West Ham United found themselves at the centre of a lot of conversations leading into the season; whether it was about their transfer policy, their expectations for the season, or the viability of keeping David Moyes as manager for another year, the Hammers were never far from the headlines.

When it comes to the Premier League, however, the Eastenders have endured a mixed campaign thus far, with a home draw to Crystal Palace on Sunday perhaps one of their more frustrating results.

Nevertheless, Moyes and his men got back on track in the best way possible this week: beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away from home.

After a questionable first half, the men in Claret and Blue came out like a house on fire in the second 45 and blew their north London opponents away. Yet, there was one player who was rather anonymous throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch – Lucas Paqueta.

Lucas Paqueta's game against Spurs in numbers

Paqueta is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league when he is at his silky best and was one of the Hammers' most influential players last season with seven-goal involvements in his 27 league starts, but he was simply ineffective against Spurs.

Moyes opted to play the mercurial Brazilian on the left wing against the Lilywhites, and while he did score from this position against Nottingham Forest, he was totally ineffective in N17, leading to West Ham fan and journalist Dan Woffenden branding him "absolutely wasted" out wide.

Malik Ouzi of the Evening Standard shared that sentiment, as he gave the former Lyon man a 5/10 in his post-match player ratings, highlighting the fact that he was not categorically abysmal, just anonymous.

In his 96 minutes on the pitch, the 26-year-old took just two shots – one of which was on target – succeeded in one of his five attempted dribbles, took 70 touches, and maintained a passing accuracy of 77%. He also made one key pass, lost possession of the ball 18 times, and missed one big chance. as per Sofascore.

The miss, just before halftime, was probably the most memorable thing about Paqueta's game on Thursday night, which is generally not a good sign.

Luckily for the Hammers, their other winger on the night, Jarrod Bowen, was far more effective.

Jarrod Bowen's game in numbers

Starting on the right for West Ham against Spurs was a fan favourite, Bowen.

The former Hull City winger put in a performance in stark contrast to his silky teammate, finding himself involved in almost everything good the team did against Spurs.

The first thing to note is that he managed to get himself onto the scoresheet, pulling the Hammers level in the second half, just seven minutes after the restart.

The goal means that he has scored in every away league game he has played this season, joining Robin van Persie and Sergio Aguero as the only players to have scored in seven consecutive Premier League away games.

It was then his closing down from Destiny Udogie's weak back pass that presented James Ward-Prowse with the opportunity to score the winning goal.

Outside the involvement in the two goals, his numbers are not massively impressive, but that is what great players do: impact games even when they're not at their best.

As per Sofascore, the honorary Dyer made 31 touches, attempted one dribble, made one key pass, succeeded with one of his two crosses, won four of his nine ground duels, and made two tackles.

Ouzia was more impressed with Bowen than Paqueta, giving him a 7/10, echoing the sentiment that his goal made the difference.

Manchester United deployed chiefs to watch one of their transfer targets live in action on Sunday, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Erik ten Hag targeting new strikers

The Red Devils have Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial as their two natural strikers as it stands, but it’s clear to see that the club need to add another centre-forward to their ranks considering the little impact the pair have been able to make this season.

The Old Trafford summer signing is yet to record a single goal or assist in the Premier League (Transfermarkt – Hojlund statistics), while The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that the hierarchy are expected to let Martial leave on a free transfer upon the expiration of his deal at the end of the season (Man United contracts).

With Erik ten Hag therefore on the hunt for reinforcements, Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy has been identified as a potential target, with the 27-year-old having firmly established himself as Sebastian Hoeness’ overall best-performing player this term with a match rating of 7.85 (WhoScored – Stuttgart statistics).

Earlier this month, Guinea’s international was the subject of an approach from the top-flight giants who have added him to their list of targets despite not making any kind of offer, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like they have now taken their admiration yet another step further ahead of January.

Man United scout Guirassy

According to 90min, Man United had representatives watching Guirassy over the weekend, but they weren’t alone in their trip to see the Stuttgart talisman.

“Manchester United were among the teams who had scouts present at the Allianz Arena on Sunday to watch striker Serhou Guirassy, whose Stuttgart side were beaten 3-0 by Bayern Munich, sources have confirmed to 90min.

"90min understands representatives from United were in Bavaria to keep an eye on Guirassy, while Fulham, West Ham and Milan also had officials in attendance for similar reasons.”

The report then adds that contact has previously been made over a possible move, although the Red Devils aren't the only club who could sign the forward.

