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Tottenham Hotspur will target Sofyan Amrabat after sealing a move for Adama Traore this week, according to Fabrizio Romano…

What’s the one?

The Italian transfer guru delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ transfer plans to Twitter, where he revealed that the Fiorentina midfielder was their “main target” as they close in on the Wolves star.

“Tottenham are now focused on Tanguy Ndombele loan move to Paris Saint-Germain and Adama Traoré deal with Wolves. Negotiations [are] ongoing.

“Sofyan Amrabat’s the main target as midfielder in case Ndombele will leave, as revealed on Sunday,” he said.

It remains to be seen how much the 25-year-old Moroccan international would command with CIES Football Observatory valuing him at around €15m (£12.5m).

Onto the next

It certainly seems as if Traore will soon become a Lilywhites player after GIVEMESPORT reported that they had agreed to make him their fourth-highest earner on £120k-per-week with an initial loan move very close.

Now it seems their attention will turn to strengthen another key area that Antonio Conte is desperate to bolster – the engine room.

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Ndombele’s move to Paris Saint-Germain could well happen before next Monday’s deadline, whilst the futures of Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are by no means certain either, so there’s going to be a position in the squad available if even two of the three depart N17.

It’s believed that the Italian head coach wanted three key signings.

One being right wing-back, where he is expected to convert the Spanish winger into his next Victor Moses, central midfield, where Amrabat has emerged as the top target, and striker, where Harry Kane needs some backup, as per football.london.

Capped 27 times for his national side and having featured in over 130 appearances across the Italian and Dutch top-flight, the 6-foot powerhouse is an experienced and reliable option in the heart of the pitch.

At the Africa Cup of Nations this month, he has been one of the best passers, averaging a success rate of 93%, only bettered by three other players, whilst the fact that he commits more fouls (106) than he has tackles (101) during his time in Italy suggests he’s an aggressive presence that isn’t afraid of putting in the graft, so he’ll be a midfielder right up Conte’s street.

On the above evidence, the 52-year-old will surely be delighted as Spurs close in on their first two signings of the winter transfer window, especially as they are in key positions he has requested for.

AND in other news, Bid accepted: Spurs close in on “extraordinary” £25m-rated beast, Conte will love him…

Said Benrahma is surely facing the axe from David Moyes’ starting XI as his West Ham United side travel across London to face Arsenal later this evening.

The Irons have hit a rough patch in their season, with their impressive win against Chelsea being their only one across their last four games in all competitions.

It has seen their place inside the Premier League’s top-four put in grave danger as the chasing pack have narrowed the gap on them.

The Gunners will be no easy test, particularly as they are one of the many teams right behind them in the standings – indeed, a win for the home side could see them leapfrog the east Londoners today.

As such, it leaves Moyes with several decisions to make in terms of team selection after the Hammers drew 0-0 to a struggling Burnley side at the weekend.

West Ham’s futile frontline could only muster up three shots on target, with there being a substantial lack of creativity in the final third and it was another game in which the Algerian winger struggled.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old managed only one key pass and 37 touches of the ball in the 70 minutes he was on the pitch. By comparison, substitute Nikola Vlasic took his rare opportunity and created a whopping three key chances from only 13 touches in just 20 minutes.

Benrahma’s barren run now extends to six league games without a goal or assist, whilst he’s provided only one goal and one assist in his last 14 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

In recent matches against Wolves and Man City, the £22.5m-rated attacker failed to surpass a WhoScored rating of 6.15 and has only recorded better than his 6.88 average for the season just once since the start of October, which suggests his poor form has been a problem and it could be argued that he is now holding the Irons back in the attack.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas claimed at the start of the month that his form was “a concern” and this week he doubled up on that by suggesting that he had “been poor lately.”

Meanwhile, club legend Tony Gale suggested that the Hammers winger was “struggling” in that aforementioned clash at Molineux during commentary duties for the Premier League’s official feed.

So as such, it would be wise for Moyes to be ruthless and bold in his team selection and to do so, he must axe the passenger-like Benrahma from the starting XI against the Gunners this evening.

AND in other news, West Ham’s “unbelievable” £18m-rated star drops 5-word hint that’ll have fans buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Matt Doherty is expected to leave north London in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist revealing on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast that Spurs boss Antonio Conte is looking to move a number of first-team players on in the upcoming winter market, and that the 29-year-old defender is one of them.

