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Newcastle United are reportedly ‘looking again’ at signing PSV winger Cody Gakpo in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: World Cup star

Gakpo was a star for the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals in his opening three games, before his country were knocked out by Argentina at the quarter-final stage.

Lauded as ‘something special‘ by renowned football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano for his heroics, the winger is a player that is likely to attract plenty of interest come January, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United already thinking about moves.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘looking again’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the St. James’ Park outfit will be ‘looking again’ at Gakpo in January, after previously eyeing up a move in the summer:

“#NUFC looked at Cody Gakpo in the summer – and they’ll be looking again next month. Any move for the Dutch international won’t be cheap though….”

Expanding in his article for The Northern Echo, Wilson adds that the North East club have been told that they will have to pay more than £40m for his signature, although PSV would like to keep him until the summer at least.

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The Verdict: Get it done

After recently being linked with the likes of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Leeds United’s Jack Harrison, it is clear that the Tynesiders would like to bring in another winger into the squad.

Aside from his World Cup exploits, Gakpo’s blistering form for PSV speaks for itself, with no fewer than 13 goals and 17 assists in just 24 games in total over all competitions before the break (Transfermarkt).

At just 23 years of age, he has so much potential, and Eddie Howe’s side could really benefit if he comes to the Magpies in January.

Tottenham Hotspur have now been offered the opportunity to sign Barcelona forward Memphis Depay.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eyeing forward

Numerous Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for Depay in recent weeks, with 90min reporting earlier this month that the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Ham have all made contact with the player’s representatives ahead of a January transfer swoop.

There is a lot of rumours swirling around in the Dutchman, with the interested parties perhaps of the belief that they can lure him away from Camp Nou due to his lack of game time this season, having made just two La Liga appearances this term.

The Latest: Depay offered to Tottenham

Given the fact that the 28-year-old has been unable to cement a place in the starting lineup for Barcelona, the Spanish club are now said to have offered him to Spurs, as per the Daily Mail.

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However, it is also detailed that a move is considered unlikely, with Antonio Conte deciding to only add to his squad dependent on the injury list at Hotspur Way, which currently stands at a total of nine players.

The Verdict: Great option

With Harry Kane still contracted until 2024, Conte has no pressing need to sign a new forward, but the 86-time Netherlands international would still be a very nice option to have, particularly because he is also versatile enough to play on the left-wing.

Journalist Josh Bunting has previously labelled the former Manchester United man as being ‘excellent’, a fitting description given his goal record throughout his career, registering a total or 147 in 399 professional club appearances, a very solid tally for a player who has often featured on the wing.

The centre-forward has averaged 2.27 dribbles per 90 minutes over the past year, ranking in the 86th percentile for players in his position, while he also impressively averages 0.5 non-penalty goals per outing, more than double Richarlison’s 0.23 for context.

Although he struggled in his previous stint in England, Depay is ready for a second chance and he would be a very astute signing, especially considering he is likely to be available for less than he’s worth, given that Barcelona are keen to sell him.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made an enquiry for Coventry City forward Viktor Gyokeres, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Cunha in

Julen Lopetegui has made his first signing as Wolves manager with Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha making the move to the Midlands.

A move for the Brazilian will officially go through on January 1 in what will be an initial loan with an obligation to buy for €50m (£44m).

There have been rumours regarding interest in another attacker in Gyokeres, and it seems as if Wolves have made a first move ahead of a potential transfer.

The Latest: Approach made

90min provided an update regarding Gyokeres on Wednesday evening, where Wolves were mentioned.

They claim that Wolves, along with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Leeds, have all made enquiries regarding the forward’s availability in January.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Wolves supporters may well welcome this news of another potential attacking addition at Molineux, especially as their side have scored just 10 goals in 16 Premier League games.

Gyokeres, lauded as having ‘unbelievable’ ability by Coventry manager Mark Robins, has found the back of the net on 12 occasions in the Championship this season so could give the club more firepower in front of goal.

He’s also valued at a career-high €5m Transfermarkt so appears to be at the peak of his powers, while his versatility of being able to play out wide could also come in handy.

The onus on replenishing the midfield ranks at Liverpool has never been more apparent, and the club might now turn to a former target to inject fresh life to save a fading season…

What’s the word?

Wolverhampton Wanderers completed the signing of Matheus Nunes in the summer in a club-record £42.2m deal that was considered a major coup for the club, following intense speculation that the 24-year-old could join Liverpool.

And now, according to The Telegraph, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp and Sporting Director Julian Ward could be poised to dive back in for the Portuguese maestro, who could be available for €50m (£44m), although any move is unlikely to happen until next summer’s window.