"Guirassy's representatives were confident of sealing a move to a Premier League side during the January transfer window. United – as well as Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and Wolves – have been contacted about a possible deal, while Bournemouth, Brentford and Crystal Palace have also scouted him this season."

Guirassy is an "outrageous" striker

In the Bundesliga this season, Guirassy has been absolutely on fire having posted 17 contributions, 16 goals and one assist, in just 13 appearances, showing how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s able to pose a constant threat to the opposition’s defence (Transfermarkt – Guirassy statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 1, Arles’ native has recorded 42 shots over the course of the campaign which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, highlighting what a standout performer he is in the attacking areas compared to his peers (FBRef – Stuttgart statistics).

As dubbed by Seb Stafford-Bloor, Guirassy is in “outrageous” form this season, and with his versatility to operate out wide on the left wing available if needs be, this could be seen as a no-brainer of a deal to pursue in 2024.

There's no doubt that these have been troubling times for Everton fans, with their ten-point deduction shaking up Goodison Park and prompting fury amongst many. But the performances of Sean Dyche and his men on the field ever since have been nothing short of sensational, with the deduction already wiped out and attention being turned towards the January transfer window.

Indeed, the January transfer window is almost upon us. An important time for teams to take a bit of a breather and suss out exactly what kind of holes there are to fill, with the right signings in the winter possibly being the difference between a successful and unsuccessful season. But one thing that is for sure is that the Toffees board certainly won't be afraid to provide Dyche with some support having seen Jack Harrison's impact, although on the flip side, Beto and Youssef Chermiti haven't exactly set things alight just yet.

Regardless, Football FanCast has given fans more of an insight into the dealings of Everton in January transfer windows gone by, as we look at exactly where the 10 previous January signings are at now…

Dele Alli – 1st February 2022 From Tottenham Hotspur – free transfer with potential £40m fee

Dele Alli may just go down as one of the worst signings of Everton's recent history, with some reports suggesting that Everton ended up paying a substantial outlay for the midfielder.

He's only managed 13 games for the Toffees since moving to Goodison Park and is yet to score or assist. He has had a loan spell at Besiktas, but since returning, just hasn't been involved in any plans, with fitness and his mental health also sadly playing a factor.

For someone who was one of the biggest talents in English football at one time during his Tottenham Hotspur days, it really is a shame that he just hasn't been able to hit the heights at Everton.

Billy Crellin – 1st February 2022 From Fleetwood Town – Fee unknown

Billy Crellin joined Everton from Fleetwood Town back in February 2022 with the view to him going straight into the under-23s side.

Since then, he just hasn't been able to secure a first-team appearance for the Toffees, having only made three appearances for the under-23s over the past few seasons. He did make it on the Australia trip back in November 2022, but just missed out on a debut appearance for the Toffees as Frank Lampard decided to offer Andy Lonergan minutes instead of the youngster.

Although, the club still clearly see something in the goalkeeper, as he signed a new contract with the club back in September which runs until the end of June 2025, so there is still time for him to come good.

Donny van de Beek – 31st January 2022 From Manchester United – Loan

Donny van de Beek joined Everton after a rather frustrating start to life at Manchester United, with game time hard to come by.

But, things didn't get much better at Goodison Park as he only made seven appearances during his loan spell, as a mix of falling out of favour and a thigh problem held him back from really getting the minutes he craved.

Upon the expiry of his loan deal at Everton he returned to Manchester United, where things went from bad to worse. He missed a total of 48 games last season due to injury and has just 21 minutes to his name in the current campaign.

Anwar El Ghazi – 13th January 2022 From Aston Villa – Loan

Anwar El Ghazi joined Everton on a short-term loan deal shortly after Lucas Digne went the other way to Aston Villa.

The winger hadn't exactly set the world alight in his recent games at Villa Park prior to the move, with just one goal in nine Premier League appearances, but as the Toffees had some injury issues, they viewed him as a temporary solution. And, a temporary solution is all he proved to be, making just two appearances for the Toffees as he fell heavily out of favour.

Move forward a year or so and things haven't got much better for the attacker. He failed to make any inroads upon his return to Villa Park, which led to him joining PSV on loan, followed by a move to Mainz in the German Bundesliga.

But after taking up the decision to post a message on Instagram relating to the current conflict in Gaza, the German club originally suspended him, which later led to him having his contract ripped up as he continued to voice his opinions on social media. He is now without a club.

