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Wolverhampton Wanderers are already plotting their moves ahead of the January transfer window, even if it’s still two months away…

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, the Midlands outfit are one of several top-flight teams pursuing a move for Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence.

It’s claimed that the Championship outfit face an uphill battle to keep the 20-year-old with Everton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United also interested in his signature.

After breaking into the first-team under Jonathan Woodgate last season, Spence signed a new long-term contract in February this year.

Future talent?

The young English sensation has continued to cement his place as Boro’s right wing-back this season, playing in eight of their nine Championship outings thus far.

Spence has scored one goal and has also averaged 1.3 dribbles, 1.1 tackles and 0.7 key passes per 90 minutes, via WhoScored.

During the summer, his manager Neil Warnock played down chances of his top talent leaving the Riverside Stadium, though evidently, it’s a saga that’s set to rumble on throughout the winter.

He’s handed him a glowing endorsement in the process too, comparing him to two current Premier League stars, he said: “If you look at one or two of the full-backs that are around now – the lad at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the lad at Manchester United from Palace [Aaron Wan-Bissaka] – they are all the same type as Djed.”

Warnock went on to claim that Spence had “enormous ability” and how it would be “criminal” if he didn’t make it to the very top.

He has also been noted as having ‘blistering pace’ whilst at 6-foot-and-a-half, he offers intriguing physical attributes too.

As per ESPN, it’s believed that Boro value the promising right wing-back at just £10m whilst Spurs have previously been mooted with interest.

Nuno Santo brought in two players in the role during the summer window – Nelson Semedo, who is already making his presence felt and less so, Ki Jana-Hoever.

You’d imagine the latter is in most danger if Jeff Shi sanctions a move for Spence – a swoop in which he should absolutely follow through with as it not only meets Fosun’s long-term ambitions but hands the Wolf Pack a genuine talent ahead of their rivals.

Perhaps he can be Nuno’s next project – à la Adama Traore.

AND in other news, Wolves must rue not signing £30m monster better than Dendoncker…

Aston Villa icon Gabby Agbonlahor has backed David Moyes to bring AFC Bournemouth striker Joshua King to West Ham United in January after falling short this summer.

What’s he said?

Speaking with Football Insider, Agbonlahor has stated that he expects Moyes to revive his efforts to sign King in January after the Irons could not get a deal for the Norway international across the line.

Moyes had favoured the capture of King amid his search for offensive reinforcements but was convinced by West Ham’s hierarchy to greenlight a deal for Said Benrahma, who was ultimately unveiled in claret and blue on Deadline Day after signing a one-season loan from Brentford with an obligation to buy.

West Ham had held discussions with Bournemouth to sound out the Cherries’ commitment to King, who is set to be out of contract next summer, though saw a £13million offer rejected as the south coast side demanded in excess of £17m.

But the Hammers have not withdrawn their interest since signing Benrahma, with reports the east London outfit are laying the groundwork for a winter move as King’s contract situation could see that he is available for around £10m.

Agbonlahor fully expects West Ham to strive to secure King’s services, as a move would suit both the Irons and Bournemouth.

“It’s a move that works for both clubs,” the player-turned-pundit said. “Bournemouth don’t want to let him go for free in the summer.

“It might be a figure of maybe £7-10million in January. West Ham will know [Michail] Antonio will get injuries with the way he plays, so they’ll definitely be looking to get him and I think it’s definitely something that’ll get done in January.

“He’ll be a perfect addition and just what West Ham need.”

Watch out Fornals

With Moyes’ interest in King ensuring that West Ham are continually being linked with the Bournemouth forward, Pablo Fornals may need to start watching over his shoulder ahead of the New Year as the Norwegian could indeed prove to be a “perfect” bonus as Agbonlahor claims.

King has shrugged off his disappointment at failing to secure a move away from the Vitality Stadium and an early thigh injury to feature in the Cherries’ last four Championship fixtures, in which the 28-year-old has created one and missed one big chance to score, per SofaScore.

He has additionally averaged 1.0 shots and 0.6 key balls per second-tier appearance, along with playing 74.6% of his accurate passes in the opponent’s half, completing one in four dribbles and winning possession 0.6 times.

It would be unlikely that King could displace Antonio in Moyes’ plans, with the 30-year-old accounting for West Ham’s most shots (18), second-most successful dribbles (13), aerial duels won (17) and fourth-most key balls (six), per WhoScored, in the Premier League, but the Norwegian could rival Fornals for the supporting role.

Fornals only averaged 1.0 shots, 0.8 key balls and 0.3 successful dribbles per game when fielded centrally in the top-flight last term, per WhoScored, and could find his place on the wing under threat following Benrahma’s debut from the bench at Liverpool.

