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Mikel Arteta is close to agreeing his first January signing for Arsenal, with a move for Ukrainian sensation Mykhaylo Mudryk reportedly edging ever nearer.

The winger is top of the 40-year-old’s priority list, although there could be another one or two arrivals during the January transfer window, with the north London club aiming to add another midfielder and centre-forward to their squad.

Eddie Nketiah is the Gunners’ only senior striker, and although he has scored twice in the top flight since the resumption of the Premier League season, Arteta needs another option to take the pressure off the 23-year-old.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund youngster Youssoufa Moukoko according to 90min although they face competition from Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

His contract expires in the summer, and with the German club refusing to meet his demands, the 18-year-old could leave Dortmund for free at the end of the season, which has duly alerted Arsenal.

Moukoko has been in excellent form in 2022/23, scoring six goals in 14 Bundesliga appearances. He only turned 18 in November, which suggests that there is still a lot to come from the Germany striker.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has sung his praises, describing him as a “natural born” finisher. According to FBref, meanwhile, the Dortmund star is the eighth-most similar player to Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski; and considering that the former Bayern Munich hitman has netted 606 goals for club and country in his career, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.

This season, the two strikers have registered similar statistics with regard to shots on target percentage (57.7% to 53.7%, Moukoko first), goal-creating actions (five to eight), dribble success rate (35.5% to 50%), and assists (three to four).

Even though Moukoko is only just beginning his career, his early promise has already turned him into one of Europe’s finest strikers, as he ranks in the top 25% across the top five leagues on the continent for non-penalty goals, assists, total shots, pass completion rate and tackles, and he will likely only get even better.

Arsenal may not have the finished article if they manage to lure Moukoko to London, but they will get one of the brightest talents on the continent, one who is statistically quite similar to Lewandowski. Arteta should be all over a potential move for the teenager, who could bolster the Gunners’ forward options for years to come.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that signing Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha would be a ‘big coup’ for Leeds United.

The Lowdown: Contact made

As per 90min, Leeds, as well as Aston Villa and Everton, have made contact with Cunha’s representatives over a potential move, and are ‘actively trying’ to strike a deal for him in the January transfer window.

Cunha is interested in working with Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui, but ‘sources’ have claimed that he wants to explore all of his options before making a final decision on his future.

His entourage have also offered him to Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United, and Atletico are desperate to offload Cunha’s wages, and would be prepared to sanction a loan deal.

The Latest: Cunha a ‘big coup’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that signing Cunha would be a ‘big coup’ for Jesse Marsch’s side:

“It’d be a big coup if they could land Matheus Cunha, who does seem like he is available. There’s going to be big competition for his signature. We’ve already seen the likes of Wolves and Aston Villa strongly linked with him.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

It has recently been reported that it is not clear how long Patrick Bamford is going to be out for with injury, meaning that the Whites need to strengthen their striker options in January.

Lauded as a player who is ‘very fast’, with ‘great technical skills’, ‘unpredictable gameplay’ and an ‘excellent goal instinct’ by his former boss Maurizio Jacobacci, Cunha showed early promise as a teenager at FC Sion, where he managed seven goals and four assists in 15 games under the Swiss (Transfermarkt).

Once hailed as ‘something special‘ by former Hertha Berlin head coach Bruno Labbadia, the Brazilian continued his impressive streak in Germany, managing 23 goal contributions in 40 games (Transfermarkt), while at RB Leipzig, he managed a further nine goals and three assists (Transfermarkt).

Cunha has not been able to reach the same heights at Atletico, failing to find the back of the net so far this term, but there is no doubt that the talent is still there.

If Marsch puts an arm around his shoulder on the pitch, then we could see the best of Cunha again, if the Peacocks are able to bring him to Elland Road.

Borussia Monchengladbach will find it hard to keep hold of rumoured Aston Villa target Marcus Thuram, according to assistant manager Oliver Neuville.

The Lowdown: Villa keen on Thuram signing

The 25-year-old is currently on 2022 World Cup duty with France, as he looks to help the world champions retain their crown in Qatar.

Away from international commitments, Thuram has been linked with a move to Villa, with Unai Emery eyeing him up as a potential new signing.

The forward has scored 10 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season and his current Monchengladbach deal expires at the end of the current campaign.

The Latest: Hard to keep hold of him

Speaking to Radio Sportiva [via Sport Witness], coach Neuville admitted that the German side are going to struggle to keep Thuram, amid much interest in him:

“He’s having a great season, he scored a lot of goals. It’s clear that last year he may have been injured a lot, but he still has a contract until the end of the season.

“I think it will be difficult for him to stay at Gladbach because if he continues to score so many goals it is certain that he will have many offers in Italy or Spain or England.

