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Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Vitoria Guimaraes defender Abdul Mumin as new manager Patrick Vieira looks to complete the overhaul of his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Eagles have recently been scouting the highly-rated 23-year-old ahead of a potential move.

The report states that: “Several clubs have been sending scouts to watch him in action for Vitória, where he’s been impressing since joining the club last year.

“Crystal Palace are said to be one of those who recently ‘made sure’ to send an official and get more information on the athlete, as they study an ‘eventual’ attempt for the signing.”

However, the south London outfit are expected to face stiff competition for Mumin’s signature, with fellow Premier League sides Leicester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all credited with an interest.

Vieira needs him

The 6 foot 2 beast only arrived at Guimaraes in August 2020 from Danish side Nordsjaelland – who are renowned for producing several top young talents – but he’s already made a big impression.

In his 25 top-flight outings last term, Mumin averaged a whopping 3.8 clearances, the second-highest total amongst his teammates, as well as 0.7 tackles and 0.7 interceptions, as per WhoScored.

During his short career, the Ghanaian has shown glimpses of his top-class potential, and with a market value of just £1.8m, he could be a bargain addition to Vieira’s relatively threadbare squad.

Currently, only veteran centre-back James Tomkins is a natural backup to the first-choice pairing of Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, meaning Palace will need added reinforcements at the heart of defence over the coming transfer windows.

Therefore, director of football Steve Parish must sanction a swoop for the defender, providing Vieira with a plethora of options along his backline.

Mumin may not be a household name or a popular choice amongst the fanbase, but he would certainly be a value for money signing, leaving plenty of room in the capital club’s budget for further acquisitions.

And, in other news…Journalist drops worrying claim over £40m-rated Palace dynamo, fans will be concerned 

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new attacking playmaker should see them turn to James Maddison this summer.

During a recent interview with reporters, manager Antonio Conte hinted at the fact that a no.10 could be high on the agenda during the off-season and the Leicester City gem would surely be an ideal candidate.

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Spurs had entered the race – alongside arch-rivals Arsenal – to sign the Englishman, who could be sold by the Foxes in a bid to bolster other areas of Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad.

Maddison is thought to be valued in the region of £60m, as per the report, and he has since been backed as a player that would suit the Lilywhites and the Italian head coach.

“He’s a very intelligent attacking player. He scores goals, gets loads of assists, and he’s a player Tottenham have been crying out for,” former Leeds striker-turned-pundit Noel Whelan told Football Insider.

“They got Giovani Lo Celso after Christian Eriksen left – that never worked out. They’re really missing that midfield player who has an eye for a killer pass.

“He’s proved he can do it in the Premier League by being a very important piece of the puzzle for Leicester.

“I think he would suit Tottenham down to the ground. With that front three in front of him, they could go to the next level with him.”

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Indeed, the north London outfit have lacked that true attacking midfielder to sit in the hole behind the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and given his experience and current form in the top-flight, there won’t be many better candidates than Maddison.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old maestro has delivered 14 goals and nine assists across 45 appearances in all competitions this season, averaging a direct contribution once every 126 minutes, which is better than the figures Eriksen put up before his departure.

The Dane scored or assisted every 152 minutes in a Spurs shirt, whilst the bulk of Conte’s creativity has come from the usual suspects – the aforementioned attacking duo, who have combined for 14 assists alone.

Pairing Maddison with the likes of Kane, Son and winter arrival Dejan Kulusevski has got to be a mouthwatering prospect with the Leicester star once being dubbed a “special talent” by The Times’ Henry Winter.

Just like Eriksen, the £45m-rated dynamo could also provide Conte with a major threat from set-pieces, having drawn a great deal of inspiration from one of the best to ever do it, David Beckham, growing up.

An average of 1.4 key passes per game across the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup this season further highlights his creative ability and it’s one that could see Kane and co absolutely thrive upfront.

So, on the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici and Tottenham’s recruitment team would be foolish to not consider the Foxes gem heading into next season.

Just as Whelan suggests, he could be the perfect fit for what Spurs need this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can complete Conte’s frightening trio with swoop for £33m-rated “absolute beast”…

Ralf Rangnick has only had a matter of weeks in the Manchester United dugout but his thinking will have to quickly revert from implementing his playstyle to recruitment in the coming weeks.

Fortunately, that’s an area where the German thrives in having had numerous director roles during his career in football.

What’s the word?

