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Wolves have been linked with a move for Stoke City defender Harry Souttar recently and the centre-back could be the man to finally replace Conor Coady at Molineux.

According to reports last week from TEAMtalk, both Wolves and West Ham are keen on signing the 24-year-old in this month’s transfer window, after the 6 foot 6 defender caught the eye with the Socceroos at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Stoke City man had only just recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury when he earned the call-up to Graham Arnold’s side but he was instrumental in their progression to the round of 16 before their defeat against eventual champions Argentina.

Souttar would average a hugely impressive 6.94 rating from WhoScored for his performances at the World Cup this winter, helping the Socceroos to impressive wins and clean sheets over Tunisia and Denmark, so it was no surprise that he was ranked as their top performer.

Middlesbrough star Riley McGree was full of praise for his Australia teammate after his sensational performances so soon after a career-threatening injury.

He said: “It’s inspirational, honestly. I’m really close with Harry off the pitch, but on the pitch he’s a warrior, he’s got quality and he can move for the size he is.

“He is only going to have a bright future going forward, definitely.”

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell was also full of praise for the defender, dubbing him an “absolute monster,” which suggests that he could be a huge player for Julen Lopetegui to have in the second half of the campaign.

Having possessed one of the best defences outside of the top four last season, Wolves have struggled immensely at the back so far this campaign, shipping 27 goals in the top flight, some of which must be put down to the summer exit of captain Conor Coady.

Bruno Lage inexplicably loaned the England international to relegation rivals Everton and failed to secure an adequate replacement, which has left the Old Gold seriously low on centre-back options so far this campaign, with Ruben Neves forced to fill in there earlier in the season after a Nathan Collins red card.

Depth is clearly needed in defence and given Souttar’s impressive displays in Qatar and his obvious leadership skills for his country, he could be the ideal man to fill the void left by Coady since his loan exit in the summer.

Journalist Ben Jacobs believes Arsenal could exit talks for Mykhaylo Mudryk if they can’t agree on a sensible transfer fee.

The Lowdown: Could abandon Mudryk pursuit

It looks like it could be one of the transfer sagas of the month, as Arsenal have already seen one bid rejected for top target Mudryk and recently returned with a second offer.

The winger is certainly not hiding his admiration towards the Gunners, having recently posted pictures of him watching their games and praising Mikel Arteta on social media.

However, with Shakhtar Donetsk reportedly wanting around £100m for Mudryk back in November, this will be no easy negotiation.

The Latest: Price tag too high

Jacobs, who’s spoken to Mudryk himself in the past, has claimed on The Done Deal Show that Arsenal could end up walking away from negotiations if Shakhtar don’t lower their asking price.

He said: “Arsenal are not going to get messed around here; Arsenal are not going to pay above what they believe to be the odds. Arsenal are not going to put all of their eggs in the Mudryk basket in the sense of only focusing on him.

“He’s very much the priority, but were Shakhtar to say, ‘no, £100m or nothing,’ Arsenal would walk away, but that’s not where we’re at, because privately, there is a real feeling that this one is going to get done.”

The Verdict: Arsenal must land Mudryk

Given how long the Gunners have been tipped to sign Mudryk and the fact the winger is clearly desperate for the move, it would be a shambles if they couldn’t get it over the line this month.

Perhaps if Gabriel Jesus was fit to play, the need for Mudryk may not be as great, but with the Brazilian set for a prolonged period of time on the sidelines, more goals and options are perhaps needed in order to sustain their title challenge.

Mikel Arteta can’t be expecting Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah to start and play pretty much all their remaining games every few days or so. Therefore, Mudryk could come in and provide depth and quality given his impressive start to the season with 18 goal involvements for Shakhtar.

Southampton are now set for a scouting mission to assess Celtic forward Daizen Maeda, according to reports from Scotland.

The Lowdown: Southampton targeting forwards

With the Saints currently rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, sitting three points from safety, Nathan Jones has identified the need for some new attacking options at St Mary’s.