Nathan Patterson – 4th January 2022 From Rangers – £11.5m plus add-ons

Nathan Patterson joined Everton from Rangers back in January 2022 as one of the most exciting talents out of Scotland.

After a slow start to life at Goodison due to a lack of opportunities, things have certainly picked up for the youngster, as he's become a guaranteed starter under Sean Dyche – and it's all down to his hard work.

The £11.5m plus add-ons fee already looks to be an absolute bargain, and with plenty of room for Patterson to develop, if he continues on his current trajectory, he could go on to follow in Seamus Coleman's footsteps.

Vitalii Mykolenko – 1st January 2022 From Dynamo Kyiv – £18m

Mykolenko made the move to Everton for around £18m back on the opening day of the 2022 winter transfer window.

In just under two years, he's already managed to appear 66 times for the club and is now a fully fledged regular under Sean Dyche.

He had some struggles during his first six months at the club, with mistakes and rash decision-making often plaguing his game, but since Dyche has taken the reins, he has gone from strength to strength.

His two goals in the Premier League this season are evidence of that, and he's now added an attacking aspect to his game, as well as tightening up defensively.

Joshua King – 2nd February 2021 From Bournemouth – Loan

Joshua King is another who joined on a short-term deal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for a period during the 2020/21 campaign.

And the club may as well have signed no one when you look at how he performed in the blue shirt. In his 11 appearances, King failed to find the back of the net, but he is predominantly a winger, so there perhaps should be some leeway after being mainly deployed as a striker.

Where is King now, you may ask? Well, he's now plying his trade over in Turkey and has been for a season or so now, with Fenerbahce his new home. His stats have improved too, though the level of competition is arguably lower, with 11 goals and six assists to his name in 41 appearances.

Jarrad Branthwaite – 13th January 2020 From Carlisle United – £1m

Jarrad Branthwaite was making a name for himself at Carlisle United prior to his move to Everton, which was sealed for just £1m back in 2020.

This is a move that could go down as one of the best deals pulled off by the club if he carries on the way he's heading. The youngster has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances under Sean Dyche this season as a regular at the heart of the defence after catching the eye out on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season.

At just 21 years of age, the growth potential is massive for Branthwaite. And with the way he's going at the moment, you could even see him in an England shirt in the not so distant future.

Theo Walcott – 17th January 2018 From Arsenal – £20m

Theo Walcott made a name for himself at Arsenal after joining as a young boy from Southampton, but eventually fell out of favour at the Emirates as the club grew without him.

Everton signed a player who had all the ability, but it wasn't known at the time of the signing whether he'd be able to show the levels we saw at the Gunners, as injuries plagued the winger at times, with age catching up with him.

Looking back, it actually proved to be a reasonably good signing for the Toffees. He made 85 appearances, scoring 11 goals and laying on nine assists, which isn't prolific, but he was often deployed as a wide midfielder, as opposed to the advanced winger during his Arsenal days.

Sorry to make anyone feel old here, but the England star has now retired from football completely.

Cenk Tosun – 6th January 2018 From Besiktas – £27m

Cenk Tosun had a lot of hype behind him when he joined Everton back in 2018 after a number of prolific seasons out in Turkey.

But, after paying £27m for his services, things just went downhill. He made 61 appearances for the Toffees but failed to meet the demands of being the club's star striker, as he only returned 11 goals and six assists.

However, things have picked up for him again since returning to Besiktas, which is perhaps a sign of the difference in competition levels in England and Turkey. After an 18-goal season last term, he currently stands at five for the current campaign, with two even coming in the UEFA Conference League, so he appears to have found his feet again.

West Bromwich Albion are experiencing an up-and-down run of form in the Championship at present, unable to find consistency with a win, a loss and a draw in their last three matches.

Carlos Corberan's Baggies do still find themselves in a strong position in the league regardless of their patchy recent form, occupying fifth position in the division with promotion aspirations still at the forefront of their minds.

The West Midlands outfit will hope that potentially picking a victory away at Middlesbrough tomorrow can kickstart a sequence of results that sees them consolidate their playoff spot further, putting recent poor displays firmly to one side.

Corberan could change his lineup slightly for the trip to the Riverside Stadium, with Grady Diangana one of two players who could drop out, following the recent draw with Stoke City.

1 GK – Alex Palmer

Corberan will stick by his number one goalkeeper Alex Palmer for the game away at Boro, despite the Baggies keeper making an uncharacteristic error against Stoke.