Considering Man United boast Cristiano Ronaldo in their squad, it seems ridiculous to suggest that the Red Devils need to strengthen in attack.

However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that they cannot rely on their Portuguese dynamo.

Bruno Fernandes hails from the same nation and has also had great importance placed on his role in the team. However, he and his compatriot could be given some respite from January.

That’s because United have been linked with securing the services of Joao Felix, another Portugal international who is held in high esteem around the globe.

Speaking recently to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke commented: “I’m sure Manchester United, as well as maybe some other Premier League clubs, will be interested in Joao Felix if Atletico Madrid did decide to cash on him. I’m sure he’d definitely be an attractive option for United.”

Must swoop

Atletico signed the diminutive sensation for a grand total of £113m back in 2019 but his career in the Spanish capital has never truly lived up to expectations.

While climbing the ranks of Benfica, the tricky forward was one of the most impressive young players in the world, scoring 20 goals in 43 senior outings.

After moving to La Liga the 22-year-old has scored the same number of goals, but it’s taken him much longer, making 90 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side.

That said, having been described as “outstanding” by Jurgen Klopp, Felix still has an abundance of talent, even if he does annoy Man United legend, Roy Keane.

Speaking during the European Championships, the Irishman launched a scathing attack on his qualities, saying: “Felix, when he came on, that guy’s an imposter, he’s an imposter. He comes on, your country needs you…hit the target! What was he? £100 million? If I was [Cristiano] Ronaldo I’d certainly be going after him in the dressing room. Shocking.

“Felix and Fernandes were driving me crazy.”

That won’t exactly fill supporters with confidence but he is still a remarkable player with the world at his feet.

He registers a career average of two shots per game, just 0.6 fewer than Fernandes, and has racked up 1.3 dribbles per outing in 2021/22, a statistic that would place him fourth in the United squad.

That’s ahead of the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Fernandes and Ronaldo.

On that evidence, he’d certainly provide United with added spark and when you combine that with his ability to score goals, it makes him a prime candidate for Rangnick to recruit over the winter.

AND in other news, Rangnick must brutally axe “God awful” £180k-p/w MUFC dud who Keane dubbed a “worry”…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Leeds could make a January swoop for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: Nandez a long-term target

Leeds are yet to sign a central midfielder on a permanent basis under Marcelo Bielsa but are thought to be after a defensive and attacking midfielder this month due to the club’s injury woes.

One player who was linked with a move to Elland Road back in the summer was Nandez, with rumours resurfacing in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt and has made 16 appearances in four different positions in 2021/22, perhaps suggesting he could solve Victor Orta’s quest for a number six and number eight in one swoop.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke was talking to Give Me Sport regarding Nandez and a possible move to Yorkshire this month.

He labelled a winter window transfer as ‘a real possibility’, with reports suggesting he could be available for half the price compared to last summer.

“I think they tried to sign him from Cagliari in the summer but weren’t able to. So, if they think they can get him on a cheaper deal this January, there’s a real possibility that they maybe could come back in for him.”

The Verdict: Time to swoop?

It seems as if Nandez is a player who has been on Orta’s shortlist for a while, so now could be the ideal time to bring him to Yorkshire.

Described as a ‘powerful’ midfielder by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, Nandez fits the Bielsa profile when it comes to being versatile.

He’d bolster the club’s wide ranks, while also being able to play in a defensive or central midfield role. That could be needed straight away, should he arrive at Elland Road, especially as Kalvin Phillips has been ruled out until March.

More updates on Nandez will more than likely emerge before the end of the month, but as like in the summer, it could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: ‘This is huge’ – BBC pundit reacts to ‘massive’ Leeds news he’s heard from Elland Road. 

An update has emerged on Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield, regarding plans for his future at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Glasgow Evening Times [29 January, page 47], the Gers are poised to enter contract talks with the Canada international.

His contract is up at the end of the season and the Scottish giants now want to offer him fresh terms in an attempt to keep him at the club moving forward.

GvB needs it

Gio van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with this news as he needs Arfield to put pen to paper on a contract extension before his deal expires in the summer.

The 33-year-old has dipped in and out of form this season and there have been moments where it has looked as if he needs replacing. He has lost 59% of his duels this term and missed a whopping five ‘big chances’ in front of goal, which highlights some of the issues he has had throughout the campaign.

