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Everton and by extension Director of Football Kevin Thelwell are reportedly now ‘confident’ in signing Conor Coady ‘quickly’.

The Lowdown: Onana and Gueye in…

The Goodison Park outfit are reportedly close to finalising a double swoop for central midfielders Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, who would be their fourth and fifth signings respectively after bringing in James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre and Dwight McNeil.

With midfield covered, they can now look at strengthening other areas of the pitch, as Frank Lampard looks to get his full squad together before the transfer window closes.

The Latest: Coady to follow?

Taking to Twitter, journalist Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Coady has now told Wolves that he ‘would like’ to move to the Toffees, adding that they are ‘confident’ of striking a deal ‘quickly’:

“Conor Coady has told Wolves he would like move to Everton. Wolves are willing to sell the club captain and Everton confident of striking deal quickly.”

The Verdict: Exciting

These are exciting times for Blues supporters, as they finally look to be doing some serious business in the market by adding Coady on top of what they already have.

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Being the Wanderers’ club captain with over 150 appearances in the Premier League, the 29-year-old would add a lot of leadership and experience in the squad, and in a World Cup year, he will no doubt be extra motivated to perform and get into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Some supporters may be hesitant of the move given that Coady played for arch rivals Liverpool as a youngster, but there is no doubt that he would be a good signing for EFC.

Nottingham Forest are still seemingly on the hunt for a left-wing-back…

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, Atalanta are ready to rival the Reds for Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.

The Italy international seems set to leave Stamford Bridge after the recent arrival of fellow full-back Marc Cucurella.

Both Forest and Atalanta have made initial contacts for the 28-year-old who impressed on loan at Lyon last season.

 He’s better than Moreno

Despite having secured a deal for Harry Toffolo earlier in the window, Steve Cooper still seems intent on adding more depth to a left-wing-back position where central midfielder Jack Colback deputised so well last season.

Links to Alex Moreno have persisted all summer, however, they were finally put to bed after the Spaniard rejected personal terms and decided to stay at Real Betis.

Fortunately for Forest, they have now set their sights on a player who can far outperform him in the Premier League due to his experience, age and ability.

Emerson spent last season out on loan for Lyon, featuring 29 times in a season the French side would rather forget.

Whilst offering a modest three goal contributions, it is his defensive attributes that truly make him shine, and also make him a better option to the forward-thinking Moreno.

He ranked in the top 4% for pressures, and the top 5% for tackles per 90, outlining him as one of the best defensive full-backs in the league.

Compared to the 15.26 pressures, 2.80 tackles and 2.08 interceptions of the 29-year-old, it is clear that Cooper would benefit much more from the “unbelievable” full-back, especially considering Toffolo could surely bear the offensive responsibility given his 14 goal contributions last season.

The £44k-per-week stalwart also boasts a slightly higher average SofaScore rating of 6.91, suggesting that despite the goals and assists Moreno can contribute, Emerson’s overall play offers more to his side.

Whilst the Real Betis man may be the flashier option, it is clear that the Italy international has dependability that could be integral in Forest’s chances of staying in the division.

One year younger and just entering his prime years, the Euro 2020 winner would surely be a better option now that a move for Moreno is out of the picture.

Newcastle United battled hard to continue their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign with a 3-3 draw against Manchester City at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies got off to a poor start as Ilkay Gundogan fired in the opener in the sixth minute, finding space between Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar in the box to score past Nick Pope.

They rallied brilliantly as they took the game to City and eventually found the equaliser before the half-hour mark as Miguel Almiron bundled the ball in from Allan Saint-Maximin’s teasing delivery.

Callum Wilson completed the turnaround before half-time with a sensational touch around Ruben Dias and finish to make it 2-1.

Kieran Trippier made it 3-1 with a stunning free-kick but Erling Haaland quickly produced an answer with a fine finish after a knock-down at the back post.

Bernardo Silva then levelled the score at 3-3 after Kevin de Bruyne played a signature defence-splitting pass to cut open the Toon backline.

Newcastle dug in and battled hard to ensure that they came away from the game with a point on the board, with Pope making two timely catches towards the end of the match.

Saint-Maximin dazzled throughout the game with his silky skills and direct running down the left wing – creating two goals – but the real hero of the piece for the Magpies was central midfielder Joelinton.

The £80k-per-week machine was “everywhere” for the Magpies and The Athletic’s Chris Waugh summed his performance up by dubbing him “dominant” at half-time.

