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Newcastle United are receiving interest from AC Milan for French winger Allan Saint-Maximin amid the ongoing reports surrounding Anthony Gordon.

What’s the latest?

It has been strongly reported that the Magpies hold an interest in Everton winger Gordon, with the two clubs discussing a potential deal.

And it has now been claimed the 21-year-old has once again skipped Everton training on Thursday amid the stories circulating around his future.

And with a new winger potentially coming through the doors at St. James’ Park, it seems as if one could possibly be heading for a departure with AC Milan showing interest in Saint-Maximin.

However, speaking on Sky Sports News, reporter David Reed has claimed the Toon are not particularly interested in selling Saint-Maximin this month:

He said: “A few stories around Allan Saint-Maximin – his situation, from what we know, is that AC Milan have been considering him as a potential alternative to Nicolo Zaniolo.

“The fee, though, that Newcastle would ask for Saint-Maximin is significant. And the feeling is that AC Milan would struggle to reach that figure. Add to that, the fact that Newcastle don’t want to sell.”

Surplus to requirements?

Wingers certainly feels like a position Newcastle have in good supply with the likes of Miguel Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Alexander Isak and even Joelitnon at the disposal of Eddie Howe.

But it is believed the Toon are optimistic they can land Gordon this month despite the previous £60m valuation on the youngster from the summer window.

There is certainly no harm in having a strong squad when Howe is looking to secure his side a spot in the Champions League for next season.

And the likes of Isak have already shown they are not necessarily the most reliable in terms of their fitness with the Swedish forward already missing a lot of games during his short spell on Tyneside through injury.

However, if Gordon does arrive in the final days of this January window, you do have to question where Saint-Maximin would sit in the pecking order.

It has been a difficult campaign for the Frenchman who has seen his game time from the starting XI seriously decrease with just four starts in the Premier League to his name.

However, he has still returned four goal involvements in his limited Premier League game time which is more than what Gordon has returned for Everton – albeit the 21-year-old has scored more goals.

But given Newcastle’s dreadful injury record over the last year – especially with the likes of Callum Wilson – there shouldn’t be any real pressure on them to sell Saint-Maximin this month.

Manchester United are ‘keeping an eye’ on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans’ current situation, journalist Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Tielemans off this summer?

The Belgian has been an excellent servant for the Foxes, scoring what was a legendary winning goal for the club in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Tielemans has been one of Leicester’s most influential players over a sustained period of time, registering 53 goal contributions (28 goals and 25 assists) in 183 appearances, not to mention being called ‘fantastic’ by none other than Emile Heskey.

The 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, however, at which point he will surely move on to pastures new, given there appear to be no concrete reports of talks for a new deal.

The Latest: Man Utd tracking midfielder

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano was asked about Tielemans’ situation, saying they are ‘keeping an eye’ on things and Erik ten Hag could be ‘attracted’ to the player:

“They’re keeping an eye on the market. I think it is normal if there is something interesting that could attract the manager.”

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The Verdict: Where would he fit in?

United have been linked with a move for Tielemans and he is certainly someone who could enjoy his football under Ten Hag, possessing the requisite skills to be a success at Old Trafford.

The 58-cap Belgium international is an all-round midfielder who can provide quality on the ball and hard work off it, having averaged 1.2 key passes and 2.2 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

Fitting Tielemans into United’s team would arguably be the toughest job for Ten Hag, however, with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes a formidable current trio.

At 25, the £35,000-a-week Leicester man could come in as a long-term replacement for Eriksen, though, who is five years older than him and not a long-term prospect anymore.

Arsenal will begin 2023 top of the Premier League table, regardless of what happens against Brighton and Hove Albion later on today.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will be hoping to carry on the momentum gained from the 3-1 Boxing Day victory over West Ham United into the new year as the club looks ahead to what could be the most important five months in their recent history.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, the Spaniard is keen to add a couple of fresh faces ahead of a busy few months. The north London side have been linked with a move for Argentinian midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who recently shone at the World Cup in Qatar.

By signing Mac Allister, Arteta can ruthlessly ditch Albert Sambi Lokonga in the process, thereby majorly strengthening his squad.

Arsenal must sign Mac Allister

Lokonga has played just six Premier League appearances all season, with the last coming at the start of October, and with an average Sofascore rating of 6.75, he hasn’t quite had the impact expected of him.

Tom Marshall-Bailey claimed in October that the Belgian is “in need of a loan right now if he’s to fulfill his potential” while journalist Mark Mann-Bryans said “Lokonga nowhere near [Thomas] Partey levels” and it’s clear Arteta needs to bring in someone better than the 23-year-old.