However, just when you may think his time is up at Ibrox he pops up with another moment to show why he needs to stay. He came off the bench against Livingston earlier this week and scored the winning goal with a sublime first-time, improvised, finish into the far corner in a 1-0 win for the Gers, proving that he still has it in him to be a huge player for the club.

Earlier this month, van Bronckhorst admitted that he does not want to see the veteran leave at the end of the campaign, saying: “Scott is an important player to have around. He is definitely someone I want to have longer at Rangers.

“Hopefully we can welcome him next season as well.”

The £16k-per-week beast is still capable of producing moments of magic to win vital points for Rangers and that is why the Dutch head coach needs this key deal to go through. Arfield still has value to offer to the Light Blues and Ross Wilson must ensure that he is able to agree terms with the midfielder over a contract extension in the coming weeks and months.

Hopefully, the ex-Burnley man will continue to provide big goals to help Rangers on their way to another Premiership title and can then celebrate with the trophy and a new contract to head into the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers could replicate Amad masterclass with swoop for “exceptional” £3.1k-p/w gem…

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Michail Antonio scored West Ham United’s third goal in their 3-1 win over Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday night.

And it would be fair to say that the West Ham fans were absolutely delighted with what they saw from the attacker during the Premier League clash.

Even before Antonio had scored late on, a whole host of the club’s supporters took to social media to lavish praise on the Englishman.

It has not always been that way, though, with Antonio the subject of a lot of criticism in the past.

The 28-year-old has been a regular under Manuel Pellegrini this term, however, and he has now chipped in with four Premier League goals this season.

Antonio will never be the silkiest footballer in the world, nor will he please everyone inside the stadium.

However, the West Ham fans loved his performance against Fulham, as can be seen by the Twitter reaction below:

With the future of Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Connor Coady looking increasingly uncertain as the January transfer window draws closer, the Molineux faithful would be forgiven if they are starting to worry about losing their services of a player who is undoubtedly Wolves’ most influential defender.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has been a highly important part of the club’s impressive rise from the Championship back to the Premier League, making a total of 287 appearances in all competitions for Wolves, as well as being appointed club captain.

However, with reports suggesting that Newcastle United are targeting the England international in the winter market, a move which – one would assume – would see the defender handed a rather significant pay rise on his current £62k-per-week salary, the chances of Bruno Lage finding himself without the £22.5m-rated man for the second half of the campaign would seem to be rather high.

Although, while it would undoubtedly come as a major blow to lose Coady this January, the 45-year-old Wolves boss may already possess a ready-made replacement for the 28-year-old in his first-team squad – in the shape of Max Kilman.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has highly impressed over his 10 Premier League appearances so far this season, helping his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 3.8 clearances and winning five duels per game.

The £4.05m-rated man has also chipped in going forwards, scoring one goal, in addition to taking an average of 0.6 shots and making 0.2 key passes per fixture.

These returns have the player who commentator Arlo White dubbed an “authoritative” figure average a SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Wolves’ best defender in the top flight – and fifth-best performer overall.

As such, should the £14k-per-week Kilman be able to maintain this level of performance over what remains of the current campaign, while Lage may have to bring in another centre-back in order to make up the numbers at the back, the 24-year-old could well be the man who the Portuguese manager builds his defence around.

In other news: John Percy issues exciting Wolves claim that should leave fans buzzing

Celtic have witnessed some huge success in the transfer market since Ange Postecoglou touched down at Parkhead, bringing in a colossal 14 new faces.

What the vast majority of those acquisitions have done is sensational, with the Hoops now in the running to win the treble.

Postecoglou’s men have won the Scottish League Cup, now hold the advantage in the title race and face their biggest rivals in the Scottish Cup semi-finals next weekend.

However, there have been some blunders, as there is with every team.

Ivan Toney is a classic case of one that got away but there are plenty of other players who the Bhoys will rue not signing.

Take Brenden Aaronson for instance, someone whose stock has risen quite considerably since Celtic were interested in acquiring him.

Back in 2020, he was linked quite regularly with the Hoops but a move didn’t materialise and that’s something they should now regret.

Of course, in the context of how Celtic have done this term it’s not mattered. Yet, had Aaronson joined last season it’s unlikely they’d have witnessed such a dismal year.

Instead, he signed for RB Salzburg in January 2021 in a deal worth £4.6m and he has gone from strength to strength since.

The attacking midfielder has totalled ten assists and five goals throughout the current term and has earned considerable praise as a result.

