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Aston Villa have been particularly busy throughout the latest January transfer window in regard to their business deals whether it be bringing new players to the club like Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho or moving some of their current ones out on loan such as Wesley and Keinan Davis among others.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Matt Maher, any incoming transfers at Villa now look “unlikely” to take place before the January transfer window deadline hits.

Now that deadline day has arrived, it seems as though the Midlands club may not need to get any shirts printed for any potential new faces coming through the door.

Maher also added that current Villa players Matt Targett, Jed Steer and Kaine Kesler-Hayden are “set to depart on loan.”

Fans will be gutted

With loan deals made for Coutinho and goalkeeper Robin Olsen, the Villans have also managed to secure permanent deals for Digne on a four-and-a-half-year deal worth a reported fee of £25m, as well as defender Calum Chambers from Arsenal as a free agent on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

This business shows just how much the Villa owners have been willing to back the manager Steven Gerrard as he looks to push the club forward.

Even though their club have been busier than most when it comes to signing new players this month, some Villa fans will be gutted to hear that there may not be a final name through the door on deadline day.

With Villa not managing to sign a central-midfielder as of yet this month after missing out on a deal to sign Rodrigo Bentancur, who has joined fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, it seems as though Steven Gerrard will have to make do with the options he has at his disposal for the time being until the summer transfer window opens.

Moving forward, with Villa currently sitting in 11th place in the Premier League table with 26 points on the board from 21 games played, Gerrard’s side are still in a good place to use their January recruits and attack the remainder of their campaign to try and finish as high up the table as possible, even without any late incoming transfers.

In other news: John Percy drops big deadline day twist at Villa, it would be Lange’s biggest move yet – opinion

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli…

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies’ chances of landing the England international in January have diminished, with there now being an expectation that he will remain at Spurs until next summer.

The report claims that Newcastle previously viewed him as a realistic transfer target due to his lack of game time, but they could now abort their plans to sign him.

Save NUFC’s season

Nick Hammond has been appointed as a short-term transfer consultant for the club and he must now use his expertise to secure a deal for Alli in January.

He needs to convince Tottenham to part ways with him and then make sure that he is able to offer him a suitable package to go along with whatever pitch Eddie Howe produces to tempt him into making the switch.

The former Reading chief could save Newcastle’s season by doing this, as Alli has previously shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level.

In 266 games for Spurs, he has produced 67 goals and 61 assists. This includes 51 strikes and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches. The 25-year-old has proven himself in the top-flight of English football and, therefore, would surely come in and provide a lift to the Magpies.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino previously handed him high praise by comparing him to two footballing icons. He said:

“You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing.”Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.”Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”The £100k-per-week dynamo, who was previously dubbed a “freak” of a talent by Darren Anderton, has enjoyed four seasons scoring eight or more goals in the Premier League in his career. Last term, Callum Wilson (12) was the only Newcastle player to find the back of the net more than eight times.Howe’s side are 19th in the table after 18 matches and have only picked up one win all season. This shows how dire the situation is and why Alli’s goals and assists could be crucial for them, as he could come in and pop up with match-winning contributions that win vital points in the battle against relegation.That is why Hammond can save Newcastle’s Premier League season by working hard to complete a deal for Dele, whether that is by getting Spurs or the player himself to push for it to happen.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could unearth a new beast for NUFC in “extraordinary” 6ft1 machine…

Rangers have fielded an approach from Newcastle United for striker Alfredo Morelos, according to 90min. 

The lowdown

The Gers have already lost one player to an English Premier League club this month, with Nathan Patterson sealing a £16m move to Everton; while Morelos said publicly back in September that he hoped he would ‘soon’ be given the ‘opportunity’ to take the next step in his career.

The Colombian is into the final 18 months of his £33,000-per-week contract and is valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from 90min states that Morelos is one of the names Newcastle who have ‘asked about’, with Magpies manager Eddie Howe potentially looking to bring in two forwards this month.

Other targets include Liverpool’s Divock Origi, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa.

The verdict

Rangers might not want to part with Morelos midway through the campaign. If they sell him in the summer, they would at least have more time to find a replacement for him, and the new man would also have more time to bed in during the off-season.