Mac Allister was incredible at the World Cup, helping Argentina claim the trophy for the first time since 1986 and he played in six matches for the champions.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 while chipping in with a goal, and an assist, making 1.3 key passes per match and creating two big chances, underlining his attacking qualities.

The £50k-per-week star also shone defensively too, making 1.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, and 0.3 clearances as well as winning 5.2 duels per game – at a success rate of 54%.

These performances at the World Cup led Ryan Adsett to dub him a “golden boy” and there is no doubt that the player will be moving on from the Seagulls sooner rather than later.

His league form for the south coast outfit was also excellent before he jetted off to the Middle East, and with an average rating of 7.31/10 as per Sofascore, the 24-year-old has been their best performer this season.

It is a move that makes perfect sense for Arteta, signing someone who is experienced in the Premier League and has demonstrated their qualities on the highest stage there is, he needs to act quickly to fend off interest from other teams.

If the 40-year-old does manage to lure Mac Allister to Arsenal and as such, it could well be bye-bye Lokonga in the process.

Aston Villa return to competitive action for the first time since November as they take on Liverpool at Villa Park in the Premier League this evening.

Unai Emery only enjoyed two league matches, beating Manchester United and Brighton, prior to the break for the 2022 World Cup after taking over from Steven Gerrard and is now set for his third as he prepares his team to take on Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.

The Villans played four friendlies during the break and won one of them as they lost to Villarreal and Cardiff, beat Chelsea, and held Brighton to a 2-2 draw.

They now play host to a Liverpool side who are sitting just four points ahead of them in the Premier League table as it stands, which means that a win for Emery’s men will take them to within one point of last year’s Champions League runner-ups.

However, they head into the match without Jacob Ramsey after the Villa manager confirmed that the midfielder will not be in contention to play, saying: “His injury came before we went to Dubai, he didn’t play the friendly matches but now he is starting to train on the pitch. I think he is going to be ready, maybe, in ten days or two weeks.

“But for the match on Monday, he’s not available. It’s a pity for us because he was a very, very good performer before the World Cup and is an important player.”

Ramsey started the club’s last Premier League match against the Seagulls before the break and Emery will now have to find a replacement for the Englishman.

The former Arsenal head coach must now finally unleash attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho from the start to take the academy graduate’s place, as the Brazil international has been back in training since the middle of this month.

Steven Gerrard hailed his “magical” form last season and Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino once claimed that his international teammate has “magical powers” on the pitch.

The 69-cap Brazilian maestro has not featured for Villa since October and must now be unleashed in place of the injured Ramsey as he has the quality to be a match-winner on his day.

He is yet to register a goal contribution in six Premier League starts this season but his five goals and three assists in 16 starts, whilst averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.09, for the Villans last term proved that he still has the quality to be a difference-maker.

Coutinho has the attacking quality to produce a moment of magic, through a goal or an assist, to win matches for Villa and a clash with his former club Liverpool could be the motivation he needs to burst into life for the first time in 2022/23, which is why he should start this evening.

Sunderland have received a ‘major boost’ with the news that centre-back Aji Alese is back from injury this weekend, following an update from James Hunter.

The Lowdown: Sunderland back in action

The Black Cats haven’t played since the 2-1 victory at Birmingham City on November 11, with the World Cup in Qatar prompting a hiatus in the club season.

Sunderland are back in action on Saturday as they host Millwall in what is the only Championship fixture of the day.

Alese hasn’t been in action since the 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers in October because of a foot issue, but he is on course to return this weekend.

The Latest: Hunter drops Alese update

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for Chronicle Live, Hunter revealed that the 21-year-old is back fit again and could feature against Millwall tomorrow.

He tweeted:

“‘Monster’ Aji Alese’s return is a major boost for #safc”

The Verdict: Massive boost for Black Cats

This is an undoubted boost for Sunderland, with Alese such an important presence already despite his tender years, being hailed as a ‘seriously good’ player by podcaster Tom Edwards during his time at West Ham.

The Englishman has done well in his 10 appearances for the Black Cats since joining permanently in the summer, averaging 2.7 clearances and 1.8 tackles per game in the league this season. Those returns see him rank among the top five for both metrics at the Stadium of Light.

Whether or not Tony Mowbray throws Alese straight into the starting line-up on Saturday remains to be seen, but the probability that the whole squad could be lacking some rhythm after so long without playing makes it less of a risk than it would in the thick of a hectic fixture schedule.

Scottish champions Celtic continue their march towards the league title, with the Old Firm outfit having been in truly relentless form during manager Ange Postecoglou’s time at the helm thus far.

