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Newcastle United are reportedly keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt star Djibril Sow as sporting director Dan Ashworth seeks to bolster the Magpies’ midfield ranks.

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, the Tynesiders – as well as fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Nottingham Forest – are interested in signing the 25-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, following the Swiss international’s impressive form for both club and country.

The 35-cap colossus – who is currently representing his nation at the World Cup – was reportedly the subject of a £17m offer from Forest during the summer, while Crystal Palace were also mooted for a move at the time.

As for the St James’ Park outfit, Eddie Howe and co are seemingly on the hunt to strengthen their options in the centre of the park, with journalist Craig Hope previously suggesting that a new midfielder could well be a “priority” for the Champions League hopefuls.

Imagine him and Bruno Guimaraes

Turning to Sow could well be an astute move for Ashworth in the New Year, with the Zurich-born ace having played a vital role in helping to steer Switzerland into the knockout stages in Qatar, after starting all three games in the group phase.

Equally, at club level the “combative” machine – as described by journalist Sam Smith – has also shown his class from his defensive midfield berth, having been integral to the German outfit’s Europa League triumph last term, averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the competition.

As for the current campaign, the 6 foot menace has scored twice in 15 Bundesliga outings thus far, while the £34k-per-week man also ranks in the top 12% in Europe among those in his position for interceptions made as a marker of his ball-winning prowess.

Should the northeast side be able to bring the former Young Boys titan to England next month it could well allow Howe to form a menacing midfield partnership involving the Frankfurt man and Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazilian already thriving for the club at present.

Like Sow, the former Lyon gem – who was snapped up on a £40m deal in January – is also seemingly adept at winning back possession for his side, as the 25-year-old ranks in the top 3% for tackles made, as per FBref.

While the “world-class” talent, as described by teammate Dan Burn, has thrived in his role in front of the back four of late, bringing in Sow could well allow Guimaraes to take on a more advanced berth, with the player himself having previously suggested he is at his best in a more box-to-box role.

With the latter man already impressing with eight goals and three assists in just 31 games for Newcastle to date, allowing him to take on a more dynamic starting berth could well lead to an even greater impact in an attacking sense, hence the desire to recruit an out-and-out holding midfielder.

As such, should Ashworth be able to snap up Sow it could well have positive repercussions for Howe’s side, with the hope now that the club can win the race for his signature amid the intense rival interest.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Sofyan Amrabat caused a shock at the World Cup as Morocco knocked 2010 champions Spain out to advance to the quarter-finals.

According to reports in Italy, Spurs are continuing to track his situation at Fiorentina, with his contract set to expire in 2024. Fabio Paratici and co came forward with interest last year but did not sign him in the end.

90min journalist Sean Walsh also claimed that the Lilywhites “remain interested” in the midfielder but now face competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions have been the surprise package in Qatar, having topped a tough Group F that contained both Belgium, one of the favourites for the tournament, and Croatia, who too are in the last eight.

And after stunning the Red Devils, Luis Enrique’s side were the next nation to be conquered by the north African underdogs, with Amrabat playing a starring role.

At the heart of a resolute defensive display – described as a “masterclass” by analyst Sam McGuire – Amrabat was a key cog in Walid Regragui’s counter-attack tactic. They soaked up the dominant Spain possession before hitting them on the break and whilst it took penalties to see them into the next round, Morocco by far had the better chances.

As per FBref, the La Viola powerhouse was central to it all as he won 100% of his four tackles, despite playing against the next generation of potential Balon d’Or talent in Gavi and Pedri, as well as veteran Sergio Busquets, who has won it all.

Amrabat’s stubborn presence also saw Morocco win three free-kicks, whilst he was an absolute rock defensively, winning one interception, recovering the ball nine times and only losing one of eight duels, via Sofascore.

Speaking about his performance, journalist Mimi Fawaz said: “Sofyan Amrabat has been solid for Morocco in their midfield. His work rate and performances he’s put in at this #FIFAWorldCup deserves praise,” whilst writer John McAuley dubbed him “immense”.

It was a stark contrast to the performances of current Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who exited at the group stages with a very underwhelming Denmark side. The Antonio Conte regular averaged fewer defensive contributions (interceptions, tackles and duels won) than Amrabat at the tournament.

