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Manchester United are thought to be eyeing a move for Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Lowdown: Contract situation

Brereton Diaz, who was on the books at Old Trafford from the age of seven to 14, is out of contract at Ewood Park in the summer.

Labelled an ‘extraordinary talent’ by his ex-Rovers boss Tony Mowbray in the past, the 23-year-old has been in fine form over the last 18 months, scoring 31 Championship goals since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

The Chile international can play anywhere across the front three, and it looks as if United are keen on his services.

The Latest: Man United interested in Brereton Diaz

90min journalist Graeme Bailey provided an update on Brereton Diaz’s future on Tuesday, in which the Red Devils were name-checked with an interest.

He stated that United ‘headline a number of interested Premier League parties’, with Old Trafford officials watching the forward in action over recent weeks.

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The Verdict: Smart target?

United could well be on the hunt for a new attacking addition in the New Year, especially if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves, as reports have been speculating.

Brereton Diaz, who has been described as the ‘face of Pepsi’ in Chile due to massive marketing campaigns following his international success, could be a shrewd and relatively cheap prospective signing, with a £10m bid possibly enough to get a deal done in January.

He wouldd provide plenty of versatility for Erik ten Hag’s side, and at the age of 23, you’d like to think that Brereton Diaz still has plenty of time to improve even further on his already impressive game.

West Ham United have been dealt a major injury blow to one of David Moyes’ key men…

What’s the latest?

As per injury expert Ben Dinnery, centre-back Kurt Zouma seems to have suffered a serious knee injury following his persistence to play against Leicester City, despite reports that he had pulled up before the game.

“There was no risk up until the warm-up, and it was only when the physio pulled me and said, ‘His knee looks a bit stiff. I’m going to take him in and give him a quick flush, give him something in his knee,’” claimed Moyes.

But the reporter has now revealed to GIVEMESPORT that this could have damaging effects on the Frenchman for the foreseeable future, he said:

“It’s that risk and reward scenario. The decision was taken to let him go and play. We know, historically, he’s had that problematic knee issue, so it looks as if it’s reared its ugly head.”

It’s a huge blow

Despite having added two new centre-backs to the squad in the summer, the absence of Zouma will always be a big miss for Moyes.

The hulking Frenchman has become a mainstay for the Hammers, with his unique blend of 6 foot 2 frame and blistering speed making him the perfect modern-day defender.

It is these qualities that likely led journalist Ben Grounds to dub him “a beast at the back”.

He had formed a fine partnership with stalwart Craig Dawson, offering that pace to complement the steely resolve of the 32-year-old, and although this season has not been as successful as the few prior, the Irons have still only conceded 17 goals in 15 Premier League games this campaign.

This is likely thanks to the exploits of the 28-year-old, who ranks in the top 3% for clearances made per 90.

It is all of these qualities that will make the £125k-per-week man such a big miss for West Ham, but the hope is that due to the enforced World Cup break he will not actually miss too much domestic football.

Whilst that remains wishful thinking, it is all those around east London can hope for as Zouma begins his recuperation.

Transfer expert Dean Jones claims that Newcastle United could attract the sort of player that the traditional top four or five would be able to do in January.

The Lowdown: Great position

Eddie Howe’s side find themselves in a great position going into the January transfer window, as they sit in third place in the Premier League table.

Having already signed Alexander Isak for a club-record £63m in the summer, the owners will feel like they can go again in the winter, especially if it strengthens their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for next season, a competition that they have not been in for nearly 20 years.

The Latest: Big pulling power

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that the St. James’ Park outfit could attract the same profile of player that the traditional top four or five could attract in January:

“I think Newcastle have put themselves in a wonderful position very, very quickly, and that they could almost attract the sort of players now, that the traditional top four or five could.”

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The Verdict: Exciting

The January window is set to be an exciting one for the Toon Army, as their position in the league, coupled up with the owners’ ambitions, could mean that they attract one or two top names to the North East.

The likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk and Memphis Depay are just two players that have recently been linked, as the Tynesiders really look to kick on in the second part of the campaign.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what positions they look to strengthen, as well as who may have to be let go by the Magpies in order to make room in the squad.

West Ham United have their eyes on signing Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to transfer expert Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: West Ham at risk of losing Declan Rice

Earlier this month, it was reported that West Ham expect to lose Declan Rice to a Champions League club during the next summer transfer window.

