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Everton are reportedly closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window as Arnaut Danjuma is poised to arrive at the club on loan from Villarreal.

The Netherlands international is set to join until the end of the season to provide Frank Lampard’s squad with an injection of quality in their fight against relegation in the coming months.

However, Danjuma may not be the final addition of the month for the club as Atalanta centre-forward Duvan Zapata is reported to be of interest to Lampard.

The Serie A side value the Colombian international, who is wanted by multiple English teams, at £25m and journalist Simon Phillips told GIVEMESPORT that it could be a “big risk” to sign the striker.

Farhad Moshiri could now repeat the blunder he made with Salomon Rondon by pursuing a deal to sign Zapata for £25m before the end of the month.

The Toffees swooped to sign the striker on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, potentially because of his previous record at Premier League level.

He had scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 32 top-flight appearances for Newcastle in his last season in the division, after also scoring 28 goals for West Brom prior to his spell at St. James’ Park, but was unable to replicate that success at Goodison Park.

Before departing the club at the start of this month, the 33-year-old marksman scored an unimpressive three goals in 31 appearances for the Toffees in all competitions – including one strike in 27 Premier League games.

Zapata, whose former teammate Papu Gomez claimed is “like a train”, could be a similarly poor signing for Everton as his form this season suggests that he is not the player he once was.

The Colombian centre-forward scored 10 or more goals in each of the past four Serie A seasons for Atalanta, including 15 or more in three of those campaigns, and proved that he could consistently find the back of the net in a major European league – as Rondon did with Newcastle and West Brom.

However, Zapata has only scored once in 12 appearances in the Italian top-flight this term and managed one in his final 12 Serie A matches at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Therefore, the 31-year-old may not arrive as the prolific scorer that he once was in Italy and, instead, could struggle to be a consistent scorer for Lampard in the Premier League, due to his struggles for Atalanta over his last 24 games.

The worrying downward trend in Zapata’s scoring suggests that he could end up being Rondon 2.0 for Moshiri if the Everton chief opts to pay £25m to sign the striker this month, which is why the club should reconsider swooping for the attacker.

Newcastle United were forced to settle for just a point in a goalless draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League last weekend.

The Magpies have now drawn three of their last four Premier League matches 0-0 and Eddie Howe may be concerned by the recent struggles his team has had in the final third.

Dan Ashworth and the Toon head coach could now use the remaining days left in the January transfer window to bring in attacking reinforcements in order to bolster the side’s chances of retaining their place in the top four for the rest of the season.

Howe has been forced to rely on underperforming players off the bench at times due to the lack of quality in depth in his current options at the top end of the pitch.

Jacob Murphy was brought on as a substitute in all three of the 0-0 draws and was unable to be a difference-maker for the side, which came as no shock given his record in the Premier League.

The former Norwich attacker has produced five goals and eight assists in 113 top-flight appearances in his career and has been directly involved in two goals in the current campaign – starting five matches and coming off the bench in 15.

Quite simply, the Englishman has not proven that he has the quality to come on and win games for the club and that is why bringing in a new attacker could improve the team.

One player who could come in as an upgrade on Murphy out wide is Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech. Journalist Ben Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Magpies are one of the clubs who have “looked” at a potential deal to sign the 29-year-old wizard, whilst admitting that the winger “could” still leave Stamford Bridge before the end of the month.

The dynamo, who has been capped 50 times by Morocco, has never been a regular for the Blues, with no more than 23 Premier League appearances in a single campaign, but has shown flashes of quality with six goals and seven assists in 33 top-flight starts since joining the London club.

Ziyech, who was dubbed a “magician” by both former Chelsea TV employee Jake Heasman and journalist Peter Hall, arrived in England after a phenomenal spell for Ajax. He scored 49 goals and assisted 81 in 165 matches in all competitions for the Dutch giants as he produced goal contributions on a regular basis.

Newcastle could now find the upgrade on Murphy that could elevate their attack, off the bench and from the start, by bringing the Moroccan international in and helping him to rediscover his best form in the final third.

Arsenal are ‘set to return’ with an improved offer to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo before January 31, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Caicedo bid rejected…

Reports emerged of a £60 million bid for the Ecuador international on Friday morning, but as quickly as that news came out, updates then came to light of the offer being swiftly rejected.

Mikel Arteta’s side are keen to add a new midfielder to their ranks as the Premier League title-chasers lock horns with Man City.