The Morocco “monster” – as lauded by ECHO journalist Charlotte Coates – could very much be a shrewd signing by Paratici in January, given his likely price tag of around €30m (£26m) as he could continue to outclass the Danish favourite in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs handed World Cup injury blow to £16m “Rolls-Royce”, it’s worrying news for Conte…

West Ham United have been urged to be patient with Gianluca Scamacca amid a subdued start at the London Stadium by former BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Scamacca’s form

Given that the Italian set the Irons back £35.5m in the summer, David Moyes may have expected a little more from the striker, who has netted just twice in 13 Premier League outings so far.

Journalist Ciro Venerato recently reported (via AreaNapoli) that Napoli were monitoring the forward’s situation at the London Stadium over a potential January move.

That has prompted one pundit to have his say on Scamacca following his first few months in east London…

The Latest: Whelan pleads patience

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan urged Moyes to give the 23-year-old more time to prove himself in a West Ham shirt.

The 47-year-old said of Scamacca: “He just needs games. When you come into a new country, a new environment, a new system – you need to persist and stick with players like him.

“It’s the same for most players. Nunez had to find out a little about himself and the Premier League before he really got started.

“I do believe he needs time. I can’t believe they would be considering letting him go already. If they did sell him on, it would make a mockery of their transfer policy. They’ve got to try and make it work.

“That comes from good man management from David Moyes, and putting the faith in him to lead the line.”

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The Verdict: He’ll come good

When moving to the Premier League, there is often an initial settling-in period, the duration of which can vary between players, and Whelan is right to call for Scamacca to be given more time to prove his worth.

The £71k-per-week earner has been hailed for his ‘ball-striking ability’ by journalist Joshua Mbu, which was frequently on display in Serie A last season as he weighed in with 16 goals, making him the sixth-highest scorer in the Italian top flight.

With the Hammers not even at the halfway stage of the league season, it would make no sense to ship Scamacca out already, and Moyes should give him at least until the end of the campaign to find his goalscoring form.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte remains keen to bring Ruslan Malinovskyi to north London ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Corriere di Bergamo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs are prepared to offer €15m (£13m) for his signature at the turn of the year, though Atalanta are holding out for a little more at around €18m (£16m).

The Ukraine international is out of contract in the summer and has rarely been used by manager Gian Piero Gasperini this season.

Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici nearly signed him during the summer and are still keen to make him a Lilywhites player, though they may need to increase their bid to secure him.

Kulusevski 2.0

Spurs appear to be pretty well stocked in the final third but a recent injury to Richarlison may have changed things somewhat. The side recently suffered in the absence of Dejan Kulusevski and that can’t happen again in the second half of the season.

Malinovskyi bears some similarities to the Swedish winger, though he could be a more versatile option as he’s capable of playing in a multitude of attacking and deeper midfield roles.

Last season for example, the 29-year-old netted 10 goals and laid on seven assists from 41 appearances in all competitions, and did so playing in four different central roles and on the right flank, as per Transfermarkt.

His ability to create chances and relentless work rate is what would lend a comparison to Kulusevski as the Atalanta ace ranks inside the top 4% for progressive passes (5.72), the top 8% for assists (0.41) as well as shot-creating actions (5.19) and the top 15% for successful dribbles (2.27) per 90 when compared to his positional peers across Europe in the last year, via FBref.

These are all key attributes of the Spurs right-winger and in fact, he only currently outranks Malinovskyi for assists per 90 (0.61).

The £21.8k-per-week dynamo would also offer Conte a long-range threat at goal – something that he only really gains from Heung-min Son – as he’s renowned for scoring the odd screamer, with his left foot previously being lauded as a “cannon” by commentator Tony Dorigo.

Also hailed as an “animal” by journalist Fernando Evangelio, it’s clear to see why the Italian would still remain keen on signing Malinovskyi for Tottenham.

As such, Paratici must look to pay the £16m that La Dea want for his signature, even if he’s out of contract in the summer because the squad needs strength in depth if they are to challenge on all fronts in 2023.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal Conte’s perfect Maddison alternative in Jan swoop for £30.5m “beast”…

Tottenham have reportedly been in talks with the agent of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram.

The Lowdown: Thuram links

Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici could well be busy over the coming weeks, looking to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad in the winter transfer window.

A new forward is on the agenda, with reports suggesting that a ‘surprise’ move for Thuram could be on the cards. Thuram is out of contract at the end of the season, and it looks as if he is becoming a wanted man heading into 2023.