He was constantly closing down City’s defence and midfield and this resulted in him making a whopping six tackles and interceptions in the match, whilst also making one block and two clearances.

To put that into context, Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock equalled the above statistics from Joelinton by combining their defensive contributions.

The former Hoffenheim man disrupted City’s attacks and forced them to rush their passing at times, which allowed other Newcastle players to step in and win the ball back.

In possession, the 26-year-old completed 23 of his 26 attempted passes and created two chances – including one ‘big chance’ – and this shows that he had the composure to deal with the ball in spite of City’s quality and dominance in the match.

His play in and out of possession gave Saint-Maximin the opportunities to run with the ball and create problems and that is why his all-round display benefitted his team on and off the ball.

Therefore, he was the unsung hero of the match and Eddie Howe will surely be delighted with the midfielder’s performance in the middle of the park.

Leeds United may elect not to add another striker to their ranks before the end of the summer transfer window, according to Leeds Live’s Beren Cross.

The lowdown

Jesse Marsch currently has the likes of Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt and Rodrigo available as a no. 9.

Bamford, who was restricted to seven Premier League starts last season by injury problems, has already encountered his first issue of the new campaign and is a doubt for Sunday’s game against Chelsea.

Gelhardt, meanwhile, still lacks experience at the age of 20, with just 21 Premier League appearances under his belt.

On the other hand, Rodrigo has started the season in fine fettle, scoring three goals in Leeds’ first two matches, but is thriving in the number ten role.

The Whites have tried unsuccessfully to add another centre-forward option, losing out to AC Milan in the battle to sign Charles de Ketealere from Club Brugge.

The latest

Addressing supporters in a Q&A, Cross predicted that Leeds would not bring in a reinforcement, barring a serious injury or a change in the situation of one of their targets.

They’re conscious of providing a platform for Gelhardt, and their faith in Rodrigo has increased .

“Based on the noises we are hearing behind the scenes and in Marsch’s press conferences, my gut instinct is they won’t add anyone else now unless they suffer a serious injury to a senior player,” he said.

“One of their key arguments is avoiding a block in the path of Gelhardt’s development.

“Rodrigo’s goals have also pushed him into the debate at the right time for the club to believe he’s another reason they don’t need another striker.

“We can disagree with that approach, and I believe they do need another forward, but this seems to be the route they are going down.

“I understand there are still forwards out there who do fit the profile they want, but Leeds will only move if they are made available before the window closes.”

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The verdict

Who might be the targets Leeds are monitoring?

Well, one of them could be 21-year-old Benfica frontman Goncalo Ramos.

Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) reported earlier this week that the Whites are battling fellow Premier League sides Newcastle, Everton, Southampton and Wolves for the signing.

Intriguingly, they claimed that Benfica didn’t want to lose him prior to their Champions League qualifying tie against Dynamo Kyiv.

They won the first leg 2-0 and, if they can secure their place in the group stage on Tuesday, then perhaps that could see him ‘made available’. The uncertainty might be holding up any move.

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention back to Europe tonight as they attempt to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

The Gers face PSV away from home in the second leg of their play-off match, after drawing 2-2 at Ibrox last week, and the winner of tonight’s match will be in the draw for the groups.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men did not have an ideal preparation for this clash as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian in the Premiership at the weekend and had John Lundstram and Alfredo Morelos shown straight red cards.

How many changes will the head coach make from that Scottish top-flight outing? Here is our predicted XI…

Jon McLaughlin; James Tavernier (C), James Sands, Connor Goldson, Borna Barisic; John Lundstram, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield; Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak, Ryan Kent

We are tipping the manager to stick with the same backline, including the goalkeeper, as Ridvan Yilmaz misses out on a start.

Sands should keep his place at the heart of the defence as he continues to cover for summer signings John Souttar and Ben Davies, who are both missing for this match due to injury.

In midfield, we are predicting that van Bronckhorst will opt for experience and bring in both Arfield and Davis alongside Lundstram, with Tom Lawrence and Ryan Jack dropping to the bench.

Davis, 37, was key in the first leg and FFC published an article explaining why he should come back into the XI, whilst Arfield, 33, has two goals and one assist in four Premiership outings this season and can offer hard-work and know-how from the start.

This would allow Lawrence, who has scored three goals for the Gers this term, to offer quality and fresh legs off the bench in the second half.

The final change we are predicting is the “impressive”, as he was dubbed by Jordan Campbell, Malik Tillman coming in for Rabbi Matondo on the right.

