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Newcastle United may have the opportunity to sign Youri Tielemans in January, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

The Lowdown: Tielemans situation

Tielemans is heading into the final six months of the £120k-per-week contract at Leicester City he penned when he joined the Foxes permanently in 2019.

With Brendan Rodgers’ side currently floundering in the bottom half of the table, it seems very unlikely that the 25-year-old will sign a new deal amid interest from major Premier League clubs.

Indeed, Arsenal are reportedly prepared to wait for Tielemans’ contract to run down in order to sign him on a free in the summer.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has reported that Newcastle are huge admirers of both Tielemans as well as club teammate James Maddison, but a move for the former bodes more chance this month given the Belgian’s current situation.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs suggested that the Magpies are becoming more confident a cut-price deal can be sewn up in January.

He said: “In January, Tielemans will not suddenly be worth the £30m that perhaps Leicester wanted for him, because that contract has ticked down a little bit further.

“So, this is where Newcastle will be one to watch for Arsenal in particular because there’s a growing feeling that Newcastle might consider a low offer for Tielemans in January to strengthen their midfield, to see how Leicester react.

“Leicester may say they don’t want to get rid mid-season or Leicester may say they’re now resigned to losing Tielemans for free. But there’s always that temptation if a reasonable [bid] but still much lower than the £30m or so from last summer is tabled.”

The Verdict: Go for it

The chance to snap up a Premier League-proven midfielder who will improve the squad on a cut-price January deal is an incredibly rare one.

Previously dubbed “technically gifted” by journalist John Bennett, the 25-year-old has played 180 games for the Foxes, scoring 28 and assisting 25, with his incredible FA Cup-winning goal against Chelsea in 2021 an unforgettable reminder of the quality he possesses.

Eddie Howe’s side are currently slim in midfield with Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff the only fit and comfortable centre-midfielder options available, with Joelinton recently finding form in attack.

We think Tielemans, who was previously hailed as ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’, would be a sensational addition, with him in the top 16% for tackles and 13% for blocks amongst midfielders at he top level (via FBref).

Also in the top 15% for shot-creating actions and 21% for progressive passes, Tielemans has shown just how well-rounded he is and what he could add to the Magpies’ engine room to get them across that European finishing line.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsa are believed to be ‘fighting’ it out in the race to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.

The Lowdown: Spurs leaking goals

Antonio Conte’s side have been leaking goals at an alarming rate in recent months but did manage to stop the rot with a clean sheet against Crystal Palace in midweek.

Spurs have conceded 25 times in 18 matches in the current Premier League campaign, more than the likes of Everton and West Ham, both of whom are involved in a relegation battle.

Conte has mainly gone with a back three throughout the season, and it looks as if a marquee defensive addition is on the agenda in 2023.

The Latest: Gvardiol transfer tussle

Sport Witness relayed an update from Bild in the last 48 hours regarding Gvardiol.

They claimed that it is Spurs and Chelsea who both want the centre-back, with Tottenham possibly affording an €80m-€100m transfer (£70.8m-£88.5m) – which would be a club record – by cashing in on star striker Harry Kane.

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The Verdict: Interesting…

It seems as if Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici would need to make Gvardiol the club’s most expensive signing of all time, although selling club legend Kane to fund a deal for the young defender probably wouldn’t go down too well with supporters.

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by writer Manuel Veth and ‘sensational’ by members of the media, Gvardiol is clearly already a star at the age of just 20, and his displays at the World Cup with Croatia were statistically better than any Spurs defender in the Premier League (as per WhoScored).

You’d expect that he’ll only get even better in the coming years, too, so if Spurs can manage to fund a deal for the Leipzig defender while holding onto Kane, it could be a brilliant piece of business.

Rangers have reportedly made a move to sign Hearts youngster James Wilson. 

The Lowdown: Wilson’s current situation

Still just 15, the striker can only sign a professional contract when he turns 16, which will be next month.

With that in mind, it seems that the youngster could have a big decision on his hands in the coming weeks in regards to his future.

Despite his minimal experience, it appears that the centre-forward has already attracted some heavy interest.

