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Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring Iván Fresneda to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Gunners have ‘already moved’ for the Real Valladolid right-back in order to get a headstart on what looks to be a ‘frantic race’ for the 18-year-old’s signature in the winter market.

Indeed, the report goes on to state that a host of other unnamed Premier League clubs are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Spain U19 international ahead of potentially launching their own move for the defender in January, while Edu is believed to be ‘already talking’ with Valladolid regarding a deal that is ‘around half’ of his current €30m (£26m) release clause.

“Beastly ability”

With Fresneda very much looking to be ‘one of the most promising young talents in European football’ – as AS suggest – at present, it is not difficult to understand why Edu would be interested in a deal to bring the teenager to north London in January, as the full-back undoubtedly possess the potential to quickly become worth a great deal more than his current £26m clause.

Indeed, over his six LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £2.5m-rated wonderkid has been a rock on the right of Pacheta’s backline, helping his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.5 tackles – the 12th-most in the league – 1.3 interceptions, 2.8 clearances and winning 3.8 duels – at a success rate of 55% – per game.

The £2.6k-per-week talent has also excelled when going forwards, having already created two big chances for his Valladolid teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 key passes, finding his man with 0.5 crosses and completing 29.7 total passes – at a success rate of 82% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the defender average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.02, currently ranking him as Valladolid’s second-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football – a quite remarkable feat considering the right-back only turned 18 years of age back in September.

Quite understandably, Fresneda’s performances have earned the Spanish youth international a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from journalist and podcaster Juan Arroita, who said of the teenager in a post on Twitter earlier this season:

“Iván Fresneda has a beastly ability to take measured crosses from the right-handed lane. How good does the boy look? 17 years old…”

As such, it would appear highly advisable for Edu to do everything in his power to fight off the fierce competition and win the race for Fresneda’s signature this winter, as the Valladolid starlet would not only appear to be a real diamond for the future, but he could quite easily also go on to play a key role on the right of Arsenal’s backline in the current campaign.

Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Real Valladolid winger Gonzalo Plata in recent times, with manager Eddie Howe seemingly keen to bolster his wide options.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who suggested that the Ecuadorian international could well be an attainable target for the Magpies, having been linked with his signature of late.

The transfer insider stated: “It is a position that Newcastle would like to add to, they do want to bring in [a winger]. He’s a pacey winger who can play wide on the left.

“I think he could be somebody who could be very gettable this January transfer window. Especially with his price tag, I don’t think Real Valladolid would be in any position to turn down any sizable offer for his signature.”

The Tynesiders may well face competition to sign the 32-cap gem – who made the move to Spain on an £8.5m deal in the summer after an initial loan move – amid reports that the likes of Leeds United, Atletico Madrid and Roma have all tracked his progress previously.

Newcastle’s answer to Zaha

The former Sporting Lisbon man is currently shining on the international stage, having played “impressed” in Ecuador’s promising start to the World Cup in Qatar, in the words of journalist Ben Jacobs, playing the full 90 minutes in the South American nation’s opening two group games.

That impact has come amid the youngster’s encouraging displays at club level in recent times, having chipped in with two assists in ten La Liga outings this season, after previously registering 11 goal involvements in the second tier last term.

While not prolific, the winger would certainly add real flair to Howe’s attacking ranks were sporting director Dan Ashworth to get a deal wrapped up, with the highly-rated “trickster” – as described by Adrian Blanco – a truly dynamic asset in attack.

That is certainly the verdict of transfer insider Dean Jones, who described Plata as a ‘game-changer’, while also stating: ‘He’s got pace to burn, he’ll mesmerise people with his trickery and he’s got a finish on him as well. Plata is one of those players you could watch for hours on end.’

Bringing the explosive talent to St James’ Park could well see Howe and co find their answer to Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, with the skilful Ivorian also offering a real direct and dangerous prospect from his wide berth.

The two men are not only alike as a result of their somewhat maverick talent, but the pair also share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref, with Plata notably ranking in the top 7% for dribbles completed in Europe among those in his position, while the Eagles ace ranks in the top 13% for the same metric – albeit with the latter man having recorded more minutes.

Such a comparison will have piqued the interest of those back at Newcastle such has been Zaha’s impact in the Premier League in recent years, with the 30-year-old – who has been linked with the Magpies of late – scoring 67 goals and 29 assists in 291 games in the competition to date.

To be able to secure a new, more youthful addition in the mould of the Selhurst Park star would surely be a mouthwatering prospect for the Champions League hopefuls, with Ashworth seemingly needing to do all he can to get a deal secured.

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst was recently hit with a frustrating injury blow as summer signing Ridvan Yilmaz has been ruled out until after the World Cup.

The Turkish international had finally won his place in the team at left-back and pulled up in the first half of the 4-1 win against Aberdeen in the Premiership, which forced him to come off within the first 10 minutes.