This comes after previous reports that the midfielder has turned down three offers to sign a new deal at the London Stadium.

With the remainder of the World Cup and the second half of the domestic season to get through before the summer, it seems as though one player has caught the attention of the Hammers, thus opening a conversation about potentially being a replacement for the West Ham captain.

The Latest: Frattesi on West Ham’s radar

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones was asked about West Ham’s interest in Frattesi, and whether he could be a suitable potential replacement for Rice.

He said: “Frattesi’s someone that’s on their radar, but to be honest, I think they’re looking for someone more established than that to replace Declan Rice.

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“It’s such a big hole that they’re going to need to fill, and they’ve got to convince the fans as well as the players that there’s not going to be a huge drop off when Rice leaves, that’s going to be the big concern.”

The Verdict: A smart signing for West Ham

As the only outfield player at Sassuolo to start all 15 of their Serie A games this season, this highlights how important the 23-year-old is for the club.

Across those appearances, Frattesi has racked up the second-highest number of shot-creating actions (39) and successful dribbles (34), as well as the fourth-highest number of progressive passes (41) at the Serie A side.

Then from a defensive point of view, the Italian has the second-highest number of successful tackles (13) at the club, which shows just how useful he can be off the ball as well as on it.

Described as “the next [Nicolo] Barella” by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Frattesi would be a smart signing for West Ham, regardless of whether they end up losing Rice in the summer or not.

Arsenal could be tempted by a move for Nico Williams in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal España (via Sport Witness), who claim that, with the Athletic Bilbao right-winger possessing a €50m (£43m) release clause in his current contract at the San Mamés stadium, coupled with how impressive the 20-year-old has been for both club and country this season, Edu could be tempted into activating this clause in the winter window.

However, the report also mentions that the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain could also be tempted by the Spain international, while Liverpool have also been reported to possess a more concrete interest in a move for the forward this January.

He’s phenomenal

Considering just how phenomenal a prospect Williams quite clearly is, it is not difficult to imagine Edu and Mikel Arteta being keen on a move for the Athletic Bilbao sensation in the winter transfer window.

Indeed, over his 14 LaLiga appearances so far this season, the £26m-rated talent has been in exceptional attacking form, having already scored three goals, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.7 shots – 0.8 of which have been on target – making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the 20-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.96, currently ranking him as Ernesto Valverde’s seventh-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football.

The player who Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig dubbed both “phenomenal” and “superb” has also caught the eye at the Qatar World Cup for Spain, with the £40k-per-week sensation making two impressive second-half cameos for La Roja against Costa Rica and Germany.

The winger particularly impressed in the 7-0 win over the former, with Williams completing 88% of his passes, being successful with two of his three attempted dribbles, winning three of his five duels and making one tackle – with these metrics seeing the youngster earn a fantastic SofaScore match rating of 7.0.

As such, considering just how talented a prospect Williams undoubtedly is, it would indeed appear a wise move for Edu to activate the flanker’s £43m release clause this winter, as the 20-year-old would most certainly represent a phenomenal addition to Arteta’s current wide attacking options at The Emirates.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is well underway and Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte could be following the action for a variety of reasons.

Harry Kane, Rodrigo Bentancur, Heung-Min Son, and Hugo Lloris are just a few of the current Spurs players who have been involved in the tournament so far and the Italian boss could be wanting to check in on how they are performing.

However, he may also have an eye on potential transfer targets for the upcoming January window, with Fabio Paratici and Conte set to have the chance to improve the squad by dipping into the market.

Tottenham have been “long-term” admirers – in the words of Pete O’Rourke – of Leicester attacking midfielder James Maddison but the England international has not played a single minute of action in Qatar.

He has been unable to get out on the pitch as of yet and this means that Conte has not been able to assess how he performs at the very top level.

Whereas, Ajax’s Mohamed Kudus has been in superb form at the World Cup and is another attacking midfielder who has been linked with a move to Spurs.

The club, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), were set to scout the Ghana international at the tournament and they should be impressed by what they have seen if that report was accurate.

Maddison is a goalscoring midfielder, who has produced 19 strikes in 48 Premier League appearances since the start of last season – proving that he can have a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Kudus, meanwhile, has been hailed as a “goal machine” by journalist Akosua Adjei and his nine goals in 20 outings in the Eredivisie and Champions League combined this season back that up.

