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Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix would be an incredible signing for Aston Villa if he made the move from Spain, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Villa linked with audacious Felix signing

Unai Emery will be looking to work his magic at Villa in the coming transfer windows, as he looks to take his squad up another level with “huge” investment from NSWE.

The Villans have even been linked with an audacious swoop for Portugal and Atletico star Felix, who has been described as a ‘special’ footballer by Alvaro Morata.

Felix’s current deal does not expire until 2026 but it looks as though he could leave Atletico sooner rather than later, as club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin even admitted they are open to a sale.

The Latest: Journalist talks up move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke couldn’t hide his excitement in reaction to the talk surrounding Felix and Villa:

“They’ve been linked with some top names. Matheus Cunha, who does seem like he’s available, and Joao Felix, who could also be available from Atletico Madrid. If Villa were able to pull off that signing, what a signing that would be.”

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The Verdict: Feels unlikely

The thought of Villa acquiring Felix’s services is hugely exciting, considering his reputation as arguably one of Europe’s most dynamic young attacking players.

In truth, however, it is hard to see them being able to compete with some of the other clubs willing to snap him up, due to them being able to guarantee European football.

The Champions League is a major lure for any top player and Felix will surely believe that he belongs at that level, and it would be a surprise if his next club weren’t competing in it.

Wolves appear to be closing in on their first signing of the Julen Lopetegui era, as reports suggest that the Spaniard is keen to reunite with Isco at Molineux.

What’s the word?

Having signed the former Real Madrid man for Sevilla in the summer, the 56-year-old now reportedly wants to bring Isco to the Premier League, with Spanish news outlet AS reporting that he has personally asked for the Old Gold to sign the midfielder.

They also report that the 30-year-old would be delighted to work under Lopetegui once again, which suggests that it is simply over to Jeff Shi to get a deal done in the January transfer window, as both player and manager are clearly keen on a reunion.

Isco’s perceived poor performances and high wages at Sevilla make him very likely to depart next month, but Wolves could face competition from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, as it is claimed that both north London clubs are also keen on signing the former Spain international.

Shi must deliver

Lopetegui is crying out for some creativity in a Wolves team which has mustered just eight goals in the Premier League so far this term.

No player in the squad has more than one assist in the top flight, which emphasises a key problem that Lopetegui will need to solve if he is to get the Old Gold out of trouble this season.

Isco certainly has a reputation as a creative player, as he was a regular with Real Madrid for a number of years, registering 53 goals and 56 assists in 353 appearances for Los Blancos.

WhoScored claims that the experienced Spaniard excels at key passes, dribbling and long shots, which suggests that he still has the ability to unlock a defence with his ability on the ball.

He would certainly arrive at Molineux with a big reputation, as he was once described as “incredible” by Andres Iniesta. The Barcelona legend is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era, so this is high praise indeed.

Isco arrived at Sevilla in the summer on a free transfer, so it seems likely that the club would entertain selling him for relatively little in January.

Given that both the 30-year-old and Lopetegui are reportedly keen to be reunited, Shi must ensure that Wolves win the race for the midfielder in next month’s transfer window.

Glasgow Rangers have shown plenty of fight during their first two matches under the leadership of Michael Beale.

The Ibrox outfit have fought back from a 2-1 deficit in matches against Hibernian and Aberdeen to win both games, with two goals scored in the seven minutes of added time at Pittodrie on Tuesday evening and although the performances have been inconsistent, there is no doubt the players are fully motivated ahead of 2023.

The Light Blues face Ross County in Dingwall tonight in what is their last fixture before Christmas and the squad is showing signs of wear and tear after two matches in six days following a hiatus due to the World Cup.

Beale spoke to the media yesterday ahead of the tie to discuss his injury concerns, revealing a major setback:

“Alfredo has played through the pain barrier and has been playing through a minor injury.

“Colak won’t be ready tomorrow with his calf problem, he will hopefully be back for 28th along with Roofe.”

Considering Beale claimed that Antonio Colak would be fit for tonight’s match on Monday, his absence will put even more pressure on Alfredo Morelos.

Colak has been in fine form this season following his summer move from PAOK, scoring 14 goals across 24 appearances in all competitions, with 11 of those coming in the Premiership.

His performances led Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane to dub him as “absolutely lethal” following an early season scoring blitz and he was exactly what the club needed in order to take the pressure from Morelos.

Indeed, the Colombian scored just three goals under Giovanni van Bronckhorst this season, although he has already netted once under Beale, however, with Kemar Roofe and Colak injured, the pressure is on the 26-year-old to add to his haul tonight.