The manager has already completed the signing of winger Mislav Orsic, who joined in an £8m deal on Friday, and the south coast club are also said to be leading the race to sign Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom.

The Latest: Maeda scouting mission

According to a report from Football Scotland, Southampton have a shortlist of players that they are monitoring in Scotland, and club scouts are set to travel north in order to watch Maeda in the Scottish League Cup semi-final for Celtic against Kilmarnock next Saturday.

The scouting team is set to watch a number of different matches over the coming days, but the Japanese attacker is particularly high on their list of priorities.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 25-year-old is capable of playing both on the left and in a central role in attack, making him a versatile option for Jones. He boasts a solid goal record in his club career so far, scoring 67 times in 236 games, including 14 in 49 appearances for Celtic.

At the World Cup, the Japan international’s talent was on show against eventual bronze medalists Croatia, scoring the opening goal of their round-of-16 clash before his team went out in cruel fashion, losing after a penalty shoot-out.

Following that match, Maeda was the subject of praise from Rio Ferdinand, who described him as an ‘absolute livewire’.

He seems like exactly the sort of player that the Saints need if they want to start crafting more opportunities, given that they didn’t register a single shot on target in their midweek defeat against Nottingham Forest.

Aston Villa are on the right track under head coach Unai Emery, who has staved off the threat of relegation following his appointment in the stead of the dismissed Steven Gerrard in October, and impactful moves are being made in the transfer department.

The Villans have Premier League outings since the 51-year-old’s arrival, losing only to Liverpool in the top flight under him, and they have recently displayed a level of tenacity which had been conspicuous by its absence earlier in the campaign.

However, in order to glue together the underlying components which are necessary for success, Emery is bolstering the squad across multiple departments; left-back Alex Moreno has already been signed from Real Betis in a £13.2m deal, and there is an emphasis on fortifying the wide attacking options.

That said, midfield acquisition would also go a long way to instilling control and an iron-clad resolve into the team, with French outlet Foot Mercato recently reporting that Villa are interested in a move for Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi, who is valued at €30m+ (£26.6m).

He is a player that Emery will know well, with the seven-cap Frenchman making 66 appearances during his time at Arsenal under the current Villa boss.

Both failed to have a lasting impact with the Gunners, with Emery sacked after 18 months and the 23-year-old sold to his current club for £9m after making an initial loan move permanent, having fallen foul of Mikel Arteta.

However, with a move to Villa Park and a potential reunion with his former boss, Guendouzi could continue his rise and emulate the success of Granit Xhaka, who has blossomed in recent months after previous indiscretions.

The Swiss midfielder made 51 appearances under Emery at Arsenal, scoring four goals and providing six assists, but has since made positive increments to his game to now stand as one of the most pivotal players for the current Premier League leaders.

As per FBref, Xhaka ranks within the top 10% of midfielders for shot-creating actions and touches in the attacking penalty area, and also within the top 19% for progressive passes among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.

With Guendouzi the most comparable player to the Switzerland international according to FBref, Emery will be licking his lips when pondering the effect that the Marseille ace could have with a move to Villa.

Xhaka, who signed for Arsenal for a reported £35m in 2016 from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, has indeed blossomed into one of Europe’s foremost midfield generals.

Guuendouzi, who has previously been lauded for his “world-class potential” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, appears to have the tools to emulate his positional peer and former Arsenal team-mate, and he could spearhead Villa’s ascension to prominence under Emery if NSWE bring him back to England.

Ruben Neves looks unlikely to leave Wolves in the January transfer window, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Portugal international is Wolves’ club captain, and with his side fighting a relegation battle, it would be a devastating blow to lose him midway through the season.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs, but whilst a summer move may be on the cards, a January move is not, with the midfielder set to stay for the rest of the campaign.

Speaking on NUFC Matters, Jacobs claimed that Neves would not leave despite rumours about Newcastle making a move.

