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Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore could be on his way out of Molineux this January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Luke Hatfield, with the Express & Star journalist stating in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, with contract talks between the 25-year-old and Jeff Shi remaining at a stalemate, the Spain international looks as if he could be a player Wolves decide to cash in on in the upcoming transfer window.

Speaking about the future of Traore, Hatfield said: “For me, I think it’s one where, in the summer, we probably look and wonder whether he’s going to be off. January might be an option as well.”

Shi must act

While it is undeniable that Traore has been a crucially important player for Wolves as they re-established themselves as a Premier League side, with the forward’s contract set to expire at the end of next season, as well as interest reported to be high in his services this January, now would appear to be the perfect time for Shi to make a decision on the 25-year-old.

Indeed, while the £27m-rated man is yet to contribute to a single goal this season, he has nevertheless impressed over his 14 Premier League appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing a whopping five dribbles per game – by far and away the most of any player in the top flight.

These metrics have seen the £43k-per-week winger average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Wolves’ second-best performer in the league.

As such, while it may seem slightly unusual to suggest that a team who are pushing for European qualification in the league should sell one of their star players in January, the 25-year-old’s impressive form means that now is very much the optimal moment for Shi to cash in on Traore, as his value is only going to go down as the end of his contract gets closer.

In other news: Lage could transform Wolves with “superb” 21 y/o beast who has “the world at his feet”

Everton have been dropping in and out of form this season, and finding that creative midfielder to score goals and create chances has surely become a top priority for Rafa Benitez.

James Rodriguez’s exit has seen the side lack attacking presence in midfield, and Rafa will be keen to rectify that issue in the upcoming winter transfer window, with a signing that can make an instant positive impact on both Everton’s Premier League campaign and tight challenge for a European spot.

What’s the word?

A number of sources, including Calciomercato, have linked ex-Arsenal and current Juventus player, Aaron Ramsey, to an Everton move in January, stating the club has an “excellent relationship” with the Serie A winner.

Ramsey has failed to be part of the bigger picture at Juventus for Allegri, with Fabrizio Romano taking to Twitter to confirm that the club were keen to move the Welsh international on.

The Italian journalist wrote: “Juventus are still planning to find a solution to sell Aaron Ramsey in January. He’s out of the plans and looking for a potential new challenge.”

There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to why Allegri doesn’t utilise the experienced midfielder in his successful Italian side, but if the reports are anything to go by, both Juventus and Ramsey would be keen to seal a deal in January to benefit both parties.

It remains to be seen how much Ramsey might command in terms of transfer fees, though Transfermarkt currently value the 69-cap midfielder at just £9m.

Sign him up!

Ramsey would be a fantastic addition to the blue side of Merseyside if his experience is anything to go by, with three FA Cups and a Serie A title, to name a few of his accomplishments.

He also offers huge amounts of European experience, in both the Champions League and Europa League for his previous Premier League club, Arsenal, featured which will surely be advantageous for Rafa Benitez, whose obvious goal will be to secure European football for the Toffees this season.

The Welshman provided 65 goals and 65 assists in over a total of 371 matches in north London, in which he recorded a career-best of 13 goals and ten assists during the 2013/14 campaign, as per Transfermarkt. That suggests that, on his day, he is a goal threat from midfield and one that could help fill the void left behind by Rodriguez.

Of those 370 matches, 63 were in a European competition.

He has regularly been compared to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, two players renowned for their influence in the heart of the pitch and in the final third.

BT Sport pundit Martin Keown, who was once a colossus for the Gunners, also once described him as a “great leader” and an “outstanding technician” – a glowing endorsement that only bolsters reasoning to sign him this January.

As a proven winner and a proven Premier League player, the 30-year-old could help to inject a winning mentality into the current side to push them on in both domestic competition and when challenging for European spots in the Premier League over the second half of the season.

Therefore, director of football Marcel Brands must push ahead with plans to seal the Wales international this winter.

AND in other news, Brands joins race for £15.3m-rated “match-winner”, he’s just what Everton are missing…

Celtic winger Liel Abada is already attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scottish Sun, who claim that, after a sensational start to his Parkhead career, the 20-year-old is already being closely monitored by Premier League outfit Crystal Palace – with Eagles scouts believed to have visited Celtic Park in order to watch the Israel international in action for the Bhoys.

