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According to Calciomercato, Rome rivals Lazio and Roma are both keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, who is currently on loan with Everton.

It is thought that a deal taking the 25-year-old to Italy won’t be done until the summer, but interest from those Serie A giants could make it very hard for the Toffees to make Gomes’ switch to Goodison Park a permanent one, as the The Guardian have reported is Marco Silva’s desire.

In case Silva doesn’t get his wish though, the Portuguese coach ought to already be putting a plan in place for life without Gomes.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Place faith in Tom Davies

Davies is yet to really cement himself as a regular starter on Merseyside, but to have amassed almost 70 career appearances for the club by the age of 20 is impressive. Clearly, the England under-21 international is a player with huge potential.

He is still somewhat raw, and needs to improve his end product, but if Silva is bold and invests his faith in Davies as the heir to Gomes’ place in the side, then he could be handsomely rewarded for it when the Everton academy product flourishes.

Drop Sigurdsson deeper

Sigurdsson is certainly at his best in the No. 10 position, but as he approaches 30, his experience could perhaps be put to better use in a deeper role. 

Gomes is currently tasked with operating as Everton’s deep-lying playmaker, initiating and orchestrating attacking moves from the heart of the pitch. Sigurdsson has the technical ability, composure and creativity to pull this off. However, defensive deficiencies could hold him back.

Steel over silk

With Morgan Schneiderlin far from the required quality to be a trusted regular in Everton’s starting XI, Idrissa Gueye is the only reliable defensive midfielder at Silva’s disposal. However, this often leaves the 29-year-old with far too much to do, as he has to offset the limitations in Gomes’ game.

On occasion, this overburdening of Gueye has led to Everton being overrun in midfield. With that in mind, finding a like-for-like replacement for Gomes may not be the wisest move. Instead, Silva ought to leave the attacking responsibility to his forwards, and focus on adding to some extra steel and resilience to his midfield contingent.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur loanee Dejan Kulusevski.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, the transfer insider claimed that, after joining Spurs on an initial 18-month loan deal back in January, Tottenham sources have made it clear the club already view the 21-year-old as a full-time player.

The Italian journalist went on to suggest that it is a matter of when, rather than if, Antonio Conte’s side go on to make the Sweden international’s temporary switch a €30m (£25m) permanent move this summer.

Regarding Tottenham’s deal for Kulusevski, Romano said: “I can tell you that Tottenham sources see Kulusevski as a Tottenham player for the future. It is just a matter of when they will pay the option and the clause, but they will get it done.”

Supporters will love Romano’s claim

Considering just how impressive Kulusevski has been since linking up with Spurs back in January, Romano’s claim that Fabio Paratici will go on to make the winger’s temporary switch a permanent move this summer is sure to be news the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, over his ten Premier League appearances so far this season, the £75m-rated forward has been in breathtaking form for Conte’s side, having already bagged two goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.9 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

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These returns have seen the £78k-per-week sensation who Raj Chohan dubbed both “unreal” and “immense” average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.25, ranking him not only as Spurs’ third-best performer in the league but also as the 21st-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is easy to understand why Alasdair Gold stated his belief that Kulusevski is “ready for” the Premier League, as well as why the football.london journalist labelled his metrics so far Tottenham as “ridiculous,” as the 21-year-old has quite clearly been a revelation in Conte’s attacking arsenal.

And, with Romano claiming that a deal to bring the Swede to north London on a permanent basis is all but complete, it would seem as if Spurs fans are set to enjoy many more years of witnessing Kulusevski tearing it up in the top flight – something that is certainly an incredibly exciting thought.

AND in other news: Conte can forget flop who’s “not a champion” by launching Spurs bid for £70m “machine”

A fresh claim has emerged about injured Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero this week…

What’s the latest?

The 23-year-old centre-back suffered a hamstring injury playing for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Brazil during last month’s international break.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte described the problem as “very serious” and would not put a date on his return, though the Italian did rule him out for the remainder of the year.

“It will take time before we see him again. Surely next year, we have to check his injury week by week, but the injury is serious,” he said (via Sky Sports).

“Now he is trying to recover, but he needs a long time to recover. It is a pity because he is an important player for us, the injury is very serious. I don’t know, January, February. But for 2021, he has finished. We have to wait and recover well.”

