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Man City among the clubs ‘lining up’ to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham and the Premier League champions have been told his price tag.

The Lowdown: City linked…

Pep Guardiola’s team are one of the many elite sides to have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old in recent months, alongside the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Reports have suggested that City are in contention for the England international’s signature, coming as club captain Ilkay Gundogan’s future remains up in the air.

The German’s contract at Eastlands expires at the end of this season, potentially making sporting director Txiki Begiristain contemplate his successor.

The Latest: City given Bellingham price tag…

As shared by reliable journalist David Ornstein on Twitter, City are indeed ‘lining up’ for Bellingham as well as a queue of other suitors.

The Blues have also been told what it will take to land him with Dortmund setting a marquee price tag of around £132 million.

Writing in a piece for The Athletic, Ornstein and colleagues hint that City could see Bellingham as a replacement for Gundogan given the latter player may leave for free this year.

The Verdict: Perfect player…

Gundogan was Guardiola’s first ever signing at the Etihad and he has gone on to become a faithful servant, endearing himself to supporters with a real on-pitch leadership and crucial moments in big games.

However, if City are to say goodbye to him in 2023, Bellingham could be viewed as the perfect like-for-like successor.

The midfield ‘monster’, as dubbed by members of the press, has been a shining light for Dortmund yet again this season – standing out as their best player by some distance.

Bellingham ranks as their best-performer overall by average match rating, as per WhoScored, all while completing more successful take-ons and attempting a higher number of shots per 90 than any Dortmund player.

The all-round gem also has more tackles per game to his name than any other member of Dortmund’s squad (WhoScored) – further exemplifying his sheer quality.

West Brom won’t be completing the signing of Fulham midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah in the January transfer window, according to journalist Lewis Cox.

The Lowdown: Chalobah linked with Baggies move

The 28-year-old barely played a part in the Cottagers’ Premier League campaign since their return to the top flight, starting just one match in the competition this season.

Chalobah has been strongly linked with a move to West Brom recently, with Carlos Corberan seemingly seeing him as someone who could aid their Championship promotion push.

With the January window closing next Tuesday, though, an emphatic update has emerged regarding the player’s future.

The Latest: Transfer won’t be happening

Taking to Twitter, The Express & Star‘s Cox claimed contrary to the rumours that Chalobah would be going nowhere this month:

“Nathaniel Chalobah has been of interest to #wba this month but I’m told this morning he is unavailable and reports he is set for The Hawthorns are wide of (the) mark.”

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The Verdict: Would’ve great a strong signing

This is a blow for West Brom, considering Chalobah could have been someone who added experience and class to the midfield, averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in his last full season with Watford, also scoring three goals.

The now Fulham outcast also has a senior England cap to his name, not to mention winning a whopping 40 caps for the Under-21s and being called ‘incredible’ by journalist Paul Taylor during his younger days.

Instead, it could be wise for the Baggies to turn to an alternative in the coming days, with that extra injection of quality of midfield something that could make or break their hopes of returning to the Premier League.

Southampton have made an offer to sign Genk striker Paul Onuachu this January as the Belgian side swiftly reply, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Saints making moves…

The Saints, guided by manager Nathan Jones, are making moves this transfer window as they bid to avoid a drop to the Championship.

The Premier League strugglers, currently sitting at the foot of the table, are fighting for survival but appear determined to get some deals over the line.

The Athletic report they’re in talks to sign Villarreal winger Nicolas Jackson and are edging closer to an agreement – something which will come as music to the ears of some supporters.

As Jones and co attempt to add much-needed firepower, Jackson reportedly isn’t the only player of serious interest at St. Mary’s.

The Latest: Southampton table Onuachu offer…

Southampton, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, have made a bid to sign Genk striker Onuachu.

The Nigeria international has been linked with a move to England before, most notably with West Ham, and now Jones’ side have displayed their fondness in Onuachu.

However, Genk are reluctant to sell mid-season and want him to remain in Belgium to support their title challenge.

Tavolieri explained (via Twitter):

“Very interested in the profile of Paul #Onuachu , #Southampton offered 12M € this winter for the Nigerian striker. Offer refused. The management of #KRCGenk wants to keep its striker until the end of the season and fight for the title until the end in #JPL .”