Cashing in at the end of the campaign could be wise, though. Based on those comments from September, the 25-year-old is unlikely to sign a new contract at Ibrox, and as the expiry date of his current deal draws nearer, Rangers’ negotiating position becomes weaker.

Moreover, across his Ibrox career, Morelos has scored once every 1.97 games, but this season that has dropped to one goal every 2.2 matches.

He has been dubbed a ‘genius’ by the Heart & Hand podcast, but you can understand why Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge argued that he’s not the ‘ultimate must-stay’ anymore, given the Colombian’s decline in form this season.

In other news, Rangers have received a boost in this transfer chase

Dundee United’s Jeando Fuchs has revealed that he’s been approached by Rangers over a possible transfer.

The lowdown

Fuchs joined United from La Liga club Alaves in October 2020 and has gone on to make 45 appearances to date.

He’s virtually been an ever-present in the line-up this season and boasts averages of 2.3 tackles, two interceptions and 1.4 accurate long balls per 90 minutes – the former of which is more than any Rangers player.

His manager Tam Courts accepts that interest is inevitable given that Fuchs is a ‘top player, not just for us but in this league’ (via The Courier).

The latest

In an interview with Foot Mercato, Fuchs was asked if he’d been the subject of any ‘concrete’ interest.

He replied that ‘there have been contacts from Rangers’ as well as their arch-rivals Celtic, ‘but nothing more’.

The 24-year-old also revealed that there was interest from three EFL teams (Blackpool, Peterborough United and Wigan Athletic), an unnamed Premier League side and Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart.

The verdict: Gerrard plot to inadvertently sink Gers?

One particular name stands out from that lengthy list of interested parties – Stuttgart.

That’s because Steven Gerrard, the former Rangers manager, reportedly has his eyes on their incumbent left-back Borna Sosa.

If Gerrard is successful in efforts to bring Sosa to Villa Park, Stuttgart could in theory move for the £720,000-rated Fuchs as his replacement.

Perhaps when Rangers face Dundee United in less than a fortnight’s time, Giovanni van Bronckhorst will seek to pull Fuchs aside and win him over, but the sheer amount of teams interested in his services could make this a difficult one for the new Gers boss to pull off.

In other news, fans slammed this man’s performance against Dundee FC.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Isco to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that Carlo Ancelotti has informed the Real Madrid attacking midfielder that he will be sold in the January transfer window, should an acceptable offer be lodged.

This could see Tottenham reignite their interest in the 29-year-old, with it being reported last summer that the Premier League side were monitoring the situation of the Spain international ahead of a potential swoop.

Indeed, a further report by The Sunday Mirror (via The Spurs Web) suggested that Spurs were willing to offer Madrid £14m in order to sign the forward earlier this year, as well as being prepared to offer Isco a three-year deal in north London.

Bye-bye Dele

While it is true that Isco has not enjoyed his finest form at Real Madrid in recent campaigns, the 29-year-old has nevertheless demonstrated in previous seasons that, when he is given the opportunity to do so, he can be one of the most influential players in what is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Indeed, over his 30 LaLiga appearances back in 2016/17, the £13.5m-rated man scored a highly impressive ten goals, registered eight assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 1.3 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Andres Iniesta dubbed a “fantastic player with an incredible talent” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as Los Blancos’ ninth-best player in the top flight of Spanish football that season.

And, although his metrics have not been quite as impressive over his seven league outings so far this term, the £211k-per-week midfielder has far from been in disastrous form, scoring one goal, creating one big chance for his teammates and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.97.

Furthermore, with it being widely reported that Antonio Conte is more than happy for Dele Alli to move onto pastures new in the upcoming winter window, a move for Isco would not only help to improve the Italian’s current options in attacking midfield, it would also very much appear to be the final nail in the coffin for the 25-year-old former England international in the capital.

In other news: Conte can finally axe Spurs’ £25m-rated “joke” by signing “devastating” £69k-p/w beast

Rangers have begun their search for a new manager after Steven Gerrard accepted the offer to move south of the border, with several exciting candidates being linked with the Gers vacancy at Ibrox.

What’s the story?

The 41-year-old decision to depart Glasgow brought an end to his successful three-year reign, and attention has already turned to who could succeed him.

Bruce Archer, a journalist for The Sun, took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, revealing who he would appoint as Gerrard’s placement, suggesting that Paulo Fonseca would be a good choice.

