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Considering Wolves’ woes in front of goal so far this season, the last thing Julen Lopetegui will have wanted to see on Saturday afternoon was Diego Costa forced off with a knee injury.

Although the Spaniard is yet to score in Wolves colours, he has featured on 16 occasions this season and can certainly be trusted to give opposition defenders a hard time, so is clearly still a valued member of Lopetegui’s squad.

While Saturday’s 1-0 win against Spurs moved the Old Gold up to 13th in the Premier League, they are still ranked as the lowest scorers in the division, and a return of 19 goals in 26 top-flight fixtures is nowhere near good enough.

The Spanish manager has also been without summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic throughout his time at Molineux, and given the apparent severity of Costa’s injury, it now seems as if he will have to cope with Matheus Cunha and Raul Jimenez for the remainder of the campaign.

Who could replace Costa at Wolves?

For Jimenez, it could be a chance to rescue his career at Molineux and win back the support of the fans, who perhaps turned against the Mexico international when he travelled to the World Cup in Qatar last year, despite injury problems keeping him out of Wolves’ side for the months prior.

While he is still without a goal in the Premier League this term, his recent performances have been good, as he had a direct hand in the goals against Fulham and Spurs, which emphasises the intelligence that the £100k-per-week striker can add in the final third for Wolves.

Lopetegui praised the 31-year-old’s impact from the bench in the 1-0 win yesterday, saying:

“Above all, Raul Jimenez has played a fantastic match in my opinion. It’s good news for him and for us.“He didn’t score but he was very important in a lot of facets of the play.“It’s important. Sometimes we analyse the forwards for the goals that they score but they have a lot to offer to the team. I have to review the match, but in my opinion, he has made a very good match.”With Matheus Cunha also failing to fire since his arrival from Atletico Madrid – failing to score – Costa’s injury represents a golden chance for the once “sensational” Jimenez, in the words of Conor Coady, to rediscover his best form at Molineux.If he can get the proverbial monkey off his back and find the net in the top flight, while also continuing to add a creative threat in the final third, then he could still be a massive player for Wolves in their fight for survival.

Everton seemingly have a clear path to sign free agent Isco, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Talks held

It has been reported that talks are underway with regards to the Goodison Park outfit potentially signing Isco, and a meeting has been scheduled with the intention of advancing those.

Isco was going to move to Union Berlin in the Bundesliga during the January transfer window, but that broke down after the Spaniard was told that he would not be on their UEFA Europa League list.

The Latest: Clear path?

As per Spanish news outlet Estadio Deportivo, Everton can offer Isco an ‘escape’ in terms of finding a new club.

They note that he has already rejected offers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and a move to the MLS has also been ruled out because the quota for franchise players is already full.

This means that the Merseyside club have a clear path if they are serious about signing him, and with talks already underway, an official offer could be expected soon.

The Verdict: Get it done

After not being able to sign a single player in January, and letting Anthony Gordon go to Newcastle United, the Toffees could do with some added reinforcements to bolster their squad ahead of what looks to be another relegation battle.

Lauded as a ‘brilliant footballer’ and a ‘true magician’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Isco is a player who can offer some flair and guile to the side, and his experience at the top level would also be useful in the dressing room.

He has won the UEFA Champions League no fewer than five times with Real Madrid, along with many other major accolades, and he is someone the rest of the Blues squad can look up to in terms of getting vital results from now until the end of the campaign.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey believes that youngster Chris Rigg is going to be joining Newcastle United in the near future.

The Lowdown: Building for the future

Newcastle finally made their breakthrough in the transfer window over the weekend as Anthony Gordon penned a long-term deal with the club, while Harrison Ashby looks to be the next one through the door.

Both players are at the start of their careers, which shows the shift in approach that Dan Ashworth is looking to implement on Tyneside, which is now to buy young players and allow them to develop into stars instead of splashing out enormous fees for more experienced heads.

The Magpies could be soon set to see a huge north-east talent rock up at St James’ Park from arch-rivals Sunderland in the form of Chris Rigg, who’s already got valuable first-team minutes under his belt.

The Latest: Rigg set for Newcastle

Bailey has made the bold claim while speaking on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel that Rigg, who’s said to be a boyhood Toon fan, will join Newcastle despite getting first-team chances on Wearside.

He said: “Chris Rigg, clubs are trying to get him – Man United, he’s got his pick of clubs.

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“Fortunately for you, he’s a Mag. His family are huge Mags, as you guys know. He’s Newcastle-bound – I did a story just before his debut in the cup tie. He’s Newcastle-bound, from my understanding.

“He’s a huge talent. I remember a scout telling me 18 months ago he was the nearest thing to Bryan Robson that he’s seen in north-east football.”