However, the report goes on to state that Ange Postecoglou views the forward as a key player within his Hoops side, both currently and in the future, while the Celtic hierarchy are not believed to be willing to cash in on the youngster so soon after his £3m signing last summer.

Edouard 2.0

While part of Celtic’s business model will undoubtedly be signing lesser-known talents for minimal prices, before selling these players on for a huge profit after their development in Scotland, losing a player with a future as bright as Abada just a year after his arrival in Glasgow would nevertheless come as a major blow to Postecoglou and his side.

Indeed, over his 23 Premiership appearances since joining the club from Maccabi Petah Tikva last summer, the £4.05m-rated winger has been in remarkable form for the Hoops, having already scored eight goals, registered four assists and created a whopping 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week forward who Yossi Benayoun dubbed a “star” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as the Bhoys’ 12th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – a quite astonishing feat for a player who only turned 20 years of age last October.

As such, should Michael Nicholson go on to repeat Dominic McKay’s £14m sale of Odsonne Edouard to the South London side, it is clear for all to see that, should the club wish to challenge for the Premiership title, as well as get back to playing Champions League football in the seasons to come, selling a player with the ability of Abada would be a repeat of the Edouard blunder for the league leaders.

In other news: Lifeline: Ange’s £8.2k-p/w Celtic passenger a big winner from January transfer window

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Mariano Diaz to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by El Nacional, who claim that David Moyes’ West Ham transfer team have initiated talks with the Real Madrid centre-forward, with the Spanish media outlet going as far as to suggest that a deal for the 28-year-old is nearly complete.

The report goes on to state that Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the striker, although it is believed that Los Blancos would much rather sell the former Dominican Republic international to a team outside of Spain.

Diaz can finally replace Arnautovic

While it is true that, following Marko Arnautovic’s £22.5m sale back in the summer of 2019, the club replaced the Austria international with the £45m signing of Sebastien Haller the following winter, it is undeniable that the Ivory Coast international failed to live up to his significant price tag in East London – scoring just 14 goals over his 54 appearances in all competitions for West Ham before being sold to Ajax for £20.25m last January.

And, while it is also true that Diaz has not exactly been in blistering form for Real Madrid since his £19.35m move back to the club back in 2018 – featuring in just 36 LaLiga games over the last three-and-a-half years – the 28-year-old nevertheless proved during his one season with Olympique Lyonnais that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can bring extraordinary returns.

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances back in 2017/18, the £6.3m-rated man scored a whopping 18 goals, registered four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £105k-per-week centre-forward who Gerald Baticle dubbed a “real goalscorer” earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.06 – ranking him as Lyon’s seventh-best performer in the top flight of French football that season.

As such, while goalscoring returns are never 100% guaranteed, should West Ham go on to seal a deal for Diaz this month, and the 28-year-old can go on to replicate his form while in France in East London, the forgotten Real Madrid striker could well finally replace Arnautovic in the Hammers’ first-team squad – something which he undoubtedly has the ability to do.

In other news: Huge boost: Moyes drops fresh injury update that will have West Ham fans buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has claimed that Fabio Paratici could complete a swap deal with Villarreal for Pau Torres, with Giovani Lo Celso going the other way.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso impressing at Villarreal

After joining the La Liga outfit on loan in January, the 26-year-old has gone on to make a great impression with his new side, having been awarded player of the match in Villarreal’s shock 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

As a result, a number of rumours have arisen linking the Argentina international with a permanent move to the Spanish club.

This comes amid Spurs’ interest in Torres, after the north London club failed in their pursuit of signing the centre-back last summer.

A recruitment source recently revealed to Football Insider that, once again, the 25-year-old is on Tottenham’s radar ahead of a potential summer swoop.

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The Latest: Wenham’s claim…

Wenham has suggested that Tottenham and Villarreal could come to an agreement over a swap deal for the two players.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “I think Villarreal are likely to agree a deal for Lo Celso. They actually have several players who are of interest to Tottenham.

“There is no clause in that [Lo Celso] deal but Fabio Paratici likes a swap deal so I’m sure we could work something out there.