Football FanCast recently published an article explaining why the 20-year-old American machine could be a match-winner for the Gers and his presence would leave the “electrifying” – as described by Ryan Giggs – pace of the Welshman to provide a spark off the bench if required, running at tired legs towards the end of the match.

At the top end of the pitch, Colak should keep his place as the starting number nine. Alfredo Morelos has been omitted from the squad amid concerns over his application and fitness and this has left the Croatian as the only striker available.

Everton could be set to add another striker to their squad, after the capture of Neal Maupay…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, the Toffees could raid Premier League giants Chelsea for their frightening forward Armando Broja.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he claimed that they had asked about signing the forward as part of any deal that could see Anthony Gordon move to Stamford Bridge.

His price tag has remained high over the summer, but seems to have now settled at £50m.

It would be a transfer masterclass

Despite already adding one striker with Premier League experience, if Kevin Thelwell can secure Frank Lampard another with a vastly different profile to the Frenchman, it would mark a transfer masterclass this late on in the window.

Maupay is known to be adept at link-up play and neat intricate touches, outlined in his pass completion rate ranking him in the top 12% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues.

Broja instead will bring his 6-foot frame and blistering speed to stretch defences and run the channels. He can be a direct replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin when he is injured.

Last season, on loan at Southampton, the Albanian scored six Premier League goals in what was his breakout season in England’s top flight.

Per game, the marksman averaged 1.4 shots per game, which is suggestive of a constant goal threat. If he could add more cutting edge to his game, which given his youth is incredibly likely, he could fast become a similar player to Erling Haaland in stature and ability.

He also ranked in the top 16% for dribbles completed, and the top 15% for aerials won, suggesting that the “powerful” forward has multiple avenues to his game. Still at just 20 years old, he has so much room left to grow.

This is what suggests that this move could be a masterclass, as despite the astronomical reported asking price, it would mark a fine investment for the future.

He can quickly announce himself as a star striker in this league, and if given another run of games, there is no doubting that with all his physical attributes he could quickly start dominating this league. Then, £50m would seem like a bargain.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be preparing for a potential exit for Hwang Hee-chan, with interest emerging in a late swoop for Southampton’s Nathan Redmond.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Southampton reporter Jacob Tanswell, Wolves are “interested” in signing the Saints winger in the final hours of the transfer window.

Tanswell tweeted: “Wolves are among the teams interested in signing Nathan Redmond from #SaintsFC. Though any move is likely to hinge on Hwang Hee-Chan leaving. Redmond is seen to fill the homegrown quota. Clubs in Europe are also interested.”

Imagine him & Jiménez

Wolves have already rejected a bid from Leeds United for Hwang, with the club reportedly valuing the player at £25m, but it seems clear that the powerbrokers at Molineux are keen to prepare for the worst given the emerging interest in Redmond.

The Saints forward is currently in the last year of his contract at St Mary’s, so if Wolves could get a good deal for the player – should they make an official approach for him – it could be a great opportunity to add even more depth to their attack.

Redmond – who was dubbed “amazing” by his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl – has scored 30 goals and delivered 27 assists in his 232 appearances for Southampton since joining from Norwich City in 2016, but he has now found himself out of favour on the south coast.

As a result, Bruno Lage can take advantage of the winger’s lack of involvement at Southampton by swooping in for him to give Raul Jimenez another attacking gem with whom to form a goal-scoring partnership over the 2022/23 season.

The 28-year-old has not only proven capable of offering up goal contributions over his time on the south coast, but he is also not afraid to get stuck into his opponents when he is given the chance to occupy a place in the forward line.

Across 27 Premier League appearances last season, the £74k-per-week winger scored one goal, delivered five assists and created seven big chances, making 1.3 key passes, winning 2.6 duels and taking one shot per game and successfully completing the majority of his duels (54%).

Redmond’s clear creative ability and Premier League experience could perfectly complement Jimenez in his pursuit to rediscover his once-devastating form over the season ahead, as the Mexican has been unable to find his first league goal of the season despite taking 2.3 shots per game.

The prospective signing of Redmond could be a good opportunity to add a fresh impetus to the front line at Molineux, but with the clock ticking towards the 11pm deadline, the Old Gold need to act on their interest and make their move as soon as possible.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is still a target for Premier League rivals Chelsea heading into the January window.

The Lowdown: Luiz wants to leave Villa

Villa rejected three late bids from Arsenal for the Brazilian in the summer, with the player into the final 12 months of his current deal in the Midlands.