The Verdict: Shame…

The 28-year-old has been a pivotal player for Genk in recent years and one of the Jupiler Pro League’s star forwards.

A clinical striker, Onuachu has netted 83 goals and a further ten assists in all competitions since arriving at the club with 14 in his last 18 league appearances this season (Transfermarkt).

The towering 6 foot 6 attacker is quite a physical presence going forward and holds no shortage of admiration for his performances in the last two years.

Website soccernet describe him as ‘one of the best players in the Jupiler League’ and Belgian defender Rasmus Carstensen goes even further.

Carstensen lavished Onuachu with praise in an interview, claiming he is a ‘class guy’ and ‘crazy good at football’.

Missing out on the African, based off his numbers and reputation, will be a sore one to take for Jones.

Chelsea have distinguished the prospect of swooping for Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie as an avenue to delve down when considering the best approach to bolster the midfield this month…

What’s the latest?

Blues boss Graham Potter is eyeing a lunge for McKennie, who has been a central figure in a resurgent Juventus team this season that currently perches in third place in the Italian Serie A with four wins from their past five matches.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Aston Villa, who have been heavily interested in the 24-year-old, have been dealt a blow as the player wishes to hold out until Chelsea act on their intrigue, with Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund also reported to view a deal feasible this month.

And with Calciomercato previously stating the Old Lady value their dynamic midfield presence at €30m (£26m), Stamford Bridge’s affluent owner might be required to dig deeper into his pockets in order to craft a squad capable of matching his ambitious schemes.

Ramires 2.0

Having already signed Mykhaylo Mudryk for £88.5m from Shakhtar Donetsk and Joao Felix on a £9.7m loan deal until the end of the term from Atletico Madrid, Chelsea are now interested in providing fortification to the central ranks to steer the club back in the right direction after a woeful campaign thus far.

Chelsea have been knocked out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup to the hand of Manchester City, and currently languish in tenth place in the Premier League after 19 matches despite clinching victory against Crystal Palace last time out. 

In order to stabilise the ship, the club must return to their roots and re-establish stability, grit and tenacity in their endeavours, both offensively and defensively, and the robust presence that is McKennie fits the bill.

His versatility and physicality should allow him to take to English football like a duck to water, with his exploits in Italy and the Champions League a telling indication of his calibre. 

Over the entirety of his career, the “monster” – as lauded by CBS Sports reporter Wes Rucker – has averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.1 clearances, illustrating his defensive prowess and a consistency in his efforts to repel attacks and recycle possession, as per Whoscored.

And over the past year, he ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 11% for touches in the offensive box and the top 14% for progressive passes received, which demonstrates his capability of an offensive outlet from the centre.

His dynamic skills could make him a good fit to emulate Ramires’ success at Stamford Bridge, with the Brazilian midfielder making 251 appearances for the west London outfit during his illustrious stay, winning the Premier League and the Champions League.

Since Whoscored started recording statistics with consistency in 2010, Ramires chalked up an impressive average of 2.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 0.9 clearances, numbers similar to that of the American. Indeed, McKennie could well bask in similar success by following this particular blueprint.

As such, Chelsea must move for the ace swiftly, beating rivals to his signature and strengthening the foundation of their new system; the club’s fortunes this season have been full of woe, but with the “extraordinary” McKennie’s introduction – as once hailed by Schalke head coach Domenico Tedesco – a new dawn could finally offer some sense of light.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now lodged a second bid for OGC Nice midfielder Mario Lemina, according to journalist Tom Collomosse.

The Lowdown: W0lves’ Lemina interest

Journalist Saber Desfarges reported that Wolves had made an offer totalling around £4.4m for Lemina at the end of December, but it was rejected by the French club, although Desfarges claimed that the Old Gold could return with another bid.

That is what has now transpired, and given that the Daily Mail claim that the 29-year-old is keen on a move to Molineux, there could be a decent chance that the Old Gold get their man.

The Latest: Second bid

Collomosse reports that a second bid, in the region of £4.9m has now been made for the former Gabon international, with Wolves clearly determined to get the deal wrapped up.

However, the journalist claims that this offer may still not satisfy Nice, who could hold out for a little more before they are tempted into a sale.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lemina has previous experience playing in England, with journalist Josh Bunting lauding him as ‘superb’ during his time with Fulham, and he made 74 Premier League appearances across stints with the Cottagers and Southampton.