“There is previous interest in Pau Torres, he is someone who we have looked at before.

“Danjuma is in great form and they have a good young talent in Yeremi. That is definitely an option we could take.”

The Verdict: Could be a great deal for Spurs

Given Torres’ label as the long-term successor for Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, it is clear that his arrival at Hotspur Way would be an incredible piece of business for Paratici to pull off.

However, a swap deal between the pair seems unlikely given the differences in their respective transfer values. Torres has a current market value of £45m, whereas Lo Celso is worth just £19.8m.

Therefore, unless Spurs are going to cough up a vast sum alongside the midfielder, the proposed swap deal does not appear feasible.

Either way, it appears that Lo Celso will sign a permanent deal with Villarreal ahead of next season, where he appears to be having a better time of things than he did in north London.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Paratici’s scouting mission to see Djed Spence

Aston Villa have taken young midfielder Taylor Clark on trial, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Clark profiled

Clark is a midfielder who currently plies his trade with Suffolk-based Needham Market.

Described as an ‘unbelievably talented’ player by Needham manager Kevin Horlock, the 17-year-old has progressed through the club’s academy and recently started against Yeovil Town in the FA Trophy.

Villa bolstered their academy ranks in January with the acquisition of Kerr Smith from Dundee United, and although the deadline has now passed, it seems as if a cut-price move for Clark could be on the cards.

The Latest: Villa trial

Preece shared a story for Birmingham Live on Monday evening regarding Villa and Clark.

He stated that the youngster is set to train with Sean Verity’s under-18 side and will play in two academy games at Bodymoor Heath.

The Verdict: Interesting

It’s good to see that Villa are always on the hunt for young talent, and if Clark can impress sufficiently, he might just become the latest addition to the Midlanders’ ranks.

You’d expect that Villa may have to pay the non-league side a fee for the teenager should they wish to offer him a contract, but it could be a nominal sum due to his age and status with the lower league club.

It looks set to be one to watch out for over the coming weeks, with Villa potentially making a head start on their summer academy business.

In other news: ‘Hats off to the board’ – Sky Sports pundit purrs at ‘amazing’ out-of-the-blue Villa transfer news

Hopes for Boli Bolingoli will have been high at Celtic upon his £3m arrival at Parkhead back in 2019, with the Hoops subsequently selling first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney in the same transfer window.

Indeed, the defender had impressed over his 25 Bundesliga appearances for Rapid Vienna in the season prior, scoring two goals, registering two assists and helping his side keep eight clean sheets in the league, as well as making an average of two interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 4.4 duels per game.

However, after making a mere 14 Scottish Premiership appearances in his debut campaign, things took a further turn for the worst for Bolingoli last season, when the left-back travelled to Spain without informing Celtic, as well as breaking quarantine restrictions on his return to Scotland.

This led to the left-back receiving a three-match ban from the Scottish FA, while Neil Lennon also took the decision to bomb the former Belgian U16 international out of his squad, with the club labelling his actions as “irresponsible” and the Northern Irishman sending him on loan to Istanbul Basaksehir for the duration of 2020/21.

In Turkey, the £12.5k-per-week man also failed to impress over his 12 Super Lig appearances, helping his side keep just two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 0.9 clearances and winning 3.6 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the 26-year-old average a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as Basaksehir’s 17th-worst performer in the Turkish top flight.

And, while Bolingoli has featured once for Celtic under the new leadership of Ange Postecoglou, the defender has been left out of the Celtic squad for the majority of their games this season, suggesting that the future does not look overly bright for the left-back at Parkhead.

Further still, as a result of this lack of game time over the past two seasons, Bolingoli’s value has plummeted from £3.15m at the time of his move to Scotland to just £1.98m today – meaning that, should Postecoglou wish to move the Belgian on any time soon, he will almost certainly have to take a loss in the transaction.

As such, with the benefit of hindsight, it would have to be said that Celtic’s former chief executive Peter Lawwell had something of a nightmare when signing Bolingoli back in 2019.

In other news: Forget Rogic: Ange could save Celtic millions by unleashing “fantastic” teen prodigy

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The future of Tottenham Hotspur attacker Christian Eriksen remains up in the air.