The 57-year-old’s regime has proven particularly successful with regards to the club’s recruitment, with the Parkhead giants having brought in a whole host of hidden gems and bargain talents who have gone on to thrive in Glasgow.

That remarkable transfer policy under the one-time Australia head coach has been crucial to the club’s on-field success, with the Hoops perhaps wishing that such astute market dealings had been commonplace before the title-winning coach’s arrival.

One notable howler that occurred prior to Postecoglou’s tenure was the failure to snap up current Rangers talisman, James Tavernier, with the Bhoys having seemingly had the chance to bring the Englishman to Scotland prior to his subsequent move to Ibrox.

That’s according to current Stevenage boss Steve Evans – who coached the 31-year-old during the defender’s loan stint at Rotherham in the 2013/14 season – with the veteran manager revealing earlier this year that he recommended the full-back to those at Celtic Park.

Somewhat frustratingly, the powers that be failed to act on that recommendation as the Bradford-born machine – who was on the books at Newcastle United at the time – subsequently went on to join Wigan Athletic in 2014, before joining the Gers for a reported fee of just £220k a year later.

That figure has proven something of a snip as far as the player’s current side are concerned, with Tavernier having emerged as a true leading asset for the Scottish Premiership outfit over the past seven years, proving a truly lethal presence in an attacking sense, in particular.

The forward-thinking right-back has been simply “unstoppable” at times – in the words of former boss Steven Gerrard – having racked up 91 goals and 112 assists in 373 games for the club to date, with that a truly staggering haul for a player in his position.

Those “scary numbers” – as described by pundit Kenny Miller – included a tally of 35 goal involvements in all competitions last term as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side reached the Europa League final, with that haul greater than any Celtic player achieved in the 2021/22 campaign.

Equally, despite the Ibrox side’s notable struggles this time around – having slipped nine points behind in the title race and endured the worst group stage performance in Champions League history – the £30k-per-week ace has still been something of a shining light, with eight goals and five assists already thus far.

That record is no doubt greater than that of fellow full-back, Josip Juranovic, for instance, with the Croatian star having only registered six goals and three assists in total since making the £2.5m switch to Paradise in the summer of 2021, including only two goal involvements this season.

As much as it may pain supporters to admit, Tavernier could well have thrived in Postecoglou’s attacking system had he been snapped up all those years ago, with the Hoops potentially regretting their decision not to move for a player who has gone on to blossom on the other side of the city.

Sheffield United have been keeping tabs on Leeds United midfielder Stuart McKinstry.

The Lowdown: McKinstry profiled

McKinstry, who shares the same agent as Blades defender George Baldock, is 20 years of age and is currently out on a season-long loan with Motherwell.

The Scottish youngster is primarily a central midfielder who can also play out wide and is out of contract at Elland Road at the end of the current campaign.

He has been a regular on the wing for Motherwell in recent weeks, and it looks as if Sheffield United chiefs are monitoring his situation.

The Latest: Sheff Utd interested in McKinstry

The Scottish Sun’s Gareth Law shared a story regarding McKinstry on Monday night.

The journalist claimed that Leeds are planning to open contract talks with the midfielder, adding that Sheffield United and Stoke City are keeping tabs on his situation.

The Verdict: One to watch?

McKinstry could be a future star, and following this report, the Blades may well be ready to make their move if a contract agreement can’t be reached at Elland Road.

If Sheffield United do firm up their interest in the 20-year-old, then they may have to provide him with a route into Paul Heckingbottom’s first-team setup.

Another option could be a loan move, but McKinstry’s contract situation across Yorkshire could definitely be one to watch for the Bramall Lane faithful heading into 2023.

When Crystal Palace signed Polish centre-back Jaroslaw Jach in 2018, he described his move to Crystal Palace as a dream come true.

Sadly for the defender, that dream soon turned into a nightmare as he made just one appearance for the Eagles before enduring multiple loan moves away from the club ahead of his release earlier in the summer.

Palace paid £2m to sign Jach from Zaglebie Lubin in 2018 amid a defensive crisis in Roy Hodgson’s side which saw the likes of Scott Dann, Mamadou Sakho and Jeffrey Schlupp all out with long-term injuries.

The defender was perhaps only ever expected to provide cover at Selhurst Park but he was clearly delighted at the prospect of playing in the Premier League, a dream he was sadly never able to realise.

He said: “This is a dream come true because the Premier League is a league I have followed since I was little and I always wanted to come and play here.

“I hope that I will be able to help Crystal Palace stay in the Premier League and perhaps achieve bigger success.”