The Latest: Contact made

According to 90min, Inter Milan are trying to win the race for Thuram ahead of numerous Premier League sides and are readying a contract offer for the Frenchman.

Spurs are one of five top-flight clubs named and have reportedly been in contact with Thuram’s representatives.

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The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Thuram, labelled ‘a little crazy’ by former team-mate Denis Zakaria, can play anywhere across the front three and is primarily a centre-forward.

The 25-year-old impressed on the biggest stage by helping France come from behind to take the World Cup final to extra time, registering an assist for Kylian Mbappe.

He’s contributed to 67 goals in 119 games for his current employers, so a cut-price move could be a shrewd one to rival Harry Kane and Spurs’ plethora of attacking talent.

BBC pundit Mark Schwarzer was full of praise for John McGinn for his role in Aston Villa’s second goal away at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Big three points

Villa clinched a big three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a 2-0 win that put them just one point behind Crystal Palace in 11th place.

Emi Buendia and Douglas Luiz grabbed the goals in an incredible second half display, as former Arsenal manager Unai Emery got one over Spurs boss Antonio Conte.

The Latest: McGinn ‘absolutely sublime’

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Schwarzer claimed that McGinn was ‘absolutely sublime’ as he grabbed the assist for Luiz’s goal, in what was a ‘brilliant’ move from Villa’s perspective:

“That’s an absolutely brilliant goal from Aston Villa. Great ball from McGinn, that was absolutely sublime. Forward passes into feet.

“Douglas Luiz does really well. He is under pressure from the defender and then he just flicks it with the outside of the boot into the back of the net. Really good goal.”

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The Verdict: Led by example

Captain McGinn led by example on the day, showing the quality that he has by floating the ball through to Luiz for his team-mate to score and kill the game off.

Aside from his assist, the Scotland international won two of his duels, made one clearance, two key passes and achieved a 77% pass accuracy (SofaScore).

McGinn did come off injured, which will no doubt worry the Villans, and Emery will hope that his injury is not too serious, as he has shown how important of a player that he is to the team.

Nonetheless, it was a superb individual performance from the central midfielder.

The January transfer window is now open for business and Michael Beale has his first chance to stamp his own mark on the Glasgow Rangers squad.

Ross Wilson brought the English head coach in to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was axed during the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and could back his new man by providing funds for new signings this month.

The Light Blues remain nine points off the top of the Premiership table after their 2-2 draw in the Old Firm derby on Monday and bringing in fresh faces could help their push for the title during the second half of the campaign.

One player who could improve the squad and provide Beale with a big boost is Hibernian star Ryan Porteous as the club are reportedly keen on a deal for the 23-year-old.

The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed that he had “heard” about interest from the Gers in the central defender, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Hibernian have already released a statement to confirm that the Scotland international will not be putting pen to paper on fresh terms with the club and this means that Rangers could snap him up for a cut-price deal this month or on a free transfer in the summer.

Porteous, who former Hibs player John Hughes described as a “heart-on-sleeve, full-blooded type of player”, could be an immediate upgrade on current Light Blues centre-back Ben Davies if he arrives at Ibrox this year.

Since joining from Liverpool in the summer, Davies has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 13 appearances in the Premiership for Rangers.

He has made 1.2 tackles and interceptions per match and won 67% of his individual duels, whilst also completing 85% of his attempted passes.

The ex-Preston North End enforcer has been a solid addition to the side and a reliable performer at the back but Porteous’ form in the Scottish top-flight indicates that he could be a step above the Englishman.

In the Premiership this season, the Hibs warrior has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.26 and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 66% of his battles and completing 79% of his attempted passes.

These statistics indicate that Porteous would offer more in terms of the quality of his performances and his defensive contributions than Davies, although he may not be as reliable with the ball at his feet.

He is also four years younger than the ex-Liverpool man and this means that he would be a longer-term signing for the club and someone Beale could work with to improve his game on the training pitch.

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their interest in signing Evan Ndicka from Eintracht Frankfurt…

What’s the talk?

German journalist Christian Falk has revealed that the Gunners are one of three clubs in talks with the player’s representatives as they eye a potential swoop for the central defender.

His current deal with Frankfurt is due to expire at the end of the season and Arsenal could snap him up on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer.

Falk told CaughtOffside: “I think there’s a good chance that he’ll sign this contract but there are many clubs interested at the moment, one of them is Arsenal. It’s not so concrete that Frankfurt are really afraid of losing him.