The Latest: Rangers eyeing Wilson move

The Gers are heavily linked with moves for Josh Onomah and Ryan Porteous, and it looks like a third signing could follow the pair through the door in January.

According to a recent report from The Daily Record, Rangers are set to open talks with the player, who is also attracting interest from the English Premier League.

The report also adds that Ross Wilson and co have “written a letter to Hearts instructing them of their intent to talk to the highly-rated striker over an Ibrox move”.

Compensation rules mean that Hearts are powerless to stop Rangers if the player green lights talks, although they have also given permission for the deal

The Verdict: Long-term investment

The Gers have a track record when it comes to giving their youth players a chance to shine in the senior team, such as Leon King, Robbie Ure and Nathan Patterson among others.

And given how young Wilson is, it’s clear that Rangers see him as one of those long-term investments for the club rather than someone who can immediately slot into Michael Beale’s side.

Their interest in the Hearts teenager also suggests that Rangers are keen on strengthening their youth ranks and building a real succession plan under Beale, rather than just focusing on the here and now.

Given the interest in the youngster from down south, this looks like a deal that could end up paying off massively down the line.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou ‘won’t be bothered’ by his side’s back-to-back training camp defeats, according to former professional turned pundit Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Winless in Australia

The Scottish Premiership champions recently visited Australia for their mid-season break whilst the World Cup is taking place where they participated in two friendlies.

Despite fielding pretty strong line-ups in both matches regardless of several squad members currently being away in Qatar, the Hoops first off lost 2-1 to Sydney FC before being edged out on penalties by Everton.

The Latest: McManus’ verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus insisted that whilst Celtic failed to pick up any victories down under, Postecoglou won’t be concerned given the club’s start to the season. He said:

“He won’t be bothered at all, I shouldn’t think.

“When you have had the sensational start to the season that Celtic have had, nine points clear of your biggest rivals, still in both cups, you haven’t disgraced yourself in Europe, there is nothing to complain about.

“Ange has plenty of credit in the bank. The Celtic supporters know this is nothing more than a mid-season break. It’s a chance to go to Australia where they have thousands of fans who are desperate to see the team.

“They are getting paid handsomely to play in that tournament as well, let’s not forget that. So, all in all, if the supporters are looking at that as a pre-season thing, the results don’t really matter.

“I saw bits and pieces of the games. I think Celtic gave Everton a good game, certainly in the first half. They will be disappointed with the result against Sydney but they did rest a lot of players and gave fringe players a chance.

“They will enjoy their break now. They will train hard but they can also let their hair down and go for a beer.

“All in all, it’s been a good trip for Celtic.”

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The Verdict: No need to panic

The Bhoys will of course be hoping to pick up some positive results during their break, but in terms of questions over if it will affect their performances moving forward, there’s definitely no need to panic.

The Glasgow side have won 14 and lost just one of their opening 15 games this term, leaving them already nine points clear of rivals Rangers at the top of the table (Sky Sports).

Postecoglou looks very likely to be guiding his team to yet another title, and with the two cup trophies still up for grabs, it could be a very promising ending to the campaign at Parkhead.

A West Ham United insider has shared some significant news regarding the future of manager David Moyes.

The Lowdown: West Ham struggling…

Despite a huge injection of summer investment totalling £159m, the Irons have seriously struggled for Premier League form, resulting in mounting pressure on Moyes and his position.

Only Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and Southampton – the four teams beneath West Ham in the table – have scored fewer goals than the Hammers despite the summer signings of attacking players like Lucas Paqueta, Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca.

The east Londoners have struggled with injury problems but their newly-found strength in depth perhaps warrants a stronger league position than 16th.

West Ham have also won just once in their last four, a 2-0 defeat of Bournemouth, going on to lose their last three games against Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Leicester.

The Latest: Insider shares Moyes sack update…

Questions surround Moyes and his suitability for the position, and claims recently emerged that there are numerous managers lining up to take the West Ham job.

The Scotsman has plenty of credit in the bank from the last two campaigns, though, especially after he guided West Ham to successive European qualification campaigns on a shoestring budget.