AND in other news, a Manuel Pellegrini flop has been dubbed a “big disappointment” in a further blow to West Ham.

Should Danny Ings leave Southampton in the near future, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur having been linked with a move for the 28-year-old in recent times, Ralph Hasenhuttl might be able to trust academy talent Dan N’Lundulu to step up as the striker’s replacement.

Ings has been in superb form in the last two seasons, finishing as the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League last season, after notching 22 goals in the top-flight, whilst he has started this season in a similar vein, having contributed five goals and two assists in seven Premier League appearances, resulting in a superb average rating of 7.52 (per WhoScored).

Therefore, it is unsurprising that the former Liverpool man has been linked with sides such as Spurs in recent times, and with his contract at Southampton set to expire at the end of next season, perhaps the Saints should start to consider how they can replace him.

Fortunately for the South Coast club, their excellent academy has produced some superb talents over the years, and 21-year-old Dan N’Lundulu could be the next man off the production line to make it as a Premier League player with the Saints.

The striker was poached from Chelsea’s youth team back in 2013 and he has progressed through the various academy sides at Southampton and is now surely knocking on Hasenhuttl’s door for a first-team spot.

The youngster has scored five goals in five Premier League 2 games so far this season, including a hat-trick in their last game against Manchester City U23s, which resulted in a 5-2 win for the Saints (per Transfermarkt).

N’Lundulu was rewarded for his efforts with a first-team debut for Southampton in their 2-0 win against Everton recently, as he came on as a late substitute in the victory against the Toffees (per Transfermarkt).

Perhaps, with Ings not expected to be back until next month, we will see N’Lundulu given more of a chance to shine in Hasenhuttl’s side over the coming weeks, although he will do well to replace the in-form Che Adams at the moment.

It will be interesting to see how N’Lundulu progresses over the next couple of seasons and whether he can be the man to replace Ings should the 28-year-old depart Southampton in the near future.

Southampton appear to have reignited their interest in Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham ahead of the January transfer window, and the Frenchman could be a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

It was reported by Football Insider recently that the Saints have a longstanding interest in the Celtic ace and could potentially use Mohamed Elyounoussi as leverage for signing the 24-year-old in January.

The Norwegian international is currently impressing on loan with the Bhoys from Southampton and considering the seemingly good relationship between the two clubs, the Saints may well have the advantage when it comes to potential negotiations for Ntcham.

So far this season, the former PSG man has featured 21 times in all competitions for Neil Lennon’s side, in which he has contributed one goal and two assists (per Transfermarkt).

The Saints were also linked with the midfielder during the summer window but failed to finalise a deal for the Celtic man, which has arguably left Hasenhuttl a little short of midfield options.

The Austrian has just James Ward-Prowse, Will Smallbone, Stuart Armstrong, Oriol Romeu and Ibrahima Diallo available as central and defensive-midfielders in his squad, so it could definitely be argued that signing someone such as Ntcham would make sense.

During his time at Celtic, the 24-year-old has shown his great versatility, playing in a number of positions across midfield, which would give Hasenhuttl the freedom to mould him into the sort of midfielder he wants for his squad.

Back in 2019, Lennon was full of praise for his midfielder after he captained the Bhoys in a 2-1 defeat against Cluj, saying:

“I thought Ntcham was unbelievable.

“To give him the captaincy and then for him to take on the responsibility the way he did was excellent.

“I thought his all-round game tonight was absolutely top class.” (per The Scottish Sun)

Therefore, it seems as if Ntcham would be a solid addition to the Southampton squad and considering he is currently valued at just £3.6 million by Transfermarkt, it could prove to be a bargain signing for Martin Semmens and the Southampton board to complete.

And, in other news… Southampton got a great deal in selling striker for £5 million, he’s struggling to score in the Championship

Alex Iwobi is fast becoming Carlo Ancelotti’s key man at Everton through the Nigerian forward’s consistency in a variety of roles.

The ex-Arsenal attacker featured in his fourth set position of the season so far as the Toffees beat Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday, with Ancelotti calling on Iwobi to start at right-wing in the absence of James Rodriguez.

Ancelotti confirmed ahead of the visit of Frank Lampard’s title-chasing Blues that Rodriguez would play no part, having failed to train at all in the week leading up to the game after developing an issue during the prior 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Iwobi had big shoes to fill in covering for Rodriguez, who ranks among the best players in the Premier League for key passes (26) and big chances created (7) so far this season, per SofaScore.

Yet the £34million Marco Silva signing met the challenge with relative ease, offering seven crosses and 46 touches against Chelsea, despite Everton enjoying just 28% of the ball.

