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Wolverhampton Wanderers’ attacking output is now ‘extremely worrying’, but journalist Dean Jones still backs Julen Lopetegui to steer them clear of relegation.

The Lowdown: Wolves improving

Wolves have shown definite signs of improvement under Lopetegui, having sacked Bruno Lage in October after slipping into the relegation zone, now sitting three points clear of the bottom three.

However, their work is by no means done yet, especially considering the Old Gold have a very tricky period coming up, facing Liverpool at Anfield tonight before coming up against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the following games.

The Latest: Jones concerned

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Jones expressed concern about the performances of Wolves’ strikers, saying:“The goal output of this team in terms of the forwards is extremely worrying. But with Lopetegui in charge, I still think they’ll just be fine.

“He’s improved this team in most other areas and surely it’s only a matter of time before they start scoring more goals.”

The Verdict: Must improve

Not only do Lopetegui’s side have very tough games coming up, but they end the season with trips to Manchester United and Arsenal, travelling to the Emirates Stadium on the final day, by which point you feel they will have to already be mathematically safe.

As such, their strikers must start stepping up to the plate, with both Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa yet to score in the Premier League this season, despite making a total of 21 appearances between them.

Wolves have largely had to rely on goal contributions from the likes of central midfielder Ruben Neves and winger Daniel Podence so far this season, but it is not sustainable to be without a consistently-scoring striker.Lopetegui will be hoping his current strikers can do enough to keep his side up this season, before no doubt strengthening his attacking options in the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United showed a lot of interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on deadline day but Dan Ashworth might have dodged a bullet by failing to bring him to St James’ Park.

The Toon were interested in signing the England international this month but Graham Potter’s side were understandably not keen on loaning the 22-year-old to a top-four rival.

Eddie Howe’s side might be lacking some depth in midfield but Gallagher’s displays this season, and the likely fee that Newcastle would have had to pay, suggests that the Toon may well be better off without him.

Despite his underwhelming displays this season, the Telegraph suggested (8:14 am) that the Blues valued the academy graduate in excess of £50m following his impressive performances out on loan with Crystal Palace last season.

With Patrick Vieira’s side, the youngster would contribute eight goals and three assists in the top flight, averaging a strong 7.09 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, he has been unable to replicate that form with his boyhood club, managing just one goal and one assist for the Stamford Bridge outfit so far this campaign, averaging a disappointing 6.54 rating across his 18 Premier League appearances.

Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have both significantly outperformed Gallagher this season, while WhoScored even ranks Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff ahead of the Chelsea man, which suggests that he wouldn’t have justified his hefty price tag.

His poor form and lack of positional clarity was criticised by Jermaine Jenas during Chelsea’s recent 4-0 defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup who suggested he “hasn’t got a clue” when it comes to that side of his game.

Considering Newcastle had already splashed £45m on Anthony Gordon and a loan move for Gallagher wasn’t possible, Ashworth did well not to pay Chelsea’s excessive asking price for Gallagher on deadline day, as his form this season suggests that Howe will be better off without him.

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.

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”…

Liverpool remain interested in signing the man who every elite club seems to be after…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who claims that the Reds will have full faith in their ability to tempt Jude Bellingham to Anfield after Dharmesh Sheth had claimed he was their “number one target”.

Despite the riches of Manchester City likely to put them ahead in the race, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“Man City might consider themselves with the greatest chance of signing him right now in their eyes, but Liverpool believe that they should have a great chance, too, and that they just have to go all out and put in front of him why they think he should join Liverpool.”

Following his fine performances in Qatar, his price tag has since risen to a reported €150m (£130m).

Thiago upgrade

Although he has quickly captured the imagination of fans from the Merseyside club, Spanish maestro Thiago is not getting any younger.

Having only joined in 2020 at the age of 29, it was clear this deal was one to bring instant success rather than pin down their midfield for years.

That could not be more contrasted to a potential deal to sign Bellingham, with the 19-year-old sure to dominate in the engine room for at least the next decade.

Whilst the Spaniard offers a more calming presence in midfield, outlined in his tackles ranking in the top 9% as well as his pass completion rate in the top 7%, the England international has shown he is far more all-action.

Despite this, he can still occupy nearly any role needed of him, which is outlined in his varied skillset.

Whilst ranking in the top 6% for dribbles completed, he also records 2.39 tackles per game. In the same vein, whilst he ranks in the top 4% for non-penalty goals, his pass completion rate averaged out at 90% at the World Cup.

There is truly nothing he cannot do, and he has more than earned the title of “a generational talent” bestowed upon him by Rafael Honigstein.

What marks him as an upgrade on Thiago is not just his input, of which his 7.38 Sofascore rating from their domestic leagues dwarfs that of the 31-year-old’s 7.15, but due to his goalscoring nature, he can actually take games by the scruff of the neck and drag his team through.