“You also have to be a bit realistic. I hope he stays here at Monchengladbach, but now he has also been called up by the French national team for the World Cup. It will be difficult for him to extend his contract, I hope so, but the chances are slim.”

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The Verdict: Will Villa have the pull?

Thuram could be a potent attacking signing for Villa as his goalscoring ability for Monchengladbach is undeniable, with 41 goals coming his way for them, taking his senior tally to 59.

Whether or not the Villans have the pull to lure him to the club is debatable, however, with the France international potentially keen on playing in Europe, with the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham also linked with a move.

Emery’s reputation as an elite coach who has won four Europa League titles could certainly help, though, and Thuram has the ability to take Villa to another level, being hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by Denis Zakaria.

West Ham United could be set to pounce on the unsettled Gerson, who is vying for a move away from Olympique de Marseille.

What’s the latest?

According to GOAL, the Brazilian midfielder has angered his club to the point of no return, with Marcao – his father – having tried to negotiate a return to Flamengo behind the scenes.

This has led to an opening, which could allow Hammers’ head of recruitment Rob Newman to pounce.

At this time, only the Irons are noted in the report from England. The French outfit will demand a fee of around €20m (£17m) for his services, which should not prove a stumbling block for the Premier League outfit.

However, with Marcao, his underhand dealings have even frustrated those on the West Ham board too.

Complete the midfield

Although seemingly enduring a troublesome father, there is little denying the unbridled talent that Gerson boasts.

Having had an impressive career thus far for a 25-year-old, the troubles he has faced have shaped him into an impressive and ever-improving midfielder.

The former Flamengo midfielder opened up about this to Football Italia: “I didn’t play much and felt I had to reinvent myself: I started training at home, I paid more attention to every detail: marking, positioning… I accepted I still wasn’t ready.

“There, I learned the things that I now consider most important to develop: intensity without the ball and being involved for 90 minutes, even if you don’t have the ball.

“I only played to score goals or provide assists, but I realised I could influence the game even without the ball and I’m glad: I feel much more complete now.”

He has since gone on to earn four caps for his country, with the maestro boasting far improved statistics as the seasons have gone on.

Having featured in the Champions League this season, it is clear that he boasts a positional intelligence beyond his years.

Able to ghost in between the lines, he ranks in the top 2% for progressive passes received. Then, when he finds himself in these pockets of space, he has the quality to sit in the top 1% for non-penalty goals too.

To pair him with the more defensively-sound and reliable Declan Rice, who averages 4.14 progressive passes per game, Gerson could offer another deceptive attacking threat from the engine room, whilst also providing a different skillset to him and Tomas Soucek.

In an area where they are crying out for more cover, David Moyes could rescue this frustrated star and hand him a lifeline to shine in the Premier League. It could be the final piece in his midfield puzzle.

With the World Cup break now in effect, and the last Premier League games having been played, only a handful of Southampton players will depart for Qatar this winter.

That leaves Nathan Jones with a relatively full squad with which he can begin instilling his philosophy.

However, as is always the way with this competition, the platform to announce one’s self on the greatest stage of all often draws up some sensational stories and transfer rumours to branch off them too.

With the Saints, it seems one of their targets is set to travel with Morocco in Zakaria Aboukhlal, and should he star, it could increase the price tag on the already £8.7m-rated star.

The tricky 22-year-old has only freshly moved to France, where he has enjoyed a fine start to life in Toulouse. He boasts three goals and three assists in Ligue 1, where he has featured on both wings and as a centre forward.

Traditionally a right winger, however, he could offer a fine alternative to the underperforming Mohamed Elyounoussi, who is yet to score this campaign.

It seems, given reports, that the south coast club will battle with Leicester City to gain the 5 foot 10 speedster’s signature. Both clubs plan to watch him over the upcoming international tournament.

Given his youth, 13 caps mark an impressive return thus far, having grown up playing for the Netherlands youth teams until the U20 level.

Now travelling to face Belgium, Croatia and Canada in Group F of the World Cup, he has been handed a tough but massive stage to really showcase his credentials.

What would likely help him translate his experience and clear goalscoring prowess to English football is his physicality, which Hanif Ben Berkane praised in a Tweet about the forward where he labelled him a “physical monster” who is “hyper combative.”

Jones will want to get this deal sealed as soon as possible with not only the Foxes but likely many more suitors to join in the pursuit of Aboukhlal.

He seems to be slowly improving with each season, and could now explode in Qatar.

Tottenham defender Emerson Royal could be heading towards the exit door in the near future, according to an update from Spurs insider John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Emerson falls down the pecking order?

The 23-year-old was sent-off for a reckless foul in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal earlier this month, a mistake that won’t have endeared him to Antonio Conte.

