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With a host of talented youth prospects, over the years there has been a steady stream of academy graduates who have gone on to make their mark in the Sunderland first team.

Whilst the likes of Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson might be the more notorious examples, even players such as Dan Neil and Lynden Gooch are currently making their impact for Tony Mowbray’s side.

The 58-year-old could now add another name to that list, with Caden Kelly an exciting versatile youngster who seems to have ability and maturity far beyond his age.

Having already featured at attacking midfield and on the wing, he draws similarities with Patrick Roberts for his technical proficiency rather than blistering speed.

Perhaps with the Englishman enduring an inconsistent season, outlined in his 6.85 average SofaScore rating, the 18-year-old could be slowly integrated with a view to one day replace the former Manchester City trickster.

Having set the U18s Premier League alight during the 2020/21 season, where he recorded eight goal contributions, he more than earned his promotion to the U23 side.

That step up again did not faze the teenager, as he would score twice and assist a further three before solidifying his place in that age group.

His progression has been so meteoric that this season he even made a cameo in the Black Cats’ 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL Cup, his first senior appearance for the club and a huge statement of intent from Mowbray.

It is clear that Kelly is well thought of on Wearside, with journalist Josh Bunting taking to Twitter to further praise the youngster.

He claimed: “Caden Kelly is a very nice footballer for Sunderland, really technical, has excellent vision and that relates to good pass selection, plays through the lines with relative ease.”

It seems like he could possess the creative spark needed to unlock the tricky Championship defences they often face, and with Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart hopefully both to return soon, it could be a devastating combination should he be given a chance.

He could rival and even one day surpass Roberts, with a clear technical proficiency and a physicality that will come with time.

Leeds United are thought to be ready to make a move for Cadiz CF defender Momo Mbaye.

The Lowdown: Mbaye linked with Leeds

The Whites were first linked with a move for the 24-year-old at the end of October. Reports suggested that Leeds were closely following the Senegalese centre-back alongside Brighton and Southampton.

Hailed as a ‘class act’ by Darragh Collins, Mbaye has made just four senior appearances for his current employers, but it seems as if Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani are ready to pounce.

The Latest: Mbaye transfer update

Sport Witness relayed an update regarding the defender on Wednesday, in which Leeds were once again name-checked.

They claimed that Wolves have joined the Premier League trio in the race for Mbaye, adding that all four English suitors would be ready to move in order to secure the 24-year-old’s services in January.

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The Verdict: Not a priority…

Jesse Marsch currently has four senior centre-backs at his disposal and that includes Pascal Struijk, who has mainly filled in for Junior Firpo at left-back so far this season.

Patrick Bamford has also had his injury issues this season, so if Leeds are to add to their squad in January, perhaps a new left-back and centre-forward should be higher up on the list than another centre-back.

Mbaye doesn’t have much senior experience either, so there’s no guarantee that he would be an upgrade on Marsch’s current options at the back.

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici will look to finally end Antonio Conte’s absolute nightmare at right wing-back in January.

That’s according to 90min, who recently revealed that the Italian supremo will be targeting two key additions after the World Cup, of which one will be on the right flank.

Since the departures of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier over three years ago, the north London outfit have struggled to find a reliable and trustworthy option in the role.

Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth were sold, Serge Aurier was regularly lambasted as a “liability” before the club cancelled his contract and now – as per the report – both Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty are available for transfer in 2023.

The inconsistent duo are Conte’s ‘go-to’ choices, with summer signing Djed Spence very much a ‘club signing’ rather than his own and he could even be loaned out after the World Cup.

Among the potential candidates to end the Italian’s suffering on the right is Norwich City gem Max Aarons, who 90min also claim is being monitored by Paratici and co.

He could be available for as little as £15m.

Whilst the 22-year-old is currently competing in the Championship for the Canaries, he has bags of top-flight experience, as is often expected with the Norfolk yo-yo club.

Two of the last five seasons have been in the Premier League and Aarons, despite his young age, has been a frequent presence no matter who is in the dugout. Indeed, he has racked up 70 appearances in the big time, which equates to 37.6% of his overall tally for Norwich.

The England U21 international is a typical modern-day full-back in the sense that he can get forward to contribute in the final third and that’s exactly what Conte needs.