Nunes has not quite hit the ground running since his arrival at Wolves from Sporting Lisbon, with the club languishing near the bottom of the Premier League table and in real danger of falling back into the EFL Championship.

Midfield saviour?

Nunes has been lacklustre since commencing his exploits in English football, having made 14 Premier League appearances from his central position and registering just the one assist, having yet to find the back of the net.

And his average league rating of 6.74 leaves plenty of room for improvement, as per Sofascore, with his lack of direct goal involvement hampering his progress, although his 1.1 shots per match and 0.9 key passes, knitted together by a slick 81% passing accuracy, certainly allude to a promising career at one of Europe’s elite outfits.

However, Liverpool are in dire need of a new face in the centre of the park to lift the club back to prominence, with a lack of grip, tenacity and vibrancy combining to wreak havoc on the Merseyside outfit’s ambitious aspirations.

Nunes, despite his tepid start to life on English soil, boasts all the attributes required to flourish at one of the Premier League’s elite, and could indeed prosper in and amongst Liverpool’s deep pool of world-class talent.

As per FBref, the 11-cap star ranks within the top 4% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received, and the top 16% for touches in the attacking penalty area, indicating a willingness to surge forwards and look to split the opposing defences apart with deft darting runs and provide from a creative standpoint.

Praised by his former Sporting teammate Goncalo Santos for his natural pace, power and elegance when gliding through the field before his departure last summer, Nunes possesses every morsel of talent required to forge an eminent career indeed.

Santos said: “It’s unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet. Nobody can catch him; it’s impossible because he’s too fast.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once lauded Nunes as “one of the best players in the world”, and he could become just that at Liverpool, thriving and serving as the focal point from the centre, finally gifting the Kop it’s marquee midfield signing so desired over the past few years.

Did you know that football is the most popular sport in Hungary? Hungarians love playing and talking about football. And do you know what else they enjoy? – Placing wagers on their favourite teams. Luckily, they can access bookies like 20bet, who provide competitive odds on Hungarian and international matches. So, they never miss a chance to place wagers on deserving teams.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the most impressive achievements in Hungarian football:

The Hungarian National Team

Professional football in Hungary dates back to 1901, even though the first football match was in the 1860s. The team, which falls under Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség (The Hungarian Football Federation), participates in a range of tournaments, including:

Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA World Cup (National Team), European Championship (National Team), and UEFA Nations League (National Team).

We look at how it has performed since its inception and the marks it has made in the football world.

Olympic Titles

The Olympic Football Tournament takes place every four years, having started back in 1900. There have been different formats since its inception. But now, the teams comprise the national U23 team with three overage players. Hungary ranks as the most successful team in this football competition, having garnered three titles. Great Britain also has a similar standing.

So, when did Hungary win the Olympic titles?

1952, 1964, and 1968

It also managed to rank in second place in 1972 and third place in 1960, making it a highly successful football team by Olympic standards. And since no other team has managed to clinch more than three wins, it maintains its top ranking.

World Cup Titles

The FIFA World Cup has occurred every four years since its inception in 1930. However, it did not occur in 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War. The games resumed in 1950 once things had quieted down and people could rebuild their lives.

Brazil is currently the most successful national team, with five titles to date. But Hungary has also made quite a mark in the rankings, having ranked second in the 1938 and 1954 games.

1938: Hungary came close to winning the 1938 title, having made it to the final. It was a challenging game as Italy, the reigning champion was keen to ensure it did not lose its title. The game ended 4-2, 1954: The 1954 World Cup took place at a time when teams were rebuilding their legacies. Thus, it witnessed a high competition rate with new records, such as the highest number of goals per game. Hungary easily made it through the qualifiers and lost in the finals to West Germany with a 3-2 score. Once again, the team had come close to clinching a World Cup title.

Hungary is yet to win a World Cup title, but hope is not lost.

UEFA European Championship Title

After the World Cup, this is the most-watched league, featuring the most formidable teams battling for the ultimate title. Since its inception in 1958, it has occurred every four years. It faced a minor setback in 2020 at the height of COVID-19 but is now back on track. Germany and Spain are the most successful teams, with three titles each. But Hungary came close to gaining a tag in the leaders list in 1964.

The tournament had 29 teams battling for the title. Hungary made it to the semi-finals, where it lost to Spain with a 2-1 final score, thus coming in third in the championship. It was quite a fete for the team.