Palmer was caught out by a Lynden Gooch cross somehow looping over his head against the Potters into the back of the net, but won't be dropped despite this lapse in concentration owing to the Baggies number 24 picking up ten clean sheets this season in the league.

2 RB – Darnell Furlong

Darnell Furlong will also remain in Corberan's lineup for the game versus Michael Carrick's side this Saturday, the dependable right-back excellent versus the Potters with six of his seven ground duels won.

3 CB – Kyle Bartley

Kyle Bartley will also be retained for the tricky away match at the Riverside, dominant in the air against Stoke with seven of his nine aerial duels won.

When Bartley has played this season, the 32-year-old has helped his team pick up eight clean sheets. Can he add a ninth to his season tally tomorrow?

4 CB – Cedric Kipre

Cedric Kipre is the next component of an unchanged defence, the 27-year-old coming into his own this season after finding himself on the periphery at the Hawthorns in the not-so-distant past.

The imposing defender was rock solid versus Stoke once more, making a combined five interceptions and tackles whilst rarely wasting a pass out from the back by losing possession just six times.

5 LB – Conor Townsend

Conor Townsend is the last part of the settled Baggies back four, the 30-year-old important in shutting out Stoke after their fortuitous opener.

Townsend was 100% successful with all of his duels in the draw, a tough nut to crack alongside similarly resolute defenders at the Hawthorns.

6 CM – Jayson Molumby

The first change Corberan could make to his lineup for the trip to Boro is swapping out Okay Yokuslu for Jayson Molumby, giving the Irishman another opportunity at the expense of his usually reliable number 35.

Yokuslu wasn't at his best against Stoke, winning just two duels in the contest in a weak display from the midfielder.

Bringing Molumby into the side could give the Baggies an injection of energy to steer the Championship club to three points, the West Brom number eight needing to impress to reinvigorate his stuttering career at the Hawthorns before it fizzles out further down the line.

7 CM – Alex Mowatt

Alex Mowatt will more than likely start even if his midfield partner Yokuslu does face the chop by Corberan, the former Leeds United midfielder quiet but involved in many passages of play from a holding role versus Stoke.

Mowatt would only misplace four of his passes all game against the Potters, amassing one key pass for his efforts.

8 RM – Tom Fellows

With Grady Diangana continuing to blow hot and cold for the Baggies in recent matches, Corberan could look to start exciting youngster Tom Fellows in his place in a bid to shake up West Brom going forward.

Diangana was notably below-par in the draw against Stoke last match, hauled off by his manager on the 71st-minute mark after losing possession 16 times in the contest to the potential detriment of his side.

Fellows could benefit from the Baggies number 11 continuing to put in uninspiring shifts, highly rated at the West Midlands club with Darren Byfield – who had a part to play in Fellows' development at Crawley Town when the 20-year-old was loaned out to the League Two outfit – also describing Fellows' ability as "unbelievable."

Further described as a "get-off-your-seat" style figure by Byfield in more glowing praise, the young winger will hope he can fill in adequately for an out-of-sorts Diangana if picked and be an explosive presence.

9 CAM – Jed Wallace

Played down the flanks and up top this season, Jed Wallace has also been used just behind the lone striker in a central attacking position too.

The experienced EFL figure enjoyed playing in this role last game, accumulating three key passes in the contest to try and help his team pick up a second goal to go on and claim a win.

The 29-year-old has notched up three assists as the main creative spark for Corberan's men this season, hopeful of adding a fourth to his tally against Michael Carrick's side at the weekend.

10 LM – Jeremy Sarmiento

Jeremy Sarmiento is loving life with West Brom at the moment, getting plenty of game time in the West Midlands owing to first-team regular Matt Phillips being out with a serious hamstring injury.

The Brighton loanee's wonder strike away at Cardiff City in November is still the standout moment from his Baggies stint to date, but the tricky South American winger was lively against Stoke last time out too.

Firing five efforts at Jack Bonham's goal in total – Sarmiento unafraid to test the Stoke keeper as a gung-ho attacker – the 21-year-old will hope he can find the back of the net away at the Riverside to add another strike to his Baggies account in the second tier.

Celtic are considering a move to sign a new midfielder in the January window, with his current club wanting around £3m to do business.

Celtic summer signings

The Hoops, following the return of Brendan Rodgers as manager, brought in a number of new players over the summer, however, it has been a struggle on the pitch in recent weeks.

Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)

£3m

Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)

£2.5m

Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

£2m

Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)

£2m

Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)

£1m

Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)

£4.3m

Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Undisc.

All fees via Sky Sports

Back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership have seen their lead at the top of the table slashed, with rivals Rangers able to leapfrog Celtic should they win their game in hand.

As a result, it looks as if attention is turning to the winter window to add to their squad for the second half of the campaign, with Rodgers saying earlier this month:

“I felt when I came in here in the summer, with the squad that was already in place from last season, that we probably needed four players. By that I meant four quality players to add to the squad.”

He then added: “But of course, to continue to improve and grow you need to also have players who are established because they help bring those (young) players up. And I am very, very confident that we can do that over the coming windows.

“It doesn’t necessarily all have to be in January because the right players might not be available. It might be the summer but certainly over my time here we want to improve the depth and quality. If in January we can do that, then I’m pretty sure the club will give us every chance to improve the team.”

Wolves striker Fabio Silva appears to be one player of interest. It has been suggested that Celtic and their fierce rivals are at the front of the queue to sign the Portuguese attacker, and another target has now emerged.

Celtic eyeing Romeo Amane move

According to reliable reporter Mark Hendry of Football Scotland, the Hoops are eyeing a move to sign Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane in the new year, valued at £3m.

He claims that the player was watched closely by Celtic scouts last week in the Europa League against Qarabag, after being fast-tracked up the shortlist following lower-level scouts watching footage of Amane.

Amane is just 20 years of age and is a central midfielder who has been with the Swedish side since the beginning of 2022. Since then, the Ivorian’s Transfermarkt valuation has increased from €250,000 to a career-high €2.5m. The player has made 59 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring four times and providing six assists. (Romeo Amane stats – Transfermarkt)

It looks as if a move could be one to keep an eye on, and the club’s winter window business may prove crucial in regards to how the Hoops perform in the second half of the season.

Chelsea’s 3-2 win away to Luton Town highlighted that Mauricio Pochettino still has plenty of work to do.

Despite picking up three points, the Blues are still tenth in the Premier League after 20 matches.

Chelsea have missed the most big chances in the league (40), and with that in mind, the boss will look to add a new striker to his squad in January.

Chelsea transfers latest – Artem Dovbyk

According to The Sun, Chelsea are interested in signing Artem Dovbyk of Girona for a fee of around £39m, who has been described as a “lovely” striker by football creator Zach Lowy.

The Ukrainian forward is good friends with Mudryk, and he has the same agent as the current Chelsea winger. potentially meaning a deal could be easier to conclude.

With Armando Broja’s exit potentially in the pipeline, Pochettino has sent scouts to watch the La Liga star, who could make the switch to England in January.

How Dovbyk compares to Alvaro Morata

When Alvaro Morata first joined Chelsea in 2017, it looked as though the Blues had found the perfect replacement for Diego Costa, who left in the summer.

The former Real Madrid youth star scored six goals and registered two assists in his first six Premier League games, yet his goals dried up over time, with a lack of confidence reducing his clinical edge. Indeed, he would leave Stamford Bridge after a campaign where he had found the net just five times.

However, Chelsea could look to sign Morata 2.0 this winter, as according to FBref’s similar player model, Dovbyk and Morata are very alike. The table below displays how the two strikers compare based on statistics from the last year across Europe's top leagues.

Goals

0.95

0.73

Assists

0.35

0.10

Passes completed

9.95

13.52

Touches (att pen)

7.44

5.12

Shots total

3.46

3.17

As you can see by the stats, both players are traditional centre forwards who focus their game on solely putting the ball in the back of the net, which is what Chelsea are clearly missing this season. They’re the fox-in-the-box type of striker who operates between the goalposts and instinctively finds a way to get on the scoresheet.

The duo are the focal point of their team, who will act as a backboard at times to simply hold up the ball and link up play, with the goal of receiving service inside the box. Their goals per ninety-minute record speaks for itself, with the Ukraine star in the top 2% of all strikers in Europe and Morata in the top 11%. The latter is also clinical, unlike Chelsea’s current attackers, as he has overperformed his xG this campaign.

Furthermore, Pochettino wants to add a more physical centre forward to his side, and the 26-year-old would certainly provide that, as he stands at 6 foot 2, just one-inch shy of Morata. The signing of the Girona forward would provide the boss with an opportunity to deploy a different attacking approach to Nicolas Jackson, and the duo could even play alongside each other.