Arsenal arguably lack alternatives to the likes of Thomas Partey in front of their back four, and if the Ghanaian were to succumb to injury, it would spell real trouble for Arteta.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘set to return’ with improved Caicedo bid…

The north Londoners, according to an update by The Daily Mail, are ‘set to return’ with an improved offer for Caicedo before January 31.

It’s added that a bid of around £80m may tempt Brighton into selling, but Arsenal could be helped by Caicedo’s personal stance.

The 21-year-old is allegedly ‘desperate to force through a move’ to either Arsenal or signing competitors Chelsea.

The possibility of Caicedo handing in a transfer request also isn’t ruled out.

The Verdict: Go back in?

£80m is a very steep fee for someone who has played just two seasons of top flight football but Caicedo has attracted interest from huge clubs in the past.

Man United were among those eyeing a move for the South American before he chose to join Brighton and he has since not looked back.

Caicedo has become a mainstay for the Seagulls, starting 18 league games this season whilst averaging more tackles and interceptions per 90 this season than any Brighton regular with over three starts (WhoScored).

He’s also featured for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, further adding to his credentials as a player gaining more and more experience on football’s biggest stages.

Called a ‘big player’ for Brighton by manager Roberto De Zerbi, the tough-tackling midfielder could come as the perfect alternative to Partey with the only obstacle being his side.

It appears Brighton are set to dig their heels in over letting Caicedo go this month but his quality indicates that Arsenal’s persistence could pay off.

Liverpool have fallen heavily below standards this season, and have been linked with a host of midfielders to reinstate an air of authority to their weathered outfit, and Sheffield United’s Sander Berge might be the man to navigate away from danger.

Despite languishing in ninth place in the Premier League and boasting just a solitary victory from six matches across all competitions since the turn of the year, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have not bolstered the central ranks.

Many players have indeed been linked, and a more prudent option on the list comes in the form of Norwegian midfielder Berge, who has been a centrepiece to his side’s efforts since arriving from Genk in a £22m deal in 2020.

Last week, Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom confirmed via talkSPORT that Liverpool and Premier League rivals Chelsea has registered an interest in the gem.

And now, according to Sky Sports chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Fulham have lodged a £20m bid – plus add-ons – to land the talented ace, so Liverpool must act swiftly if they are to fortify the ranks ahead of the business end of the campaign.

While Klopp confirmed that no transfer business will be conducted before the closing of the January window, the Reds have been known to move beneath the waters with their past dealings, and should an apt opportunity arise a lunge for the phenom could indeed be made.

And Berge, who has racked up 87 appearances in Yorkshire since his arrival, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists, has demonstrated his worth on English soil, albeit largely in the second tier.

But United, who are second in the Championship table and a whopping 12 points ahead of third place Middlesbrough – also with a game in hand – have been a cut above the majority of the crop, and owe a large slice of their prosperous fortunes to Berge’s tenacity and ubiquitous midfield presence.

As per Sofascore, the 32-cap star has recorded an average match rating of 6.98 in the league this term, making 1.4 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 tackles per outing for his high-flying team.

With his vibrant addition to the Anfield ranks, Berge could be the perfect replacement for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain-Chamberlain, who is expected to depart the club upon the expiry of his contract in six months.

While United’s Berge is not the most exuberant of names to have reached the Liverpool rumour mill this season, he possesses a refined and all-embracing set of skills when it comes to his midfield work, and has been a vital cog in his Championship outfit’s thus far successful season, with teammate and former Red, Rhian Brewster, once remarking him as a “Rolls-Royce” of a midfielder.

Should Klopp and his technical director Julian Ward decide to push for a £20m move before the transfer doors slam shut tonight, Klopp could lay the foundation from which to build upon; with the Premier League giants lost at sea, Berge might just be worth entrusting with saving the ship from sinking.

Celtic should have an announcement ‘forthcoming’ to confirm the departure of striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, according to Scottish Premiership manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: Atlanta move imminent

The Greek international has been facing plenty of uncertainty surrounding his future after being omitted from the match-day squad for the past four league games, and despite not securing an exit in January, a move away looks to be imminent.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Saturday that the 28-year-old is set to complete a switch to Atlanta United having travelled to Mexico to undergo his medical over the weekend, with the boss now backing up these exact reports.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s update

Speaking to BBC Sportsound (quoted by FootballScotland), Postecoglou delivered an update on Giakoumakis’ departure, with confirmation to be expected in the coming days.

Asked if there was a specific reason as to why the move hadn’t already gone through, the manager said:

“No, that’s what I meant by it’s off my radar. I’m led to believe there should be an announcement forthcoming so I know everyone else is hanging on for it, but as I said the other day it’s off my desk.”