But in a fresh development, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge provided some encouragement that it isn’t as ‘serious’ as expected. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I kind of thought the worst when Conte said we will know more in seven to 10 days, but I’m told it’s not a tear, it’s a serious strain. So, is that January? He did say January or February.”

A glimmer of hope?

Having Romero out until February would certainly be a devastating blow to Spurs and their chances of breaking into the top four – something they have a huge chance to do in the coming weeks as they sit just two points behind West Ham, with one game in hand, too.

Indeed, just as Conte claimed, the Argentina international is a crucial player for the club and you could argue that he is very much their best central defender.

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On the back of a player of the year campaign at Serie A outfit Atalanta, Romero had continued his fine form across to north London, where he is currently averaging 2.3 tackles (third-best), 1.7 interceptions (second-best) and 2.4 aerials won (third-best) in the squad, per WhoScored.

“This guy is an animal, I swear. He’s perfect for the Premier League,” claimed his teammate, Pierluigi Gollini, back in September. “He’s played for many years with three at the back and especially when you play with a very aggressive style and play man for man, it’s a completely different to thing to in a four.”

His absence has seen the 52-year-old head coach tryout both Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, as well as a very brief spell for Joe Rodon outside of the Premier League.

Sanchez along with Eric Dier were part of Spurs’ defensive error-prone backline last season under Jose Mourinho, so pairing them up again could be a recipe for disaster, especially with the change to a back three, rather than four.

But the fact that Bridge believes Romero’s injury isn’t as bad as what the club are saying, with the defender suffering a strain, rather than a more severe tear, is surely a glimmer of hope. Consequently, that should leave many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a little more optimistic and ultimately, quite excited heading into 2022.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal Conte’s dream Spurs signing in 6 ft 1 beast he dubbed “outstanding”…

According to reliable reporter Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard, West Ham United manager David Moyes already has his transfer plan for January as he also now eyes Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing January moves…

It is believed that the Scotsman has a number of goals for West Ham’s winter window as he eyes new additions across his team in an effort to keep them at the top level.

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Fighting in the Europa League last 16, FA Cup and pushing for a top four finish in the Premier League, the Irons are weak in a number of areas both going forward and defensively.

Injuries to central defensive duo Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna have prompted Moyes to search for new centre-back signings whilst the lack of cover or competition for striker Michail Antonio could also push them to bid for a forward this month.

Sharing an update on Moyes’ transfer plans, Rosser has made an interesting claim.

The Latest: Rosser reveals Moyes plan, makes Diaz claim…

According to the reliable journalist, Moyes is targeting a striker, Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard, a left-footed central defender and a left-back to cover for the injured Aaron Cresswell.

As well as this, it is believed West Ham are now eyeing Blackburn Rovers star Brereton Diaz amid his phenomenal season in the Championship with the 22-year-old now on Moyes’ radar.

The Verdict: Right call?

A swoop for the Chile international could be a shrewd option to bolster West Ham’s striking options given his blistering form in England’s second tier.

The forward has notched an incredible 20 goals in just 25 Championship appearances over 2021/2022 so far, clearly highlighting why Moyes and West Ham are considering a January move.

Called a ‘beast’ by his manager Tony Mowbray, the Ewood Park sensation comes as an exciting transfer option but it looks as if Rovers won’t be selling on the cheap this winter.

According to TEAMtalk, the Lancashire outfit could demand around £30 million for the player, a price pretty big considering he has no experience in the Premier League or a top flight European division.

In other news: West Ham set for imminent move to sign ‘phenomenal’ powerhouse as reporter drops Twitter message, find out more here.

Wolves are reportedly ‘very interested’ in signing Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, having also been keen on acquiring his signature last summer.

The Lowdown: Puig struggling for minutes

The 22-year-old has never managed to be a key figure at Camp Nou and he has found minutes hard to come by this season under both Ronald Koeman and Xavi.

Puig has only managed one start in La Liga this season, also making nine substitute appearances, and there is no sign of that changing any time soon.

With Wolves looking at possible signings in the January transfer window, the midfielder is reportedly on their radar.

The Latest: Wolves keen on move for Puig

That’s according to Sport [via Sport Witness], who claimed that Wanderers are ‘very interested’ in making a deal happen, having looked at a loan move with an option to buy last summer.

A temporary move is again being considered, although it isn’t specified whether it could happen this month or wait until the summer.

