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Southampton’s current transfer policy has left ‘people attached to the recruitment staff’ concerned, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Saints’ January business

Jones has previously claimed that Southampton are targeting players from ‘all over the world’ this month, in an attempt to stave off their Premier League relegation concerns, and they have already been active in the market.

The Saints completed the signing of winger Mislav Orsic last week, while they have also reportedly brought in midfielder Carlos Alcaraz, although this is yet to be confirmed by the club.

The Latest: Jones raises concern

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has claimed that some members of the recruitment team would prefer to focus on players with previous Premier League experience, saying:

“I know that there are people attached to the recruitment staff who have tried to point this out that having new signings with a track record in this league is key, and it’s going to be very important.

“Sometimes you can overthink these things and look at too many stats and worry about the fit too much when all you need is someone who can actually score a goal.”

The Verdict: Striker needed

Whether they have a proven track record or not, it is evident that Southampton need to strengthen in attack, and while signing Orsic is a good start, they are in dire need of a new, more clinical centre-forward.

Despite having the track record that Jones speaks of, scoring seven top flight goals last season, Che Adams has been very disappointing this term, missing a total of nine big chances, more than a third of the 26 that they have created.

Terem Moffi appears to be the most clinical of the players being linked with a switch to St. Mary’s, netting ten goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season, and Nathan Jones should look to bring in the Nigerian at the earliest opportunity.

Tottenham Hotspur have won just three of their last nine in the Premier League and now face second-placed Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this evening.

Antonio Conte will be looking to see his side bounce back from Sunday’s comprehensive north London derby defeat to Arsenal, whilst the same goes for Pep Guardiola and his men, having also lost in their recent clash with arch-rivals United.

It’ll be no easy feat with pressure and uncertainty starting to mount over the future of the Italian head coach, though he could do himself some favours by axing his underperforming stars.

One of which should be Heung-min Son, who has been woefully out-of-sorts for the majority of the campaign and against the Gunners, with whom he usually has a good record, his influence waned once more.

Indeed, the South Korean dynamo has scored just one Premier League goal this season, besides a hat-trick versus Leicester City, with both of his assists also coming before mid-October. It means he has provided only a solitary goal contribution across his last eight top-flight outings, per Transfermarkt.

He has misfired in some of the biggest games of the season too, notably in both fixtures against the Gunners, as well as Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham United, which makes his prospects of hurting the defending champions a lot bleaker.

It was only last season that Son emerged as one of the most prolific and exciting forwards on the planet, taking a share of the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah.

Fast forward to now and his goals-per-shot ratio (0.08) is the lowest since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. In fact, it’s been double that in all but one campaign and it’s not because of a lack of service as he’s averaging the most shots on target per 90 in the same time frame, via FBref.

His own creative influence has regressed from last season as well, seeing a lower average of progressive passes, key passes and shot-creating actions per 90 in the English top-flight.

All of the above is clearly contributing to Spurs’ lacklustre time in the final third, so with Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison back fit from injury, and Bryan Gil catching the eye in his last few appearances, it would make sense for Conte to make the bold and arguably brutal decision to drop Son from the starting XI.

The £36m-rated whiz was once dubbed an “absolute beast” by rapper and renowned Lilywhites supporter AJ Tracey but he is some way off that level right now, given the evidence above. If Conte keeps the faith in him, then he’ll only be contributing towards his own immediate downfall at Tottenham.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bentancur: Conte can form “incredible” Spurs duo with £30m-rated “beast”…

Sunderland may have to wait until the summer transfer window to sign young Genk forward Andras Nemeth, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Sunderland linked with Nemeth signing

The 20-year-old is struggling to be a key man for the Belgian giants currently, only managing one goal and assist apiece in 15 Jupiler Pro League appearances this season.

Nemeth has been linked with a move to Sunderland in recent times, as Tony Mowbray looks to improve his attacking options at the Stadium of Light.

A new update suggests that the Black Cats may have to bide their time, though.

The Latest: Summer move more likely

According to Het Nieuwsblad [via Sport Witness], Genk ‘do not want to talk about an immediate transfer’ when it comes to Nemeth and teammate Mika Godts, putting paid to a January move happening.

His current team feel he ‘could also be of great value’ to their reserve team in the second half of the season.

The Verdict: Go for him at the end of the season

This is a disappointing update for Sunderland, who may have to been hoping for a January deal, so they may now have to turn their attention elsewhere.

A summer move for Nemeth should still be attempted, however, with the youngster scoring eight goals in 11 appearances for Hungary’s Under-21s, as well as netting in his only senior cap to date.