Overall, Dovbyk’s influence at Girona this season has been immense, netting 11 goals and creating four in 17 appearances, and it is difficult to find a striker with similar numbers going for £39m. It is easy to see why Pochettino admires him, and the move would be smart considering Chelsea’s recent heavy-spending strategy that has yet to be a success.

Having returned to form and constructed a three-match winning streak in the Premier League after a tough spell, news that Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero was set for a spell on the sidelines cast a shadow over preparations for the trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion.

Not for the first time, Ange Postecoglou fielded a makeshift backline consisting of four full-backs across the backline, but once again this patchwork effort failed to yield a winning result.

Losing 4-2 at the AMEX Stadium, Spurs have sqaundered the opportunity to draw level with third-placed Aston Villa, and while the defence was arguably at fault, Postecoglou will be disappointed with the efforts of some of his attacking players.

Brennan Johnson's performance vs Brighton

Earning his seventh start from eight fixtures in the English top-flight, Brennan Johnson flattered to receive on the right wing and will have left Postecoglou unconvinced that he deserves a starting spot going forward.

Bemoaning the 22-year-old winger is perhaps unfair, while he cost Tottenham £47.5m to sign from Nottingham Forest in the summer, the fee is outside of his control and there are many attractive qualities that hint at a successful career in north London.

#

Player

Signed from

Fee

1

Tanguy Ndombele

Lyon

£63m

2

Richarlison

Everton

£60m

3

Brennan Johnson

Nottingham Forest

£47.5m

4

Cristian Romero

Atalanta

£42m

5

James Maddison

Leicester City

£40m

*Sourced via Football Transfers

So far, he has posted one goal and three assists in the league, averaging 1.1 key passes and 3.0 ball recoveries per game; he has been described as a "nightmare" for defenders to stop by content creator HLTCO.

But the Wales international was ineffective against a relentless Brighton side that implemented their gung-ho approach to near perfection, firing a fusillade of attacks on the ever-impressive Guglielmo Vicario's goal.

As per Sofascore, Johnson took just 28 touches – almost half of Vicario's – before being hooked after 70 minutes, completing ten passes and attempting only one blocked shot.

While he made one key pass and won four of his six contested ground duels, the £70k-per-week ace failed to make a single tackle, clearance or interception – while he is a forward, this shows a lack of defensive application against a surging home side.

Branding him with a lowly 4/10 score in his post-match ratings, football.london's Alasdair Gold said: 'Had an opportunity when running through in the first half but hesitated and fluffed his effort. Threatened to make an impact but never really did.'

Why Brennan Johnson must be dropped

After the disappointing defeat, Postecoglou might be inclined to shift Dejan Kulusevski back into his favoured right-wing role and allow Johnson to take a breather on the bench.

While injuries have shaped the troubles that have plagued the Lilywhites' campaign after such a resounding start, Tottenham's midfield was outfought and outthought in the crucial central battle.

The No. 10 is a necessary component of Postecoglou's system but it might be wise to indeed move the lively Kulusevski onto the right and bolster the engine room with the likes of Giovani Lo Celso or Oliver Skipp – who missed Thursday's clash with a knock – to establish an additional branch of control.

That's not to say that Johnson should be excluded from contention, nor even that he should not receive a starting berth for the forthcoming period, but it could just be a prudent move to make a tweak and allow Spurs to rekindle their verve, having fought so gallantly in the face of adversity this season.

Leeds United are reportedly looking to bolster their playing squad when the January transfer window officially opens for business next month.

Leeds transfer news – Bright Osayi-Samuel

According to TEAMtalk, the Whites are one of three English sides in the race to land Fenerbahce defender Bright Osayi-Samuel ahead of the second half of the season.

The report has claimed that Premier League teams Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are also eyeing up a swoop for the Nigeria international.

It is stated that Palace are currently ahead of Leeds and Wolves in the pursuit of the former QPR star and there is no mention of how much he would cost in January.

Daniel Farke could, though, ditch Luke Ayling by securing a deal to sign Osayi-Samuel ahead of the two top-flight clubs at the turn of the year.

Luke Ayling's season in numbers

The veteran full-back has lost his starting place to 17-year-old Archie Gray, who is a central midfielder by trade, under the German head coach this season.

He has only made eight Championship starts and featured in 14 league matches in total since the club were relegated from the Premier League.

