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Journalist Harry De Cosemo would like to see Sean Longstaff handed the No 6 role for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Howe forced into changes

Once again, Eddie Howe is going to be forced into making at least one midfield change for a Premier League game.

Having had to cope without Bruno Guimaraes for three games in a row following his suspension, Joelinton is now set to miss the Magpies’ next two matches.

The Brazilian picked up his 10th yellow card of the campaign last weekend, which means he will miss games against Wolves and Nottingham Forest, which could see Joe Willock return to the fold.

However, it’s not just personnel that Howe may look to switch up, as Newcastle’s toothlessness in the final third needs addressing, and getting Guimaraes further forward could be something that is explored.

The Latest: Longstaff to unleash Guimaraes

Speaking on the True Faith podcast, De Cosemo admits he would be tempted to play Longstaff as a No 6, which would allow Guimaraes to dictate play further forward.

He said: “I would be tempted to try Longstaff there more than Joelinton, because I think Joelinton’s more effective in the [number] 8 [position] pushing forward and driving.

“I know exactly what you mean when it comes to Bruno, but I also think he offers that tempo that I don’t think anybody in the team can in that deep role. The sad thing is that he is the best midfielder Newcastle have got as a 6. Bruno as a 6 is the second-best midfielder Newcastle have, behind Bruno as an 8, and that’s just the sad reality at the moment.”

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The Verdict: Newcastle may regret January business

It’s a difficult task for Eddie Howe to try to get Newcastle back to their free-flowing best that saw them reach the dizzy heights of the top three before the World Cup, but that’s the current task at hand.

However, it could have been made a lot simpler for the Toon boss had he been backed sufficiently in the January transfer window. Heading into January, it was reported that central midfield was the priority position to improve, but the squad only got weaker as Jonjo Shelvey was sold.

Longstaff has certainly stepped up this season and started to rediscover some of the form that once saw him tipped for a big-money move away from the club, but his ‘outstanding’ performances may need to go up another level if he’s to thrive as a No 6 and relieve Guimaraes of some defensive duties.

Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their interest in Wilfried Zaha heading into the summer transfer window, according to reports…

What’s the latest on Totteham’s interest in Wilfried Zaha?

London World claim that Spurs are increasingly confident of landing the 30-year-old on a free transfer, with the Crystal Palace star yet to make a final decision on his future.

Zaha currently has less than six months to run on his £130k-per-week deal at Selhurst Park and whilst the Eagles are keen to tie him down to an extension, they have concerns about paying him more than what he’s currently on as their highest earner.

It’s thought that the Ivory Coast international is torn between signing for a Champions League calibre outfit and remaining in southeast London.

Premier League rivals Manchester United, a former club of his, and Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma are also said to be keeping tabs on the situation.

Did Zaha nearly join Tottenham in 2016?

It’s certainly not the first time that Spurs have tried to sign Zaha, with Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy missing out on him back in 2016, having been identified as a target by then-manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Tottenham lodged a £12m bid for him, which was quickly rebuffed by Palace chief Steve Parish, who lambasted the offer as “ridiculous” and then two years later, the north Londoners tried again but laughed off the Eagles’ £70m price tag.

Speaking about Spurs’ offer, Parish added in an interview: “I was told that the manager there [at Tottenham] thinks he’s the next Ronaldo. Well, I’d like to get the next Ronaldo for £12m.”

They could now finally get their man on a free transfer, in what would be a bold and interesting move from current sporting director Fabio Paratici. Zaha would certainly add depth to Antonio Conte’s frontline, especially if Arnaut Danjuma returns to Villarreal in the summer.

The versatile forward, who can play anywhere across the frontline, remains a consistent Premier League talent, having scored at least nine goals in four of the last five seasons, and with his tally for 2022/23 currently sitting on six goals, he has every chance of making it five in six, via WhoScored.

Capable of being a “game-changer” – in the eyes of his former boss Roy Hodgson – FBref also liken the Eagles talisman to current Spurs star Dejan Kulusevski, in terms of statistical profile, whilst his 2.13 take-ons per 90 sees him rank among the top 4% of his positional peers across Europe’s big five.

Zaha also sits within the top 11% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for interceptions, so his workmanlike ability would certainly fit Conte’s system to a tee.

Considering he wouldn’t cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee, landing the 30-year-old in the summer could be quite shrewd business from Paratici and co, and at the same time, it would avenge Levy’s big mistake from 2016.

AND in other news, £53m star was “phenomenal business” by Fabio Paratici…

Nottingham Forest will also be without defender Serge Aurier against West Ham today, adding to their plethora of injury issues.

The Lowdown: Forest treatment table…

Steve Cooper has had to contend with many absences over the last few months as Forest’s treatment table becomes more and more stacked with crucial squad members.