The Verdict: Exciting potential signing

Puig appears to be a hugely talented young player, with his manager Xavi once claiming that the 22-year-old ‘breathes talent’, so he could be an excellent addition to Wolves’ midfield if they can entice him to Molineux.

The young Spaniard has enjoyed an incredible 93.9% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, highlighting how comfortable he is in possession, much like Wolves duo Joao Moutinho (87.4%) and Ruben Neves (83.2%).

He would provide Bruno Lage with an extra midfield option, allowing for greater rotation, and an impressive loan spell could suggest that he is a long-term replacement for the 35-year-old Moutinho in the Black Country.

In other news, Tim Spiers has claimed that Wolves are ‘set to sign’ one player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been dealt another setback this week…

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, central defender Diego Llorente’s absence during their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday evening was likely to be down to him contracting the virus, meaning he is set to be absent for at least ten days.

‘Llorente was not confirmed as suffering from [the virus] but Bielsa’s admission that the centre-back would be missing for up to 10 days sounded like a fairly clear hint that the virus had got to him. But there was no mass outbreak, no spread of infections, so the game went ahead,’ he wrote in a recent column.

Instead, Robin Koch, who has been out injured since August, was thrown straight into the starting XI, as a result of the Spaniard’s omission.

Bitter blow

This would be yet another cruel blow to Bielsa and the Yorkshire giants, who have been dealing with an array of injury woes since the start of the season.

The situation is that bad that the bench was full of the club’s academy prospects, including 15-year-old Archie Gray. As many as 11 first-team players missed the clash through injury.

Llorente joined Charlie Cresswell as the latest two to miss out, having already been without the likes of star defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips and leading talisman Patrick Bamford, as well as attacking duo Jack Harrison and Dan James.

Pascal Struijk, Rodrigo, captain Liam Cooper and Jamie Shackleton are all also on the treatment table, whilst Junior Firpo was suspended.

What an absolute nightmare.

Now the 28-year-old is expected to be out for the next week or so means he is surely likely to miss the Whites’ Boxing Day clash with Liverpool at Anfield, so they could well be in line for another thrashing, having lost 7-0 to Man City recently.

Currently sat just three points behind the league leaders, Jurgen Klopp’s side could close the gap with a win against Leeds on Sunday.

Not having a first-choice defender available again after back-to-back embarrassments is certainly a huge blow to Bielsa, who must be absolutely fuming by this dire situation seemingly getting worse every week.

It could get worse yet with a trip to Merseyside on the horizon.

AND in other news, Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 31-goal demon who can “replicate a Pablo Hernandez”…

Celtic could theoretically spend as much as £32.5million in January, football finance expert Dan Plumley says. 

The lowdown

Celtic marked the beginning of Ange Postecoglou’s reign in the summer with a £20.05million spend, with centre-back Carl Starlfelt the most expensive acquisition at £4.5million (via Transfermarkt).

But they did bank a healthy profit after generating £33.84million through sales.

Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer were the headline departures, with their moves to the Premier League fetching £14.67million and £14.13million respectively.

According to The Scottish Daily Mail, Postecoglou wants to strengthen his squad further in January with the acquisition of two central midfielders.

The latest

Plumley told Football Insider that he’d ‘crunched the numbers’ to determine how much Celtic could grant Postecoglou whilst still complying with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

However, he warned it would be a ‘gamble’ to spend close to that £32.5million mark.

“There are other exemptions in terms of FFP, but let’s avoid them to simplify the argument a little. They could spend £32.5m quite comfortably.

“The problem with that is that you can overstretch to reach the Champions League group stage.

“So they have got flex within FFP but the gamble is overstretching. That is the gamble the boardroom, I imagine, will be looking at.”

The verdict

Crucially, Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers appear to have significantly less room for investment.

The Gers recently announced a loss of £23.5million for the year, with their total losses under the current regime climbing to a whopping £73.8million (via The Athletic). Perhaps that could force them to sell some of their talent, while the allure of Steven Gerrard in the Premier League may also tempted some of the Hoops’ rivals into leaving Glasgow.

And so even if Celtic don’t spend all the money they’re permitted to, they look well-placed to regain their Scottish crown, providing Postecoglou is granted enough to strengthen the injury-hit areas of his squad, namely through the spine of the XI.

