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Wolves have been boosted in their quest to re-sign Matt Doherty this month, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that Tottenham want to sell the defender.

The Lowdown: Doherty tipped to make Wolves return

The right-back was a great servant for the Old Gold for a lengthy period before his exit in 2020, making 302 appearances in total and helping them return to the Premier League.

Doherty has failed to kick on at Spurs, though, and he has been linked with a return to Molineux numerous times in recent weeks ahead of a potential January move.

A new update further suggests that it is a possibility, with the 30-year-old seemingly edging closer to the exit door in north London.

The Latest: Romano offers Wolves hope over Doherty

On Tuesday, Romano took to Twitter to confirm that Doherty is one of several players who Tottenham are happy to get rid of this month, acting as a boost for Wolves as they reportedly hope to bring the Irishman back to Molineux.

The journalist provided the following 12-word update: “Spurs still working to sell players – like Ndombele, Doherty, Bergwijn or Dele.”

The Verdict: Positives outweigh the negatives

Doherty’s possible return may not be universally popular because of his decision to leave in the first place, but it could be a strong piece of business by Wolves. The Republic of Ireland international could come in and add depth to Bruno Lage’s squad, battling with the often-maligned Nelson Semedo for minutes and allowing for more rotation.

Doherty has been hailed as ‘absolutely superb’ by ex-England right-back Danny Mills in the past and he still has enough years left in him at the top to enjoy a fruitful second spell at Molineux. His tally of 28 goals and 41 assists during his first stint in the Black Country speaks volumes about the quality he can offer going forward.

Given how Lage’s side have been far from prolific this season, adding a play who can offer such a viable attacking threat makes this a move well worth exploring, and it’s a bonus to hear that Spurs are eager to offload the Irishman.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly still keen on signing one player in January. Find out who it is here.

According to Football Insider, a new target for Tottenham Hotspur has emerged in the last week of the transfer window as they now set their sights on Sevilla defender Diego Carlos.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye centre-half…

As reported by reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold, Spurs have a central defender on their agenda as manager Antonio Conte sets out four priority positions to strengthen in his squad.

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Alongside a new defender, it is believed that Spurs are after a right-wing-back, midfielder and striker as they seek to back Conte (football.london) – with transfer chief Fabio Paratici apparently set for a busy final week.

Tottenham are in talks to offload Tanguy Ndombele with sights set on his replacement in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat (Fabrizio Romano), with FI now sharing news on a new name being targeted.

The Latest: Spurs open Carlos talks…

According to FI, Tottenham have ‘opened preliminary talks’ to sign the Brazil international and are interested in a swap deal to bring down his £50 million asking price.

It is believed that the Lilywhites could allow midfielder Giovani Lo Celso to go the other way to ‘sweeten the deal’.

Spurs have ‘turned their attention’ to the colossal defender as they enter the market for a centre-half in this final week transfer push.

The Verdict: Unlikely?

Depending on whether the La Liga side are open to a swap deal, it will be interesting to see how this develops, but our thoughts are this move will be rather unlikely.

Newcastle submitted a series of £30 million bids for the South American star, all of which were knocked back, perhaps highlighting just how challenging it will be to negotiate a last minute deal with Sevilla.

Given their current attempts to sign Wolves star Traore, Amrabat and FC Porto forward Luis Diaz, signing a new defender may have to wait until the summer window.

In other news: Sky Sports: Conte ‘very, very close’ to signing which ‘could excite the Tottenham fans’, find out more here.

With the Premier League set to get back underway soon, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will be desperately hoping that his side incurs far fewer injuries and illnesses than they did in the first half of the season.

The Whites were among the most affected clubs in the top flight, with numerous star players ruled out for considerable amounts of time – Kalvin Phillips is still out of action now.

While Bielsa will be eager to keep his thin squad together for as long as possible, there may well be increasing opportunities for some of his club’s brightest young prospects.

Joe Gelhardt has already seen some first-team action in recent weeks and months, but it’s Nohan Kenneh’s potential exposure into the side which could cause the most excitement.

Describing himself as someone who is “aggressive and hard-working who likes to break down play”, but also likes “getting forward and scoring long-range goals”, Kenneh seems like he could thrive in the anchor man role if given the chance by Bielsa.

Speaking on The Roaring Peacock Youth Pod, Matty Ingham said: “One of the biggest prospects in the academy if we’re being honest. Big, physical presence, can carry the ball and he’s powerful and quick.”