His subsequent suspension has seen Matt Doherty handed opportunities to shine at right wing-back, with the Irishman impressing much like he did in the second half of last season.

It could even be that the Brazilian’s time at Spurs is drawing to an end despite his emergence as the first-choice to begin this campaign.

The Latest: Doherty’s place to lose

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham of insider news channel Lilywhite Rose talked up an exit at some point in the near future, admitting the former Barcelona starlet could struggle to get back in the team:

“I hope it is hard for Emerson to get back in now. I hope Matt Doherty continues to impress, he’s been incredible. At Man United last year, we had this really good run of form going into the game and Doherty had been playing really well.

“In that game, he had a poor time and Man United really targeted him so this game is a big test for him. If he comes through that with flying colours and we win then it will be very, very difficult to take him out of the team.

“I don’t think too many people would be upset by that because Emerson has been underwhelming for a while now. Spence played as well so if he can continue to get minutes it is hard to see how Royal gets back into the side.”

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The Verdict: Time to go?

Emerson has certainly shown glimpses in a Tottenham shirt this term – Lucas Moura has said his compatriot has a ‘great future’ – but there are lingering doubts over whether he is good enough, particularly offensively, with plenty of his displays last season coming in for criticism.

With Doherty and Spence both representing good options in the same position, it could be time to part ways with the defender at the end of the season.

These coming months could almost act as an audition for Emerson, Doherty and Spence, in terms of showing Conte who the best choice is moving forward, but with a contract running until 2026, the club may be tempted to cash in next summer if the former cannot force his way back in.

Celtic would find it ‘very difficult to reject’ a ‘mind-boggling’ £15m offer for winger Liel Abada, former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

The publication reported earlier this week that Celtic sources are confident that the Israeli gem will be worth at least £15m by 2023. They have apparently been ‘thrilled’ by his development at Parkhead and expect it to continue apace under Ange Postecoglou.

The Hoops paid around £3.5m to sign Abada from Israeli outit Maccabi Petah Tikva just last year, committing him to a five-year contract.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish expressed scepticism as to whether Abada is really worth ‘that kind of money’, but if someone is willing to offer it, he finds it hard to see how Celtic will say ‘no’.

The 63-year-old said: “I probably haven’t seen enough of him to put that valuation on him. But you would think that the big clubs, the clubs who have that kind of money, won’t want to waste it.

“Abada, if he is at that kind of level, these prices are mind-boggling, through the roof. It is very difficult to reject those offers if they come in.

“Is he there yet? I’m not sure. There is no doubting he has started this season very well, Celtic have as a club. He is still young so there is so much room to grow there.

“I think it’s one to keep an eye on.”

The verdict

Abada has registered 33 direct goal involvements in his first 65 matches for Celtic (21 goals, 12 assists), a very strong conversion rate. It’s also worth stressing that he’s only 20 years old, so he should only get better and better in the coming years.

Should Abada leave for £15m, he would become the third-most expensive sale in Celtic’s history, slotting in behind Kieran Tierney (£24.3m) and Moussa Dembele (£19.8m) and just ahead of Odsonne Edouard (£14.67m).

That certainly seems to be the path that Lennoxtown insiders expect him to follow, judging by these reports.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur should start against Arsenal this weekend despite strong competition, club insider John Wenham has claimed.

The Lowdown: Massive game ahead

Spurs have a massive game on the horizon on Saturday lunchtime as they make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium to take on the Gunners.

It is one of the biggest Premier League matches of the season so far, with Antonio Conte knowing that victory for his team will see them overtake their table-topping rivals.

The manager may have a few selection headaches going into the game, not least in midfield, with Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp both hoping to feature.

The Latest: Bentancur backed to start

However, speaking to Football Insider, Wenham backed Bentancur to get the nod in the middle of the park at the Emirates this weekend, having scored in the 6-2 thrashing of Leicester in Tottenham’s last match.

The Spurs insider, who regularly breaks news about the club on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels – said:

“It was brilliant to see Bentancur on the scoresheet. He doesn’t get many goals, he hadn’t scored in such a long time but he took the finish really, really well. He’s never even looked like scoring for Tottenham before that.

“That’s fine though, he is a holding midfielder. We have other players to get the goals and we saw that with Son when he came on.

“I just think Bentancur is such an important player. When he didn’t play against West Ham a few weeks ago we just didn’t look the same and, obviously, we couldn’t get the win in that one.

“The goal helped his chances of staying in the side too. Bissouma is still chomping at the bit to be involved and we have Skippy coming back too.

“So he has made a strong and huge case because, as I have said before, I think Skipp will come back in once he is fit.”