Willy Boly, Scott McKenna, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhate, Dean Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ryan Yates, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards and Cheikhou Kouyate have all been sidelined at various points – dealing a real worry for Cooper and the Reds (premierinjuries).

Five points off the Premier League relegation zone, Forest are still very much in contention for the drop and today’s clash against West Ham comes as a pivotal one for both sides.

The Latest: Cooper without Aurier…

Ahead of this afternoon’s bout against David Moyes’ men, an injury to Aurier has added yet another name to the sidelines at Forest.

Cooper confirmed the Ivorian will be out for three-four weeks with a calf problem, adding to the injury list.

The Verdict: Blow for Cooper…

The former Spurs defender has been a solid option at right-back since he joined from Villarreal on a free deal.

Aurier has earned plaudits from members of the press for his ‘superb’ form at Forest after he put pen to paper on a summer move.

He will be a big miss, especially considering he has averaged more tackles per 90 than anyone in Cooper’s squad (WhoScored)

He also ranks among their best-performing players by average match rating this season with Forest now having to cope without his presence against West Ham.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal defender Ben White could be dropped for Takehiro Tomiyasu following his poor recent display.

What’s the word?

On Saturday afternoon, the Gunners suffered just their second Premier League defeat of the season as they lost 1-0 away from home to Everton.

Indeed, Sean Dyche’s new side managed to grab all three points against Arsenal thanks to a single goal scored from a concern by James Tarkowski on the hour mark.Evidently, it wasn’t a good day for Mikel Arteta’s players but it seems as though White stood out as one of the poorest performers and Watts noted that his position in the team could now be in doubt.Indeed, while speaking on his YouTube channel after the game, he said: “Ben White had a really, really difficult afternoon. He did against [Manchester] United last time out as well, and he did today.”I’m surprised he stayed on as long as he did, actually. He has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season, Ben White, but is clearly having a bit of a sort of dip in confidence, dip in levels at the moment.”I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe we see Tomiyasu against Brentford next weekend. So I’ll give Ben White a 4 [out of 10].”Time for a changeWhite certainly struggled the weekend before when Arsenal beat Manchester United. Indeed, he picked up a 6.1 SofaScore rating as he lasted just 45 minutes before being hooked at halftime for Tomisayu having been booked.Against Everton, the Englishman also struggles as he made just one tackle, was dribbled past once, won zero out of three attempted ground duels, lost the ball 12 times and was again subbed off before the final whistle.White has started every league game this season so he’s a big favourite of Arteta but Tomiyasu has still played 16 times showing that he is trusted too – even if mostly from the bench of late.Amid this recent drop in form and the defeat, perhaps a change at right-back is on the cards.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly ‘ready to accept an offer’ for central midfielder Ben Williamson.

The Lowdown: On loan at Dundee

Williamson is currently on loan at Dundee in the Scottish Championship, where he had made 18 appearances in total over all competitions, recording one assist (Transfermarkt).

He has never made a first-team appearance at Ibrox, but has played five times at youth level for the Gers.

The Latest: Surplus to requirements

As per Football Insider, the Light Blues are ‘ready to accept an offer’ for Williamson before the end of this month, as they are ‘unlikely’ to offer him a new deal with him going into the final 18 months of his contract.

Williamson is not in Michael Beale’s long-term plans, and a number of clubs in both England and Scotland, including Dundee, are ‘monitoring’ his situation.

The Verdict: Move on

Given that Williamson has not made a first-team appearance for the Teddy Bears at 21, and his loan spell at Dundee is his fourth away from the club, it is time for all parties to part ways.

Rangers have already signed Todd Cantwell, while they are also reportedly pushing to sign Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin before the deadline.

It does seem as if Beale is planning for life without Williamson given his intention to strengthen in midfield, and so it would be best for the Gers to accept a bid for the Scotland U21 international should one come about.

West Ham United seem to be making progress on signing another striker, despite rumours suggesting they have agreed a deal for Danny Ings…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to journalist Alan Nixon, who took to his Patreon to issue an update on the Hammers’ pursuit of Terem Moffi.

He has claimed that Mark Noble remains confident of snatching the Nigerian marksman, after having tabled a £25m bid to secure his services.

Talks remain ongoing with the 23-year-old’s representatives, who will likely be swayed by the added financial benefits the Premier League club can offer him.

Perfect their attack

It seems unbelievable to think that the Irons are enduring such a poor season given the wealth of quality they boast, which David Moyes only bolstered in the summer.

It was thought that the likes of Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta would serve to supplement the 31 goal contributions of Jarrod Bowen, yet the Italian has just three league goals, the Brazilian has just one goal in the league, and the English winger has seen his form drop off a cliff since the start of the new campaign with only two league strikes. 