The teenager has already admitted to modelling himself on Phillips, while he also added that he is a fan of Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, saying: “Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

He also has a big fan in The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who dubbed the 19-year-old “supremely gifted”, while he has been a permanent fixture in the under-23s, predominantly playing at centre-back.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, he seems to have the physical attributes to hold his own at Premier League level; and given his versatility of being able to play in defence and as an anchor man in midfield, seems like he could be a perfect squad option for Bielsa going forward.

While the excitement surrounding Gelhardt is understandable, Kenneh could be the kind of hidden gem who makes the biggest mark at Leeds.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United transfer update…

Mateusz Klich could emerge as a big winner from Leeds United’s lack of business this January transfer window.

The long-serving Polish midfielder, who is a favourite of Marcelo Bielsa, has been struggling for form throughout the 2021/22 campaign but their failure to land top target Brenden Aaronson – or anyone in the role for that matter – has offered a new lifeline.

Indeed, the Yorkshire giants saw two bids of around £15m and £20m rejected by Austrian side RB Salzburg for their star attacking maestro, with a deal likely to happen in the summer instead.

Links to alternatives such as Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino, Huddersfield Town gem Lewis O’Brien and Marseille powerhouse Boubacar Kamara, among others, clearly never materialised either.

It means Bielsa is left to work with what he’s got, so he’s going to have to persist with the out-of-sorts 31-year-old for the next six months at least.

But Klich could take this opportunity to get back to his very best – after all, Leeds desperately need to see the same sort of form that made him undroppable in Bielsa’s early seasons at the club.

It’s been four years since the Yorkshiremen signed a new midfielder, so there’s certainly a need to bolster that area but Leeds will now be hoping that the Poland international can make that void not seem so obvious.

There was a run of games stretching several months before the new year that saw Klich fail to finish the 90 minutes, in fact after their first game in October, he didn’t complete another match until the win over Burnley.

In that game, he went on to create seven key chances, making 84% of his passes and almost rolling back the years to his time in the Championship, where he was a relentless figure in the final third for the club.

“Bielsa’s beacon of creativity,” wrote analyst Statman Dave after the game, whilst he was “amazing,” according to ex-striker Noel Whelan.

The £8.5m-rated maestro has since almost found himself on the scoresheet too after his goal against West Ham United was chalked off after VAR review, though luckily, Leeds went onto win that game 3-2.

For a long time this season, the £34k-per-week star was somewhat of a passenger at Elland Road but with his recent upturn in form and Leeds’ failure to sign additions in his role, he could well be set for a new lease of life, starting with a trip to Aston Villa next week.

“We’ve had good performances from him and we’ve also had real dips in form from him this season,” recently claimed Whelan to Football Insider. “But when we needed someone to stand up and be accountable for us yesterday, he was there and he rose to the challenge expertly.”

Klich could have a big part to play in Leeds’ quest to stay in the Premier League now.

AND in other news, “Leeds clearly believe”: Whites given hope over sealing big summer transfer, fans will be buzzing…

Frank McAvennie has said Dele Alli is ‘not fit enough’ after his performance in Everton’s 3-1 defeat away at Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Alli debut

After signing from Tottenham Hotspur on Transfer Deadline Day, Alli made his debut for the Goodison Park faithful on Tuesday night, coming on midway through the first half for the injured Demarai Gray.

Being an English midfield player, there is no doubt that Frank Lampard will be excited to work with him, but some really poor form over the last couple of seasons at Spurs means that it will take some excellent coaching to get Alli back to his best.

The Latest: McAvennie on Alli

Speaking to Football Insider, former top-flight striker McAvennie has now taken aim at Alli after watching his performance, claiming that he is ‘not fit enough’ to play in the Premier League at this moment in time, although he does expect him to ‘come good’ again:

“Alli hasn’t played for so long.

“I think we need to cut him some slack. I think getting caught out last night will give him a nudge in the right direction.

“It might end up benefitting him. Those mistakes bother you as a player and he will know he messed up.

“He’s not fit enough to play in the Premier League at the moment, that’s clear.

“But we know he’s a good player. He’s a brilliant player on his day. The best thing for him is to give him as much game time as possible.

“Once he gets up to speed I’m sure we will see a positive change there.

“He needed a pre-season, really. If he plays, he will come good.”