Aarons currently ranked among the top 9% of his positional peers in FBref’s ‘next eight’ divisions for progressive passes (4.42), as well as the top 15% for dribbles completed (1.17) per 90. And that’s not at a detriment to his defensive qualities, having averaged 1.97 tackles and 1.60 interceptions per 90 over the last year too.

Therefore, if Paratici is to finally find the right wing-back that Conte desperately needs, then he should look no further than the 22-year-old, who his former boss Daniel Farke once dubbed a “special player” with an “unbelievable” future.

AND in other news, Forget Romero: £16m Spurs “animal” has been Paratici’s “pound-for-pound” best business…

Graham Potter looks set to assert his own stamp on his Chelsea team during the January transfer window, aiming to strengthen ahead of a crucial second half of the season.

There could well be a few outgoings too, with the Englishman looking like he can move on Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech, especially with his latest comments.

The 29-year-old was asked if he will return to the Eredivisie following Morocco’s 0-0 draw against Croatia at the World Cup: “It’s hard to say, difficult to say. We don’t know what will happen in winter. It’s football, so it’s difficult to say.” Said Ziyech to NOS (via The Sun).

It looked like the player was close to re-joining Ajax in the summer, however, no move materialised and he has made nine appearances in all competitions, just 270 minutes of action in total.

He was selected for Morocco’s World Cup squad; however, Potter can finally ditch the winger following an underwhelming performance in their first group stage match against the Croatians.

The 29-year-old played the full 90 minutes and showed his rustiness, failing to succeed with either of his two dribble attempts, while having two shots blocked.

Ziyech made just 19 passes during the tie and took 52 touches while failing to inject the spark into the Moroccan attack, while Borna Sosa managed to limit the Chelsea winger’s input during the game.

He also lost possession a staggering 19 times and although his lack of game time for his club could be attributed to this performance, Potter will see it as a license to finally move him on and bring one of his own targets to the club as a replacement.

The winger has previously been dubbed “woeful” by Jake Heasman and if he continues this form against Belgium and Canada in Morocco’s next two matches, Potter will have a very easy decision to make.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will need to find their goalscoring form in the second half of the season in order to preserve their Premier League status.

The Old Gold have scored just eight league goals this season, the lowest in the top flight and Julen Lopetegui faces a challenge in order to find a tune from his side’s goal-shy attacking department.

With the January transfer market looming on the horizon, Wolves might be able to ditch one of these players, as according to BILD, Borussia Monchengladbach are interested in signing Hee-chan Hwang to replace the inevitable departure of Marcus Thuram.

The South Korea international joined the Molineux side initially on loan from RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2021, before signing permanently for a £14m fee in January this year.

Since then, he has scored just one goal, against Arsenal in February this year, before going 13 matches in the current campaign without scoring.

It’s an extremely disappointing return, especially considering the outlay Bruno Lage spent to keep him at the club, and Lopetegui will surely be looking at considering whatever offer comes in for the 26-year-old.

A WhoScored rating of just 6.15/10 ranks the forward a lowly 21st in the Wolves squad, while he has only started three times in the Premier League.

Even when he did make an appearance, the player failed to jump on his opportunity and convince either Lage or Steve Davis that he deserved more game time. Hwang managed just three shots on target in the league while chipping in with a solitary assist.

He doesn’t appear to be the saviour that the club urgently requires in order to solve their current problems in front of goal and a move back to the Bundesliga in January might be the best move for both parties going forward.

The decision to sign him permanently will surely go down as a major Lage mistake and the club has been paying for it ever since.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will have been watching the World Cup in the hope that none of his players suffer any injuries which could jeopardise the second half of the season.

Of the Reds’ squad, only Virgil van Dijk has played in every minute of the tournament so far, impressing as the Netherlands topped their group and qualified for the quarter-finals with thanks to a 3-1 victory over the USA on Saturday.

One of the bigger disappointments, however, have been the performances of Darwin Nunez, as Uruguay crashed out at the group stages for the first time since 2002, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final match.

Heading into the tournament, Nunez was arguably one to watch, especially having sealed a record £85m move to the Anfield side in the summer, yet he massively underperformed in Qatar.

