashina Okeleji noted: "Peseiro will need to surpass his predecessor's achievement to win over demanding fans in Nigeria."

This was because the country's last foreign boss, Gernot Rohr, departed as the Super Eagles' longest-serving manager after taking charge in 2016 and leading Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and a third-place finish at the 2019 Nations Cup.

Well, Peseiro has managed to secure qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations but they didn't manage to make it to the 2022 World Cup. What's more, with four wins and fives losses since, he has been criticised by local media and fans for what some "poor team selections and colourless performances".

That is according to Okeleji again, who once more is reporting for BBC Sport. This new article then quotes the NFF head who explains why fans will have a say in the coach's future.

Speaking interview on the Gbamm! LovingFootball radio show, Gusau explained: "We have the plan to push the votes to Nigerians to hear their views and thoughts.

"We've tried the foreign coaches and also the local coaches, and it seems they were having some kind of problems.

"Maybe we didn't get it right in the area of getting the right person.

"We are surely going to push it to the public, whether we should continue with Peseiro or he should go."

What happened with Jose Peseiro's Nigeria wages?

The report claims that his contract with the NFF expires on 30 June, so this situation should be resolved pretty soon.

However, it remains unclear just how desperate Peseiro will be to stay in the job. After all, back in November – six months after being appointed – it was reported that he had yet to receive a single pay cheque from his employers. Even so, the 63-year-old didn't make an official complaint to the NFF at the time.

Once more, as per BBC Sport, Gusau claimed his

organisation will only pick the best man for the job and nationality will not be a factor.

He added: "Whether we are going to consider an indigenous coach, we are also going to push that to Nigerians on the phone.

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"The public will tell us if they think going for a Nigerian will be best for Nigeria at the moment or we appoint another foreign coach.

"We will get their views, look at it and then we will do what we have to do as a board and come out with a decision."

Luke Edwards took to Twitter to share his disgust at an opportunity squandered by Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson in the first-half of today’s Premier League clash.

The Lowdown: Another frustrating result for Newcastle

It was heartbreak for Eddie Howe’s men as they went fell to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City after Phil Foden’s first-half goal and Bernardo Silva’s second not long after being introduced.

The Magpies did not perform too badly, enjoying spells of possession but they just weren’t able to create enough opportunities as they ended the match with a rather disappointing five shots to their name.

The Latest: A costly Callum Wilson miss

It’s safe to say that the Newcastle faithful weren’t the only ones annoyed with the a certain opportunity in the first-half, as Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards took to his personal Twitter account to show his dismay as Callum Wilson fluffed a golden opportunity, calling his miss ‘woeful’.

He said: “A quite frankly woeful effort from Wilson when set up perfectly by Trippier”.

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The Verdict: A cause for concern for Newcastle

It really was a day to forget for Callum Wilson. He ended up being hooked off in the 63rd minute, registering just one shot which was off target, having just 14 touches, a passing accuracy percentage of just 60 and lost possession six times (Sofascore).

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Ever since the World Cup, Newcastle fans just haven’t seen the same Wilson, with just one goal to his name in his last 11 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, both Wilson and the Toon must now put this defeat to one side and concentrate on the battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League, as their recent run of results have allowed Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to get deeper into the mix.

West Ham United could now sign Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic for £13m in the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s Lukic pursuit

It was reported towards the end of December that West Ham were one of the clubs showing an interest in Lukic, alongside the likes of Napoli, Leicester City and Roma.

There is current concern at the club surrounding the future of Declan Rice, who is yet to commit to a new deal at the London Stadium beyond 2024, when his current deal is due to expire.

As such, the Serbian is now emerging as an option as a potential long-term replacement, with the Italian media providing a new update…

The Latest: Vlasic swap deal?

As per TuttoMercatoWeb, the 26-year-old could join the Hammers for £13m this January, with a potential swap deal being talked up by the Italian outlet.

It is claimed that Nikola Vlasic, who is currently on loan at Torino, could go the other way permanently for the same amount, after impressing for the Italian club this season.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Akin to Rice, Lukic particularly flourishes in his passing abilities, registering an average pass completion rate of 86.4% per 90 over the past year, not too far shy of the 90.5% average from the current West Ham man in the same timeframe.

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Lauded as ‘outstanding’ by journalist Josh Bunting for his abilities in protecting the Turin club’s back three, the 26-year-old is ranked as the third-best performer in his squad in the Serie A this term, with an average match rating of 6.95.