He is now facing a number of weeks on the sidelines and will need to prove himself yet again in order to get in the side ahead of Croatian defender Borna Barisic.

Whilst they are the current first-team left-backs available to the manager, van Bronckhorst could look to the academy team to provide cover whilst Yilmaz is out injured.

Rangers signed Romanian youth international Kevin Ciubotaru back in February and the Dutch head coach could strike gold by unearthing his talent in the coming weeks, months, and years.

The 18-year-old has been a regular in the B team for the Light Blues this season as he has played four times in the Lowland League and twice in the UEFA Youth League.

Kinetic, the academy Rangers signed him from, co-founder Harry Hudson previously heaped praise on the youngster, saying:

“[He] plays left back or can play left wing-back. Very attack-minded. [A] powerful runner, [a] good dribbler, gets forward well and [he] 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.”
These quotes suggest that he is a young player with a lot of potential as he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch from left-back, with Hudson believing that he has offensive and defensive qualities.

The full-back, who has described himself as a “robot”, has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve before making the step up to first-team level. At the age of 18, van Bronckhorst can work with the gem on the training pitch to get him to a point where he is comfortable enough to play regulars in the senior squad.

For now, he could be named on the bench in the absence of Yilmaz to get a feel for what it is like to be in the squad for a Premiership match, with a view to him playing matches in the future.

Van Bronckhorst could strike gold by unearthing the teen’s talent as the gem appears to be a player with high potential and he could be a star for Rangers in the future if he can adapt to playing professional football, after excelling at youth level.

Frank Lampard made some excellent decisions during the summer transfer market that have given Everton a solid foundation to build on this season as they chase a top-half Premier League finish.

Signing Conor Coady, James Tarkowski and Amadou Onana has created a spine in the team which has seen them concede just 12 goals in 11 top flight fixtures so far.

With the January window fast approaching, the onus is on Lampard to move a few players who aren’t justifying their wage, and defender Yerry Mina should be one of them.

 Mina must go

The Colombian centre-back is earning £120k-per-week and having played just once in the Premier League this season due to injury, he is not justifying this massive weekly outlay.

In fact, since joining the Toffees in the summer of 2018 from Barcelona, Mina has missed 60 matches for the club, playing 91 times in over four seasons.

According to Calcio Dangolo (via Sport Witness), AS Roma are interested in bringing Mina to Serie A as they are on the hunt for a centre-back.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season and the club not willing to renew his deal, recouping some of the £27.2m fee they splashed out on the player will be one of Lampard’s main aims during the winter window.

With Coady and Tarkowski forming an excellent partnership in the heart of the defence, even when Mina does become fit, there is no guarantee he will oust any of them from the starting XI.

Journalist Martin Mucha described Mina as a “titan” following his performances for Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, becoming the first defender to score in their first three matches in the competition.

With Lampard aiming to significantly reduce the wage budget, helped by the departures of Fabian Delph, Jonjoe Kenny and Cenk Tosun, moving on Mina will suit all parties.

Hopefully, the club can get some sort of fee for him in January and potentially use this to improve other areas of the team.

Everton’s recent defeat to Manchester United saw academy starlet Anthony Gordon return to the starting XI, with the highly-rated forward having dropped to the bench for the win over Southampton a week earlier due to illness.

The 21-year-old had proven the difference when the two sides had met back in April, after netting a deflected strike past David De Gea to help the Toffees’ fight for survival, although was unable to make a similar impact this time around, having “struggled” against Erik ten Hag’s side, in the words of The Athletic’s Greg O’Keefe.

The £36m-rated man was restricted to just 22 touches before being withdrawn just after the hour-mark, with that substitution having taken place just moments after the Englishman had been shown a yellow card for lunging in on Red Devils’ skipper, Bruno Fernandes.

That reckless challenge had seemingly epitomised the youngster’s performance as he struggled to impact proceedings, with Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley awarding him just a 5/10 match rating after what was a ‘frustrating night’ for the explosive forward.

That frustration will have only been heightened with the £10k-per-week gem now suspended for Saturday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur due to what was his fifth booking in just nine Premier League games thus far this term, ruling him out of facing a side who had been linked with his signature over the summer.

The England U21 international had been hot property in the recent window with fellow top-flight side Chelsea reportedly eyeing a £60m approach, although on the evidence of Sunday’s display the Liverpool-born starlet has not yet lived up to that valuation.

While the “fearless” ace – as lauded by pundit Alan Shearer – has netted twice in the league already this season, his absence against the Saints had showcased that Frank Lampard’s side can win without him, with his replacement Dwight McNeil having scored in that 2-1, comeback victory.