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Claret & Hugh, a West Ham insider, has now shared a significant update on Moyes’ future, with the board firing a strong message to him amid this poor form.

It is believed that the former Everton and Man United boss has been given his first warning, but his excellent work since 2020/21 has bought him more time to turn things around.

The Verdict: Right call?

Moyes arguably performed miracles with his pre-existing squad over the last two years and the absence of a natural backup striker to Michail Antonio before Scamacca’s arrival.

On this basis, David Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Daniel Kretinsky must hand the 59-year-old a degree of faith and grant him some leeway.

However, if results continue to take a downward trajectory after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, one must then wonder if Moyes has taken this West Ham team as far as he can.

Celtic face an incredibly tough test tonight with Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops coming up against one of the best sides on the globe.

Indeed, the Bhoys travel to Spain to play 14-time winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid, in what is now a dead-rubber tie.

Celtic are out of the competition and have nothing but pride at stake in their sternest challenge of the campaign to date.

Without anything on the line, it will be interesting to see what happens with Postecoglou’s starting XI. Will he favour a degree of rotation or will he still opt for a full-strength team?

Here is the starting XI that Football FanCast are predicting for tonight’s encounter…

Hart, Juranovic, Starfelt, Jenz, Taylor, O’Riley, Mooy, Hatate, Abada, Kyogo, Jota (4-3-3).

We are anticipating four changes from the team that defeated Livingston last weekend with the Australian coach favouring change in defence and attack.

The midfield will remain the same but Postecoglou has been dealt a blow to his backline with Cameron Carter-Vickers not travelling to Madrid. Carl Starfelt, who has had a two-month layoff due to a knee injury, is among the squad and could replace the American at centre-back.

Anthony Ralston, whose performances over the last year have seen him dubbed a “superman”, drops out in favour of Croatian full-back Josip Juranovic who has started every Champions League match this term.

In attack, James Forrest is given a rest with pace and energy set to be favoured. Celtic will need to be good on the break if they are to get anything from the game so the “unbelievable” Jota – in the words of his manager – comes back into the team after scoring against Livingston.

Liel Abada also replaces Sead Haksabanovic who had a rather quiet outing at the Tony Macaroni Arena last time out.

David Turnbull could come into the starting XI as well but we anticipate that the boss will opt for the more defensive Aaron Mooy who will start next to Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘definitely in the conversation’ to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol and could beat Premier League rivals Chelsea to his signature, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Gvardiol being monitored

Football Insider reported last week that the Lilywhites are keeping close tabs on the 20-year-old after a long-standing interest that runs back almost two years, but they are set to face competition from the Blues.

Antonio Conte is expected to be offered a new bumper contract that could see him earning up to £20m a year, and it’s believed that this could play a significant role in attracting potential transfer targets.

The Latest: Tottenham backed to win the race

Speaking to Football Insider, former Spurs defender Hutton claimed that Conte committing his future could make Spurs a more attractive project for Gvardiol.

“I don’t see why Tottenham can’t beat Chelsea to him.

“They’re definitely now in the conversation, fighting with the likes of Chelsea, and that attractiveness will only increase with cup runs and European football.

“I think for the player, he’ll be more than happy to be linked with both clubs.

“But with Conte potentially signing a new long-term deal, and the progress that they’re making – it’s something, as a player, that I would want to be involved in.”

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The Verdict: Davies replacement

Tottenham must be extremely keen to land Gvardiol seeing as they haven’t given up the chase since 2020, and he would be an ideal long-term replacement for Ben Davies.

The ‘aggressive’ centre-back, as labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, currently averages an 89.5% Bundesliga pass success rate and can operate at left-back as well as centrally (WhoScored), showing he has the versatility and technical qualities to accompany his forceful style of defending.

The Croatian has a £44m release clause in his contract at Leipzig which is more than affordable for Fabio Paratici, so they should undoubtedly snap him up if given the chance.

Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign West Ham defender Craig Dawson, with Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could be on the cards.