The former Partizan man would be a welcome addition in the middle of the park, clearly capable of fulfilling similar duties to Rice, and given the swap deal that is now an option, it would be a cheap deal for David Moyes.

Aston Villa made a monumental signing in the summer of 2012, as they tempted Christian Benteke to join them for a fee of just £7m.

Although he went on to be a raging success for the Villains, scoring 49 times in just 101 appearances, there was another hulking Belgian who could have joined in his place.

According to Birmingham Live, Paul Lambert had a host of high-profile names who might have joined instead that summer.

Headlining that list was Romelu Lukaku, as the former Villa manager said:

“Prior to signing Benteke, I spoke to (Romelu) Lukaku, and we also looked at signing (Kevin) de Bruyne on loan – when they were both kids at Chelsea.”

Everton would instead sign the Chelsea man just a few years later, with his goal-scoring exploits catapulting him to being the Toffees’ all-time top scorer in the Premier League. 

In total, he scored 87 times in 166 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, as well as contributing 29 assists.

Their pursuit of the 29-year-old started with this loan move, ending with a permanent switch in 2014. Had Villa struck first instead, it could have been them who were blessed with this lethal forward who possessed far more speed than Benteke did as well as all the physical attributes.

It is these attributes that led to Italian football expert David Amoyal labelling him a “beast” as well as commending his goal-scoring prowess after moving to Inter Milan. He has enjoyed a fine career, and despite certain lulls and questions asked about his technical ability, he still has 275 total career goals.

One of these supposed lulls occurred during his stint at Manchester United, but ex-striker Andy Cole insisted he had been “phenomenal” following his debut season, where he had scored 27 in all competitions.

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Although Benteke was a success, his transfer to Liverpool was abrupt and showed his liability to move to a bigger club at the first opportunity. Lukaku conversely stuck around at Everton far longer than was expected.

Had Lambert opted for him, they could’ve had guaranteed goals and a huge physical presence up front for a longer time, creating a more sustainable future for the club.

Instead, the season following his departure they were relegated.

Aston Villa could seal two more signings at Villa Park before the window closes on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Birmingham Mail reporter Ashley Preece, who delivered an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim to supporters during an online Q&A session, having arrived in Australia for their pre-season training camp.

“I believe Johan Lange is back at base in the UK drawing up a shortlist. I’m not expecting any transfer activity this week. SG [Steven Gerrard] wants to further strengthen the engine room so I fully expect one midfielder to come in. Transfer window still has more than six weeks left to run,” he said before adding:

“I’d say two more; midfielder and possibly one more…”

Villa not done yet

It’s clear that the Midlands outfit are by no means finished with their transfer business just yet, having already signed Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Ludwig Augustinsson, on top of the permanent arrivals of Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

Despite adding the Marseille powerhouse to Gerrard’s squad, it is interesting to see that another midfielder is among the priorities as he also has John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey at his disposal.

However, the Brazilian star has been linked with an exit in recent weeks, with Serie A champions AC Milan thought to be keen on his signature.

It’s also believed that Gerrard is after a new striker to rival Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, having been mooted with moves for Jonathan David and Mauro Icardi, among others.

With less than a month to go until the start of the new Premier League season, Lange will need to act quick to get the players in before it’s too late for them to adapt to Gerrard’s system and training.

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But it is rather exciting to see that Preece is banking on the Midlands side making two more additions, so his latest claim should leave the Vila Park faithful absolutely buzzing.

It’s certainly a thrilling time to be a Villa fan right now.

AND in other news, Preece delivers Keinan Davis update…

Mike McGrath has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Telegraph journalist revealed that, despite reports claiming that Barcelona were planning to hold off their negotiations for the 25-year-old until it became clear which league Leeds will be participating in next season, this is in fact not the case, with Xavi’s side now believed to have stepped up their interest in the Brazil international – with the LaLiga side planning on initiating transfer talks with the Whites imminently.

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In his tweet, McGrath said: “Barca have stepped up [their] bid to land Raphinha in the summer, planning on imminent talks over the deal for the LUFC [player] in the event of his club staying in Premier League or not.”

Supporters will be devastated

While the vast majority of Leeds supporters are more than likely resigned to the fact that Raphinha will be moving onto pastures new this summer – something that is evident from a recent poll ran on Football FanCast – the news that Barca are now hoping to secure a deal for the winger in the near future will nevertheless have left the Elland Road faithful devastated.