He said: “Wolves have turned their form and season around under Julen Lopetegui. Neves is their captain, Wolves didn’t allow him to leave towards the back end of the summer – and the same, by the way, for Joao Moutinho as well.

“So long before form was turned around, because Wolves had a dreadful end to last season and a poor start to this season, the club still stood very firm that they wanted to keep hold of their best players, and Wolves, at the moment, don’t want to be seen as a selling club.

“So I think that there’s very real substance to Neves moving somewhere in the summer, especially if he can get Champions League football. We know that Arsenal have looked, we know that Liverpool have got a relatively concrete interest as well, but again, it’s more forward planning.

“I would put Neves in the category of Jude Bellingham; Alexis McAllister; possibly, not definitely, but in likelihood, Moises Caicedo as well, in the sense that these are players you’ve got to work on now, but it becomes quite unlikely you’re going to get them now.”

A summer farewell

The summer window seems like the right opportunity for Wolves to part ways with their skipper and gain a big fee for him whilst his value is high.

And it appears he may not be the only one, with Liverpool thought to be after summer signing Matheus Nunes ahead of the summer window,

Although losing him would be a big blow, given the interest in him, as well as the fact that his contract expires in 2024, it would be the final chance for Wolves to get a large enough fee to help replace him adequately.

The central midfielder has scored 28 times in 236 games since joining from FC Porto in 2017 and looks destined to join a club competing in Europe nearer the top end of the table, but the Old Gold’s stance is more than understandable considering the current threat to their Premier League status.

One of Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof will leave Manchester United at the end of this season, according to a claim from transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Duo out of favour

The Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence under Erik ten Hag this season, with the centre-back partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez making a big impression.

It has meant that Maguire and Lindelof have been pushed down the pecking order at Old Trafford, with the duo making just eight starts in the Premier League between them in 2022/23.

Their future at the club is beginning to look bleak, and it would be a surprise if both stick around for the long-term.

The Latest: One set to leave

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that one of Maguire and Lindelof is set to depart during the summer transfer window.

He stated:

“I don’t think we’re really going to see anything on Lindelof right now, but it’s one of those big moments for United to face at the end of the season. I’d say it’s almost certain that him or Maguire will go.”

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The Verdict: Time for Maguire to go?

It is certainly easy to see either Maguire or Lindelof moving on this year, but it arguably makes the most sense for the former to be sold at the end of the campaign.

Although Maguire had a good 2022 World Cup with England, receiving the firm backing of former Red Devils centre-back Rio Ferdinand, he has been out of sorts for United so often in the last year or so, with his lack of pace a problem.

The Englishman is about to turn 30, too – Lindelof is a year younger – so his footballing peak has likely passed, with The Athletic once reporting that 27 is the ‘prime’ age for a centre-back. However, a Premier League club could be willing to bid a decent amount for him, which is another positive to selling him.

Either way, neither Maguire nor his Swedish colleague are getting much of a look-in at United now in terms of being regular starters, and it is hard to see the pair still being Old Trafford in a few years’ time.

Everton have been slammed by journalist Luke Edwards over the managerial merry-go-round over the last few years at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

On Monday afternoon, it was confirmed that the Toffees had relieved Frank Lampard of his duties following their latest defeat at the weekend in London.

It has been a dreadful start to the campaign for Lampard’s side who now find themselves sitting second bottom of the table with Southampton only worse off on goal difference.

And it appears the defeat against West Ham United was the final nail in the coffin for the Everton board who made the decision to look for a new man to take the reins at Goodison Park.

Speaking prior to Lampard’s exit, journalist Luke Edwards took aim at the Everton board and slammed the likes of Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright for the constant changing of managers:

“What the problem Everton have now is they probably feel at the boardroom level that they don’t have any other choice but to sack the manager and replace another one. And I think this reminds me and Everton fans – this will make Everton supporters angry, I’m sure it will – but they remind me a lot of Sunderland.”