At 20, he could be a long-term addition, too, maturing as a player and learning from an in-form Ross Stewart at Sunderland, before potentially partnering him in attack.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has distinguished Angers SCO midfielder Azzedine Ounahi as the perfect addition to bolster the ranks and continue the ascension in the Premier League since his arrival in October…

What’s the word?

Ounahi has been of interest to multiple clubs following his burst onto the scene with his nation, Morocco, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with Italian journalist Ciro Venerato (via Sport Witness) previously stating that the player is talking to Villa, who are desperate to fortify their midfield with a signing of first-rate quality after failing to convince Juventus ace Weston McKennie to join the ranks.

And now, transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has stated that the Claret & Blue are firmly within the running to land the ace, and could make a move over the coming week, before the culmination of the January transfer window.

Jones said: “There’s just so much competition for him and it’s hard to tell at the moment whether they are going to win the race. I mean, they’ve probably got as good a chance as anyone in England; it’s just really a case of whether or not he definitely wants to come to the Premier League.”

Emery’s own De Jong

Ounahi left pundits waxing lyrical after starring for Morocco at the World Cup, with his ball-playing prowess and graceful poise swivelling the heads of many suitors, with Emery indeed among those enamoured.

And while the 22-year-old has been at the centre of his French Ligue 1 outfit’s struggles this term – Angers languish at the very bottom of the division – his particular set of blossoming abilities should allow him to flourish among a crop of players suited to more progressive football and ambitious schemes.

The £10k-per-week ace ranks among the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed, the top 4% for progressive passes received and the top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty area – highlighting the all-encompassing nature of his work.

And defensively, he has also earned his place; making 1.4 tackles and one interception per match in the league this term, as per Sofascore, vital in snuffing out danger and preventing further woes for his beleaguered side.

The “technician”- as once lauded by James Marshment – is likened to FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong on the aforementioned FBref, with the Dutch maestro flourishing as one of the 161 showings, scoring 15 goals and serving 19 assists. 

He ranks among the top 7% of positional peers for pass completion and the top 10% for dribbles completed, also in the top 12% for shot-creating actions – with Ounahi’s similar skill-set, he can mould into a formidable force under Emery’s watchful eye.

Bearing this in mind, the £26m-valued Moroccan would be a sterling addition to an outfit on the up, and Aston Villa must do everything within their power to clinch a seismic deal to serve as the catalyst for success.

Transfer expert Alex Crook has claimed live on TalkSPORT that Anthony Gordon’s proposed move to Newcastle United now looks unlikely.

The Lowdown: Newcastle yet to get busy

Over the last few days, it had been reported that Gordon was looking very likely to end up on Tyneside with some outlets suggesting that the Magpies were set to beat Premier League sides to Gordon’s signature.

Gordon failed to turn up to Everton training on Tuesday and Wednesday with no reason as yet for the most recent no-show, which may have raised hopes about him securing a move to Tyneside.

The winger has had a less than enjoyable time at Everton this season with just three goals to his name and was confronted by Evertonians after their home defeat against Southampton in the Premier League.

The Latest: Gordon’s future remains unclear

Despite reports suggesting Gordon was edging closer to a January switch, Crook believes any move looks unlikely due to the huge fee Everton are demanding this month.

He said: “I think he’s made it pretty clear he wants to leave. Newcastle believe they’re the frontrunners, but this is a constantly evolving story, it was one of the sagas of the summer – and you heard Simon Jordan in that package describing the price tag of £60m as ‘ridiculous’; I think he’s right.

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“More importantly, so do Newcastle – they’re not going to pay that kind of money for Anthony Gordon, so at the moment, I would say this deal for Gordon from Everton to Newcastle is more unlikely than likely, unless Everton get desperate towards the end of the window, lower their demands and think, ‘actually, we’ve got to cash in on this guy who wants to leave and we need funds for new signings’.

“What we’ve seen from Newcastle, despite the fact they’re just about the richest club on the planet at the moment, [is] they will not be held to ransom and they won’t pay over the odds for players – they’ll walk away.”

The Verdict: Price tag has to come down

It was reported over the summer that Chelsea were indeed willing to pay £60 million for Gorodn although nothing ever came to fruition, after his poor form this season it’s bizarre Everton still value him at the same value.

Gordon currently has more booking than goal involvements this season with three strikes and seven yellow cards to his name already which shows how frustrated he’s clearly getting on the pitch for Everton.

Newcastle are clearly in need of some inspiration in the final third having scored two goals in their last five league games and many may have expected Gordon to end up in a black and white shirt given the numerous media reports, but Everton’s willingness to dig in their heels as Crook’s alluded to, could well be a stumbling block too big to get over.