Iwobi was not the best player of the pitch by any means, with Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey weathering a relentless storm to ensure Jordan Pickford retained his clean sheet.

Abdoulaye Doucoure battled through in the engine room to fluster Chelsea as often as he could, while Gylfi Sigurdsson repaid Ancelotti’s faith with a busy afternoon capitalised by keeping his cool to slot home the decisive penalty.

Iwobi, though, combined an aggressive effort with commitment going forward and tracking back, registering two interceptions, one clearance, eight ground duels, two aerial duels and five successful dribble attempts from five, per SofaScore.

Ancelotti will have been delighted to see Iwobi step in and thrive in a tough environment, but take greater satisfaction in seeing the Nigerian take to another role after an excellent showing at right-back against Burnley.

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Iwobi, who Silva lauded as being “hungry” to take the next step in his career with Everton, initially started at right-midfield at Turf Moor but was soon moved to an outright defensive position with Ancelotti forced to go four-at-the-back following Fabian Delph’s withdrawal through injury.

In the hour Iwobi played at right-back, he offered two dribbles, three tackles and an interception, per WhoScored, while playing 47 passes – only centre-back Mina (48) played more for the visiting side.

Iwobi will likely find that his place in the line-up is among the first to go should Rodriguez be passed fit to face Leicester City on Wednesday night or, failing that, Arsenal on Saturday. But the Nigerian is fast becoming Ancelotti’s key man, one the Italian is confident he can turn to in moments of need and not be massively let down by.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands has landed a huge break in his bid to final rid Everton of Steve Walsh’s £42m blunder.

Crystal Palace have been linked with Christian Kouame in the past, and reports suggest that they are still keen on the star ahead of the January transfer window.

The latest on Kouame

According to La Repubblica, via SportsWitness, Palace haven’t given up on the player, and signing Kouamé remains on their agenda. They tried to sign him before, but he suffered an injury which meant the deal was called off.

Apparently, Roy Hodgson’s side would have to make a ‘really impressive offer’ to get Kouamé as Fiorentina feel they will need to sign a replacement if they let him go.

Would this be a good signing for Palace?

The 24-year-old, who is valued at £15.75 million on Transfermarkt currently plays in the Serie A. He has a decent – albeit hardly prolific -record across his career so far as he has 33 goals and 29 assists in 192 appearances.

This season hasn’t been great for the player, however, as he has only managed to score one goal in 12 league appearances. The player has clearly been inconsistent this campaign as he has only started in five of these games, which is another reason why he  could potentially be on the move.

With Michy Batshuayi only on loan and with players like Conor Wickham proven to be injury-prone, bringing in another striker to strengthen the attack is a clever idea for the Eagles.

In other Palace news, many fans are reacting over some images of a barely-seen star. Have a read who it is here!

Leeds could get Marcelo Bielsa’s dream signing if they can clinch a stunning move for Wolves winger Adama Traore.

Victor Orta knows him

Traore is a familiar name to one person behind the scenes at Elland Road, with Victor Orta of course the sporting director at Middlesborough when he brought him in to Riverside.

Now, 90min claim that Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in making a move for the Spain international, and that with both his contracts talks with Wolves stalling, and his lack of game-time, the Whites could come swooping in.

It’s suggested that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could demand more than double the £18m they paid to sign him themselves, and that could see a valuation of around £40m were he to leave in January.

Bielsa’s dream signing

Whilst the thought of signing yet another winger who can play on the right-hand side might raise a few eyebrows, Traore is the kind of game-changer than any manager in the Premier League would love, not least Bielsa.

The Argentine has built a formidable Leeds side brimming with pace and intensity, and nobody encapsulates that more than Wolves’ speed demon. Described as being “unplayable” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Traore’s ability to play as a right wing-back and as a right winger makes him the absolute perfect fit for the kind of fluid football Bielsa wants his team to play.

Incredibly strong and fast, the Spanish flier is the kind of player who fans no doubt love to watch. His 100mph style, and his ability to go through the gears so quickly could add another dimension to Leeds’ attack and set Elland Road on fire.

His whopping average of five dribbles per game in the Premier League last season was the highest of any player in the division, and that directness is surely something Bielsa would absolutely love.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa could axe this Leeds star already.

Rob Draper has shared his own insight on the proposed £300m takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The Mail on Sunday journalist reacted to a video of a greeting between the KSA’s Crown Prince in Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), who was very much part of the consortium looking to strike a deal with Mike Ashley, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, as he arrived to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in the Kingdom, which had the aim of settling various disputes between the two countries.

Draper tweeted that the greeting was probably the ‘best hope for a Newcastle United takeover’, given the disputes that the two countries have over the banning of the beIN network in the KSA.