As such, they are the second-lowest scorers in the division and sit joint-bottom.

An addition like Moffi could be imperative in not only adding a fresh source of goals but revitalising all those around him with a new lease of life. For Paqueta the prospect of facilitating a new frontman could see them strike up a new connection, or for Scamacca the threat in his position could spur him onto better displays.

Whether any of that happens, the 12 goals he has scored this season should be enough to add some much-needed firepower to an otherwise barren side.

In Ligue 1 he is also boasting a 7.05 average rating, with his ability to create for himself also a valued asset. He records a 61% dribble success rate and converts this into 1.9 shots per game (via Sofascore), suggesting even if the form of his potential teammates does not recover he would still remain a threat.

Such is his proficiency, he was lauded by journalist Jacque Talbot for being as “deadly as they come”.

Adding a cutting-edge that has been missing at the London Stadium thus far could be paramount in securing safety for a side that should be nowhere near the relegation zone.

Perhaps this big-money deal could reignite things at the club, and help drag them out of the mire and back to where their quality merits.

Wolverhampton Wanderers being interested in an audacious move to sign Isco make “a lot of sense”, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Isco’s future

The former Real Madrid and Spain international is a free agent after having his contract terminated by Sevilla in December just four months after joining.

Isco started 10 La Liga games for the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan outfit but failed to score and registered just two assists – a far cry from the creative expectancy his reputation perhaps serves.

The 30-year-old won 19 major honours at Real including five Champions Leagues, but now finds his career at a crossroads when he’s supposed to be in his prime.

The Latest: Lopetegui interest

Aside from his Sevilla spell, Isco had briefly played under Julen Lopetegui in the Spanish capital but perhaps more fondly when they won the U21 2013 European Championship together, with Estadio Deportivo reporting that he would welcome reuniting with his former manager.

And now Talbot has told GiveMeSport that Lopetegui could be the man to help him get his career back on track by bringing him to the Premier League.

He said: “A player will go to a club such as Wolves, and they get the right manager or someone they’ve worked with before and they can rediscover their form. If Lopetegui has a relationship with the player and he’s available on a free, and there’s a possibility he could rekindle that form that did so well for him, then it makes a lot of sense.”

The Verdict: Incredible coup

It would be fantastic business from Wolves if they were able to pick up a player who was one of the best creators in Europe just a few years ago. Back in 2018, the midfielder had a mammoth price tag of over £100m slapped on him at Real Madrid.

With 74 goals and 69 assists in a career spent entirely in Spain up until now, his overall impact alongside a final product would be greatly welcome at Molineux, as Wolves are the worst attacking side in the Premier League with only 10 goals scored in 17 games following the weekend’s results.

Alongside the confirmed arrival of Matheus Cunha with an obligation to buy for £43m, we think the pair would transform Wolves’ attacking threat and potentially turn the tide on their season.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter will be looking to use the January transfer window to add a couple of new faces to his team and assemble his squad how he sees fit ahead of a vital few months.

He might not be under severe pressure just yet, but the previous few weeks before the World Cup break saw the London side defeated by Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Arsenal in the Premier League and improvement will be needed after Christmas.

What’s the word?

Not only do they face competition on the pitch, but Chelsea are in a fight with Tottenham Hotspur over a potential move for Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol.

That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, who claim that the defender has caught the eye of Tottenham with Potter facing a battle to secure the services of the youngster.

Indeed, Chelsea had an offer rejected in the summer and a move for the RB Leipzig star would now cost around €80 (£68m), which considering his potential and performances already this season, could be a very shrewd investment for the future.

Shining in Qatar

The 20-year-old has shown maturity beyond his years in the Bundesliga this season, losing possession on average just 6.5 times per match, while winning an impressive 2.5 duels per game at a success rate of 62%.

The £68m price tag will now surely be down to his World Cup displays for Croatia, as Gvardiol has been a key part of a defence that has conceded just once in three matches.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10, making 1.7 interceptions per game, 1.3 tackles, and taking a staggering 88.3 touches on average across the three group stage matches.

This clearly suggests he is extremely comfortable on the ball despite playing in high-pressure situations and by winning 64% of his total duels over the games, his physicality is one of his main strengths.

It’s no wonder he has been decreed the Erling “Haaland of defenders” by talent scout Jacek Kulig. The youngster has clearly had the same blistering impact on world football as the Norwegian striker, just at the opposite end of the pitch.

Journalist Zach Lowy even dubbed him as a “sensational centre-back” while declaring that the player had been the best player on a pitch that contained Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric, no mean feat.