The number 10 has taken his goalscoring form over to Qatar by scoring twice in three group-stage matches for Ghana, finding the back of the net twice against South Korea.

He was dubbed a “superstar” by Opta analyst Owuraku Ampofo in September and it is hard to argue with that assessment when you take his World Cup and Champions League record of six goals in eight starts this season into consideration.

The gem is also four years younger than Maddison and would offer more long-term value to the club, whilst providing a similar goal threat from midfield that the Englishman has done with Leicester.

Therefore, Kudus could be a dream alternative to the Three Lions magician and Spurs must swoop to sign him from Ajax in the next transfer window after the World Cup.

Pundit Tam McManus has claimed that Michael Keane moving to West Ham United in the January transfer window ‘could look terrible’ for Everton.

The Lowdown: Loan exit…

As per The Liverpool Echo, Keane is set to leave Goodison Park on loan in January, with Leicester City and Fulham among a group of eight clubs all monitoring his situation.

Another one of those teams is West Ham, who are struggling alongside the Merseyside club near the bottom of the Premier League table.

The Latest: McManus stunned

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus has claimed that Keane moving to the Hammers ‘could look terrible’ for Frank Lampard’s team, given the close proximity of the two sides near the foot of the league:

“From the Everton side, it could look terrible.

“Imagine Keane goes to West Ham then West Ham stay up while Everton go down. What if Coady or Tarkowski gets injured?

“Who do they have, Mina? That’s about it. I think Keane is a quality player and someone Everton should be looking to keep around.

“Why would you loan him to a relegation rival? You are not even getting a fee in that case, or maybe you get a small one.

“I just don’t get that at all. Why make your rival stronger at a time when they are struggling? If they do go ahead with this deal it would be great for West Ham and bad for Everton.

“You would have to ask ‘what are they doing?’.”

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The Verdict: Loan abroad if possible

There is no doubt that Keane needs to move away from the Toffees, having only featured three times so far this season, and only once in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

However, if they are to loan him out, they should be looking to move him abroad rather than to a Premier League rival.

The Blues will know themselves how much a loan signing could strengthen a rival having brought in Conor Coady from Wolves, who has been a bottom of the league table.

Nonetheless, they will not want to give West Ham or any other sides in and around them any sort of encouragement going into the second part of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur have put Giorgio Scalvini on their transfer shortlist heading into the January window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that the 19-year-old’s breakthrough at Serie A outfit Atalanta has caught the attention of Spurs in recent months.

The teenager, dubbed a “child prodigy” of his manager Gian Piero Gasperini, is a target for some big teams in the Premier League, including defending champions Manchester City and Liverpool.

Antonio Conte’s former side, Inter Milan, are also keen but La Dea currently value him in excess of €40m (£35m), so if the Lilywhites want to sign him at the turn of the year, they’ll have to pay a pretty penny for the 6 foot 4 centre-back.

Conte’s next Bastoni?

Such impressive form at domestic level has seen Scalvini pick up three caps for Italy under Roberto Mancini and it’s easy to see why he, as well as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Conte would be so interested in his signature at such a young age.

The teen gem has excelled as a ball-playing option in the heart of defence but he’s also capable of playing in defensive midfield – and when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s elite divisions, he ranks very favourably.

Indeed, as per FBref, the Atalanta wonderkid sits within the top 1% for expected non-penalty goals and assists (0.22), as well as the top 3% for tackles (2.7), the top 4% for shot-creating actions (1.45), the top 7% for interceptions (2.17) and the top 14% for progressive passes (3.49) per 90.

This not only highlights his ability as a tough defender, clearly being able to read the game so well for such a young talent, but also just how much of a supreme option he is with the ball at his feet, so much so that he can create chances for his side further up the pitch.

Conte doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to trusting youngsters to start every week, though during his time at the San Siro, he did rely on a young centre-back by the name of Alessandro Bastoni, 23.

The duo helped steer the Nerazzurri to their first Scudetto in over a decade, so the Italian head coach may look to reform such a partnership here in north London.

Of course, Spurs have failed in their attempts to lure the Inter star to N17, so Scalvini – who Fabrizio Romano described as a “top talent” – could be his next Bastoni instead.