In other news, this player wanted to move to Celtic.

Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to the news of Jota’s loan move becoming permanent, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: £5m fee

The Hoops have already brought in four players so far this month and appear to be closing in on MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley.

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Michael Nicholson is also hoping to make Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ temporary stays in Glasgow permanent, with Football Insider believing on Friday that a full-time switch is edging closer for the former.

A source informed the site that a figure will be over £5m due to a loan fee already being paid, with Jota returning from injury against Hibernian on Monday evening.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding the news on Jota.

He hailed it as a ‘massive boost’ and labelled the winger as a ‘superstar’.

“The loudest cheer on Monday night was Jota coming on.

“It was incredible, he’s a superstar up here now. He needs to be announced as ours as soon as possible.

“I can’t see it not happening. He loves it up here and it doesn’t sound like anyone else is in for him.

“The noise from the crowd told the club what we all think of him staying.

“I hope and expect that’s wrapped up before the end of the window because that would be another massive boost for everyone here.”

The Verdict: Statement

Jota has been a revelation since joining the Hoops over the summer, contributing to 14 goals in 19 games.

His Transfermarkt valuation has increased from £3.15m to £4.95m as a result of his impressive displays in Scotland, and you’d expect that to only increase further as he is still just 22 years of age.

On that basis, a fee of around £5m on top of the loan fee they paid Benfica back in the summer could be a great piece of business in the long run, even if it does make Jota one of the club’s most expensive signings ever, above even Kyogo Furuhashi.

McAvennie is excited at the prospect of a full-time move going through, and it seems as if it could be just a matter of time until he gets his wish.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux. 

Eddie Howe has now dropped a fresh Newcastle United injury update on Ryan Fraser.

The Lowdown: Hobbled off

Fraser unfortunately had to hobble off in the 13th minute of the North East club’s 1-0 win at home to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night, and was subsequently replaced by Miguel Almiron.

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They do not have many wingers in the squad as it is, and so losing Fraser for a prolonged period of time will certainly bring difficulty.

The Latest: Hamstring

As relayed by Magpies journalist Miles Starforth, Eddie Howe now thinks that Fraser has suffered a hamstring injury, and described it as a ‘huge blow’ for his side:

“It looks like a hamstring issue.

“I don’t know how serious it is, but it was enough to bring him off the pitch, which is a huge blow with the form he’s been in.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Even though the St. James’ Park faithful won the game, losing Fraser to injury was certainly not ideal.

The Scotland international has been a mainstay in the team that seem to have turned their fortunes around by pulling away from relegation, and has contributed two goals and three assists in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

Thus, with the lack of options out wide, Howe will now be hoping that Fraser can recover as soon as possible, so that he can help them guarantee their Premier League status for next season.

It will now be an anxious wait for the Toon Army over how long the injury will keep him out for.

In other news, find out who NUFC’s three worst performers were against Wolves here!

Eberechi Eze has ‘very little chance’ of starting for Crystal Palace against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, according to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam. 

The lowdown

Last time out against Burnley, the 23-year-old featured in Palace’s matchday squad for the first time this season. However, he watched the entirety of the 3-3 draw from the sidelines, with Patrick Vieira holding him back for now.

Eze hasn’t featured for Palace’s first team for more than six months now, having sustained an Achilles injury in training in May. He has made two appearances for the club’s under-23s in recent weeks to aid his return his fitness.

The latest

On Saturday morning, Woosnam was asked by a supporter in The Athletic’s matchday discussion whether there was a ‘good chance’ of Eze being selected in Vieira’s XI.

The journalist replied: “Very little chance of Eze starting just yet. Expect him to get minutes off the bench before that happens.”

The verdict

With James McArthur now out injured, there does appear to be an opening in the Palace midfield, but Woosnam has previously written that Jeffrey Schlupp will likely be the preferred option until Eze is completely ready.

It’s hard to argue against a cautious approach given the evident severity of the injury. Patience will seemingly be required, but it’s easy to understand that Eagles fan’s apparent eagerness for the 23-year-old to return today.

He was the team’s most creative player last season, finishing the campaign with six assists and an average of 1.3 key passes per 90 (via WhoScored). His return can’t come quick enough, but it might not necessarily come today, if Woosnam’s prediction proves correct.

In other news, Mark Wyatt reckons this man will be dropped on Saturday.