Indeed, the 25-year-old has arguably proven himself to be one of the club’s best signings over the past 20 years, with the £17m 2020 arrival having scored 16 goals and registered 12 assists over his 63 appearances for the Whites.

And, despite Leeds’ struggles this season, it has been over the winger’s 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22 in which Raphinha has truly proven his ability at the highest level, with the £40.5m-rated forward bagging ten goals, providing three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making two key passes and completing two dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week winger average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s second-best outfielder in the top flight of English football.

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As such, while Raphinha’s potential £60m exit from Elland Road would undoubtedly represent fantastic transfer business by Victor Orta, the prospect of losing a player of the Brazilian’s ability in the coming weeks will nevertheless be a devastating thought for supporters of the Whites.

AND in other news: Victor Orta could “pick up a real gem” with Leeds bid for “complete” 17 G/A sensation

Aston Villa have been thriving ever since Steven Gerrard was appointed as Dean Smith’s replacement as manager, following a bad start to the season which left them 16th after losing five consecutive games in the Premier League during the autumn.

Villa have picked up 16 points in 10 games under the 41-year-old and now sit level on points with 10th- placed Leicester City in the league table, with Gerrard’s impact on the side clear to see.

Despite the U-turn that the Liverpool legend has inspired so far at Villa, not every player has benefited from his presence at the club, with Danny Ings failing to make an impact ever since he was signed last summer.

It is clear that the 29-year-old and fellow striker Ollie Watkins can’t find the connection when they play together, with Ings scoring three of his four Premier League goals this season when his strike partner was not on the pitch.

At the end of December, it was revealed that the former Southampton forward had the lowest non-penalty xG per 90 (0.15) and the lowest xA per 90 (0.02) of any Premier League forward so far this season, and has since scored just one goal.

Ings’ presence is clearly affecting Watkins’ output too, as the latter has been relocated out wide to accommodate the ex-Liverpool striker, Nonetheless, he has scored more than Ings, with five goals and one assist in 19 appearances so far this season.

Former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor weighed in on the lack of connection between the two strikers. Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “For me, when I watch Watkins play as a central striker making runs into the channels, that’s where I want to see him, that’s what gets the best out of him.

“Every time I’ve watched Ings and Watkins play together it hasn’t worked, something isn’t working with their connection.”

Now that Gerrard has signed Philippe Coutinho, it could be the right time to axe the £19.8m-rated Ings from the team. That would Watkins to revert to his preferred position up top, with Emi Buendia and Coutinho out wide, a setup which was clearly more effective in Villa’s first win in three games against Everton recently.

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It will be interesting to see how the Villa manager tackles the challenge of setting up his forward line, especially when Leon Bailey returns from injury. Unfortunately for Ings, he simply hasn’t done enough since the start of the season to merit being a regular in the starting XI, so it may be time for Gerrard to wield the axe on him.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops behind-the-scenes Villa claim

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has delivered his verdict on how Martin Zubimendi has taken to life at the Emirates Stadium.

Gunners off to a flying start to the season

After coming second in the Premier League three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta identified the need to strengthen his squad considerably in the summer transfer window, and spent heavily, bolstering his options in a number of key areas.

Viktor Gyokeres was arguably the statement signing, amid widespread demand for Arteta to bring in a new striker, and the Sweden international is off to a solid, if not spectacular start, having scored three goals in his opening seven league games.

Folllowing the departure of Thomas Partey, it was also vital to strengthen in midfield, and Zubimendi was among the most notable additions, with the Spain international starting six of the seven Premier League games up to this point.

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As such, the Spaniard has clearly managed to impress Arteta, and he has also caught the eye of Gilberto Silva, despite the Brazilian admitting he wasn’t aware of who he was before the Gunners finalised a summer deal.

Zubimendi establishing himself as key player for Arsenal

It is no surprise that Arteta has started the Spain international so consistently, considering he has put in some fantastic performances in the Premier League, averaging a 7.33 SofaScore match rating, the second-highest figure of any Arsenal player.

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The 26-year-old also won the Guinness Goal of the Month award for September, courtesy of a phenomenal strike in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, during which he scored two goals in one game for the first time in his career.

There were some concerns that Zubimendi’s new midfield partner, Rice, may have been ruled out due to injury, but the 26-year-old featured in England’s 3-0 victory over Wales, meaning he looks on course to be available for the trip to Fulham next weekend.