The Verdict: Best to come

Alli’s performance against the Magpies was disappointing to say the least, as he lost the ball no fewer than 18 times, the joint-most out of his teammates, and was robbed by Joe Willock in the build-up leading to the hosts’ second goal.

Alli also lost out on eight of his duels, and failed to record a single shot on target, with his 59% pass accuracy the lowest out of any outfield Toffees player (SofaScore).

It will take time for him to get up to scratch, but if anyone can get the best out of him it is surely Lampard, the master of arriving late into the box to score goals from midfield, which is exactly what he’ll be wanting from Alli.

In other news, find out who Patrick Boyland singled out for praise for the Blues here!

A major Sunderland claim has been made regarding their attempts to appoint a new manager earlier this month… 

What’s the talk?

According to Alan Nixon in The Sun, the Black Cats failed to land a number of their managerial targets due to the contracts they put on the table.

The report claims that Roy Keane turned down their offer as they were only willing to give him a deal until the end of the season. They offered the same terms to out-of-work managers Neil Warnock and Grant McCann before eventually appointing ex-Preston coach Alex Neil.

Fuming

Sunderland fans will surely be fuming with this news for several reasons.

Firstly, Keane turning down the club suggests that he was the first-choice option for the job originally. This means that Kristjaan Speakman failed to land the man he wanted for the role and was then forced to settle for Neil, although they may have still been weighing up who their preferred target was and had deals on the table for several men at the same time.

Either way, the way Sunderland went about replacing Lee Johnson will not inspire confidence. They were either unable to land the manager they wanted or they had no idea who they wanted and were ultimately left to settle for Neil after the other candidates refused a short-term contract.

This will surely leave fans livid as it suggests that they did not have a clear succession plan in place following the exit of the former Bristol City head coach. Sunderland played two games between his sacking and Neil’s arrival and lost both of the games against Cheltenham and Doncaster, highlighting the impact their lack of speed in the process has potentially had on their season.

Supporters will also be angry because the club were only willing to offer their targets a short-term deal. This could have been because of the financial restrictions that their current ownership situation has placed on them, with journalist Craig Hope recently revealing that Madrox’s involvement is limiting how much they can spend.

They will not be pleased if Madrox have caused them to miss out on a key appointment, although it remains to be seen whether or not this was the main factor behind the club’s decision to offer a short term deal.

The mood amongst the fans has not been helped by Neil picking up one point from his first two League One matches in charge of the Black Cats. Hopefully, he will be able to turn things around and enjoy a successful end to the campaign, but the supporters will certainly be frustrated with this claim until that happens.

AND in other news, Parky had huge howler over “important” gem whose value has soared 138% since SAFC exit…

An interesting five-word claim has been made on Newcastle United and their plans for the end of the season… 

What’s the talk?

Chronicle reporter Lee Ryder posted a link to one of his articles and left an intriguing message to the supporters ahead of July, with PIF heading into their first pre-season as owners of the club after their takeover from Mike Ashley.

At the end of his Tweet, he said: “Sources predict exciting summer window.”

Delight

This claim will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted as it suggests that it could be a busy few months for the club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The window could be a fun time for the Toon Army if PIF are able to live up to this hype and bring in a number of big additions to the squad. Supporters would surely love to see multiple big-name signings come through the door as it could mean that they are able to see a better standard of football being played on the pitch every other week at St. James’ Park.

Instead of battling against relegation and aiming to finish in the bottom half every season, the Magpies could start to look up. The club’s ambitions could extend to the top half of the table with new players coming in, if they are successful, and this is why Newcastle fans will be elated with the prospect of a busy summer.

The Toon have won three and lost one match in the league with Kieran Trippier in the team since his move from Atletico Madrid in January. This highlights the impact bringing a player in can have on the side and they could look to replicate that later this year.

Although, it is worth saying that Eddie Howe and his squad need to finish the task at hand first. They are four points ahead of 18th-placed Watford and need to make sure that they remain outside of the bottom three come to the end of the campaign as dropping down to the Championship would surely put an end to any big moves in the market.

Newcastle have 14 games left to play in the Premier League and cannot afford to slip up in the final months of the season. They are unbeaten in six matches in the division and must continue their fine form to increase the gap between themselves and the likes of Burnley, Watford and Norwich.

AND in other news, Howe can finally axe £37k-p/w “weapon” as Newcastle eye swoop for 66-goal “phenomenon”…

Tim Spiers has now given his reaction to the news that Wolves have given Luke Cundle a new deal.