“It’s true Sunderland were stuck in this kind of spiral where they brought in a new manager and a manager with a big name normally. We’re talking about the likes of David Moyes, Martin O’Neill, Sam Allardyce, Dick Advocaat, Gus Poyet, Paolo Di Canio.

“They all came into Sunderland to keep them in the Premier League and they did manage to do that until eventually, they went down. And I think Everton are in that similar sort of place at the moment where it doesn’t matter what they change in the dugout.”

Next up

It has not even been one year since Lampard was appointed the job at Goodison with the Englishman taking over on the final day of January last year.

However, under the former Chelsea man, the Toffees did endure a relegation fight last season and have shown little signs of improvement this campaign.

But it has to be questioned whether Lampard was given a platform to succeed at Everton with minimal money available to spend over the summer transfer window.

Everton did spend fairly significantly on the signing of Amadou Onana, however, one considerable signing was never going to be enough to see the Toffees transform their performances from the 2021/22 campaign.

And it has been made apparent this season their struggles lie up top with a severe lack of goals crippling the Toffees time and time again this season.

Only one other side (Wolverhampton Wanderers) has scored fewer goals than Everton this season (15) and that can be put down largely to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles.

However, all Lampard was given over the summer to subsidise Calvert-Lewin’s goals was Neal Maupay, a player who has only once provided a double-digit return in the Premier League.

So there will now be a new manager taking over the reins at Goodison but it is difficult to see this bringing any significant changes with a history of managerial appointments showing this to be the case under Moshiri’s reign.

Wolves defender Nelson Semedo is ‘open’ to leaving Molineux as Benfica dream of re-signing him this year, according to CNN Portugal.

The Lowdown: Contracts expiring…

Julen Lopetegui’s side have a number of players out of contract at the end of the current Premier League season, including big names like Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho.

This comes as Wolves attempt to further add to their squad in January, having already made five senior signings in Matheus Cunha, Daniel Bentley, Craig Dawson, Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina.

This year could be one of real change for Wolves, with Traore and Moutinho not the only players coming to the end of their contracts. Diego Costa and Semedo are others who could depart as free agents in 2023, with the latter attracting serious interest from Benfica.

The Latest: Semedo ‘open’ to Wolves exit…

According to CNN Portugal, as shared by O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the 37-time Portuguese champions ‘dream’ of signing Semedo this year. It’s claimed that the 29-year-old is ‘open’ to a return to Benfica, but his wages remain a potential obstacle.

Semedo earns €4m (£3.5m) per year at Wolves, a salary which Benfica will unlikely be able to match.

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

The Portugal defender has been a mainstay under both Lopetegui and former Wolves boss Bruno Lage this season, making 18 appearances and playing the eighth-most league minutes out of anyone in the squad (WhoScored).

In that time, Semedo has averaged Wolves’ joint-third highest number of tackles per 90 in the Premier League, and it’s clear that he is still very much a part of Lopetegui’s thinking.

Already possessing plenty of experience in England’s top division from 77 appearances, it would perhaps be far more prudent to try and secure a contract extension for the right-back than make efforts to source a replacement in the transfer market.

Also, his annual £3.5m wages are far more affordable from a Wolves perspective given that they are in world football’s richest and most lucrative division.

Perhaps the best solution for Semedo would be to stay put and help the club beyond this season, especially if they manage to retain their top-flight status.

Manchester United are seemingly set to be targetting a new centre-forward addition this summer, with Erik ten Hag seeking a long-term fit in that role following Cristiano Ronaldo’s sour exit back in November.

The Red Devils could well have missed the opportunity to sign a potential solution to that problem in the past, with reports back in February 2021 having claimed that the club were keeping tabs on Arsenal starlet, Folarin Balogun, with the youngster having been facing an uncertain future in north London due to his expiring contract.