As such, the defensive-midfielder would take little time to adapt, which is important for Julen Lopetegui, as he needs proven players who can come straight into the team, helping to steer them clear of the relegation zone.

Over the past year, the former Southampton man has exhibited his defensive acumen by averaging 3.42 tackles per 90, in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers, while 2.10 clearances places him in the 95th, and 1.74 blocks ranks him in the 91st.

Wolves already have the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, who flourish in the more technical side of the game, but Lemina would offer something new to the midfield, and hopefully the second bid will now be deemed enough by Nice.

Newcastle United’s untold riches are no secret to the rest of the world, with their takeover arguably one of the news stories of last year.

However, as is often the way with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, when the world knows how rich you are, you are forced to pay a premium price.

This seemed to be the case in the summer, where the Magpies had two bids for Leeds United winger Jack Harrison knocked back before the Whites slapped a £35m price tag on him.

They have now been backed to finalise this move using the promise this project brings, with Alan Hutton speaking to Football Insider just last week: “I think if Newcastle come calling, somewhere that you can see what they are doing they are trying to build something, you would definitely want to be a part of that”.

Should this move become a reality, the Toon Army could be treated to two industrious and electric wingers by placing the 26-year-old on the opposite flank to Miguel Almiron.

A man reborn this season, the Paraguayan has already surpassed any of his previous three-goal tallies in the Premier League, and has nearly scored more league goals in one season than in his whole career at St James’ Park.

Having always been workmanlike, as noted by Noel Whelan, it seems the added proficiency has taken his game to new heights.

He claimed: “We always knew he was a hard-working player, but it was just the end product which always let him down.

“But looking at the goals he’s scored this season – and the goal he scored on Saturday, latching on and taking advantage of poor defending – it seems he’s finally added that.”

His sum of eight goals has equalled Harrison’s tally from last season’s relegation dogfight, who too has been praised for his relentlessness in the tackle.

Former footballer David Prutton claimed back in September that “he is good going forward but he works his socks off going back too.”

This is further outlined in his four goal contributions this season, whilst also ranking in the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers for tackles per 90 over the last 365 days.

Eddie Howe could craft himself a perfect scenario of wide men, blending proficiency with a tireless attitude that truly could see Newcastle maintain their sensational form this season.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is reportedly looking to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nico Barella for the north London club. 

The Lowdown: Conte’s history with Barella

During his time in charge of Inter, Conte had Barella in his squad and ended up seeing the midfielder make 87 appearances for him. In those games, the Italy international scored seven goals and delivered 21 assists.

With the Spurs boss having a track record when it comes to signing players from Italy, it seems as though he has turned his attention to having a potential reunion with Barella in 2023.

The Latest: Conte eyeing Barella

According to a recent report from Interlive.it, Conte is likely to turn his attention to signing Barella with a potential move for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic seemingly unlikely for Spurs as he is looking to join Juventus in the summer.

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The report also adds that Fabio Paratici could offer the €70m (£60m) that Inter will apparently want for the player, with the promise of €8m-per-year (£6.8m) for the next five seasons.

The Verdict: A great signing for Spurs

With 15 Serie A games under his belt this season, Barella, who journalist Mike Piellucci lauded as a “genius”, has played more minutes than any other Inter player, which highlights how important he is for the club.

Across those games, the 25-year-old has scored five goals, delivered five assists and racked up more progressive passes (67) than any other player at Inter.

Bearing in mind how only three clubs in the Premier League have made more progressive passes than Spurs (456), it’s easy to see why Conte would want to bring Barella, who has been described as a “top-class” player by Jurgen Klopp, to his side.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the £152k-per-week midfield maestro could be a great signing for Spurs and for Conte.

David Moyes made some excellent signings in the summer transfer window for West Ham United, bringing in the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta to form a wonderful spine to the team.

The signing of Flynn Downes appears to have largely gone under the radar, but Moyes may have a real diamond on his hands in the 23-year-old.

With Irons stalwart Mark Noble having retired last season following an 18-year spell in the first team, West Ham may just have unearthed his ideal heir.

Downes plays in the same position as the former club captain, while he is also a lifelong Hammers fan and has all the attributes which could make him the perfect midfield replacement, although the former Swansea man might just go one better than the 35-year-old by winning a senior England cap.