The Latest: Ashworth laying the foundations

It will be encouraging for Newcastle fans to see their club acting responsibly by not just spending a huge amount of money on current players to achieve immediate success. Instead, they are clearly in it for the long haul by going for players such as Garang Kuol, Ashby and Rigg.

The latter should excite a lot of fans because if he’s already getting first-team minutes against Premier League opposition as he did on Saturday, Rigg certainly has something about him for both now and in the future, as shown by almost scoring the winner against Fulham as he delighted Tony Mowbray with his performance.

Given Rigg’s tender age, it would be smart for Newcastle to swoop in and bring him to his boyhood club as soon as possible before other sides such as Manchester United get their claws into him and tempt him to Old Trafford.

West Ham United are out of the running to sign Lorient striker Terem Moffi, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Contrasting claims

The Nigeria international has entered the final 18 months of his contract with Regis Le Bris’ side, which has alerted several clubs that a deal could be struck before the end of the transfer window.

In the Premier League, it’s the Irons who have been heavily linked with the 23-year-old, whilst Nice and Marseille from Ligue 1 are also attentive to his situation.

Reports have recently claimed that the forward has an agreement in place to move to the London Stadium, but one journalist’s latest claim would suggest that the reality is rather different.

The Latest: Taylor’s update

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Taylor delivered an update on Moffi’s current stance and suggested that West Ham have dropped out of the race to sign him.

He wrote: “Terem Moffi trained with Lorient this morning. Another big day in [the] race for [the] highly-coveted Nigerian frontman. Marseille chief exec Pablo Longoria was in Brittany for talks on Tuesday but no green light. Nice now pushing to seal signing. West Ham ship has seemingly sailed.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Moyes

Moffi has previously been dubbed a ‘prolific’ attacker by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it will be a huge blow for David Moyes to learn that he is likely to miss out on his target.

The 6 foot 2 predator has scored 12 goals in 18 appearances so far this season and is currently averaging 1.9 shots per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 (WhoScored).

The Hammers are just one point above the relegation zone, having scored a mere 17 league goals as a squad, making the need for attacking reinforcements clear, but it sounds like they may now have to turn their attention elsewhere before Tuesday’s deadline.

Erik ten Hag could be tempted to stick with Manchester United’s current attacking options if he cannot land his desired target, rather than going for a stop-gap signing, Graeme Bailey has claimed.

What’s the word?

Man United have been linked with a move for a number of short-term striking options including Wout Weghorst, as they look to add depth to their attack for the second half of the season.

As it seems unlikely that they would be able to secure a marquee signing in the middle of the campaign, the loan market is being explored as Ten Hag seeks out cover for Marcus Rashford.

However, Graeme Bailey has claimed that Ten Hag might be tempted to stick with his current options than sign a player he is not 100% keen on.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey suggested that Rashford, Anthony Martial and the likes of Alejandro Garnacho will be enough for United until the end of the season.

“I think he wants to build for the future,” he stated.

“I’m not sure how keen he is on Choupo-Moting or someone like that. He may accept him because he may get them through for six months, Aboubakar, if he came in wouldn’t necessarily be long term as well.

“I think he’s probably keen, if he can’t get a player in who he wants to work with for the next two or three years, I’m not so sure that he really wants a stopgap.

“I think he’d rather go through with Martial, Garnacho. I think he’s got enough players there to get through.”

A gamble?

Given that a striker like Weghorst could be available on a short-term loan, a risk-free deal to provide extra cover seems wise.

United are competing in both domestic cups and the Europa League, and an extra body up front could prove crucial as the fixtures pile up.

Relying on the current options would be a huge gamble, as if Rashford picks up an injury or loses form, it could derail United’s whole season.

Even if Ten Hag cannot land his preferred target, extra depth even for the bench is necessary.

Michael Beale has enjoyed a rollercoaster of a start to his career as manager of Glasgow Rangers after coming from behind in two of his first three matches.

The Gers have won all three of their Premiership games under their new head coach but had to come from 2-1 down against Aberdeen, to win 3-2, and 2-1 down to Hibernian, to win 3-2.

One issue the manager had to immediately resolve was the lack of a left-back option as Borna Barisic was at the World Cup and Ridvan Yilmaz was, and still is, injured.

He decided to switch academy right-back Adam Devine to left-back and the youngster has thrived in his new role. The 19-year-old has started all three of Beale’s competitive matches in charge of the Gers and averaged a solid Sofascore rating of 6.97 – creating six chances and winning four tackles in that time.

Rangers’ head coach could now look to the B team to see who the next Devine, or Alex Lowry, could be and one player who may already be catching his eye is left-back Kevin Ciubotaru.

Whilst the Scottish teenager is playing on his weak foot out at left-back at the moment, the Romanian youth international is a naturally left-footed player and this means that he could offer a better balance in that position instead of wanting to cut inside onto his right foot.