This was no greater exemplified than in his four goals in consecutive Champions League games this season, as he has stepped up in the absence of Erling Haaland.

For all his talents, the former Bayern Munich midfielder simply cannot change a game as Bellingham can.

 As such, this transfer could mark a huge improvement that could lock down their midfield for years to come.

There is a glaring issue within the Liverpool squad which if the club are to achieve anything this season, simply has to be addressed in the January transfer window.

That, of course, is in the middle of the park where the Reds have struggled significantly.

Jurgen Klopp and FSG ignored that third of the pitch until transfer deadline day in the summer, bringing in Arthur Melo.

Sadly, the Brazilian has only made one appearance since joining as a result of injury. That factor has plagued the squad this term, leaving Klopp rather hamstrung when it comes to his midfield options.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are both out of contract at the end of the current season while Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara are now all in their 30s.

Although the latter will never lose his class, injuries have also troubled him throughout the current term.

After the World Cup, the name on the lips of most Liverpool fans will certainly be Jude Bellingham.

Clubs the world over will be queuing up for the teenager’s signature next year but the Reds could find an alternative in Enzo Fernandez.

The Argentine has also caught the eye in Qatar, scoring a delightful goal in their win over Mexico before assisting in the victory against Poland.

Reports in recent days suggest that the Reds already have a pre-agreement in place with the Benfica midfielder over a possible deal in 2023, with any such move potentially costing in the region of a whopping £103m.

Dubbed a “cheat code” by one source for his performances on the big stage this autumn, he has all the hallmarks of being the club’s perfect Thiago replacement.

The Spaniard possesses plenty of poise and grace, sitting in the top 8% of positionally similar players across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion (89.4) while he also ranks in the best 2% of midfielders for passes completed per 90 minutes (82.66) and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (7.34).

These stats are incredibly similar to Fernandez, albeit the 21-year-old is compared to those in the world’s next-best eight leagues outside of the big five by FB Ref.

Across those divisions, the Argentina international is in the top 11% for pass completion (87.1%). That is slightly below Thiago but in the other metrics already assessed, the Spaniard is actually defeated.

Compared to Liverpool’s classy number 6, Fernandez completes a whopping 96.83 passes per 90, 9.50 of which are progressive passes. Both of those figures mean the talented youngster ranks in the very best 1% of players.

Couple that with his ability to score goals and create for his teammates, numbers seen by his three goals and five assists this term, and you have a rather fine player.

Given the sheer lack of depth in central areas for the Reds, the pair could well play together. That said, with Thiago not getting any younger, it feels as though Julian Ward would be signing the Spain international’s natural heir.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will undoubtedly be rubbing his hands as the first transfer window of his reign draws close, with several targets already circled. 

What’s the word?

Spanish publication Vamos mi Sevilla have recently reported that four European outfits are looking to clinch the service of the versatile flanker, who won the Copa America with Argentina last year.

Reports in Spain suggest that Emery is intrigued by the prospect of luring Sevilla ace Marcos Acuna to Villa Park and bolstering his wide options.

Despite winning two of his first three matches for the midlands club, the Spaniard will look to add his own flair to the side, making tweaks and changes as he looks to lead Villa back towards the upper end of the table. 

Star in Qatar

Acuna has most recently been earning plaudits for Argentina in Qatar, where he has aided his national side to a first-placed group finish, despite a seismic loss in the opener to lowly Saudi Arabia. 

In that match, Acuna was one of the few candles not extinguished by the second-half wave of Arabian wind that sent La Albiceleste spinning, recording a rating of 7.1 off the bench as he forayed forwards and searched for openings. 

And with a performance that bred a 100% pass success rate, two big chances created, and 27 touches, the 31-year-old was in the very thick of the action, consequently earning a starting role in the following group matches against Mexico and Poland, with the South American giants winning both. 

It’s these stunning showings that have attracted interest from a train of clubs vying for his signature, with the blend of experience and explosive dribbling a worthy addition to any top-flight team across Europe. 

As per FBref, he ranks within the top 8% for passes completed across Europe, whilst ranking within the top 7% for successful dribbles, when compared to positional peers, whilst also contributing defensively for Sevilla this season with 1.9 tackles per match and 1.1 interceptions.

His rounded and refined arsenal has led to claims that he is “one of the best”, and with an achievable price tag of roughly £10m, Emery could receive the reunion he so desires in the coming months.

Having contributed with two goals and ten assists across 92 outings for the Andalusian side, the 46-cap Acuna will no doubt be enticed by the prospect of working under manager who boasts a consistent track record of success, with his particular skill set well-suited. 

But with the likes of Inter Milan, Emery’s former team Villarreal, Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt, and Premier League midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers all interested, Villa would to well to act swiftly, with conviction, to lure the whiz to Aston.

Journalist Gaston Edul has shared a crucial injury update on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso amid his loan spell at Villarreal.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso stars on loan…

The Argentina international has been thriving on loan in La Liga in the build up to this year’s World Cup in Qatar, yet his latest injury blow has shrouded his potential involvement.