Speaking about the potential exit of the Republic of Ireland international next month, Romano said: “Doherty has a serious chance to leave in January. Tottenham are also thinking about the outgoings. Doherty is going to leave.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering how poor Doherty has generally been for Tottenham since his £15m move to North London back in the summer of 2020, the news that Spurs are looking to move the right-back on this winter is sure to have left many of the club’s fanbase buzzing.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances last season – only 13 of which came as starts – the £10.8m-rated defender helped his side keep a mere three clean sheets, as well as being beaten by an opponent an average of 1.2 times and losing possession of the ball a whopping 13.3 times per game.

These returns saw the £74k-per-week man earn an extremely disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of just 6.76, ranking him as Spurs’ 11th-worst performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

Things have not improved for the right-back over his four league outings this season, with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as Antonio Conte’s eighth-worst player in the division so far.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise to many Tottenham fans that, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the overwhelming majority of Spurs supporters voted in favour of their club moving the 29-year-old onto pastures new this winter.

As a result, Romano’s latest update will undoubtedly come as music to the ears of many involved with the club, and we would have to agree that Doherty’s rather hefty weekly wage could easily be put to much better use by Fabio Paratici and Conte in the January transfer window.

In other news: Conte may have found his new Skriniar as THFC make contact for £76m-rated “oil tanker”

West Brom have been struggling to register winning form in the last few weeks, failing to take three points from their last three games.

Valerien Ismael’s side were expected to return to the Premier League with ease, but Fulham and Bournemouth’s form has been undeniable, creating a significant gap of seven points between the two automatic qualifying spots and the Baggies.

One player who plays a crucial part in the team’s system, offering consistency and quality, is goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone.

The goalkeeper has been with West Brom since 2018, with 149 appearances and has gained the attention of many established Premier League clubs.

According to The Dialy Mail, Johnstone is a prime target for Tottenham Hotspur, with 35-year-old Hugo Lloris coming to the end of his contract this season.

The goalkeeper has not only received attention at club level, but was also called up to the England squad for Euro 2020. Despite not playing a game, the 28-year-old has remained part of Gareth Southgate’s plans and has gained three international caps this year, including squad appearances in World Cup 2022 qualifiers.

The £7.2m-rated titan is out of contract in the Summer and there has been a lot of talk on his future, including West Brom potentially cashing in on the keeper in January, which could be a huge mistake in the campaign for West Brom to gain promotion this season.

The West Brom boss had spoken out at the beginning of the season about the in-demand goalkeeper and his contract;

“He came back early from his holiday – which is a sign,” Ismael told. “I have spoken with him and the feeling is that Sam is happy to be back, for sure.

“We know the situation with him, but he’s given – completely – another feeling. You can see he is a big professional.”

As the side are currently struggling to make their impact on a title challenge and moving further back in the race for automatic promotion, it would not seem wise to cash in on the goalkeeper in January, but to hold down the player until, at least, the end of his contract, and re-explore opportunities to potentially keep hold of him should they be in a more attractive position in the league in the new year.

The cost of not being promoted back into the Premier League is far greater than the cost of losing, arguably, the best player at the club and Ismael should do whatever it takes to keep their greatest asset at the club until the summer, at the very least. After all, if he does go, it could prove disastrous at the Hawthorns.

Albion face Nottingham Forest on Friday and will be hoping to secure a crucial three points from the game at home.

In other news: Kipre drops a shocker against Blackpool

Eddie Howe is reportedly now targeting a record Newcastle United move for Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Will not go away…

The possibility of Trippier moving to St. James’ Park is simply one rumour that will not go away.

The Daily Mirror reported last month that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) believe that they can tempt him back to the Premier League in January, while The Northern Echo have recently claimed that the North East club are hopeful that they can persuade him to leave Atletico Madrid given the emergence of Marcos Llorente in his right-back position.

Nonetheless, given that he played under Howe while they were both at Burnley, a potential move does make a lot of sense.

The Latest: Howe’s top target

As per 90min, Trippier is now Howe’s ‘top target’, after sources revealed that he ‘remains keen’ on a move back to the English top flight, after a move to Manchester United last summer fell through.

However, it will take ‘some persuading’ for him to move to Tyneside, and so the new owners will offer him the biggest contract in the club’s history, worth £150,000-per-week, far more than the £82,000-a-week that he is currently earning in La Liga.

The Magpies would also likely have to pay a club-record transfer fee, or very close to it, in order to sign him next month.

The Verdict: Expensive, but worth it

There is no doubt that bringing in Trippier would be expensive, and could be questioned given that he is 31 years of age now.