Everton have incredibly completed the January transfer window without making a single signing, despite the perilous Premier League position and sale of Anthony Gordon.

What’s the word?

With boyhood starlet Gordon joining high-flying Newcastle United in a £45m deal several days ago, there was an expectation on Merseyside that Everton would grant new manager Sean Dyche several fresh signings to turn the tide and steer the club back on course.

Everton were engaged in a late battle to sign Michy Batshuayi before the deadline, only for the player to reject them, meaning alternative options were sought.

Indeed, the Toffees desperately explored multiple avenues prior to 11pm, but one touted name, Andre Ayew, could still find himself plying his trade at Goodison Park in short time.

French outlet L’Equipe went on to report that the club’s recruitment team were in talks to sign the Ghanaian, and being a free transfer, he could still arrive despite the window now being closed.

Get it done…

While the 33-year-old Ayew is not the salient name many of the Toffees faithful would have craved after witnessing the departure of one of the club’s most coveted assets in the 21-year-old Anthony Gordon, he would bring a wealth of experience and a proven goal prowess on English soil.

And with Gordon only scoring three goals this season to complement his mediocre 6.74 average league rating, as per Sofascore, the void left by his absence could certainly be remedied somewhat with the addition of a new face.

Ayew, formerly of Swansea City and West Ham United, has clinched a total of 21 goals and 12 assists from 89 appearances in the English top-flight, and indeed boasts a commendable record with his most recent outfit, Qatari giants Al Sadd, scoring 22 goals from 39 showings.

The 113-cap international also recently starred for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting all three group matches and scoring one goal, also completing 81% of his passes, making 1.3 tackles per outing and winning 56% of his duels.

And with the attacking holding a career average of unleashing 2.0 shots and 0.8 key passes per outing, as per WhoScored, his deployment into the Everton ranks could be invaluable in adding a dimension to bolster the squad ahead of the business end of the campaign; indeed, he could be a “game-changer” – as once dubbed by former manager Slaven Bilic – for a vital period in Everton’s distinguished history.

Perhaps Dyche will have hoped for a name with more grandeur, but with the failure to complete a permanent transfer to get Goodison Park rocking before the culmination of transfer deadline day, there is scant time to be clamorous in demands on the transfer front.

By pulling off the signing of Ayew on a free transfer, Everton would have an established forward to bolster the ranks, at the very least, and his inclusion could be the difference in bagging a few more precious points as the squad look to stave off relegation.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed the future of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is in doubt now that he has become the club’s record goalscorer.

What’s the word?

It was a pretty good weekend for the Spurs striker as he helped his team pick up an important win in the Premier League. Indeed, the 29-year-old scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

However, not only did that goal help Tottenham pick up all three points and move just one point and one place behind Newcastle United in the Champions League places, but it also saw Kane reach an important milestone.

Indeed, the England captain netted his 267th goal for Spurs, meaning he has now supposed Jimmy Greaves to become the north London club’s all-time top scorer.

However, having achieved this goal, Sutton has wondered if that could be enough to convince Kane that this summer will be the right time to finally leave the club for pastures new.

Speaking live on BBC 606, he said: “I mean, it does beg the question, doesn’t it?

“Now that, you know, he’s got the record at Spurs, what happens in the summer? I mean, are there Spurs fans out there who think that he could be lured away? I don’t know.”

Next challenge

With Kane yet to win a major trophy at Tottenham, he has had to become a club legend by setting personal records and now that he arguably has the most important individual accolade a player can have at a club, he may feel the time is right to seek a new challenge.

What’s more, he will be turning 30 in the summer and with his contract expiring in 2024 this might be the best chance to leave Spurs while he is still in his prime years.

The likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich are both often touted as possible destinations and it’s certainly reasonable to think he would have a better chance of winning silverware with those clubs.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out in the summer. For now, though, Kane seems pretty happy to have beaten this record at Tottenham.

Indeed, speaking after the game, he BBC Match of the Day: “When you look at the names who have been here, to overtake Jimmy Greaves – one of the greatest to play the game – I’m extremely grateful.”

West Ham United had a quiet transfer window in which Danny Ings remained their main acquisition throughout the month.

The Premier League-proven marksman was expected to come in and offer an instant source of reliable goals, given how he had provided that to plenty of clubs across England.

However, a knee problem sustained in his first game could be a sign of things to come, with the injury-prone striker having struggled for fitness many times in his career.

It, therefore, has sparked the question as to whether 30-year-old was the answer to their goalscoring issues, of which they have scored just 18 times in 21 games.

Another option that they flirted with in January was Sheraldo Becker, who has been starring for Union Berlin of late in their unlikely push for the Bundesliga title.