Rangers should enough firepower to see off Ross County this evening without the Croatian, yet with the squad struggling, finishing the match without any further injuries will be as satisfying as securing three points in the Highlands and delivering some festive cheer to the Ibrox faithful.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their pursuit of Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to TUTTOmercatoWEB, Spurs are ‘moving decisively’ to secure a deal to sign the French international heading into the second half of the campaign.

The report claims that the player is not willing to put pen to paper on a new contract with the Old Lady and that fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also in the race for his signature.

Rabiot is set to leave the Italian giants upon the expiry of his current deal at the end of the season but it remains to be seen whether Tottenham are hoping to land him on a pre-contract agreement or in a cut-price January swoop.

It has been reported, by Corriere dello Sport, that Juventus would be willing to sell the Frenchman next month if an offer in the region of €15m (£13m) came in.

Arturo Vidal 2.0

Antonio Conte has worked with a number of talented midfielders throughout his career and Rabiot could be the next one to thrive under his management.

One player who caught the eye in the middle of the park whilst working with the Italian coach was Chilean enforcer Arturo Vidal, who played for him at Juventus and Inter.

He played 141 games across four seasons with Conte and produced 36 goals and 21 assists in that time, whilst he has a career average of 4.6 tackles and interceptions per game.

Vidal was a combative, quality, midfielder for the Spurs boss for several seasons and Rabiot could be the next version of the current Flamengo dynamo.

Italian icon Gianluigi Buffon once likened the gem to the Chile international, saying: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio. He is incredible, extremely strong.”

Rabiot, who plays for Vidal’s former team Juventus, has a career average of 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match and has chipped in with 32 goals and 26 assists in his club career.

In the Serie A this season, the 27-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.29 across 11 appearances. He has scored three goals and provided two assists, whilst also making 3.0 tackles and interceptions and completing 86% of his attempted passes per outing.

These statistics show that the maestro is capable of delivering excellent performances on a regular basis and that he is – like Vidal was for Conte – a combative midfielder who can also produce moments of quality in the final third to win matches for his side.

Liverpool have been linked with the signing of Jude Bellingham for a great deal of time and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player as the transfer window opens for business.

What’s the latest?

According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are still “leading the race” to sign the Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder in 2023.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “I do think that Liverpool are leading the race for Bellingham.

“They’re going to have competition, but I think that there’s a cautious optimism on the Liverpool front that, because they started earlier than most and because they have put in a lot of legwork and they’ve been very hands-on, they believe that they’ve done all they can at this point in the race to make progress and land Jude Bellingham. Then we’ll wait and see how other suitors move and how that affects the situation.”

Liverpool’s next Stevie G

There is no doubt that the signing of Bellingham would be a monumental move in the club’s efforts to rebuild their midfield in 2023 as the England midfielder is one of the brightest young talents in football.

The 19-year-old star – who was dubbed “scary” by Jack Grealish – ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, touches and progressive passes received, as well as ranking in the top 15% for assists and shots on goal, proving that he is a real threat to opponents in the centre of the pitch.

Liverpool have found themselves struggling to retain their dominance in the Premier League and are currently sixth in the league table due to a number of inconsistent performances and several injury problems plaguing the squad over their first 16 outings.

Three midfielders including Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will be out of contract in the summer, whilst Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is coming to the latter stages of his career, making it the perfect time to acquire the services of Bellingham to bring in their next leader in the heart of the team.

Liverpool could even land their next Steven Gerrard with comparisons between the two talented midfielders already being made despite Bellingham’s short career so far.

If he could replicate his Dortmund form at Anfield, having scored nine times this term, there’s certainly no reason why the Birmingham-born ace couldn’t follow in the footsteps of one of his “heroes” by captaining the club.

The legendary Premier League midfielder and former Aston Villa boss has already lavished praise on the £131m-valued youngster, claiming he was “excited” to watch Bellingham play for England at the World Cup:

“I’ll be focusing my attention on England,” he said prior to the tournament in Qatar getting underway.

“I’m really excited to watch Jude Bellingham, I’m a massive fan of him. I think the next 10 or 15 years, he’s going to become an England superstar.”

With that being said, if Liverpool can secure the signature of Bellingham – who like Gerrard is a goal-scoring midfielder – either this month or over the summer it could set up the centre of Liverpool’s team for many years to come.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has admitted that Newcastle United are still interested in signing Harrison Ashby.

The Lowdown: Right-back is a priority

Despite having Kieran Trippier as the undisputed first-choice right-back, Eddie Howe appears keen to recruit a younger deputy to learn and maybe rotate into the team alongside the experienced defender.

This is because they have been heavily linked with Ashby from West Ham United since the summer, while 18-year-old Ivan Fresneda, who could join and then go back to La Liga for the remainder of the season, has also been named as reported target.