However, money should be no object to the mega-rich consortium, and he would offer so much of the valuable experience needed to pull themselves out of the drop zone.

Described as a ‘warrior’ by England manager Gareth Southgate back in June, Trippier was a won the La Liga title last season ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, and has so much knowledge and know-how that can be passed down to the squad.

Howe and Trippier also have a good relationship dating back to their time with the Clarets, as Howe once claimed that he is ‘one of the best crossers of the ball’ that he has ever worked with (The Bournemouth Echo), while Trippier in turn has claimed that Howe is a ‘great manager’ and has expressed his admiration for helping him personally (The Burnley Express).

Nonetheless, bringing Trippier to the Toon to work with him could well be a match made in heaven.

In other news, find out which ‘very talented’ Premier League ace NUFC are now eyeing here!

When former Leeds United starlet Lewis Cook was bursting onto the scene, then-Whites manager Dave Hockaday waxed lyrical about the young prospect, saying: “if you chopped Lewis’ head off and put an older head on his shoulders, you wouldn’t be surprised”.

It was Hockaday who handed the midfielder his debut and first start for Leeds before he left the club, and some of the credit for Cook’s emergence surely must go to the former Whites boss for placing his trust in him.

Cook, who came through the academy at Thorp Arch, was someone who predominantly played in the middle of the park, but could also operate out wide just like he did in his final season at Elland Road in the 2015/16 campaign.

After making 85 senior appearances for the Yorkshire club, the Whites eventually cashed in on their young starlet, with Bournemouth paying a fee rising to £10m to lure him away from Elland Road.

Hailed as a “special talent” by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, Cook’s time with the Cherries has been absolutely shattered by injury after injury; and earlier this year, he suffered another long-term knee injury which has kept him out of first team action until now.

It’s all meant that the midfielder has played just 120 times for the south coast club in his five years there (no Championship appearances since mid-March), and new Bournemouth manager Scott Parker recently admitted he could empathise with Cook’s plight.

He said: “I was a player a little while ago and I realise during injuries they’re the worst moments really, when you feel really low. Certainly long-term ones and to go and do the same injury like Lewis has, psychologically that probably would’ve been a big blow for him in that sense.

“I think I see that where he is currently as well. I’m sure it’s been some tough moments for Lewis, just in the nature of two injuries and long-term like they’ve been. But I’ve certainly been impressed with him where he is.”

It’s been a tragic downturn in fortune for the 24-year-old Cook, but from a purely business sense in respects to Leeds, they cashed in the absolute perfect time on a player who was rapidly rising through the ranks at Elland Road.

Nobody could have predicted the scale and extent of the injuries that he would end up suffering following his exit from Yorkshire, but the Whites got out when they could.

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally sell this first team player…

A behind-the-scenes update on Rangers’ search for a new manager and backroom staff has emerged…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Arthur Numan could come in alongside Gio van Bronckhorst to be one of his staff members at Ibrox.

The report claims the Gers are closing in on the appointment of Steven Gerrard’s successor, with Numar named as one of the behind-the-scenes figures who could form part of his staff.

Delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this news as Numan is a further former player who could come in and add quality and experience in his role.

He is currently the chief scout with Eredivise side AZ Alkmaar, which proves that he’s already working at a high level and consequently, would come in with a wealth of knowledge, particularly of the Dutch market. Therefore, he could recommend talented players for the club to sign in that part of the world.

With the January transfer window coming up, Numan may be able to provide a list of talents he scouted with Alkmaar in mind and suggest that Rangers pursue them instead. This could give them a new territory to explore, potentially unearthing some hidden gems in the Netherlands to bolster the squad in the process.

Numan would also arrive as a familiar face to Gers fans of a certain age. The defender, who was capped 44 times by his country, playing for the club in the late ’90s and early 2000s, featuring in the UEFA Cup and Champions League in that time.

Therefore, fans could love to see him return to the club after almost 20 years, although it would be in a position away from the football pitch and dugout. His work off the pitch could bring talented players to the club, given he is currently working in the top division in his home country, which is another reason why supporters should be delighted by this news.

Additionally, this comes following a report that claimed Ross Wilson wants to appoint a coach with experience managing in Scottish football to aid van Bronckhorst, with Barry Ferguson, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds named as potential appointments.

Evidently, Wilson is attempting to piece together the best possible staff to help Rangers in the long term and Numan could be the latest piece of the grand puzzle.