The 24-year-old has since told friends that he wants to leave the club in the New Year, with the Gunners maintaining dialogue with the midfielder’s representatives since the transfer window shut. However, it looks as if Luiz may have another London option on the table come 2023.

The Latest: Chelsea interest

According to one Spanish outlet, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants a ‘reconstruction’ in all areas at Stamford Bridge, including the playing squad.

Luiz has been name-checked as a ‘phenomenal option’ for the Blues, who could make an offer in the New Year.

The Verdict: Time to sell?

Villa received just over £16m for teenage midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer, and it looks as if NSWE may receive contact from Chelsea once again come January.

Should Luiz’s contract situation remain the same, Villa may need to seriously think about selling the Brazilian, as otherwise they could lose him for nothing in the summer.

It appears as if the midfielder has his heart set elsewhere, so the coming months could give the Midlands club the time to find a potential replacement.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson must ruthlessly cash in on misfiring Ibrox centre-forward Alfredo Morelos in the January transfer window.

The striker was dropped by manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst earlier this season due to a disciplinary issue and his performances on the pitch since then have not made up for his off-pitch antics.

He was shown a straight red card in the 2-2 draw with Hibernian back in August, prior to being axed, and this led to former Light Blues man Graeme Souness hammering him.

The pundit claimed that you “can’t trust him” in big matches and stated that he is “not learning” from his previous mistakes, making him a liability at the top end of the pitch.

Van Bronckhorst cannot trust the Colombian to be reliable in high-intensity games with a volatile atmosphere and that is why January is a good opportunity to cash in on him.

Alan Hutton recently suggested that the transfer window may have played a part in his lack of discipline earlier this season. He told Football Insider:

“I would like to see him sign a new contract and stay. I know his head has maybe been turned over the last season and a bit. The speculation around moving to different clubs, I don’t think that’s helped him.

“Obviously after an injury last season, missing a lot of football, Europa League final, he maybe thought as soon as he was fit he was going to start and that didn’t work out. We know everything that happened but he’s shown another side, that he’s willing to work hard to get back into the team.”

Morelos is out of contract at the end of the campaign and his form throughout the 2022/23 season so far does not suggest that he deserves an extension. He has scored once and failed to provide a single assist in six matches in all competitions, which shows that he has struggled on the pitch to go along with his problems off it.

Therefore, the £33k-per-week liability must be moved on in January to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer. The forward has not shown enough, on or off the field, to prove that he is deserving of a new deal and the next window is the club’s last opportunity to recoup some cash for his services, which is why Wilson must ruthlessly bin him at the start of 2023.

Rangers could then use that money, if they are able to find a buyer, to bring in a player who the head coach can rely upon to keep a cool head in big matches.

West Bromwich Albion host Swansea City this afternoon, and Steve Bruce will be fairly confident that his side can claim what would be just their second victory of the season.

They are in desperate need of another win, as they are currently wallowing down in 21st place.

Fortunately, the Swans are only two points ahead of them and in similarly disappointing form.

Whilst Bruce has a few small injuries to contend with, his squad should be strong enough to suitably trouble Russell Martin’s side. He might spring a few surprises because of this, however.

With that in mind, here’s the side we’re expecting for West Brom this afternoon…

Bruce’s side represents just two changes from the side that battled to that 1-1 draw with Norwich City last time out.

David Button again is unlikely to be displaced, however, his back four might be provoked into a tactical shift due to missing personnel.

Dara O’Shea will continue at the heart of the defence, but we expect the experienced Erik Pieters to slide into centre-back to cope with the absence of Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley.

The former suffered quite a serious injury that has resulted in surgery, whilst we think the latter might continue to be rested after a small hamstring injury.

In midfield, a recall for the “quality” 28-year-old stopper Okay Yoksulu will bench Jake Livermore, who will partner Jayson Molumby.

We also think the toothless Grady Diangana may be dropped, with the winger having only scored once this season. Matt Phillips should take his place, with the 24-year-old reduced to having to make his impact from the bench.

Jed Wallace will take up a position on the other flank, with John Swift hoping to provide the driving force and creativity to take his team to victory.

Bruce has something of a headache up front, with the in-form Brandon Thomas-Asante vying for a spot over the tried and tested Karlan Grant.

We expect the former to continue to start, as he looks to add to his two goals in his opening three Championship games.

Despite the injuries, Bruce has a side more than strong enough to compete fiercely for an all-important three points.