The Lowdown: Deadline day Dawson

Wanderers have been famed for being a strong defensive outfit in recent years but they did lose Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly during the summer.

It has left Bruno Lage with fewer options than he had before and Dawson was one player who was strongly linked with making a move during the recent transfer window, as a deal collapsed on the final day of the summer.

It looks as though the 32-year-old could still be a target, however, following a new claim.

The Latest: Defender could join in January

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke talked up Wolves’ chances of signing Dawson in January, due to him wanting to be closer to family:

“I think there’s real potential this move could be rekindled in the January window. The reason that Dawson wanted to leave was for family and personal reasons because he wanted to move closer to his family home.

“It’s something that’s still going to be on his mind and he wants to secure that move back to the Midlands. Obviously, that gives Wolves a huge advantage because they can offer Dawson that.”

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The Verdict: Strong short-term signing

While Dawson wouldn’t necessarily be an world-class signing for Wolves, he is someone with a wealth of experience who could provide excellent squad depth, pedigree and leadership.

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The defender has made a total of 238 appearances in the Premier League and Jonathan Woodgate has hailed him for being ‘so reliable’ as a footballer, while his own teammates dubbed him ‘unbelievable’ last season.

Dawson is out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season and that means Fosun could pick up a bargain in January – it is a deal well worth doing.

Wolves youngster Fabio Silva has hit some impressive form on loan in Belgium, thriving in Europa Conference League action this week.

The Lowdown: Anderlecht loan

Bruno Lage decided to send Silva on loan to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium for this season in order for him to get more minutes and further his development after struggling to adapt to the physicality of English football.

The striker was limited to just impending Diego Costa, Silva’s game time was likely to be even more limited this campaign.

The Latest: Impressive performance

Silva played for Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and scored the winning goal as his side beat Danish team Silkeborg IF 1-0 in their group stage opener.

The Portugal U21 international scored from the penalty spot with just under ten minutes to go in the match, admitting that he ‘celebrated like crazy’ after tucking it away.

Aside from his goal, Silva was the star of the show, achieving the highest rating (7.7) of anyone on the pitch by SofaScore, while he also had more shots (seven) than anyone else and made a joint-high two key passes.

He also won two duels in the game, and had 43 touches of the ball in total (SofaScore).

The Verdict: Someone to think about

Given that the Wanderers have struggled to score goals yet again this season, with only 38 scored in the Premier League last term and just three so far this campaign, the joint-lowest of any team, one could question whether sending Silva out on loan was such a good idea.

He now has seven goals and two assists in 12 matches in total for Anderlecht (Transfermarkt), showing that perhaps more patience was needed before deciding to let him go.

Kalajdzic now has an ACL injury, and Costa may struggle to get up to speed straight away having not played any competitive football since January, so perhaps Wolves should have kept hold of Silva for this season.

The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane could not believe that Sky Sports did not spot a possible offside in the lead up to Glasgow Rangers conceding against Hibs.

The Lowdown: Fiery game

It was a fiery encounter this lunchtime with the Ibrox outfit having not one but two players sent off in the second half in John Lundstram and Alfredo Morelos.

They had also received a penalty at the end of the first half, which James Tavernier managed to convert, before Martin Boyle equalised for Hibernian and Tom Lawrence put the visitors back in front.

Josh Campbell grabbed a late equaliser in the most incident-packed match of the season so far.

The Latest: Possible offside?

Taking to Twitter, McFarlane noted that Thody Elie Youan, who assisted Boyle for Hibs’ first equaliser, looked as if he could have been marginally offside in the build-up.

The commentators on Sky Sports did not seem to question a possible offside, which McFarlane thought was ‘bizarre’.

The Verdict: Fine margins

Of course, there are fine margins for offside decisions, and without VAR in the Scottish Premiership, it is not fully clear whether Youan was offside or not before he assisted Boyle.

VAR will not come into the SPFL until December after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is concluded, and so these decisions will continue to be debated until the technology is implemented.

The Gers did not manage to hold out in the end after the stoppage time goal from Campbell, and so they will feel greatly aggrieved that the decision for Hibs’ first goal did not go their way.