Having reportedly enquired about the attacker just before deadline day, it was a move that never truly materialised despite only a €15m (£13m) reported valuation; just £2m shy of what they paid for Ings.

However, according to journalist Christian Falk, via CaughtOffside, both Mark Noble and Everton will reignite their interest in the summer, should the Hammers remain in the division.

By then, the 27-year-old could have added to his already impressive tally of seven goals and four assists in the league. What might also interest David Moyes is the fact that he somewhat translated this form into European matches, of which he has become accustomed to in recent seasons.

It could be a move that finally reignites Jarrod Bowen, who has admittedly disappointed this season.

Severely lacking a firing forward at the London Stadium, he has struggled to shoulder all of the offensive burden. As such, he only has four goals and one assist to his name this league campaign, a far cry from his 24 goal contributions the term prior.

Adding Becker to the fold would not only give him a lethal forward to aim at, but the Bundesliga star also has the creative qualities to provide for him too.

As such, when compared to other strikers across Europe, he ranks in the top 8% for assists. Journalist Josh Bunting served to supplement this by claiming: “Sheraldo Becker in this team just fits perfectly, not just clinical but he’s also creative.”

This comes across in his 7.16 average Sofascore rating, which is greatly aided by his 1.4 key passes completed per 90.

Finally, Bowen could recapture that long-forgotten form with this summer addition. He just has the small task of ensuring they remain in the Premier League to make the deal a possibility at all.

West Ham United defender Thilo Kehrer has returned to training this week and could be in contention to play at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Injury trouble

Following a £10.1m move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Kehrer has proved an important part of David Moyes’ side, with the 26-year-old playing 22 times for the Hammers so far this season.

However, since the World Cup, he’s seen his minutes fall at the London Stadium, starting just two of the last five Premier League games after previously playing the full 90 minutes in every game leading up to the tournament.

The defender lasted only 45 minutes last weekend in the draw against Newcastle United as he was taken off injured at half-time.

The Latest: Ex’s update

There’s good news for the Germany international, who is unlikely to spend any time sidelined – much to the relief of his boss, who may find options light in defence.

Writing on The West Ham Way Patreon page, Hammers insider ExWHUemployee said: “In better news, despite picking up an injury in the game against Newcastle and being taken off at half-time, Thilo Kehrer trained today and could be in contention to retain his place in the starting team against Chelsea!”

The Verdict: In contention

It’ll be a boost to Moyes, who will want as many options to call on as possible in the London derby against struggling Chelsea, with the Irons’ perilous league position meaning it’s all hands on deck, with them sitting just one point above the drop heading into the game.

The London Stadium will likely be rocking given the importance of the game as well as the Blues’ recent form which brings one win from five, leaving a positive result potentially there for the taking.

With Ex also revealing that Kurt Zouma will remain out injured, the news that Kehrer is in line to return will be a welcome one, with youngster Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell the only two defenders on the bench against Newcastle after Craig Dawson wasn’t replaced following his £3.3m switch to Wolves.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano says that Arsenal are not in talks to sign Leicester City attacking midfielder James Maddison this summer, contrary to reports.

The Lowdown: Arsenal ‘kept informed’

It was reported earlier this week that Arsenal have been ‘kept informed’ of Maddison’s situation at Leicester, with him only having 18 months left on his current deal.

He is thought to have turned down numerous offers from the club to extend it, with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also thought to be in the race for his signature.

The Latest: Not in talks

Writing for CaughtOffside, Romano says that the Gunners are in fact ‘not in talks’ to sign Maddison, and his future will not be decided for another few months:

“Despite reports, Arsenal are currently not in talks to sign James Maddison at this stage. Newcastle have had Maddison on their list since last summer.

“Nothing will be decided on Maddison’s future before May/June.”

The Verdict: Is he needed?

With captain Martin Odegaard already at the club, and Fabio Vieira signed in the summer, one could question if the North London club need to sign Maddison.

Lauded as an ‘absolutely outstanding’ player by his manager Brendan Rodgers, the 26-year-old has been so impressive this season, despite Leicester’s struggles in the bottom half of the league.

He has managed to score nine goals and supply a further five assists in the Premier League so far (Transfermarkt), and made the England squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar off the back of his impressive performances.

Although primarily an attacking midfielder, Maddison is capable of playing slightly deeper, and so could fit in Mikel Arteta’s 4-3-3 attacking system as the left-sided central midfielder, with Odegaard the right.

Nonetheless, signing him would be a shrewd move from the Emirates Stadium outfit, providing that they can find a place for him in the starting line-up.