The aforementioned O’Keefe had suggested that the latter man was “hard done by” to have been replaced by Gordon for the recent clash with United, with the former Preston North End loanee unable to warrant his inclusion ahead of the £20m new addition.

This upcoming suspension for the Toffees academy graduate will again allow McNeil the chance to shine in his place against Spurs, with a positive display from the former Burnley winger potentially set to have Lampard questioning what his best forward line truly is.

On recent evidence, when Gordon does again become available for the midweek trip to face Newcastle United, it would be no real surprise if he is to be ditched from the Merseysiders’ starting lineup.

Newcastle United smashed their club transfer record in the summer to snap up Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a reported fee of £59m.

Dan Ashworth swooped to snap him up from the La Liga outfit last month to bolster Eddie Howe’s attack and he has rewarded them with two goals in three Premier League matches so far.

Things could have worked out differently for the club, though, as they heavily pursued another number nine to improve the team prior to signing the Swedish international.

The Magpies reportedly agreed a deal with Stade Reims to sign Hugo Ekitike for a fee in the region of £30m and the move then fell through due to ‘ridiculous’ demands from his agent and the attacker ended up joining Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain instead.

It may sound harsh, given that he only turned 20 in June, but the Frenchman has been a flop since his move to the capital in the summer.

Ex-PSG man Eric Rabesandratana recently criticised the centre-forward’s mentality, saying:

“I’m not convinced by Hugo Ekitike because he has shown mental weaknesses.“He’s young, but I find that, behaviour wise, he doesn’t correspond at all to what you expect from him as a young person, and especially as a player who should impose him at PSG over the years.“We need players who are focused on football, and I’m not sure that moaning every two seconds, half-bothering to do the exercises, because it bores him and he’d rather play games, is enough.”He went on to say that Ekitike is “more of a kid than a professional” and his lack of action on the pitch suggests that the manager does not believe he is ready for regular minutes.The forward has played five matches in Ligue 1 and failed to produce a goal or assist, with all of his appearances coming as a substitute, and he has not been used at all in the Champions League so far.Ekitike, who had scored 11 goals in 26 matches for Reims last season, has seemingly struggled with the step up to playing for PSG and his mentality may be playing a part in that, as per Rabesandratana’s comments.Therefore, Ashworth dodged a bullet on the Frenchman as these issues, including his accused his lack of focus and professionalism in training, could have been a stumbling block for him under Howe as they have proven to be in Paris so far.Instead, Newcastle brought in Isak and he has enjoyed a superb start to life at St. James’ Park in front of goal. Long may that continue and, hopefully, the Magpies will never regret failing to land Ekitike.

The Rangers Review journalist Derek Clark has dropped an update on Glasgow Rangers’ reported interest in Darius Olaru.

The Lowdown: Rangers name-checked

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team were name-checked as potentially making an offer to Romanian club Steaua Bucharest for Olaru by their owner Gigi Becali, as he told Digi Sport:

“Who wants to give this money? Rangers? I’m not talking about Olaru now. He can also come today from Real Madrid, from Barcelona and propose anything to me. I’m not talking. Olaru is not for sale now.”

They have been linked with a move for the attacking midfielder in this transfer window, but it is unclear whether they will actively pursue a deal before the deadline.

The Latest: Olaru update

Taking to Twitter, Clark has shared that there is currently no interest in Olaru from the Light Blues:

“Reliably informed there is no Rangers interest in Darius Olaru.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame if the Teddy Bears were to miss out on a deal for Olaru before the window shuts.

Hailed as an ‘exciting’ talent by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the 24-year-old has even been likened to Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne for the way he plays total football, covers huge areas of the pitch, and excels in passing and shooting.

Olaru boasts 17 goals and 18 assists over four seasons for Steaua, and has been capped six times by Romania (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, were he to move to Ibrox, he would be able to link up with fellow Romanian Ianis Hagi, but it looks as if any deal is currently off of the table.

Celtic have seen a significant number of players make moves away from the Parkhead club during this latest summer transfer window.

Some have left on free transfers such as Nir Bitton, Luca Connell and Karamoko Dembele, and others have left on temporary loan deals such as Ismaila Soro, Liam Scales and Osaze Urhoghide.

With some time left before the window closes, there are still some figures in Ange Postecoglou’s squad that could well end up following in the footsteps of these previously mentioned players and make a move away from Parkhead.

One name that has been touted with a loan move away from the club this summer, that would be better off elsewhere, is Mikey Johnston.

Having worked his way through the youth ranks at the Glasgow club, the winger has racked up 79 senior appearances for the Bhoys.

In those appearances, the 23-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £7.9k-per-week, has scored 11 goals and delivered ten assists in the process, all while being labelled “the new Ryan Christie” by Chris Sutton.

Last season saw the attacker start just five of the 20 appearances he made across all competitions, which shows just how far down the pecking order he is.