Ayling has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, with a duel success rate of 53%, but has also been dribbled past 1.1 times per match and only been successful with 24% of his attempted dribbles in those 14 outings.

The 32-year-old battler has also contributed with one goal and one assist from right-back, and these statistics have not done enough to convince Farke that he has what it takes to be his first-choice option in that position.

Bringing in a new number two, in Osayi-Samuel, would leave Ayling further down the pecking order and allow the manager to part ways with him in January, or next summer when his contract expires.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Osayi-Samuel

The Whites target has been a regular starter for Fenerbahce and caught the eye with his impressive defensive displays for the Turkish giants.

Osayi-Samuel has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match, with a duel success rate of 59%, and has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per clash across 12 Super Lig appearances.

These statistics show that the 25-year-old, who is seven years younger than Ayling, can win possession back more frequently than the current Leeds defender and does not allow opposition players to get the better of him anywhere near as often as the English dud.

Appearances

23

Starts

Ten

Duel success rate

51%

Dribble success rate

48%

Assists

Zero

The Fenerbahce star, who has improved since his struggles last season, also has experience in English football. During his time with QPR, manager Mark Warburton claimed that he "terrifies defenders" with his sheer pace.

Throughout the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns combined, Osayi-Samuel racked up eight goals, ten assists, and 13 'big chances' created in 54 Championship starts as a winger.

This suggests that the £40k-per-week whiz has the potential to offer quality as an attacking force if Farke can get the best out of him, whilst also being an upgrade on Ayling from a defensive perspective, which is why Leeds could ditch their experienced dud with a swoop for him.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has proven to be one of the busier Premier League transfer chiefs, as he looks to close the gap on English champions Liverpool and help manager Mikel Arteta end the club’s 20-plus-year-long wait for a league title.

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Both Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga have signed for Arsenal, while Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard is expected to undergo a medical this week (The Athletic), as he closes in on becoming a direct replacement for the now-departed Thomas Partey.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal are also attempting to wrap up a deal for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera as well, so there is every possibility that the Gunners will soon announce four major deals in what would be a major boost.

“There were tentative links a while back, but nothing massively serious, and then all of a sudden an offer had gone for the defender,” said journalist Charles Watts in a recent CaughtOffside column.

“At the time of writing this column there is no agreement between Arsenal and Valencia for the defender, with Arsenal’s opening offer having been rejected.

“Arsenal are expected to return imminently with an improved bid and with reports suggesting that personal terms have already been agreed with Mosquera, this feels like one that could be wrapped up pretty quickly.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal are continuing their chase for a new striker, and Berta has his eyes on a new attacking wide player too – so we can expect a few more deals to potentially be concluded by deadline day on September 1.

A lot of talk has surrounded Arsenal’s serious interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze recently, but another Premier League forward in Chelsea’s Noni Madueke remains a real option for Berta.

The former PSV Eindhoven star has been at the centre of rumoured discussions between Arsenal and Chelsea, as Berta assesses many targets, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg now providing an update.

Arsenal submit offer to Noni Madueke after talks opened

Plettenberg states via X that Arsenal have “submitted an offer” to Madueke and that “talks have started” over a potential deal for the England international, who cost Chelsea around £30 million to sign from PSV in 2023.

The 23-year-old racked up 11 goals and five assists in 44 appearances for Chelsea last season across all competitions, with Enzo Maresca even calling Madueke one of Chelsea’s best players.

Nevertheless, Madueke’s departure is still seen as a realistic possibility, especially now the west Londoners are closing in on both Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens and striker Joao Pedro.

He could be an ideal alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, and one who may not break the bank either. Chelsea and Arsenal have enjoyed a fruitful business relationship lately, and the versatile forward may well become their latest in a long line of recent agreements.

“The one thing I love about Noni is he’s direct, and he’ll take you on,” said pundit Jason Cundy in May, to Chelsea’s official app.

“He’s quick. He’s strong. He’s a physical presence. When he goes past you, he stays past you.”

Leeds United have just over two weeks left to complete any business that they would like to do before the end of the January transfer window.

Speaking in his most recent press conference, ahead of the clash with Cardiff, Daniel Farke stressed that it is important to be careful in the market this month.

The German tactician outlined the difficulties of finding appropriate deals in the winter window – citing that some players who are available have not played much football this season and others are incredibly expensive.