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The Verdict: Makes complete sense

It is very healthy to have such strong competition for places in midfield, but it makes perfect sense for Conte to go with Bentancur alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg against Arsenal.

Bissouma is still adjusting to his new surroundings, having only started one league match so far this season, while Skipp is lacking match fitness after returning from injury.

As Welham referenced, Bentancur was missed against West Ham as Spurs could only manage a 1-1 draw, while Cristian Romero has described his team-mate as an ‘animal’, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t take to the field from the start this weekend.

With a goal and assist against Leicester seeing him ranked as Tottenham’s second-best player that day according to Sofascore, it would make perfect sense to keep him in the team for the crunch North London Derby.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the Magpies want to sign the England international to bolster their squad this season.

However, the reporter has added that the situation is complicated as his current club are looking to bring in a replacement first before sanctioning a move.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle are keen on Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, but The Blues unlikely to entertain anything until they bring in another midfielder of their own. Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong still Chelsea’s main midfield target. Similar situation with NUFC’s interest in Armando Broja.”

It is unclear as to whether the Toon are eyeing a permanent or loan deal for the gem, but it has been reported that he is valued at £40m by the Blues.

Imagine him & Bruno Guimaraes

If Newcastle can swoop in for the midfield machine after Chelsea bring in their own target, Eddie Howe could form an exciting partnership in the middle of the park with Gallagher and Guimaraes.

The pair could form a brilliant pairing in midfield due to their similar skillsets and ability to function in a high-energy system.

In Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days, Guimaraes ranks in the 88th percentile for pressures and the 99th for tackles won per 90 in his position. Gallagher, meanwhile, ranks in the 93rd percentile for pressures and the 94th for tackles won in the final third per 90.

This shows that both players excel at pressing the opposition and making tackles to win the ball back high up the pitch in dangerous positions.

They could, therefore, be vital in games when Howe feels counter-pressing will be key to winning the match. The head coach would have two players capable of effectively winning possession back in critical areas, but what could they do when they get the ball back?

Guimaraes scored five goals and set up one in 11 Premier League starts last season, whilst Gallagher – who Patrick Vieira dubbed “special” – scored eight goals and provided three assists on loan to Crystal Palace in the top-flight.

This shows that both players are central midfielders with the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch when they have the ball at their feet.

Therefore, they could be an exciting pairing for the Magpies as they have the potential to be a terrific high-pressing duo in the Premier League – winning possession in the final third and contributing to counter-pressing goals.

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Ibrahim Sangare this summer, however, a new update from a reliable source has put a dampener on the club’s chase to sign the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

In an update from Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano it has been revealed that Ibrahim Sangare has signed a new contract with his current club PSV Eindhoven.

Romano tweeted: “Official. Ibrahim Sangaré signs new contract with PSV Eindhoven until June 2027, strong message from the club after so many rumours on the Ivorian midfielder.”

It was reported by Football Insider a few weeks ago that Aston Villa had made enquiries about Sangare and registered their interest in the player.

It’s a blow for Gerrard

This will be a blow for Steven Gerrard who is reportedly keen to add another midfielder to his team before the transfer window closes, and that may have become a more pressing area to strengthen now that Carney Chukwuemeka has made a move to Chelsea.

Gerrard spoke out last month, before Chukwuemeka’s exit, about his desire to potentially add another central player this summer, saying:

“It’s still an area we’re looking to strengthen and we want to challenge the lads that have done well for us in the last six months since we’ve been here.”

“We want to make it really difficult for people to have guaranteed places. We want to challenge every area of the team to make us stronger.”

As a result, it will likely be disappointing for the Villa boss that Sangare who was dubbed “very complete” by former Toulouse boss Alain Casanova and an “unbelievable baller” by one journalist has secured his future with his current club, as he would’ve added some great depth to the centre of the pitch for the midlands club this season.

The £34m talent could have been the perfect competitor or midfield partner for Douglas Luiz or Boubacar Kamara, as Sangare displays most of his dominance deep in the midfield role and over his own half just like the Villa duo.

Over 29 appearances in the Eredivisie last season, Sangare averaged 89.3 touches while producing a mammoth 3.3 tackles and a mighty 2.6 interceptions per game.

Those numbers indicate that he is not only a fabulous reader of the game but also a brute capable of dominating his opponent. The fact he won the majority of his ground duels (63%) paints the same picture while his 69% dribble rate show he is technical on the ball too.

The 6 foot 2 star also scored three goals and delivered two assists last term, as well as taking 1.4 shots on goal per game, proving that he is the perfect all-rounder that could’ve been a great asset to Villa over the season ahead.

With that being said, if Gerrard is indeed keen to sign another midfielder this summer he will now need to turn his attentions elsewhere or keep the option open to potentially push for the seemingly settled Sangare this time next year.