In his 12 SPFL appearances, the Scotsman failed to provide even one goal or assist for Postecoglou’s side, which is rather disappointing given how the Hoops ended the campaign with more goals scored (92) than any other side in the division.

Even when he did manage to get on the pitch in a league game, the winger failed to impose himself as an attacking threat as only six of the 25 shots at goal he had throughout the campaign were on target, leaving him with one of the lowest percentages for shots on target (24%) in the squad.

Not only were his shots at goal lacking in inspiration but his crosses and final ball were too, with BBC Sportsound pundit Willie Miller labelling him as “pathetic” in that area of his game.

This shows that his lack of attacking prowess is holding the team back. Had they not had the likes of Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada firing the goals in throughout the season, they certainly would have been worse off with Johnston in the side.

Combine that with the fact the Scot is yet to make an appearance in the league this season, perhaps moving him out on loan, or even a permanent deal, before the summer transfer window closes would be beneficial for all parties. It feels like now is finally the time to cut ties with him as the winger is simply not good enough.

Nottingham Forest have given their squad a huge refresh this summer with 11 signings already confirmed, and an update has emerged on a new transfer target who has been added to the club’s shortlist.

What’s the latest?

According to the Daily Mail, Forest have put PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare on their transfer shortlist.

As per the report, the newly-promoted side have a four-man list of potential targets to bolster their midfield ahead of next season, with James Garner, William Carvalho and Anton Stach named alongside Sangare.

Dream Garner replacement

Steve Cooper will be elated with the number of new high-quality players that he has in his squad ahead of Forest’s long-awaited return to the Premier League, but it has been reported that the Welshman still wants to add another midfielder this summer.

Sangare has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this summer, including Liverpool and Manchester United, which will come as no surprise when you consider his impressive performances in the Eredivisie last season.

Over 29 league appearances, the 24-year-old midfielder scored three goals, delivered two assists and created four big chances, making 3.3 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and one clearance per game, along with winning the majority of his duels (63%) and completing the majority of his dribbles (69%).

The £30m-valued talent has been the recipient of high praise for his dominant presence in the centre of the pitch, with former PSV manager Aad de Mos hailing Sangare as “extraordinary”.

Cooper is clearly looking to replace one of the biggest standout performers in his team from 2021/22, with James Garner returning to Manchester United following an impressive season-long loan at the City Ground, when he was the squad’s best performer according to Sofascore ratings (7.26).

Forest were reportedly keen to re-sign the rising star on loan again this season following their promotion to the Premier League, but this has now been impossible to complete after securing a loan move for Red Devils goalkeeper Dean Henderson, so Sangare could be the dream replacement for Garner.

The signing of the Ivorian gem would be a huge coup for Cooper; and if the player can bring his form in the Eredivisie over to the Premier League, it could put Forest in a great position to compete throughout the upcoming season.

AND in other news: John Percy reveals offer now “accepted”, Nottingham Forest supporters will be gutted

Glasgow Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are reportedly eyeing a move to bring young striker Kai Meriluoto to Ibrox, according to Finnish outlet MTV Urheilu.

The lowdown: Rising star

Currently, Meriluoto is on loan at Finnish top-flight outfit Ilves Tampere from third-tier side Klubi 04, the reserves of HJK Helsinki where Meriluoto came through the young ranks.

The 19-year-old Finland youth international has already amassed 40 goals in 76 outings at senior level and was part of the Helsinki side that lifted the Veikkausliiga title in 2020.

Now despite his tender years, it appears as though Meriluoto could already be being eyed up for a move to pastures new…

The latest: On the radar

As per MTV Urheilu, Rangers are believed to have ‘expressed’ interest in signing the three-cap Finland Under 21 starlet this summer, so have seemingly made an approach ahead of a potential move.

It’s claimed that Meriluoto is a ‘target’ for the Glasgow giants as Van Bronckhorst looks to add support for Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe ahead of another gruelling season.

The report states that ‘several other foreign clubs are also interested’ in the teenager, who has netted nine goals in 27 appearances across all youth levels for Finland.

The verdict: Planning for the future

Valued at just £90,000 and out of contract with his parent side next December (Transfermarkt), given the likely lowly fee and salary demands, signing Meriluoto is truly the definition of a no-risk venture for the Gers hierarchy.

Although still very much in his development years as a first-team operator, the centre-forward – who can also play in wide areas and deeper roles – has shown a clinical eye for goal during the ongoing 2021/22 campaign with eight strikes in just 15 outings so far, showing he is in-form at this moment in time.

It remains to be seen whether or not parent club HJK would be willing to do a deal for one of their own, however, for Rangers, who are also closing in on PAOK striker Antonio Colak, this would make an abundance of sense in order to bolster the attacking ranks whilst also looking ahead to the next generation of stars.