However, he wasn’t seen in a Crystal Palace shirt until 2020, as he spent time on loan with Çaykur Rizespor, FC Sheriff and Rakow in Turkey, Moldova and his native Poland but was never really a regular in any of his spells away from Selhurst Park, making just 29 appearances combined in his first two loans before a more successful time with Rakow.

After returning to England, Jach finally made his debut for Palace in 2020, playing 90 minutes in a penalty shootout defeat after a 0-0 stalemate against Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.

Unfortunately, a clean sheet and converted penalty would not be enough to convince Palace that he was worth any future appearances, as that would be his only ever outing for the Eagles.

Further unsuccessful loan spells with Fortuna Sittard and Rakow (again) would follow for the defender before he was ultimately released by the club ahead of the current season.

Palace would spend £2m on his transfer fee and roughly £2m in wages on Jach, so his time at the club was undoubtedly a nightmare and a waste of money when you consider his lack of first-team appearances.

Fortuantely for the 28-year-old, he is now enjoying regular football back where it all started for him at Zaglebie Lubin.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing up a January move for a centre-back…

What’s the news?

At the beginning of the month, French outlet Foot Mercato claimed Wolves were in the hunt for Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku alongside Sevilla and now Ghana Soccernet confirms that the club are set to make another offer for the player in the January transfer window.

After losing Willy Boly and Leander Dendoncker, Bruno Lage will be desperate to add another defensive option to his side but might need to wait a few months.

The 28-year-old only has one year remaining on his current deal and could sign a pre-contract agreement at the start of the year.

Imagine him and Nathan Collins

Lage signed Collins in the summer and he has formed a solid partnership with Max Kilman since joining, keeping three clean sheets in seven matches.

That said, with no Boly or Conor Coady, it’s far from a secret that Wolves need to add another defender or two to their squad. Therefore, signing Djiku, who is entering his peak years, would be a positive move by Lage and judging by his attributes, he could be the perfect tonic for Collins and Kilman.

The Ghanaian has won 17 caps for his country and represented them in the African Cup of Nations back in January, where he was a standout performer despite them failing to advance to the knockout stage. Indeed, only three players averaged a higher average rating with the defender averaging 7.03 for his displays.

His performances were so good that he was crowned the Ghana footballer of the year in July and he has carried this form into the current season with Strasbourg.

In eight Ligue 1 matches, Djiku currently leads the Strasbourg squad for SofaScore rating (7.2), accurate passes per game (46.1), and accurate long balls per game (6.8), displaying an impressive passing ability that proves he can successfully build attacks from the heart of the defence.

The defender has also made an average of two tackles per game (2nd in the squad) and 1.9 interceptions (third). He is clearly one of the team’s most consistent performers this season and this has not gone unnoticed with Wolves’ interest.

A move to Molineux would allow Lage to form a solid backbone with Collins and Djiku operating at the heart of the defence.

Zach Lowy described Djiku as “very underrated” as Sevilla were looking for a defender to replace the departed Diego Carlos, although a move never materialised.

The La Liga side’s loss could very much be Lage’s gain when January comes around. Although if he impresses at the upcoming World Cup, there might be a host of potential suitors lining up to make their move.

Wolves winger Adama Traore missed his side’s weekend 3-0 defeat to Manchester City with an adductor injury, reliable journalist Liam Keen has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Wolves beaten with ease

Bruno Lage’s side were soundly beaten by the reigning Premier League champions on Saturday as their disappointing start to the season continues.

Jack Grealish’s goal inside the first minute was an early blow and Nathan Collins’ first-half red card effectively ended any hopes the home side had of getting a result.

One player who has troubled City in the past is Traore, scoring three times against Pep Guardiola’s side during the 2019/20 season, but he was unavailable at the weekend, missing out through injury.

The Latest: Traore injury

Taking to Twitter, Keen confirmed in a two-word response why the Spanish winger did not feature on Saturday.

When asked by a Wolves supporter why the 26-year-old wasn’t playing against Man City, the journalist simply replied: “Adductor injury”.

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The Verdict: Missed off the bench

It seems fairly clear that Lage doesn’t consider Traore indispensable – he wouldn’t have sent him on loan to Barcelona last season or handed him a mere 10 top-flight starts otherwise – but his presence is still missed from the substitutes’ bench.

The 26-year-old has been clocked as one of the fastest players in the league and his combination of pace, power and quick feet can make him a nightmare for opposition players, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as ‘undefendable’ in the past.

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The hope is that Traore is back available soon in order to bolster Wolves’ attacking options, with just three goals in seven league games so far this season and already shorn of forwards Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic through injuries of their own.