Leicester City

1

26

65

Ipswich Town

2

26

55

Southampton

3

26

52

Leeds United

4

26

48

West Brom

5

26

42

Sunderland

6

26

40

He did not say outright that Leeds are looking to bolster in the full-back positions but did say that it is 'obvious' where the club need to strengthen if you look at the depth of the squad.

The Whites sent Djed Spence back to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, five months earlier than expected, after his loan move from the Premier League side, and Luke Ayling has been sent out on loan to Middlesbrough.

Leeds transfer news – Borna Barisic

FootballScotland reports that Glasgow Rangers left-back Borna Barisic is an active target for Leeds this month, which would align with their need to add to their options in that area of the pitch.

The outlet claims that the Yorkshire-based side are 'hopeful' of a swoop to bring the Croatia international down south of the border before the end of the window.

Farke is looking to lure the experienced defender away from Ibrox but it remains to be seen how likely a deal is this month for a number of factors.

Firstly, the report states that no final decision has been made by the 31-year-old ace on his future and this suggests that Barisic has not made his mind up as of yet, which means that Leeds could need to convince him to make the switch.

FootballScotland also claim that Rangers want to offer the full-back a new contract to fight off interest from elsewhere as they want to keep him at their club.

However, his current deal is due to expire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and this means that Barisic is free to speak with other teams to put pen to paper on a pre-contract.

Clubs from Ligue 1, LaLiga, and the Serie A have already made approaches to check in on his availability, and this shows that Leeds face serious competition for his signature.

The Whites will need to convince the Croatian dynamo that a drop down to the Championship is more worthwhile than possibly playing in one of Europe's major leagues – possibly with the carrot that promotion to the Premier League is still on the cards.

If Farke and Leeds can strike a deal to sign Barisic from the Gers this month, to provide them with a fee instead of losing him for nothing in the summer, then the German boss would land a huge upgrade on Sam Byram at left-back.

Sam Byram's season in numbers

The 30-year-old defender was brought in on a free transfer from Norwich City last summer, seemingly as a back-up option at the time, and worked his way into being a key player for the manager.

Byram, who is naturally right-footed, has established himself as the first-choice left-back option when fit and has started 18 of the club's 26 Championship matches so far.

Last season, the ex-West Ham enforcer only featured in 15 league matches and started 11 times for the Canaies throughout the entire campaign, which has made his consistency – in availability and performances – somewhat of a surprise.

He has been a solid defensive presence with 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match and a duel success rate of 51% in the Championship this term. Only Ethan Ampadu (1.5) has made more interceptions per game than Byram (1.4) for Leeds.

However, the Whites stopper has not provided outstanding attacking quality from left-back, possibly due to being a naturally right-footed player.

Byram has created one 'big chance' and averaged 0.7 key passes per match. He has also averaged 1.97 shot-creating actions per 90 and racked up 0.06 Expected Assisted Goals per 90 in the second tier this season.

These statistics suggest that the experienced gem has been a reliable option defensively but that there is room for Leeds to bring in an upgrade in possession, which is where Barisic could improve the team.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Barisic

At the age of 31, the Rangers star may not be a long-term solution for Farke but he could be a difference-maker in the club's fight to win promotion with his ability to create chances from left-back.

The Croatia international has showcased his creativity in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues this season with two assists and 2.2 key passes per game across 11 appearances. This means that he has created 1.5 more chances per match than Byram has in the Championship for Leeds.

Appearances

30

Assists

Nine

Big chances created

12

Key passes per game

2.3

As you can see in the table above, Barisic was also a sublime creator for the Scottish giants throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his current form is not a flash in the pan.

He has also showcased his attacking prowess on the European stage. In the Europa League this season, the Gers star ranks within the top 9% of full-backs for shot-creating actions (3.60) per 90 and averaged 0.14 Expected Assisted Goals (xAG) per 90.

This indicates that the £21k-per-week maestro has the quality to be a huge upgrade on Byram in possession, as he can provide far more at the top end of the pitch when it comes to assists, key passes, 'big chances' created, shot-creating actions, and xAG.

The Leeds target, who was once hailed for his "magic" play by ex-boss Steven Gerrard, does not avoid the defensive side of the game, either, with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 61% in the Premiership.

These statistics show that he can also make defensive interventions to cut out opposition attacks and, interestingly, wins a higher percentage of his physical battles in comparison to Byram, which means that he could be a harder opponent for forwards to get past.

Therefore, Barisic would come in as a huge upgrade at left-back for Leeds and provide the team with another exceptional attacking outlet down the left flank behind Crysencio Summerville.