You might be wondering what happened to the Hungarian national team after the 1960s when its shine seems to have dimmed. This change mainly owes to the revolution in the 1950s, which saw many footballers leave the country. However, there is hope that this team, which currently ranks 34th in the FIFA World Rankings, will soon make a comeback.

Photo by Unsplash

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) are looking to invest in a football club and a side such as West Ham United could fit the bill.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, it was recently reported that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and QSI head Nasser Al-Khelaifi met last week and the subject of investing in the club was discussed among other topics – although Spurs have denied such reports.

QSI own PSG and recently took on 23% of Portuguese side Braga and are said to be looking at ‘football investment opportunities’ around the globe.

In a new update on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex has now explained that the group are looking to acquire a football club with land that could be developed.

He then explained that West Ham fall into that category though there have been no talks between QSI and the Hammers’ ownership at this stage.

He explained: “Qatar Sports Investment is something worth keeping an eye on. They’ve apparently had talks with Spurs about taking over them.

“They’re said to be interested in acquiring a football club or acquiring a football club that has land that could be developed. Of course, West Ham fall into that category.

“And in 2023, I think from April onwards, the board will not face a fine if they sell the club. Now, at the moment, there has been no offer.

“There’s been nothing that’s even looked like being an offer for West Ham. And it’s not even known whether we would actually entertain an offer with [Daniel] Kretinsky now there and [David] Sullivan, still enjoying what he’s doing.”

Time for a change? 

As Ex makes clear, there is no guarantee that West Ham would even be considered as an option for QSI and so fans shouldn’t start to jump to any conclusions just yet – although, Simon Jordan did predict last year (via West Ham Zone) that the club might be sold in 2023.

As well as that, following the recent passing of joint-chairman David Gold, it would be wrong to speculate heavily on what direction the club will take in the near future at this stage.

It will be interesting to see what steps QSI take over the coming weeks though as they seek out a new project to invest in. Of course, Manchester United and Liverpool are both potentially up for sale and so those two Premier League giants may be viewed as more attractive options.

Anything other than victory against Fulham on Thursday night is a grave cause for concern for Chelsea manager Graham Potter as the tactician sets his sights on reclaiming a place among the European competitors of the Premier League.

Indeed, the Blues have run off course this term, and now occupy the tenth-placed role in the league following a detrimental run of form that has left the west London giants ten points adrift of Manchester United in fourth place.

Succeeding at London rivals Fulham’s home ground of Craven Cottage would be a stellar step in the right direction, with the newly-promoted outfit exceeding expectations this season and currently perching in seventh place in the division.

Should Potter taste defeat, the Cottagers would soar six points above the weathered Blues, albeit having played a game extra, whereas victory would restore parity and open the door for a return to European contention.

Despite signing from Napoli for £33m in the summer, colossus Kalidou Koulibaly has failed to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge. Indeed, his performance in the FA Cup thrashing against City typified that, with the Senegalese titan being outshone by his less experienced teammates.

He is a minnow in terms of influence when compared to one other senior centre-back, who is defying expectations. That player, still unquestionably imperative in the fight against further issues, is the veteran centre-back Thiago Silva, who is still a beacon of strength and leadership despite sitting firmly in the twilight phase of his professional career at 37 years old.

Having made 102 outings since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2020, Silva has often provided the defensive resilience required to secure victory, notably playing a central role in his club’s 2020/21 Champions League triumph, recording a solid average rating of 6.97 en-route to glory.

This season, making 20 appearances across all competitions, the 113-cap Brazilian veteran has maintained his impressive level of performance despite his club’s troubles, averaging an exceptional rating of 7.31 in the Premier League.

His robust presence, making 1.6 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 4.2 clearances per fixture, have been imperative in stopping the backline from crumbling – and with 0.5 shots per match, his direct offensive presence adds another dimension.

And ranking within the top 2% of defenders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 4% for passes completed and the top 17% for progressive passes, as per FBref, Silva can serve as the creative force from the back to pump life into the offensive third of the pitch, starting transitions from the back in a bid to bypass the cohesive Fulham outfit.

It’s also worth noting that the £110k-per-week earner’s towering presence will be important in quelling the threat of the prolific Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has scored 11 goals in 15 games after seismically netting 43 times in the EFL Championship last season.

As per Whoscored, Silva has won a career average of 2.0 aerials per match, while the Serbian striker has displayed his towering presence up front with a ratio of 3.7 – nullifying this element of the game, both as a direct threat and for his hold-up play, is paramount.

Lauded as a “Rolls-Royce” by Chelsea icon Joe Cole, Silva truly is one of the great defenders of his generation, and despite his numbered years at top level, he can continue to play a definitive role in Chelsea’s resurgence over the latter period of the 22/23 campaign, and that starts with returning to winning ways against Fulham.