If Potter wants to remain with the club for the long haul, signing talents like Gvardiol will make his job that little bit easier, while also signalling a massive statement of intent toward the rest of the league.

Everton have been dealt a fresh blow in their pursuit of a highly-rated European star…

What’s the latest?

Reports in Italy have linked the Toffees with a move for the Serbia international in recent weeks and now journalist Pete O’Rourke has delivered a worrying claim on the matter to Football FanCast.

“The only problem for Everton right now is probably the transfer fee, I think it might be out of their reach for January for Lukic,” he said.

“I don’t think Torino will be willing to sell for anything less than £30m and I don’t think Everton could go to that right now.”

Lampard will be gutted

Despite a summer overhaul which saw the midfield revamped, it still seems like something is missing in that position.

Whilst Idrissa Gana Gueye returned, it is clear that time has crept up on the Senegalese stalwart, and with Amadou Onana it seems like his best role is still unidentified.

Therefore, to have brought in this Serbian whose position is so clearly defined would have surely stabilised the Merseyside outfit who seem in freefall.

The 26-year-old has often operated on the left of a midfield three but can sit deeper to dictate the play. This seems to be what he is most comfortable with, having overseen a variety of roles across numerous managers at the Turin club.

Although he has suffered during his side’s World Cup campaign, in the Serie A this season he is thriving.

Boasting a 6.95 average rating, he is maintaining an 89% pass accuracy whilst also averaging one key passe and 1.4 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

These statistics paint the picture of a combative deep-lying playmaker who can play that killer pass which the Toffees’ current midfield lacks.

One particular display back in 2020 led journalist Josh Bunting to describe him as “outstanding protecting the back three”, and given how Frank Lampard often seems intent on that being his favoured system, it could have seen them move one step closer to it.

For this reason, and the general lack of stability surrounding his midfield, the 44-year-old will be frustrated that his side are likely to be priced out of a move.

With other clubs reportedly sniffing around too, it might be a step too far for Everton to complete this deal.

Leeds United failed to maintain their recent upturn in form on Wednesday evening, with Jesse Marsch’s side losing 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup meeting under the Molineux lights.

However, despite the loss, the 48-year-old manager will not be too disheartened by the result, as there were a number of positives to take from the clash in the West Midlands.

Indeed, 19-year-old defender Leo Hjelde impressed alongside Diego Llorente at centre-back, while 18-year-old central midfielder Darko Gyabi also comfortably outshone Mateusz Klich in the middle of the park.

However, it was undoubtedly the 18-year-old forwards Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph who most caught the eye on Wednesday evening, with the Whites U21 pair already looking to have formed a deadly attacking duo.

Both youngsters have been in incredible form for Michael Skubala’s side this season, with summer signing Perkins having bagged eight goals over 12 Premier League 2 and Papa John’s Trophy fixtures, while Joseph has scored 12 goals and provided one assist over his 11 appearances in the same competitions.

As such, both players were well worth their first team debuts at Molineux, with Joseph being handed his first senior start on the left wing, while Perkins was handed his Leeds debut in a free-flowing number 10 role, switching positions with centre-forward Joe Gelhardt throughout the match.

And, while neither of the teenagers were ultimately able to get themselves on the scoresheet, there were nevertheless some extremely encouraging signs that the duo could go on to become a real force for Leeds in the not-too-distant future.

Indeed, Perkins’ two key passes, one dribble and four duels won demonstrated his creativity, his comfort with the ball at his feet and his strength, while Joseph’s three shots at goal, one key pass and one dribble highlighted his deadly nature in the final third, his ability to play a defence-splitting pass and his skill in possession of the ball.

Rather understandably, the youngsters came in for a significant amount of praise for their respective displays against Premier League opposition, with the Spaniard being dubbed “sprightly” by Phil Hay and “really bright” by Matty Hewitt, while René Marić singled the “explosive” Perkins out in his post-match remarks, stating:

“With Sonny, we have a player who is talented and eye-catching, that mixture of physical posture and his ability on the ball is rare.”

It is some statement to make but, considering the duos’ positional versatility – with both Joseph and Perkins able to play anywhere across a front three – creativity and clinical edge, perhaps Elland Road could be witnessing the birth of the new Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp – the pair who directly linked up for 18 league goals and bagged 200 top-flight goals between them for Arsenal in the early 2000s.

Indeed, the Arsenal duo would play off each other in mesmerising fashion, with Perkins and Joseph already showing signs at youth level of establishing a similar sort of connection, albeit not on the elite stage.

Either way, the 18-year-olds look to be two exceptionally talented young forwards who Leeds supporters will undoubtedly be seeing a great deal more of in the months and years to come – with the future looking extremely bright for the Whites.