He played in all three matches, yet averaged a Sofascore rating of just 6.37/10 and failed to contribute anything like he has done for Liverpool this season, averaging just 0.7 shots on target per game, missing two big chances and making only 0.3 key passes across the three matches.

The 23-year-old was mainly deployed on the left of a front three to make way for Luis Suarez, but he struggled throughout. He lost possession 41 times in just three matches, won just 35% of his total duels, and failed to succeed with any of his dribble attempts.

The £140k-per-week ace was even dubbed “so bad” by popular Twitch Partner, FG, and this experience will only make him better for future tournaments.

Klopp, although likely disappointed at Nunez’s performances in Qatar, will at least be happy with the fact he won’t have exerted himself too much and be fit and firing ahead of the second half of the league season resuming on Boxing Day.

With just six Premier League victories all season, Klopp’s men know they will have to improve after Christmas to stand any realistic chance of challenging Arsenal for the league title. Having everyone returning from the World Cup injury-free and raring to go will be a big bonus for the German.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Yunus Musah and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the transfer market reopening next month.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Liverpool have now made contact with the Valencia and USMNT midfielder’s representatives to register their interest in the player ahead of the January transfer window.

As per the report, the Reds are joined in their efforts by fellow Premier League club Chelsea who have also made contact with those managing Musah’s future after the player had an impressive World Cup campaign with his national team.

It is also claimed that Valencia have now opened contract talks with the American in an attempt to fend off the mounting interest emerging from the Premier League.

Naby Keita replacement

It is no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the centre of the pitch which has been heavily reflected in their performances over the Premier League season so far.

The Merseyside giants are currently sixth in the league table after a run of inconsistent form and disappointing displays that have left them unable to challenge at the highest level to compete for the title with Manchester City and Arsenal, with the latter currently 15 points ahead of Liverpool at the top of the tree.

Liverpool have a number of midfielders that are coming into their last six months of their contracts at the club with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain currently set to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

As a result, the Reds could have a brilliant opportunity in their pursuit for Musah’s signature and could sign the perfect replacement to fill the boots of Keita should he leave the club either in January or at the end of his contract in the summer.

The £86m-valued youngster has been capturing the attention of the world during his international campaign in Qatar at the World Cup with the USMNT, and his output has been so impressive, giving interested clubs a glimpse of his talents and capabilities.

Over four World Cup appearances, Musah – who was hailed the “real deal” by CBS Sport writer Ives Galarcep – won possession back 23 times, won eight tackles and prevailed in a whopping 18 duels, proving his combative force.

Furthermore, he has thrived offensively, making 13 passes into the final third, 12 passes into the opponent’s box, attempted ten take-ons, took four shots on goal and created three big chances.

Unfortunately, Musah’s hard work wasn’t enough to secure the USA their spot in the quarter-finals as they were knocked out by the Netherlands in the round of 16 earlier this week. However, the powers at Anfield should have seen enough to know that the 20-year-old midfielder is a star worth capturing.

With that being said, the signing of Musah would be a great piece of business for Liverpool in their midfield rebuild over the coming months ahead, but FSG will need to make a lucrative and tempting offer to secure his services over their competitors also interested in signing the player.

Transfer expert Dean Jones has backed up reports of Aston Villa’s interest in signing Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix.

The Lowdown: Villa ‘favourites’ to sign Felix

It was reported earlier this week that Villa are believed to be the ‘favourites’ to sign the Portugal star, and ‘several transfer experts’ think that he will move to Villa Park to work with new manager Unai Emery.

The 23-year-old promised so much when he secured a whopping £113m move to Atletico in 2019. However, the deal has been a major disappointment, with just fifth in La Liga and being knocked out of European competition after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.

However, Felix had found some form for Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring one goal and supplying two assists in four starts (Transfermarkt) before his team were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The Latest: Felix interest ‘true’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has said that ‘it is true’ that Villa are checking out Felix’s situation at Atletico, but admits that it will be ‘difficult’ for them to sign him as they currently have no European football to offer.

The journalist said: “It is true they are checking out his situation but it is one thing for Villa to have interest in Joao Felix and quite another to actually sign him. He’s a £100million footballer who is looking to become one of the best in the world in his position.