Can the Newcastle takeover be revived?

The settling of the disputes between the Kingdom and Qatar is certainly a step in the right direction in terms of trying to get the takeover bid back on track.

With the banning of Qatari broadcaster beIN in the KSA, games from the Premier League were left to be illegally streamed in the Kingdom, worsening their relationships with both Qatar and those in charge of England’s top division.

However, if beIN were allowed to broadcast matches in the KSA as a result of this settlement, then it could well be a step towards a possible revival of the prospective takeover at St. James’ Park as the piracy issue in Saudi Arabia could become one more problem that’s been resolved.

In other news, find out what takeover claim has been dropped after the latest activity from Jamie Reuben here!

West Brom manager Sam Allardyce is reportedly eyeing a reunion with one of his former players this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror [10/01, page 72], the Baggies could want Bordeaux striker Josh Maja on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

It’s claimed that the Midlands outfit could sign him permanently in the summer should they keep their top-flight status, which right now looks to be in serious jeopardy.

Maja was a 17-year-old rookie at Sunderland when Big Sam was in charge back in 2015/16.

Shades of Berahino?

The need for a new striker at the Hawthorns has increased tenfold in recent weeks.

Allardyce’s side already ranked among the Premier League’s worst attacks having scored just 11 goals in 17 outings – only better than two other teams in the division.

And now they have moved on Charlie Austin, who has rejoined former club QPR on loan, despite the devastating injury blow to summer signing Karlan Grant, who is now out for the next six weeks at least.

Against Blackpool in the FA Cup on Saturday, the 66-year-old had to deploy a strikerless formation which saw Matheus Pereira act as a false nine – they were subsequently knocked out, so it clearly didn’t go to plan.

The 22-year-old, who earns a reported £57k-per-week, could be an interesting solution to this nightmare.

Maja enjoyed a very decent run in Ligue 1 last term, bagging six goals, primarily from the bench as 15 of his 21 appearances were as a substitute, though this season, he’s not been able to replicate such form with just two goals in 11 starts, per WhoScored.

Despite the way he acrimoniously departed the Black Cats in 2018, the young striker still received many plaudits from his time at the club – former boss Jack Ross lauded him “fantastic” to work with on and off the pitch, whilst his ex-Bordeaux manager Paulo Sousa dubbed him a “scorer” with “sharp and strong qualities.”

At 5 foot 11, he’s the exact same fit and profile of former Albion frontman Saido Berahino, especially as Jermain Defoe mentored him at the Stadium of Light – a player who Victor Anichebe compared to the controversial striker in 2013.

Two years later, Berahino bagged 14 goals in 38 games for West Brom in the top-flight, Allardyce would surely love to see Maja come in and replicate such form.

Once dubbed a “unique talent” by local Sunderland journalist Phil Smith, Maja could be a bargain solution to Big Sam’s increasing problems.

AND in other news, Allardyce must axe £38k-p/w disaster after another pathetic display…

As Celtic lurch from one disappointing game to another, Neil Lennon must be desperately searching for ways to get his side back to winning ways.

The Hoops have completely fallen out of the title picture already, finding themselves a whopping 21 points behind arch-rivals and leaders Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Lennon’s side face Livingston tonight looking to regain some much-needed momentum, and Kristoffer Ajer may be the man to come in and bring some stability back.

The 6 foot 6 centre-back has been linked with a move away from Celtic, and has had to miss the last two games in the Scottish Premiership after being forced to quarantine.

Now that its over, Lennon may look to recall the £3.6m-rated man, and instead drop the woeful Shane Duffy. Celtic’s summer signing has been in awful form since arriving from Brighton on a season-long loan, not least a shocking cameo in the Old Firm clash against Rangers earlier this month.

In Ajer, they would get someone who’s been the closest thing to a Virgil van Dijk since the Dutchman made the move south of the border to join Southampton.

Speaking earlier this season, Alex McLeish said: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic.”

Ajer’s teammate and fellow centre-back partner Christopher Jullien described him as a “unique talent”, and it’s no surprise given his incredible size but elegance on the ball when he brings it out from defence.

A clean sheet against Livingston last time out might leave Lennon feeling he should stick to the same back-four, but Ajer’s return could allow the Hoops to play out from the back instead of someone like Shane Duffy hoofing it into row Z.

Ajer has averaged almost twenty passes more per game than Duffy this season in the Scottish Premiership (69.2 to 50.1), and boasts a far better passing accuracy too at 89% to 83%.

Retaining possession and starting counter-attacks from the back could be key to ensuring they don’t draw another blank against Livingston tonight, and Ajer’s extra composure from the heart of defence could be key.

Meanwhile, Celtic must play this exciting prospect against Livingston…