Former West Ham academy graduate and England international Joe Cole praised Downes on BT Sport following his performance against FCSB, saying he has been an “outstanding” find for West Ham, and Moyes has done the correct thing by easing him into first-team action this season.

The Englishman has started four matches in the Europa Conference League, averaging a rating of 6.98/10 from SofaScore, and he has impressed in the club’s engine room.

A 92% pass success rate and an average of 58.2 touches per match would suggest that he isn’t fazed at this level, while he has added some excellent defensive protection to the West Ham side in Europe.

Downes has made three tackles and one interception and won possession back 1.6 times per match, while also displaying his strength in one-on-one situations by winning 64% of his duels in the competition.

Journalist Josh Bunting has said that Downes “adds another dimension” for the Hammers, and with these numbers from the Conference League playing a part in Moyes’ side winning the group with six wins out of six, the praise is certainly justified.

The next step will be to transition these performances on the continent into regular appearances in the Irons’ starting XI in the Premier League.

Only then can the 23-year-old claim to be the heir apparent to Noble, but so far, the early signs are looking hugely positive.

Liverpool had their worst start to a Premier League season in a decade but have started to pick up points and climb the table after their second consecutive league victory over West Ham United on Wednesday night.

The Reds are now seventh in the league table just four points off the top four, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping this newfound confidence in the team will help them seal their third win in a row and another victory when they face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Many of the players have benefited from the formation and tactical changes implemented by the German coach over the last few weeks but there has been one player who has been looking off the pace and is continuing to struggle despite the improved performances from his teammates surrounding him.

Fabinho has been a stalwart in the heart of Liverpool’s team ever since he joined the club back in 2018, but since returning to action at the beginning of the season has failed to make a positive impact in his position and has since lost his opportunities to start in the team on many occasions already.

The £180k-per-week Brazilian midfielder, who has been criticised for his “sharp decline” by Jack Moore, has started seven of the first ten Premier League outings for the Merseyside giants, and his output reflects exactly why the player is no longer one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Over ten appearances, Fabinho has been dribbled past 1.1 times per game, is winning possession less than once per performance (0.7) and has lost the majority of his defensive duels (51%).

With that in mind, Klopp must consider his long-term future, with any possible new signing in January or summer meaning he should be ditched from the team.

In fact, in his most recent performance against the Hammers last night, the midfielder proved again why Klopp is favouring Jordan Henderson in his position.

The Liverpool ace who was once hailed “class” by Klopp, got the nod from his manager in the 57th minute to replace Thiago Alcantara and during his 32-minute appearance, the 28-year-old was dribbled past twice, lost possession of the ball every four touches and only won one of his four duels.

Whilst Fabinho has been declining, Henderson has been thriving in the formation change and proved this week he can still offer his team a solid presence in midfield with 106 touches, 80 accurate passes and winning 100% of his ground duels against West Ham.

With that being said, it won’t be surprising to see the Liverpool captain keep his place in the starting line-up alongside Thiago when the Merseysiders head to The City Ground on Saturday, as three points against Steve Cooper’s side are crucial for the club’s progression back into the top spots of the league table.

Glasgow Rangers podcaster Heart & Hand have reacted to some comments made by Giovanni van Bronckhorst on both Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Can play together

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference before their match at home to St Mirren in the Premiership this afternoon, Van Bronckhorst has claimed that Colak and Morelos are ‘capable’ of playing together, saying:

“[Antonio] Colak and [Alfredo] Morelos have both had a positive start and they are both capable of playing together.”

The Latest: Heart & Hand react

Taking to Twitter after Van Bronckhorst’s comments, Heart & Hand seemed pleasantly surprised at the prospect of both strikers playing together, reacting with just one word:

“Oooh…”

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The Verdict: Worth a try

Both Colak and Morelos are top strikers, so leaving one of them out of the team to accompany the other does not seem like a smart idea on paper.

Van Bronckhorst has tended to stick with more than 10 goals in the Premiership standings.

New signing Colak has been a revelation this term, with 11 goals already in all competitions and the Gers’ top scorer by far, while Morelos has an exceptional goal record at the club himself.

If Van Bronckhorst can find a way to play them both together, then he could have a real attacking force on their hands. Hopefully we might see it enacted today…