Other exciting candidates such as Russell Martin and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have been touted as potential heirs, but Fonseca is arguably the one with the most impressive CV.

Exceptional Gerrard successor

Fonseca first established himself as a top-class manager during a hugely prosperous three-year spell at Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk.

Between 2016 and 2019, the 48-year-old claimed three successive league titles and three successive domestic cups, earning him a move to Serie A outfit AS Roma.

The highly regarded tactician transformed the capital club into a genuine force in European competition once again during his time at the helm, overseeing an exciting and entertaining style of play at the Stadio Olimpico.

Speaking to Tifo Football, The Athletic’s James Horncastle declared: “I’d put them with Atalanta and Sassuolo as the league’s entertainers,” while Alex Stewart described his style as “exciting.”

In fact, despite their Europa League exit last season at the semi-final stage, Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves still backed Fonseca to enjoy a big career.

He tweeted: “It’s a bad result for Paulo Fonseca today, a 6-2 defeat to Manchester United. His managerial CV is exceptional, & his managerial ability matches it, but his time at Roma may be coming to an end. A talented manager who plays stylish football likely to be available this summer.”

It’s evident that the head coach who Massimo Ambrosini dubbed a “modern” manager is someone who has a history of achieving success with a number of unfavoured sides, as well as one who can get his team playing brave, attacking football on the front foot.

His record of domestic and continental success will surely make him an intriguing option for Rangers’ hierarchy, and his appointment is something that director of football Ross Wilson must carefully consider over the coming days.

And, in other news…“Early favourite”: Journalist drops huge Rangers manager claim, fans will be ecstatic

An encouraging West Ham transfer update has emerged ahead of the January transfer window this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons have money to spend following the recent multi-million-pound investment from Sparta Prague co-owner Daniel Kretinsky, who purchased a 27% stake in the club, and they are expected to act quickly in the market, according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee.

“There are a lot of forward options out there that we might try to narrow down in January. We will have money to spend,” he revealed to ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast.

“I think they will spend it quite quickly, but [I’m unsure] whether it’ll be on them [a new striker] or [on Jesse] Lingard.”

Bucking the trend

In the past, the Hammers have been awfully slow to conduct their business, as seen as recently as the summer window, where the bulk of David Moyes’ additions were brought in with less than two weeks to go.

Alphonse Areola joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain fairly early on but the likes of Kurt Zouma, Alex Kral and Nikola Vlasic were all with time running out on the clock.

It’s certainly an encouraging prospect to hear from one of the most trustworthy, when it comes to all things around the London Stadium, that they will look to do their dealings quickly, meaning the club and the manager knows what lies ahead.

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Not only will they have further Europa League matches to contend with, having qualified for the knockout stages, but they too will also have the FA Cup getting underway and for much of January, they’ll be without the services of Said Benrahma, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations.

There is also the recent injury blow suffered to Angelo Ogbonna, meaning there could be a need for another central defensive signing, too.

That’s not to mention the fact that they are still yet to replace Sebastien Haller upfront, leaving an injury-prone Michail Antonio, 31, as the only senior centre-forward at Moyes’ disposal.

West Ham, who are currently sat in fourth place, have every chance of qualifying for Europe again this campaign and perhaps even going one better by making the Champions League, so reinforcements this winter could be key to such chances.

Therefore, the Irons faithful must be absolutely buzzing and delighted with this major development from Ex.

There aren’t many sources better when it comes to anything behind-the-scenes at the club and the fact that they will not only have financial firepower but will also act fast when the window opens is hugely encouraging.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee delivers David Moyes update at West Ham…

Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has made a claim on Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, regarding a potential January swoop.

What’s the talk?

When asked about whether or not the England international is a player the Magpies could target, the reporter told GIVEMESPORT:

“He’s exactly the profile of player they’ll be targeting in the first couple of windows.”

This comes after Danny Mills tipped the midfielder to leave Tottenham in January in order to recapture his best form. He told Football Insider:

“Yes, I think he needs a fresh challenge of some description.

“Don’t forget he was on fire, he was absolutely outstanding in his younger days, when he first came to Spurs.

“Somehow he needs to rediscover that mojo. That could well be a new club, a new challenge, a new set of fans, whatever it might be, to re-energise himself.”