AND in other news, Behind-the-scenes: Report delivers Rangers manager detail that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Liam Kennedy has identified AC Milan’s Franck Kessie as a potential target for Newcastle United. 

The lowdown

Perhaps the key detail regarding Kessie is that he’s into the final year of his contract at San Siro. He reportedly rejected the offer of a new deal from Milan in September.

Despite the uncertainty, Kessie has started six games for the Rossoneri so far this season.

He’s averaged 2.6 accurate long balls, 1.2 tackles and 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes in Serie A (via WhoScored).

The Ivorian has been hailed as ‘a complete player’ by Milan boss Stefano Pioli.

The latest

Kennedy, writing for Newcastle World, runs through some ‘realistic and ambitious names’ which the Toon ‘could be looking at’.

Among them is Kessie, who would add ‘some much-needed defensive steel to the Magpies midfield’.

Kennedy hails the 24-year-old as a ‘super-talented’ and ‘dominating’ figure in the middle of the park.

The verdict

This Newcastle squad is perhaps in need of a new defensive midfielder. Steve Bruce thought so at the start of the summer window, but no deal was feasible.

Kessie is a specialist in the position and could transform it from an area of weakness to a real strength.

What’s more, his contract situation means Newcastle could try to sign him on a free transfer, though they will surely face stern competition.

In other news, this blockbuster managerial candidate has one vital condition. 

Newcastle United are considering a transfer move for experienced Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

What’s the story?

The Croatia international’s contract with the Serie A giants comes to an end next summer, and would therefore allow him to sign a pre-contract agreement with the Magpies when the January transfer window opens up in a couple of months time.

And, according to Italian publication Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), the Tyneside club are very much serious about signing the 28-year-old, and that they are ready to offer him a salary of around €7m (£5.9m) per season.

Newcastle fans will be buzzing

Rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, Brozovic has been mostly used in a more defensive-minded role for Inter, but has still managed to score 25 goals and provide 34 assists in his time at the San Siro.

The Croatian can dictate the tempo of the game, and is at his best when controlling the action. As per WhoScored, he has averaged a whopping 61 passes per game in Serie A this season, at an extraordinary passing accuracy of 92.3%.

And judging by the kinds of comments that his managers at both club and international have said about him, it’s clear to see why Newcastle should be prioritising him this summer.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic declared: “He is very important to us in the game, he is very calm and his technique is perfect. Through him we can easily get out of the opponent’s pressing”.

And, former Inter boss Luciano Spalletti hailed: “Brozovic is one who has a compass in the foot, knows football, has clean passages and find the free man”.

Brozovic could come in and become the deep-lying playmaker that Newcastle could do with to best unlock the likes of Joe Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin further forward, and helping to turn them into a team that likes to dominate possession.

With his age at just 28, the Croatian is still in the prime years of his career, and is the kind of marquee signing that would surely have Newcastle fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could get St James’ Park rocking by hiring this man…

Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister has revealed that Ianis Hagi is in contention to face Livingston tonight after returning from a viral infection.

What’s the latest?

The winger has been ruled out since the last international break, but McAllister has confirmed that the 22-year-old has looked sharp in training, whilst giving an overall injury update.

He told the Glasgow Times: “Ianis is back and trained, he looked pretty sharp. Ryan Kent will be missing. Patterson has had an ankle issue recently but he trained and looked sharp today.

“Ryan Jack is still missing and working hard to get back to full fitness.”

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will be buzzing with this update as it suggests that Hagi could be in with a shot at starting, or at least featuring, against Livingston tonight. His last appearance for the club came at the end of August in a 4-2 win over Ross County, with supporters potentially excited to see him back in action after a month out.

The Romania international has two goals and one assist in six competitive appearances this term, having managed seven goals and 11 assists in the Premiership last season. This shows that he has the quality to score and set up goals on a regular basis, which could provide Rangers with the spark they have been missing of late.

His manager Steven Gerrard, who previously dubbed Hagi an “outstanding talent”, has seen his side score just once in their last two outings. This suggests that they have been lacking in the final third, which is where the 22-year-old could come in and solve a glaring problem for the Gers. He has proven that he can contribute in key moments since the start of last season and could provide that quality now that he has returned to fitness. 

Fans will surely be buzzing to see the mercurial gem back in the starting XI and gaining some valuable minutes against Livingston in the League Cup. That could then allow him to get fully match-fit ahead of a return to Premiership action at the weekend against Dundee.

AND in other news, Gerrard must unleash £14k-p/w Rangers powerhouse tomorrow, he’s a brick wall…