As per WhoScored, Lo Celso ranks in Villarreal’s top four in terms of shots at goal, completed dribbles and fouls drawn per 90 but it appears they will have to be without the South American for a period.

The 26-year-old has been described as a ‘major doubt’ for Argentina’s squad after being forced off on 25 minutes during Villarreal’s 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao at the end of last month.

Argentina kick off their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia later this month but a latest update from Edul has made Spurs’ stance crystal clear.

The Latest: Spurs want Lo Celso surgery…

It is believed the Lilywhites have adopted a zero-risk stance as Villarreal await more scans on their loanee.

Spurs allegedly want Lo Celso to undergo surgery on his hamstring injury with the midfielder appearing more and more doubtful for Qatar.

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Edul explained:

“Villarreal hopes that Gio Lo Celso’s inflammation goes down to do some more studies and decide whether to operate or not. Tottenham wants him to have surgery.”

The Verdict: Massive blow…

Spurs’ desire for Lo Celso to have an operation can surely only spell trouble for the player.

Potentially missing Argentina’s World Cup campaign would come as a devastating blow for the playmaker, who enjoyed a brilliant stint on loan at Villarreal last season as well as this campaign.

Lo Celso enjoying a noticeable campaign for Argentina in the far east could have also drove up his price tag in a real benefit for Spurs to try and sell him off permanently.

Alas, depending on how this situation develops, it appears he could well be a real doubt.

Everton could land a “massive coup” if they are able to secure a January transfer deal for potential World Cup star Cody Gakpo, according to pundit Noel Whelan. 

The Lowdown: Previous interest in Gakpo

Back in the previous summer transfer window, the Toffees were named as one of the clubs interested in signing the winger.

Other Premier League clubs such as Leeds United, Southampton and Manchester United were also linked with the PSV starlet, who has scored 82 goals in total for the club across 220 appearances in their senior and youth sides.

Now that the next January transfer window is approaching, it appears that the possibility of Everton making a move to sign the Dutchman has been the topic of discussion once again.

The Latest: Get it done

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan told Everton to get it done, labelling a deal as ‘massive’.

He said: “If they can get him, it’d be a massive coup. There’ll be a lot of clubs looking at him. I’m pretty sure in January – he’ll be a player who can make a difference to any side, he’s a fantastic talent.

“If there’s a bidding war, Everton could find it difficult – with their league position and their style of play. But if they can get this deal over the line, it would be an absolutely tremendous coup.

“If they start coming up against Man United and other top sides, it could become a lot more difficult.”

The Verdict: A stunning move for Everton?

Regardless of Whelan’s doubts over Everton’s ability to sign Gakpo in January, the 23-year-old, who will be hoping to have a breakout tournament with the Netherlands in the upcoming World Cup, has shown this season why the Merseyside club should do all they can to secure his signature.

With 17 appearances under his belt this season across the Eredivisie and the Europa League, the winger has scored 12 goals and delivered 13 assists, boasting well above one direct goal contribution per game.

Hailed as an “electric” player by journalist Josh Bunting, Gakpo has also had more shots at goal (47) and shots on target (24) than any other player in his division, further highlighting the attacking talent he has.

Taking all of this into account, we agree with Whelan that if Everton were to sign the PSV figure in January, he would be a great signing for the club and an exciting addition to Frank Lampard’s squad.

Tottenham Hotspur could re-sign their former defender Dennis Cirkin as journalist Alan Nixon shares an update out of N17.

The Lowdown: Spurs back Conte…

The Lilywhites backed Antonio Conte in the summer transfer window after receiving a £150m equity injection courtesy of club owners ENIC.

Spurs’ head coach was repaid for guiding them to a Premier League top-four finish as sporting director Fabio Paratici sealed summer moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.

Ahead of January, the north Londoners are reportedly monitoring other targets, including Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.

Now, as per reliable reporter Nixon, some news has come to light on a former Spurs player they are seemingly targeting.

The Latest: Tottenham could re-sign Cirkin…

Tottenham, and Paratici by extension, are said to be eyeing a move for Sunderland defender and their former youth star Cirkin.

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Writing for The Sun, Nixon claims that Spurs are ‘tracking’ the 20-year-old alongside top-flight rivals Brentford, and the player could have a decision to make as the Black Cats consider potentially cashing in.

This comes after the north London club ‘surprisingly let him go’ last summer.

The Verdict: Wise move?

The 20-year-old has impressed since moving to Sunderland from Spurs and has carried on this season with some solid defensive returns.

Cirkin currently ranks among Sunderland’s top four players for interceptions, clearances and blocks per game, with journalists like Phil Smith calling the youngster a ‘machine’ for some of his performances.

Homegrown and familiar with the club, it’s no surprise that Paratici and co are considering a move to bring the youngster back to Hotspur Way.