He was dubbed “special” by his manager, Matthias Jaissle, and also hailed as a “mentality monster.”

That acclaim has now seen calls for a Premier League move with Leeds United’s interest in the American incredibly well documented.

They wanted to sign him in January and still hold interest ahead of a summer move but with Transfermarkt rating him at £18m, any chance of Celtic finally bringing him to Scotland is now impossible.

Ranking in the top 11% of players across Europe for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes and in the top 1% for pressures, it’s evident just how well the 21-year-old would have fitted into Postecoglou’s ranks.

It’s a shame they didn’t sign him but in Tom Rogic, David Turnbull and Matt O’Riley, the Hoops certainly have reason to be happy about their options.

AND in other news, Get rid: Ange must brutally axe Celtic’s £14k-pw “terrible flop”, he’s Shane Duffy 2.0…

As per a report in The Mirror’s live blog (Saturday, 11:46), West Ham United – and by extension their head of recruitment Rob Newman – are weighing up a last-minute push to sign Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton-Diaz this month.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

The signing of a new striker is one of David Moyes’ transfer priorities before January 31 as the Hammers eye a few targets who could bolster their forward line.

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Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa has been most heavily linked with a move to the London Stadium (Sky Sports), while club insider ExWHUemployee believes that a ‘deal is there’ to be done for Sparta Prague sensation Adam Hlozek.

As we enter the final week of the winter window, Moyes and Newman are running out of time to confirm the signing of a top centre-forward, with Daily Mirror reporter Tom Hopkinson now lifting the lid on a potentially crucial decision in the coming days.

The Latest: Newman weighs Brereton-Diaz push…

According to his sources, West Ham and Newman will ‘make a final call’ on whether or not to ‘push’ for the signing of Rovers marksman Brereton-Diaz.

The Chile international is apparently high on Moyes’ list of transfer targets for January, with the Irons even sending scouts to watch his last Championship outing against Hull City.

The Verdict: Good option?

While Brereton-Diaz has been in sensational form for the Ewood Park club this season, scoring a brilliant 20 goals in 27 league appearances so far, his reported price tag could well be a major hurdle for West Ham.

Journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun has claimed that Rovers value their star forward at around £25m if they’re to consider a sale, which could come as a financial gamble for the Hammers given the Chile international’s lack of experience in the Premier League.

While his manager Tony Mowbray is certainly an admirer, even calling the 22-year-old a ‘beast’, West Ham may also have to weigh up other options before deciding to prioritise a swoop for the South American.

Rovers are well in contention for promotion back to the big time and could make the Irons’ life difficult if the east Londoners wish to prise away their key player.

In other news: ExWHUemployee: West Ham eyeing ‘absolutely incredible’ ace with loan-to-buy move in discussion, find out more here.

Everton have endured a torrid few weeks after an encouraging start to life under new manager Rafael Benitez, but there has been one constant glimmer of hope buried beneath their anguish.

The likes of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend have proven to be inspirational signings but the form of highly-rated left-back Lucas Digne has slipped under the radar somewhat this season. That’s partly down to his lack of goals and assists, and also the defensive shackles that the new regime has placed upon him.

Benitez has always been known for a safety-first approach to proceedings, and although this new style is restricting Digne’s output, the France international is still performing at a very high level.

Over the last couple of seasons, the 28-year-old has been responsible for setting up 14 of Everton’s Premier League goals after being given license to bomb forward. However, those heady days under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti and Marco Silva are now a thing of the past.

Digne’s primary objective is now to stop the ball going into Jordan Pickford’s net rather than setting up one of his teammates to fire a shot past the opposition goalkeeper.

Nevertheless, the former Barcelona, Roma and Paris Saint-Germain defender is doing an admirable job under unusual circumstances, as his underlying numbers clearly indicate.

As per SofaScore, Digne has won a whopping 58 duels in his 11 top-flight fixtures this term, made 17 key passes to his grateful teammates, and pulled off 28 tackles, 22 clearances and 11 interceptions.

These figures clearly illustrate the influence that he is having over proceedings, highlighting the important part he has played for Benitez’s side up to now.

Everton will be hoping to end a run of five games without a victory when they take on Brentford over the weekend, and Digne’s performance level could prove pivotal in their search for a positive result.

In other news… Huge boost: Everton receive potential injury lift pre-Brentford, Rafa will be buzzing