The Verdict: Fantastic servant

Giakoumakis only signed for Celtic in the summer of 2021 but he’s been a wonderful servant to the club during his time in Glasgow and is a player that will be missed.

The Bhoys centre-forward has scored 26 goals and provided two assists in 57 appearances at Parkhead and even received the award for the league’s top goalscorer last season.

Postecoglou may feel that he has to target the free agent market to get a replacement in for the second half of the campaign, but being nine points clear at the top of the table, it wouldn’t hurt waiting until the summer to make a permanent signing.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Newcastle United are one ‘to watch’ in the race to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans in the summer.

The Lowdown: January interest

Newcastle reportedly had an interest in signing the Belgian in a cut-price deal in the January transfer window.

His contract at Leicester expires in the summer, and with no signs that he is going to renew it as of yet, he will be allowed to leave as a free agent.

The Latest: Newcastle one ‘to watch’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says that the St James’ Park club are one ‘to watch’ in terms of the race for Tielemans’ signature in the summer, while there is also interest from La Liga and the Bundesliga, as well as other clubs in the Premier League.

The journalist said: “There’ll be plenty of clubs looking at Youri Tielemans. Newcastle are another Premier League club to watch.

“And there’s even, I think, some interest from La Liga and the Bundesliga too in Tielemans because as soon as he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, then ultimately, these type of clubs not only see a bargain because they don’t have to pay a fee, but Tielemans’ wages, by Premier League standards, are relatively modest as well.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

With Jonjo Shelvey moving to Nottingham Forest in January, Newcastle are in need of a new central midfielder in the summer, and signing Tielemans on a free is surely a no-brainer.

The Belgium international boasts plenty of Premier League experience, and at 25 years of age, he has enough resale value to make the Tyneside club not have to think twice.

Hailed as ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’ his manager Brendan Rodgers, Tielemans ranks in the 85th percentile of all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes per game. He also places in the 83rd percentile for both tackles and interceptions, 82nd percentile for shot-creating actions and 81st percentile for passes attempted (FBref).

With Shelvey gone, and with the Belgian evidently a midfielder who can be diligent off the ball and progressive with it, there is certainly a spot in Eddie Howe’s squad into which he could slot effortlessly.

European football broadcaster and Sky Sports contributor Kevin Hatchard has claimed that Jacob Ramsey was ‘caged’ under former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard.

The Lowdown: Rising star

Gerrard played the Villa midfielder 37 times during his time in charge of the club in all competitions before he was sacked earlier in the season.

Under his replacement, Unai Emery, Ramsey has featured in five Premier League matches and possibly could’ve played more had he not sustained a hamstring injury.

The 21-year-old has spent his entire career with the Villans (bar a loan move to Doncaster Rovers) and has risen through the ranks of their youth system.

The Latest: Limited by Gerrard

Hatchard raved about Ramsey’s displays under Emery and stated his belief that he didn’t show these capabilities in Gerrard’s system when speaking on The Villa View podcast.

He stated: “It was one of the things that, to me, when I watched Villa under Gerrard – and it was especially noticeable, I felt, towards the end of Gerrard’s reign – Ramsey was caged. He was part of this really solid midfield unit that was just shunned from side to side.

“He couldn’t do anything – he couldn’t break forward, he couldn’t affect the game. Now, he has not only the freedom to affect the game, but a demand on him to affect the game because Unai Emery knows he’s so good.”

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The Verdict: Progressing well

We believe that Villa’s stock is rising under Emery – they have lost just twice under him ahead of their trip to Manchester City – and so is Ramsey’s since the appointment of the Spanish manager.

The Villa midfielder has had a lot of excitement around him since he first broke onto the scene. Gary Neville said last year that it wouldn’t surprise him if he received an England call-up soon.

In the last calendar year, Ramsey has proven to be an attacking threat, ranking in the top 5% for progressive carries by a midfielder in Europe’s top competitions.

Aston Villa’s academy has produced some Premier League stars including Jack Grealish, Gareth Barry and Gary Cahill, and our view is that Ramsey could be another name that could be on that list in the future.

It’s certainly a promising sign that he’s continuing to get plenty of opportunities under Emery’s regime at Villa Park.

Wolves winger Adama Traore ‘will look for a move’ away from the club during the summer transfer window, according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Traore’s future up in the air

The Spaniard’s future has been a main talking point at Molineux for some time now, with reports differing over whether or not he will stay put at the club.