Ciubotaru earned a move to Ibrox by impressing at the Kinetic academy. Their co-founder, Harry Hudson, previously hailed the dynamo’s quality, saying:

“Kevin is a Romanian youth international. Plays left back or can play left wing back. Very attack-minded. Powerful runner, good dribbler, gets forward well and contributes really well in the offensive phases.”Defensively he’s worked really hard with us so he covers both those sides of his game. He’s very good aerially, a strong player with an exceptionally high ceiling so looking forward to seeing how he gets on and watching his progress at Rangers.”He has made ten appearances for the club’s youth teams in all competitions this season, including eight outings in the Lowland League and two matches in the UEFA Youth League, and this shows that he has made himself a regular for the side after making the switch to Glasgow.

The gem once compared himself to a current France international and Champions League player, saying: “I think my qualities are speed, dribbling and stamina. I style myself like Theo Hernandez from Milan, although I have a lot of work to do with my right foot. I still have a lot to learn of course.”

If Ciubotaru can replicate Hernandez’s success, with the Frenchman averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.30 at the World Cup and a score of 7.15 in the Serie A this season, then he could be a terrific player for the Light Blues.

It is now down to the Romanian talent to prove to Beale, whether that be in B team matches or in first-team training, that he deserves to be the next young player to make the leap to the senior squad – becoming Devine 2.0 by doing so.

Everton have found themselves struggling in the Premier League yet again this season after suffering a difficult relegation scrap last time around as well.

The Toffees are currently 17th in the table after a disappointing run of performances ahead of the World Cup break and are now teetering on the edge of the relegation zone, just one point clear of the bottom three.

Frank Lampard will be desperately searching for ways to improve his team, as they have scored the joint-second fewest goals in the Premier League so far this season, and the manager will be given the golden opportunity to bolster his attacking threat when the transfer market reopens next month.

With Richarlison moving to Tottenham Hotspur in July and Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering constant injury problems, the former Chelsea boss has been left with a forward line which has clearly been weakened significantly this season despite the signings of Dwight McNeil and Neal Maupay in the summer.

One player who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park recently is France and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, a prolific striker who could be the perfect signing to get Everton scoring regularly again in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old – who was dubbed “world-class” by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer – ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for interceptions, dribbles completed, shots on goal and non-penalty goals in 2022.

In 119 appearances for Gladbach, Thuram has scored 41 goals and registered 26 assists, with a goal contribution every 119 minutes proving that he offers a reliable and consistent threat in front of goal, and he could be a hugely valuable asset to Everton over the second half of the season.

The £8.5m-valued goal machine has even earned a place in France’s World Cup squad in Qatar and has played his part in the holders’ progression to their second consecutive final of the competition.

Despite not being a starter for his country and averaging just 19 minutes per match at the finals, Thuram has registered one assist, tallied a 75% pass completion rate and completed 60% of his dribble attempts, also winning 3.3 duels per game.

With that in mind, Lampard can get Goodison Park rocking with a swoop for the 25-year-old, as the talented striker’s goalscoring form could make the difference for Everton in the hunt for crucial points to retain their Premier League status by the end of the campaign, thus reducing their reliance on the injury-plagued Calvert-Lewin.

Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Giorgio Scalvini to Anfield next summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato, who claim that Liverpool have now joined the likes of Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan in the race for the Atalanta BC centre-back.

The report goes on to state that the 18-year-old is quickly becoming ‘the most coveted of the Nerazzurri’ in the transfer market, however, Atalanta are reluctant to sanction the sale of the Italy international in the January transfer window.

Finally, it is claimed that the Serie A side will be willing to listen to offers for the defender at the end of the current campaign, with the Bergamo-based outfit believed to value the teenager at a figure in the region of €30m (£26m).

The next Bastoni

Considering just how exciting a prospect Scalvini very much looks to be, it is not difficult to understand why Liverpool would be interested in a deal to bring the centre-back to the Premier League next summer.

Indeed, despite his tender age, the £17m-rated talent has highly impressed in the heart of Gian Piero Gasperini’s backline this season, helping his side keep one clean sheet over his 11 Serie A appearances, as well as making an average of 1.7 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.2 clearances and winning 2.5 duels – at a success rate of 50% – per game.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £27k-per-week starlet also ranks in the top 13% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive passes per 90, in addition to the top 6% for dribbles completed, the top 3% for non-penalty goals, the top 1% for shots and the top 2% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days – highlighting just how good the teenager is in possession.

These returns have already seen the Atalanta sensation earn three call-ups to Roberto Mancini’s Italy squad, with the centre-back featuring against Germany in the Nations League back in June, as well as two international friendlies against Albania and Austria earlier this month.