“They also know what his qualities are at the moment, so perhaps it’s too much of a big step for him at this point. They hope that they will sign him up on another contract. Arsenal, Tottenham and AC Milan – I think they’re all talking to the agent but it’s not massively concrete at the moment as Gladbach are confident about their chances of extending his contract.”

Big upgrade

Arsenal could land a big upgrade on current centre-back option Rob Holding by securing a swoop to sign the 6 foot 2 colossus from Frankfurt.

The Englishman has been called upon five times in the Premier League this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.57, after managing a score of 6.79 across 15 appearances in the top-flight last term.

Ndicka, meanwhile, averaged a score of 7.12 in 32 appearances for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga in 2021/22. He won 60% of his individual duels and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per match, whilst Holding has averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game throughout his entire career.

Former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur once claimed the colossus “shows no nerves” and his former boss, Adi Hutter, previously lauded his progress, saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

These comments suggests that the gem could be a dream to work with for Mikel Arteta and, at the age of 23, he still has plenty of developing left to do, which means that Ndicka could be an excellent long-term signing for the club.

Meanwhile, Holding, 27, is not a promising young player and his performance levels over the past 18 months indicate that he is not at the same level as the Frankfurt tank, which is why Arsenal can improve their side by bringing in the Frenchman to replace the English dud.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United are not likely to make a move for Roberto Firmino despite his name recently being discussed in the media as a possible target.

What’s the word?

With the January transfer market now open, it seems as though every Premier League club is being linked with a host of exciting new names nearly every day.

Of course, though, that doesn’t mean every story should be believed. Recently, talk has been growing regarding a possible West Ham move for Liverpool forward Firmino.

It seemed to stem from journalist Alex Crooks who mooted a possible move. Indeed, speaking to talkSPORT, (via CaughtOffside), he said he ‘could see’ the Brazilian leaving this winter and tipped West Ham as a possible destination.

However, while talking on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed that any talk of a move was just a matter of opinion – as opposed to anything based on any inside knowledge.

He explained (10:00): “There was talk of Firmino, the Liverpool forward, potentially coming to West Ham.

“But I spoke to the journalist who broke that story, and as often happens to me, it was just an opinion rather than a fact. And so people took his opinion and turned it into fact and therefore the story got much more traction than it should have.”

Don’t get your hopes up

Seeing as Liverpool have just spent big to bring in new forward Cody Gakpo – who arrived from PSV for a fee between £35m and £45m – the Reds could potentially be looking to offload Firmino in the near future.

After all, as per Transfermarkt, his contract does expire in the summer and so this could be the last chance to cash in on him if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Despite all that, it sounds as though there is nothing concrete to these rumours at this stage. However, if that was to change, he could be an attractive proposition for the Hammers. Indeed, with nine goals to his name in all competitions, Firmino has a better scoring rate than the likes of Michail Antonio (five) and Gianluca Scamacca (seven).

Perhaps this could be something to explore at the end of the season but for now it seems as though any talk of genuine interest is a little premature.

Arsenal have ‘joined the race’ to sign Newcastle United transfer target Ivan Fresneda, according to an update from reliable journalist Sam Dean.

The Lowdown: Fresneda a wanted man

The 18-year-old is a highly-rated prospect at Real Valladolid currently, already making nine La Liga appearances this season, seven of which have been starts.

Fresneda has been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent times, with Newcastle arguably standing out as the front-runners to snap him up.

Now, it looks as though Arsenal could be set to rival the Magpies, as the youngster has recently cemented his status as a key man for Valladolid with four straight top flight starts.

The Latest: Arsenal enter the race

Taking to Twitter, Dean claimed that the Gunners are now a genuine potential suitor for Fresneda:

“Arsenal have joined the race for Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda and have serious interest in the teenager. Lots of other clubs are in for Fresneda, including Newcastle. #AFC monitoring situation closely.”

The Verdict: Great for squad depth

Mikel Arteta has built a hugely exciting young squad that tops the Premier League by eight points and it is vital that he keeps adding quality all the time.

In Fresneda, Arsenal would be signing a player with massive potential who could come in as backup to Ben White, battling with Takehiro Tomiyasu to be second choice.

Over time, Fresneda could mature into a key man for the Gunners – La Liga Lowdown’s Matt Clark has described him as a ‘remarkably complete’ player – with White potentially returning to centre-back at some point.