Traore has been linked with a move away numerous times, having spent a stint on loan at Barcelona last season, and his current Wolves deal expires this summer.

Now, another update has emerged – one that suggests the 27-year-old could be heading to pastures new soon.

The Latest: Journalist talks up exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Traore wants to leave Wolves at the end of the season:

“I think he’s wise in seeing this through for now. There wasn’t really much benefit in him pushing for a move in January because the opportunities weren’t there.

“But the readings I’ve made, through speaking to people on this, is that it’s pretty likely that Adama Traore will look for a transfer in the summer window.”

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The Verdict: Feels highly likely

With each passing week, the more it feels as though Traore will choose to leave Wolves instead of signing a new contract, despite some improved form under Julen Lopetegui.

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The flying £55,000-a-week winger registered an assist in the recent 3-0 win at home to Liverpool and was also heavily involved in Jan Bednarek’s own goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Southampton.

Traore’s end product does still leave a lot to be desired, however, having only scored 13 goals in 178 appearances for Wanderers, so a superior replacement could be signed this summer.

He can be spectacular on his day, being hailed as ‘devastating’ by Andy Townsend, but getting him off the wage bill could make more sense than extending his stay, given his aforementioned inconsistency.

Leeds United host Premier League relegation rivals Southampton at Elland Road on Saturday, with newly-appointed manager Javi Gracia taking charge of his first game with the Whites.

They are currently 19th in the top-flight table following defeat at Goodison Park last weekend, giving Everton their opportunity to rise out of the relegation zone, so it will be crucial in their chances of survival to take all three points from their bottom-of-the-table opponents this weekend.

After being announced as the club’s new manager on Wednesday, Gracia is just getting his feet under the table at the club but could make a number of important tweaks and changes to the starting side on Saturday to ensure that his first outing goes off without a hitch.

The former Watford boss will have had limited time to work out who his best players will be going forward, although simply watching the poor performances which have unfolded in recent months should give the manager a fair representation of where changes need to be made.

As a result, Gracia could now boldly ditch Patrick Bamford when the Saints pay a visit to Yorkshire tomorrow and instead give a golden opportunity to Georginio Rutter to prove himself in the centre-forward role.

Will Bamford start against Southampton?

It could be considered a risky move for Gracia to come in and make big changes to the team, but considering Leeds’ position in the league and limited remaining opportunities to collect enough points to survive in the Premier League, it could massively pay off to mix things up in terms of team selection.

Leeds have not won a top-flight game since the beginning of November and Bamford has failed to find the net in his last five league outings, with his last goal coming in the defeat to Aston Villa in January.

In fact, out of the four league wins that the Whites have picked up this season, the £70k-per-week striker has only been involved in two, with the team losing nine of the 16 games in which he has played a part.

The 29-year-old – whose touch has been described by Alan Shearer as “terrible” – hasn’t been able to return to his form of previous years after suffering a string of injury issues, and Gracia could now spark a new era at Elland Road by instead opting for Rutter to offer a fresh perspective in front of goal.

The January signing hasn’t scored in his five Leeds outings so far, although he did prove his worth in the Bundesliga last term with eight goals, and it’s only right that he gets ample opportunity to repay his club-record £36m fee.

The new manager could become an instant hit at Elland Road if his team selection and style of play pays off, but he could also become an instant villain should his methods fall flat. Having the guts to drop some underperforming players whilst exercising a level of caution could be the perfect combination for success against Southampton.

Leeds United are thought to be interested in signing AZ Alkmaar left-back Milos Kerkez this summer.

The Lowdown: Kerkez profiled

Kerkez is 19 years of age and is primarily a left-back who can also turn out as a left-midfielder if required.

The Hungary international made the move to AZ Alkmaar from AC Milan back in January 2022 and has gone on to make 41 appearances for the Dutch side, contributing to ten goals. He’s currently sponsored by Adidas and is valued at a career-high €7m by Transfermarkt.

The Latest: Transfer update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Record regarding Kerkez, where Leeds were mentioned.

They claimed that alongside Premier League rivals Brentford and Wolves, the Whites are interested in Kerkez, with the Eredivisie club set to demand at least €20m.

The Verdict: Radz and 49ers busy

It looks as if Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers Enterprises and Victor Orta are already preparing for the summer with Kerkez the latest target.

Reports have suggested that Leeds also want Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, with contact already made to the player’s agent.

Elland Road officials appear to be busy after bringing in Javi Gracia as manager on a flexible contract, and you’d expect they’ll be hoping they can pursue these targets further, should Gracia keep the club in the top flight.