The Old Trafford outfit seemingly never acted on that interest, however, as the then-teenager opted to commit to a new four-year deal just a matter of months later, ensuring that United had missed the boat with regard to tempting the USA-born starlet into a move to Manchester.

As it has proved, the England U21 international has made “incredible” progress since then, according to Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, having enjoyed a particularly fruitful spell on loan at Ligue 1 side, Stade de Reims, so far this season.

The explosive 21-year-old is currently the leading scorer in the French top flight with 14 goals in just 20 appearances to date, ensuring that he is outperforming the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar in the division.

The one-time Middlesbrough loanee only recently thwarted that stellar Paris Saint-Germain trio, having scored a remarkable stoppage-time equaliser against Christopher Galtier’s side, showing great composure to round the advancing Gianluigi Donnarumma, before lashing home from the angle.

Those late heroics were then followed by another standout showing in Reims’ most recent league outing at home to Lorient, with Balogun – who has a solid average match rating of 7.07 this season, as per Sofascore – having netted a scintillating hat-trick to help clinch a thrilling, 4-2 victory.

Clearly a ruthless presence in front of goal, the 5 foot 10 marksman has also caught the eye as a result of his creativity when leading the line as he has recorded one assist and created five big chances in Ligue 1 this season, while he also ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for progressive passes received.

Back at the Theatre of Dreams, Ten Hag and co have been without a regular presence in attack due to Anthony Martial’s injury woes, while loan arrival Wout Weghorst does appear a mere short-term fix until the end of the season.

As such, United may well be ruing that they didn’t secure Balogun’s signature two years ago, even if he was a mere prospect at the time, with the exciting talent now evidently flourishing in France.

Leeds United seem to have identified their top managerial target…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who issued an update on the Whites’ search following yesterday’s dismissal of Jesse Marsch.

The Italian journalist took to Twitter to write:

“Leeds United have included West Brom coach Carlos Corberan in the list as one of the candidates to replace Jesse Marsch as new manager. #LUFC Understand Leeds want coach for long term project and conversations are now ongoing.”

With the Spaniard boasting history at Elland Road as ex-U23s boss and as Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team coach, plus impressive pedigree following his work in the Championship, he could mark a fine appointment to help drag them out of their current predicament.

Corberan can revive Bamford

The 39-year-old has not been in management long but is already extremely well thought of among the wider football community, particularly in England.

His exploits in nearly promoting Huddersfield Town were initially impressive, but having since gone on to completely transform a previously relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion now too, his accolades only grow.

During his short stay at the Hawthorns, arguably his biggest feat was to sort out their goalscoring issue.

Taking over from Steve Bruce, the Baggies had only scored over two goals in a game once and sat in the relegation zone.

Since Corberan’s arrival, his side have lost just four times in 16 matches in all competitions, winning 11 and scoring 26 times. He boasts a stunning points-per-game average of 2.13.

This was in no small part to the way in which he nurtured Daryl Dike back to health, with the American having suffered greatly from injuries before Corberan arrived.

The former Olympiakos boss was patient, and now with two goals in his last four games, the 22-year-old is seeking to repay the favour.

Should he join Leeds, there will be hope that he can reignite Patrick Bamford, who too has seen his recent years blighted by various ailments.

Whilst he seems to have somewhat recaptured that fitness of late, getting him confident and up to speed is another thing entirely. His goalscoring form could be imperative in the retention of their Premier League status, with the 29-year-old likely hopeful of emulating his 17-goal and eight-assist campaign from the 2020/21 season.

Having already been lauded as “outstanding” by former Portsmouth and Huddersfield Town boss Danny Cowley, Corberan could once again prove this by taking up the offer of a move to Leeds and firing them to safety.

He fits the mould of an exciting young coach poised for a long-term role at a club like the Yorkshire outfit and given his ties to Bielsa his connection only grows. He is the obvious appointment, but he must look to first revive Bamford to give himself the best chance of success.