And although Spanish football expert Fernando Kallas has insisted (25:30) that Fresneda may well have already said goodbye to his teammates and the fans after his performance against Real Madrid last week, Ashby appears to still be a target.

The Latest: Ashby still wanted by Newcastle

Ashby only has seven first-team appearances under his belt but is out of contract this summer, so it’s no surprise they wish to sign him, as Sheth has suggested live on Sky Sports.

He said: “Newcastle, for their part, are also keeping an eye on the West Ham United right-back, Harrison Ashby.

“He’s a young up-and-coming player, 21 years old, hasn’t signed a new contract at the London Stadium and his contract is up in the summer.

“Now, Newcastle United, their approach has been quite consistent, because what they want to do, they don’t just simply want to just go out for the big names for big money, they want to build organically – hence trying to bring in players like Fresneda and the interest in Harrison Ashby as well.”

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The Verdict: Young signing key for the Magpies

It will be very pleasing for Newcastle fans to see that their club are not just looking for instant success by splurging ridiculous amounts of money and instead want to ensure they have players who can replace the current squad when they either retire or move on.

This will mean that when someone such as Trippier does decide it’s time to hang up his boots, the Magpies won’t be caught off guard and have to panic-buy to replace him, as they would just call upon someone such as Fresneda or Ashby in a few years’ time.

PIF may well have to decide who they take the plunge on, and they may end up going with Ashby as he is a little bit older and is more experienced at Premier League level, so would likely not require as much time to become accustomed to the physicality – as he’s previously been described as a ‘big unit’ by journalists Sam Delaney and Roshane Thomas.

Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi will miss around three weeks of action after picking up an injury against Manchester United, journalist Alan Myers has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Iwobi injured against Man United

The Toffees were beaten 3-1 at Old Trafford on Friday as Frank Lampard’s side bowed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage, despite showing some fight.

The result wasn’t the only disappointment from the night, though, with Iwobi stretchered off with just 51 minutes on the clock in what was a concerning sight.

The length of the midfielder’s absence has now been confirmed, as under-pressure Everton boss Frank Lampard is dealt another blow.

The Latest: Three-week absence expected

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Myers said that Iwobi would likely be out for the next three weeks – an update later confirmed by the club – meaning that he may not play again this month.

The journalist tweeted:

“Alex Iwobi is expected to be out for around three weeks with the ankle ligament injury sustained against Manchester United on Friday.

“Scan results on Saturday confirmed a lateral ligament injury that will be managed conservatively by the club’s medical team at Finch Farm.”

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The Verdict: Big blow for Everton

This is an undoubted setback for Everton, with Iwobi arguably one of his team’s standout players this season (he ranks sixth in WhoScored performance metrics among Lampard’s squad), providing to be a rare positive in a campaign full of worries at Goodison Park.

The Nigerian has started 18 games in the Premier League in 2022/23, registering five assists in that time, as many as the rest of his team-mates put together. He has also been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf.

Iwobi’s injury gives Lampard further headaches in midfield, where he was already without James Garner, and it surely highlights the need to sign someone in that area of the pitch in the January transfer window.

Chelsea’s sorry run of form continued on Thursday evening having suffered a 2-1 defeat to west London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage, with that dismal loss ensuring that the Blues have now won just one of their last nine Premier League games.

On a night in which little went right for the under-pressure, Graham Potter, the visitors were undone midway through the first half by a familiar face, as former Stamford Bridge gem Willian fired in for his second top-flight goal of the season.

The away side did eventually draw themselves level just after the interval as summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly turned home in scrappy fashion, with the struggling outfit having made the perfect response after a limp first-half display.

Any real hopes of going on to secure a much-needed victory were then dashed, however, as recent arrival, Joao Felix spoiled what had been an otherwise “lively” debut, as per CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, after seeing red for a horror challenge on Kenny Tete.

That dismissal ultimately proved costly as former Tottenham Hotspur loanee Carlos Vinicius then nodded home at the back post with just over 15 minutes left to play, ensuring that the Blues are now languishing in mid-table and ten points off fourth spot.

For all the blame that may well be attributed to the aforementioned Felix, the main villain for Potter on the night was seemingly that of Trevoh Chalobah, with the academy graduate having produced arguably his “worst performance in a Chelsea shirt to date”, as per sports writer Gabe Henderson.

That defensive “horror show” – in the words of journalist Joe Krishnan – saw the young Englishman play his part in both of the Cottagers’ goals, having somewhat inadvertently deflected Willian’s effort beyond teammate, Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The 23-year-old was then culpable for what proved to be the game’s winning goal having simply gone to sleep at the back post as Vinicius headed in, with the centre-back offering little in the way of a challenge to try and disrupt the leaping Brazilian.