Indeed, Eriksen will see his current contract with Spurs expire at the end of next season.

A recent report claimed that the London club had made a breakthrough when it comes to the Denmark international’s future.

However, the simple fact of the matter is that the 6ft ace is yet to pen an extension and there will surely be offers at the end of the season.

Eriksen is enjoying another fine campaign, scoring seven goals and registering 12 assists in 33 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions.

Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been credited with an interest, which will be a concern for Tottenham.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The London club’s fans have recently been on social media commenting on the 27-year-old’s future and it would be fair to say that a number are desperate for some sort of announcement.

A selection of the latest Twitter reaction can be seen below:

An update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst’s attempts to bring a new striker to Ibrox this month…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are eyeing up a deal to sign an attacker in the January transfer window.

The report claims that Rangers, Norwich, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are among the clubs interested in signing the QPR centre-forward, Lyndon Dykes, although it remains to be seen how much the west London outfit will demand for his services.

Get it done

Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must get this deal done for Rangers this month, as Dykes could be a superb signing and improve their current options.

The Gers are not blessed with an abundance of physical players who are capable of mixing it up in individual duels against better teams. This is highlighted by Leon Balogun being the only Light Blues player who has won more than 1.8 aerial battles per game in the Europa League this season, whilst Joe Aribo (2.1) is the only midfielder or attacker averaging more than two per game in the Premiership.

Meanwhile, Dykes has won  4.3 aerial battles per game in the Championship this term for QPR, having averaged 4.8 last season. This shows that he offers a physical presence in the number nine role which Van Bronckhorst is currently lacking in his squad.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke previously lauded the attacker, saying: “Lyndon’s a confident lad and so he should be. He knows what he wants.

“He’s not a big-head, he’s nothing like that. He’s done the hard yards in football, from Queen of the South to Livingston and he’s earned himself a fantastic move to London. It’ll be nice to watch him in the Championship next season.

“He’s going to be working with a really good coach in Mark Warburton so Lyndon can only improve now for his club and hopefully his country as well.”

The £3.15m-rated bulldozer has also proven that he can score goals regularly. He has found the back of the net 18 times for QPR since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and has scored four goals in six starts for Scotland in World Cup qualifiers.

Therefore, he could add goals to go along with the physical boost with which he could provide Rangers. This is why the Light Blues must work hard to secure his services this month.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must ruthlessly axe £900k-rated Rangers dud, he’s a “weak link”…

Aside from two defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool, Steven Gerrard’s reign in charge of Aston Villa has been relatively positive with four wins under his belt against Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Norwich City.

However, there has been one bit of bad news that Gerrard has had to deal with in recent weeks with midfielder Marvelous Nakamba picking up a serious knee injury earlier this month.

With the Villa man having had surgery to fix the issue, Gerrard has shared some details on Nakamba’s recovery and when he could be back available for the team.

What’s the latest?

In a recent press conference (via Birmingham Live), Gerrard said that Nakamba is “going to be missing for somewhere in the region of 12 weeks if it is a fantastic rehab or it could be up to 16 weeks.”

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Villa will have to deal with Nakamba’s absence for a significant period of time regardless of how well his recovery goes, which will be gutting for the Villa fans to hear.

Since arriving at Villa Park back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Belgian side Club Brugge, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £6.3m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 64 appearances for Villa across all competitions but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

With Gerrard labelling Nakamba’s early performances under Villa’s new manager as “outstanding,” and the fact that the Zimbabwe international has managed to rack up an average of two tackles per game in the Premier League this season with 50% of his duels won, it goes without saying that he will be a big miss for the Villans in their midfield.

Given the amount of time that Nakamba could be spending out on the sidelines, it will be interesting to see whether or not this forces the Midlands club to splash the cash in the upcoming January transfer window to bring in a new midfielder to fill in for Nakamba while he’s out.

Moving forward, if Villa don’t sign a new midfielder in January to fill in for Nakamba, Gerrard and everyone else at the club will have to hope that the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz don’t pick up any injuries as Villa’s other two senior midfielders and that Nakamba’s recovery will be a swift one.

In other news: Gerrard must offload Wesley