The Lowdown: Cundle deal confirmed

The Midlands club confirmed earlier this week that they have given Cundle a new four-year contract at Molineux, putting a lot of faith in the 19-year-old.

The central midfield player has made four senior appearances in total so far this season, including his first Premier League start in the 2-0 win away at Tottenham Hotspur last month, and so has now been rewarded for his efforts.

The Latest: Spiers reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Spiers has now given his reaction to the news of Cundle’s contract, adding that they have been looking to renew it ‘for a while’:

“Good to see Luke Cundle get a four-year deal having broken into the squad.

“Club have been looking to get that done for a while.”

The Verdict: Pathway there

As Spiers has claimed, the progress that Cundle has made shows that there is not just a pathway for him into the first team but other youngsters as well.

Of course, with Joao Moutinho now 35 years of age and Morgan Gibbs-White being sent out on loan to Sheffield United, playing in the middle of the park provides an opportunity for Cundle, which he has taken so far having been rewarded with the contract.

The Englishman has actually averaged the best pass success rate and most through balls per game out of any of his teammates in the top flight this term, albeit only playing 85 minutes in the division (WhoScored), and Bruno Lage will no doubt be happy with the decision to give him a new deal.

In other news, find out what big update has now emerged involving this ‘sensational’ Wanderer here!

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly now eyeing up a bargain move to sign Sasa Kalajdzic this summer.

The Lowdown: Kane going?

It has been reported that the long-term future of Harry Kane at Spurs has been casted further into doubt by their 1-0 FA Cup exit away at Middlesbrough in midweek, and so the North London club may now already have to start looking for replacements for the England national team captain, or bring in significant reinforcements in order to try to persuade him to stay.

Kalajdzic is a fellow typical number nine, and while he has been history of being able to put the ball in the back of the net, and so it is no surprise to see Antonio Conte’s team linked with a move for him now.

The Latest: Tottenham lurking

As per Kicker, the Lilywhites are just one of a number of clubs eyeing a potential swoop for Kalajdzic in the summer, with West Ham United, AS Roma, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich also being named as possible destinations.

He is ‘likely’ to leave Stuttgart at the end of the season and his current price tag of €20m (£16.5m) is expected to drop by ‘a lot’, as he is out of contract in 2023.

The Verdict: Bargain

If THFC can land Kalajdzic for anything less than £16.5m, it would be an absolute bargain.

Currently rated at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, he is also a full Austria international, and at 24 years of age, his stock is only going to rise.

He is already drawing comparisons to world superstar Erling Haaland, and Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski even thinks that he would be an ‘ideal’ replacement for the Norway international at Dortmund.

Also described as an ‘Ibrahimovic-machine’ in likening to the legendary Swede, Kalajdzic is a mammoth six-foot-seven-inches tall, but possesses a lot of technical qualities as well for a big man, according to Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder.

Nonetheless, it is no surprise that Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo considers him ‘invaluable’, and he would certainly be worth every penny for Tottenham.

In other news, find out what big Spurs target update has now emerged here!

Divock Origi will definitely leave Liverpool in the summer transfer window, reports reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Origi exit expected

The Belgian has enjoyed a truly memorable Reds career, rarely being a key player but popping up with a long list of massive goals along the way, both in the Premier League and Champions League.

With Origi out of contract at the end of the season, he is expected to move on, with AC Milan looking highly likely to be his next destination.

It will allow the 27-year-old to be a regular elsewhere, potentially further fulfilling his promise, having been described as ‘world-class’ and a ‘monster’ by Jurgen Klopp.

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The Latest: Pearce confirms imminent move

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Pearce confirmed that Origi would definitely be moving on once this campaign reaches this conclusion:

“Divock Origi will leave Liverpool this summer.”

The Verdict: Undisputed Liverpool legend

When the time finally comes for Origi to leave Liverpool, he will receive a wonderful and deserved send-off from the supporters, having become a Reds legend.

His cult hero status can almost work against what a top-quality attacker he is, though, with the forward scoring 41 goals and 173 appearances in total, not to mention registering 17 assists.

It makes perfect sense for Origi to move on, given his lack of playing time, and it would be heartwarming to see him performing as a key man elsewhere.

In other news, David Ornstein has confirmed some key Liverpool news. Read more here.