Those two moments encapsulated what was a frankly dismal outing for the £50k-per-week man, in truth, having simply been unable to do “anything right”, as per The Athletic’s Liam Twomey, following what was a “nightmare” first half for the backline.

The statistics are also rather damning as far as Chalobah is concerned as the 6 foot 4 brute won just two of his seven total duels, while also proving a liability in possession after squandering the ball on 12 occasions from his 58 touches.

That grim showing ensured that the former Lorient loanee was hooked in the closing stages, having recorded a match rating of just 6.3, as per Sofascore – the worst of any player for his side.

On a night in which Potter no doubt needed his side to step up and get back to winning ways, the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss was simply let down by Chalobah and his teammates.

Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen is set to be sidelined ‘until next month’ through injury, according to journalist Matt Woosnam.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Eagles suffered a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, and unfortunately for Patrick Vieira, the result wasn’t the only negative to occur from that day.

The Denmark international was forced off the pitch on 38 minutes after detecting a problem in his lower leg, and it also kept him out of the Wednesday night clash with Manchester United.

The extent of his injury has now been unveiled in an update which supporters won’t want to hear.

The Latest: Woosnam’s update

Taking to Twitter, Woosnam revealed that Andersen is set to be ruled out of action until February at the earliest.

“Exc: Palace defender Joachim Andersen expected to be out until next month with a calf injury picked up in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea.

“The 26-year-old was forced off in the first-half and replaced by James Tomkins.”

The Verdict: Blow for Vieira

Andersen is an integral member of Vieira’s squad so it’ll come as a huge blow to the Palace boss to learn that he’ll be without his services for the next few weeks ahead.

Prior to his injury, the 6 foot 2 colossus was averaging an outstanding 6.7 clearances and 2.4 aerial wins per league game, with both of those figures far and away the highest in the squad, while he also ranks third behind only Wilfried Zaha and Ebere Ezi for overall performance (Whoscored).

The Selhurst Park outfit do have plenty of other central defensive options available so there’s no need to panic and rush to the transfer window, but the manager will of course be hoping to have Andersen back as soon as possible.

Chelsea have been woeful this season, with seven defeats and just three victories from their past 12 matches across all competitions, and have consequently been throwing the kitchen sink at the January transfer market.

Having fortified the offensive ranks with the £9.7m loan signing of Joao Felix and sealing a monumental permanent deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk for £88.5m – also agreeing a £30m fee for Noni Madueke – the west London outfit have more recently seen a £55m opening offer for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo rebuffed by the South Coast club, there appears to be an onus on bolstering further departments of the field.

The right-back position is an area illuminated for swift investment, with established phenom Reece James missing 16 games due to injury this season and the 33-year-old stalwart and captain Cesar Azpilicueta approaching the twilight stage of his career at Stamford Bridge.

According to L’Equipe, Olympique Lyonnais’ 19-year-old right-back Malo Gusto is being closely monitored by Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell, with a potential £35m move indeed considered to provide competition for James.

Alphonso Davies 2.0

While James’ position down the right flank provides Chelsea boss Graham Potter with one of the most exciting and eminent in the position in the Premier League, if not the globe, the addition of a talented starlet to push for a starting berth and step in when required could prove the difference in the pursuit of silverware, with marathon seasons indeed calling for healthy rotation.

And Gusto is indeed displaying his worth as one of the most exciting young full-back talents on offer, having made 15 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, his performances and consistency on the pitch belie his youth and inexperience.

As per Sofascore, his impressive league rating this term of 7.10 is an indication of the expanding pool of ability that stems from his core, with his 1.4 key passes and 85% passing accuracy an illustration of his offensive pedigree and the 1.5 interceptions and 2.1 tackles further proof of his dynamic arsenal.

And as per FBref, the Frenchman ranks among the top 15% of full-backs for assists, the top 5% for attempted passes and the top 19% for dribbles completed in Europe’s big five leagues, proving to be an effective offensive outlet from the right flank.

With blistering pace and innate ball-playing ability, the “special” talent – as hailed by Goal – could follow the blueprint of Bayern Munich sensation Alphonso Davies, who is listed as a comparable player to Gusto by FBref.

The 22-year-old Davies has made 135 appearances for the Bavarian outfit since his arrival, scoring six goals and providing 21 assists,  and ranks among the top 7% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for dribbles completed and the top 12% for attempted passes in Europe, showcasing direct similarities to that of Gusto.

£35m might appear somewhat steep for a relatively raw and unknown commodity, but given a platform to nurture his skills and earn his way into a role of greater magnitude with one of the most prominent side’s in world football, Gusto could indeed live up to each and every penny, growing into a lightning-hot force to cement the right-back position at Stamford Bridge as one of the very best any team has to offer.