In fact, the Italy international has even been compared to his compatriot by Gasperini, having also been at Atalanta once in his career. “He can be new version of Bastoni,” he said.

Paying at least £35m for a 19-year-old could be a risk for sporting director Fabio Paratici to make but perhaps one that must be made in a bid to bolster Conte’s squad for a challenge on all fronts in 2023.

Scalvini, who has been “eye-catching” in the words of GOAL journalist Tom Maston, would be a fine investment for the future and one that could help Conte achieve his goals at Tottenham.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal Conte a dream Emerson upgrade in January swoop for £40m “special talent”…

Arsenal made an excellent second-half comeback to defeat West Ham United last night as Mikel Arteta’s men went seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Thoughts now turn to Saturday, when the club take on Brighton & Hove Albion, but Arteta will be hoping to keep the momentum going and secure another three points against the South Coast side.

The Spaniard will also be looking to add some quality to his side when the January transfer window opens and with the club interested in signing Brazilian youngster Danilo from Palmeiras next month, Arteta looks like he wants to add more youth to his side and plan ahead for the future.

However, with a title challenge very much on, and the chance to win the North London side’s first Premier League title in 19 years, experience might be the best bet ahead of a crucial five months ahead…

Arsenal must sign Bennacer

Arsenal were linked with their former midfielder Ismael Bennacer – who was at the team before being sold in 2017 – earlier this month and he could give the club a boost in the heart of their midfield engine room.

Since moving to Serie A with Empoli five years ago, he has continued to impress, first earning a move to current Italian champions AC Milan, and then establishing himself as an integral part of the side.

This season, the £46k-per-week midfielder has been in tremendous form for Milan, averaging a rating of 7.29 via Sofascore across his 15 league appearances.

He has registered two goal contributions, created two big chances and made an average of two key passes per match, which just proves that he can be an excellent attacking threat from the centre of the midfield.

His defensive contributions should also not go unnoticed, as the 25-year-old has won 55% of his duels, made 2.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 0.5 clearances, suggesting that his all-round ability is superb and this could give Arteta’s midfield options a massive boost.

Indeed, according to FBref, the Algerian ranks in the top 10% for a variety of metrics, including tackles, shot-creating actions and dribbles completed, suggesting that he is amongst the top performers in Europe’s top five leagues over the previous year.

Milan boss Stefano Pioli labelled him a “complete midfielder” while Khaireddine Rouba dubbed him a “warrior” and it’s evident that his recent performances are attracting attention.

Arteta will need to think carefully about who he brings to the club, with Danilo an exciting prospect that could develop into a wonderful player over the course of the next few years, however, with a title challenge in motion, he may just opt for the seasoned campaigner in Bennacer and this could prove to be a masterstroke.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Arsenal defender Ben White and the England international could be the ideal addition to Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to CalcioMercato, the 25-year-old is on a two-man shortlist for City which also includes RB Leipzig sensation Josko Gvardiol, with the Citizens clearly in the market for a new centre-back.

The report claims that City may have to wait until next summer to do a deal for the former Brighton & Hove Albion star, with the Gunners unlikely to sell to their closest title rivals during the current campaign.

Perfect for Pep?

White has shown his versatility at Arsenal this season, with Mikel Arteta moving the defender out to right-back in order to accommodate William Saliba into the starting 11, with the Frenchman forming a superb partnership alongside Gabriel.

In 15 appearances so far this season, the former Leeds United loanee has contributed two assists and averaged an impressive 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

While Guardiola already has top centre-back options such as Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji to call upon at the Etihad, none of these players have earned an average rating above White’s so far this campaign.

The legendary Spanish manager has cultivated a side at City who are extremely dominant in possession and White’s ability on the ball suggests that he could be the perfect fit under the former Barcelona man.

As per FBref, the young defender excels at passing, scoring above the 80th percentile for passes attempted, pass completion and progressive passes when compared to other full-backs from Europe’s top five leagues.

Mikel Arteta was full of praise for White earlier in the season, dubbing him a “complete player” and while it might be tough to prise him away from the Emirates, given they spent £50m to sign him in 2021, it seems clear that he would be a stellar addition to Guardiola’s squad.

Therefore, Txiki Begiristain should definitely try and bring the versatile defender to the Etihad in 2023, as there seems little to suggest that he wouldn’t be a big success in a possession-hungry Guardiola side.