“At the age of 23 and on the back of a decent World Cup, it is difficult to see him joining a side with no European prospects.”

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The Verdict: Move on

Unfortunately for the Villans, it just seems too unlikely at this moment in time that they would be able to attract Felix to Villa Park ahead of some top European clubs.

The likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have recently been linked with a move for the attacker, while other clubs are sure to take notice of his impressive performances for Portugal at the World Cup.

Emery has a rebuilding job to do at Villa following the sacking of Steven Gerrard in the autumn, but once the 51-year-old can mould together a squad in his image and get them challenging for European football, they could perhaps then think about signing a player in Felix’s bracket.

Leeds United continue to be linked with their former frontman Chris Wood…

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has been the latest to give his opinion on the rumours following the reports that emerged from Football Insider at the start of the month.

Despite initial bewilderment, the journalist does admit that it could make sense for the Whites to swoop for him. He told GIVEMESPORT: “Chris Wood had a successful time at Leeds before he eventually moved on to Burnley.

“I still find it a bit strange that maybe they’d be in for Wood, but if they’re looking for proven Premier League experience, he’d tick the boxes for them.”

Their own Giroud

Having signed for a whopping £25m, Wood has often been forced to feature behind Callum Wilson at Newcastle United after his initial barren run following the move.

However, it is easy to forget that he was once an incredibly dependable Premier League striker for a side constantly battling to win survival.

In fact, on many occasions, he matched the tallies of current World Cup hero Olivier Giroud, a man who at 6 foot 4 stands at a similar frame and plays with a comparatively languid yet effective play style.

Currently enjoying a renaissance at AC Milan despite being 36 years old, he was once a consistent source of goals for Arsenal in England.

From 2012 to 2018, he would score 11 Premier League goals or more in every season, culminating in two 16-goal hauls in 2013/14 and 2015/16.

This was for a side that again would finish no lower than sixth during that period, with a second and third-placed finish thrown in there too.

This is incomparable with the 70-cap New Zealand international, who hit double figures for four seasons in a row from 2017 to 2021.

These were campaigns that saw them finish seventh, 15th, tenth and 17th.

Despite the obvious gulf in quality between the teams, Wood maintained a similarly impressive record leading to Peter Crouch dubbing his partnership with Ashley Barnes “first-class”.

This comparison becomes even more impressive given how Giroud has starred at the current World Cup for France, where he boasts four goals in five games, as well as an average rating of 7.32 (via Sofascore).

Having notched his tally with an expected goals (xG) of 3.43 only exacerbates his ruthlessness in front of goal lately, supplemented by a 53% success rate in aerial duels.

There is cause to believe that Wood could achieve a similar renaissance should he move from Tyneside. The 6 foot 3 “beast” – as he was dubbed by Tom Barclay – certainly knew how to get the most from his main asset.

Although it may seem confusing to some, returning to play for an underdog team would suit Wood perfectly. This move could be a match made in heaven for both club and player.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has a ‘slight injury’ which will temporarily see him ruled out of action, according to The Athletic journalist Matt Woosnam.

The Lowdown: Absent from squad

The Frenchman has been a key component at Selhurst Park ever since Patrick Vieira’s arrival in south London, but there was cause for concern when he was missing from the squad which suffered a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day.

The 25-year-old’s absence was never addressed by the manager after the game, although an update on his whereabouts has now emerged, and it’s something that Eagles supporters might not enjoy hearing.

The Latest: Woosnam’s update on Mateta

Asked on Twitter for an update on Mateta, Woosnam revealed that the forward is currently suffering with an unnamed problem, hence why he wasn’t involved against the Cottagers.

The reporter replied: “Think he has a slight injury.”

The Verdict: Blow for Vieira

Mateta has previously been labelled a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Josh Bunting, and it’ll come as a blow to Vieira to learn that the striker potentially facing a spell on the sidelines.

The 25-year-old has nine goals and one assist to his name during his time at Palace and also poses a huge aerial threat in the final third, standing at 6 foot 2.

The Eagles are just one point outside the top ten heading into their final game of 2022 this weekend, so Mateta will be hoping that he can quickly return to action to help his team secure as high a finish as possible in the current Premier League campaign.