Jason Cundy has questioned why VAR didn’t award a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur when Richarlison appeared to handle the ball.

The Lowdown: Disappointing evening for Spurs

Despite racing into a two-goal lead on the stroke of half time Spurs were very quickly pegged back in the second 45 minutes with goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland and they ended up losing 4-2.

That result last night wouldn’t have been expected or even seen coming by many people at half time with Spurs two goals to the good but it only goes to show why Antonio Conte is desperate for new signings to improve his side and help them compete with the likes of Manchester City.

Even though losing 4-2 is a bad enough night, it could’ve been far worse had VAR decided to award Man City a penalty when Richarlison appeared to block the ball with his outstretched arm inside the six-yard box.

The Latest: Tottenham let off by VAR

While Richarlison wasn’t looking at the ball when it made contact with his arm, there’s no excuse that he did stop the ball from making its way across goal which has left Cundy baffled on TalkSPORT.

He said: (0:00) “How Richarlison has not given a penalty away I will never know. Can somebody explain to me, the VAR is there and at that point, it was a crucial point of the game, Richarlison stuck his arm out and it struck his arm.

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“His arm is away from his body [in an] unnatural position, how is that not a penalty?”

The Verdict: Conte must get his team firing

Conte has indeed spoken very openly about his desire and need to be backed in the transfer market, but he can’t just keep relying on new players to improve his side, he must be working on the training ground to improve what he’s got already.

It wasn’t too long ago that Conte was hailing someone like Eric Dier as one of the best defenders in the Premier League but last night he put in a shocking display earning a measly 4/10 player rating and was said to be all over the place from the second goal onwards.

Spurs have certainly got themselves into a tricky position just beyond the halfway mark of the season as they’re five points off the top four having played a game more than Newcastle United and with no new arrivals seemingly on the horizon, things are certainly going from bad to worse.

Newcastle United are in the market to add depth to their impressive squad this month and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT transfer insider Alex Crook, Newcastle have had an approach rejected for Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

As per the report, the Red Devils are not interested in parting ways with their player in the January transfer window with advances rebuffed by not only Newcastle but fellow Premier League club Southampton too.

Obertan repeat

There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the position his squad have got themselves in over the campaign so far and it will be hard for new additions to compete for a spot in the first team due to the phenomenal form.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League table after going unbeaten in all bar one of their 20 outings, whilst last night they edged closer to their first domestic cup final at Wembley Stadium since their clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup back in 1999 – beating Southampton 1-0 at St Mary’s.

Indeed, Howe will want to continue to strengthen and add depth to his talented squad at St James’ Park to ensure Newcastle can retain their dominance at the top of the table and ultimately compete healthily in Europe should they earn a spot in either the Champions League or Europa League at the end of the season.

The North East club have already made hugely impactful signings with Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman quickly becoming key players in the rapid success of the team since Howe took over in November 2021, however, the approach for McTominay could be Dan Ashworth’s first mistake.

Whilst adding depth to the centre of the pitch will be a huge priority for Newcastle due to a general lack of personnel in the positions, it will be important to not drop off in quality when rotating the midfield.

Sean Longstaff has recently become a really important player for the Magpies since returning to the team following Shelvey’s injury issues this season and has outperformed McTominay with ease over his performances so far.

Indeed, Longstaff betters the 26-year-old Man United ace in many attributes including goal contributions (3 v 0), progressive passes (51 v 12), ball recoveries (88 v 50), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.45 v 1.43), tackles and interceptions (36 v 28) and blocks (27 v 7).

As such, Ashworth could well be heading for a repeat of the disastrous Gabriel Obertan signing with a move for McTominay – who was dubbed “clumsy” by Gary Neville – as his inconsistencies could see him quickly become an outcast at the club.

Just like Obertan, he’d be arriving from Man United and it feels unlikely that he’d hit the high level of performance that Howe expects from his side.

The former Magpies winger failed to make a positive impact during his time at St James’ Park which ultimately led to the player only making 77 appearances over his four-and-a-half-year stint, in which he scored just three times; a goal every 1,444 minutes.

With that being said, Ashworth should be focusing on identifying players who can now take the squad to the next level in their pursuit to compete in European football next season and McTominay is not a player who will add the high quality needed compared to what they already have in their midfield.

Journalist Beren Cross has revealed that Leeds United were keen on handing Jack Harrison a new contract but a recent bid has thrown “cat amongst the pigeons”.

What’s the word?