Imagine him & Wilson

PIF must secure a deal for Alli in January because he could form a dream partnership with Callum Wilson at the top end of the pitch.

Wilson has scored 16 goals in 29 Premier League starts for the club since joining from Bournemouth at the start of last season, proving that he has the quality to be a regular goalscorer at this level. Imagine how many goals he would score if he had a playmaker behind him capable of providing him with a higher quality of service – that player could be Alli.

The Tottenham midfielder has enjoyed three top-flight seasons with nine or more assists and has 67 goals and 61 assists in all competitions for the club in 263 appearances. This shows that, at his best, he is able to score and create goals in the final third.

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Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once claimed that Alli is a ‘fighter’ and that his mentality is not affected by his minutes on the pitch. He said:

“Dele is not one to be affected if he plays or if he does not play.

“He’s so strong, he is a fighter, very competitive.”

These comments suggest that he could stand up to the challenge of a relegation battle in the second half of the campaign. His quality in the number 10 role could help the Magpies avoid the drop, whilst creating a dream partnership with Wilson, proving in the past that he has the ability to regularly provide assists and the former Bournemouth man has shown that he can score goals.

Therefore, PIF must secure a deal for the £100k-per-week England international. If they could strike an agreement to sign him on loan with the option to make it permanent if they stay in the division, it could be an ideal transfer for all involved.

AND in other news, “Sources telling”: Journo drops major NUFC manager update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

Newcastle United’s potential appointment of Unai Emery has been described as ‘curious’ by journalist James Benge.

The lowdown

The Spaniard seems close to taking over at Newcastle, with Liam Kennedy reporting on Tuesday morning that the Magpies hope to have him installed before their trip to Brighton this weekend. It is set to be the 49-year-old’s second stint in English football after a mixed spell at Arsenal.

Emery led the Gunners on a 22-game unbeaten run between August and December 2019, featuring 17 wins, but he also suffered a heavy defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final and was sacked six months later following a seven-game winless stretch.

The latest

In a tweet, CBS Sports journalist Benge outlined: “Obviously Newcastle need a coach now but if it’s Unai Emery it’s curious bringing him in without a real structure in place. At Arsenal he really did not like being the voice of matters beyond the football pitch. At Newcastle there’s no one else to lead on that.”

As a reporter who has specialised in Arsenal coverage, Benge is well placed to speak on Emery’s in-house behaviours during his time in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

The verdict

Based on what Benge is saying, Emery may seek assurances about being able to focus solely on on-field matters before he signs on the dotted line at St James’ Park. If those don’t materialise, there could be tension behind the scenes.

It should be said, though, that Newcastle are trying to appoint a sporting director to work in tandem with their new coach and take charge of off-field dealings.

It’s important that the Magpies get that structure in place well before the January transfer window, when their recruitment could define their season. For that reason, a sporting director could follow Emery through the door within weeks.

In other news, could Newcastle sign this Champions League midfielder in January? 

Celtic duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor are close to making a Hoops return, The Scottish Sun report.

The Lowdown: Hoops’ struggles without the pair

Celtic have struggled in recent weeks, with Furuhashi missing the last five games with a knee injury and McGregor the last four due to a hamstring problem.

The Hoops have managed just two wins from their last five, with defeats to Real Betis and Livingston without the duo.

However, it appears as if they could both be edging closer to full Parkhead returns.

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The Latest: Postecoglou’s comments

Postecoglou was talking to the media, relayed by The Scottish Sun, following Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Dundee United on Sunday.

He provided a positive update on summer signing Giorgos Giakoumakis, revealing a scan on an injured calf came back positive and he could make his debut against Aberdeen on the weekend.

Postecoglou also addressed Furuhashi and McGregor’s injuries, saying:

“Kyogo isn’t too far away and so is Cal.”

The Verdict: Big news

Furuhashi has been brilliant since he arrived in Glasgow, scoring seven times in nine appearances, while captain McGregor was an ever-present prior to his knock.

Having the pair back, you’d expect, would be a huge boost going forward, and they could help the Hoops get back on track in all competitions.

Hopefully, they could be involved in some capacity before the next international break, but if they aren’t, then they should be ready to go for the first game after the international break.

In other news: ‘I have never heard’ – McLeish baffled by something happening behind the scenes at Celtic.