As such, it is not hard to see Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig stated his belief in a post on Twitter that Scalvini is “the biggest talent from Atalanta’s youth academy since Alessandro Bastoni” – as the 18-year-old would appear well on track to go on and replicate the impact the £51.5m-rated Inter Milan star has made on the Italian game.

So, with competition for the teenager reported to be extremely fierce, should Jurgen Klopp wish to give his side the best possible chance of landing the next Bastoni in 2023, the German simply must sanction a swoop for the starlet as early as possible, as it looks very likely that the “top talent” could well go on to become the next great Italian centre-back.

Arsenal head into tonight’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion in an excellent run of domestic form.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten in seven consecutive matches on English soil.

However, with squad rotation being necessary in order to give the Gunners the best possible chance of success in both the Premier League and Europa League this season, the Spaniard may well look to give a number of his lesser-seen first-teamers and most exciting youth prospects a run out against the Seagulls this evening.

So, how many changes will the 40-year-old make to the side that lined up in the 1-0 win over Chelsea last weekend?

Here’s how we at Football FanCast think Arteta’s starting XI could look against Brighton, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Arteta revealing in his pre-match press conference that Takehiro Tomiyasu will remain sidelined for tonight’s fixture after picking up a knock in the 1-0 win over FC Zurich earlier this month, coupled with the Spaniard looking likely to rotate his team, we predict that the 40-year-old will make ten changes to his starting XI from the Chelsea win.

Only Gabriel Magalhães keeps his starting spot in the back five, with Matt Turner replacing Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks, Kieran Tierney coming in for Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, Rob Holding taking William Saliba’s spot in the middle and Cédric Soares replacing Ben White at right-back.

There are also wholesale changes in the midfield three, with the 19-year-old “wizard” – in the words of Emanuel Rosu – Catalin Cirjan potentially being handed his first-team debut in place of Granit Xhaka. He has appeared on the bench already this term and is now primed to be given his first senior minutes.

Other central changes see Mohamed Elneny given his second start since injury in place of Thomas Partey and Fábio Vieira come in for Martin Ødegaard.

Once again, there are three fresh faces in the attacking trio, with Arteta unleashing Arsenal’s “secret weapon” – in the words of Graham Ruthven – Reiss Nelson alongside Eddie Nketiah and 19-year-old Marquinhos on the left flank, up top and right flank respectively.

Leeds United head into Sunday afternoon’s Premier League meeting against Arsenal in rather poor form, with Jesse Marsch’s side currently on a run of five games without a win in all competitions.

With the visitors to Elland Road having been in decidedly better form this autumn – Mikel Arteta’s side currently top the Premier League table – in truth, three points would not look overly likely for the Whites this weekend.

Indeed, with Marsch revealing in his pre-match press conference that Patrick Bamford is still working his way back to 100% fitness, it remains unclear as to whether the 29-year-old will be selected from the off against the Gunners today.

However, considering just how impressive Joe Gelhardt has been for the under-21s in recent weeks, it would seem as if the Leeds manager could well find a ready-made Bamford replacement in the 20-year-old striker.

Indeed, while Gelhardt is no stranger to the Whites’ first team, having already made 29 appearances for the senior side since his 2020 move to LS11, only six of these have come as Premier League starts.

It is true that underage football is a much lower standard than that of the top flight, but taking into account the England under-21 international’s recent displays for Michael Skubala’s side, the £8.7m-rated talent would appear to be well worth a shot from the outset this afternoon.

In the youth team’s 5-3 Papa John’s Trophy victory over Tranmere Rovers earlier this month, Gelhardt played a starring role, scoring two goals, getting three shots on target, making two key passes, completing one dribble and drawing four fouls. These returns saw the 20-year-old earn a game-topping SofaScore match rating of 8.4.

Following that performance, Leeds Live journalist Joe Donnohue – who awarded the striker a nine in his own player ratings – had considerable praise for the youngster, stating on Twitter: “Two very well-taken goals – power and placement. Worked hard off the ball from start to finish. Like Gnonto, uses his body so well to his advantage.”

Furthermore, despite not finding the net in his next outing for the under-21s – a 1-0 win over Sunderland in Premier League 2 this week – the £16.5k-per-week hitman was once again awarded an impressive eight in Donnohue’s player ratings.

The journalist added of the starlet’s display: “Superb work rate for the full 90. On more than one occasion he was back defending SAFC counters. Competed physically & adhered to the tactics.”

Considering just how impressive the player who Marcelo Bielsa claimed “always creates danger” has been for the under-21s, coupled with Bamford clearly not being back to full fitness just yet, Marsch simply must unleash the 20-year-old against Arsenal. The wonderkid undoubtedly has the ability to help fire Leeds to a much-needed three points against the Gunners.