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Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion starlet Evan Ferguson this summer, with the Irishman having made a promising start to life at senior level.

What’s the latest on Ferguson to Newcastle?

According to The Mirror, the Magpies are said to be ‘monitoring’ the 18-year-old’s progress at the Amex Stadium at present, with the report noting that the teenage sensation has even earned comparisons to St James’ Park icon Alan Shearer due to his goalscoring exploits.

The Tynesiders are likely to have competition in their bid to land the 6 foot 1 menace, though, with The Sun having reported earlier this month that Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also ‘weighing up’ a move for the teenager.

Could Ferguson replace Wilson at Newcastle?

This mooted search for a potential long-term striking option in Eddie Howe’s squad comes amid the frustrating display of current number nine Callum Wilson during Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United.

That 2-0 loss at Wembley saw the Englishman produce a rather anonymous outing in attack, as he made just 25 touches in total and won only three of his eight duels, having also lost possession seven times as a marker of his struggles.

The 31-year-old produced what can only be described as an ‘ineffectual display’ against the Red Devils – as per Daily Express journalist Neil Squires – having also failed to score in any of his five starts in the competition this season.

While the former Bournemouth man does have seven goals to his name in 17 league matches so far this term, the forward’s persistent injury woes have been something of a problem throughout his time at the club, hence the possible need to acquire a replacement.

Should Howe be keen to find a suitable heir, then turning to young Ferguson could prove something of a masterstroke, with the highly-coveted asset having already scored three goals and provided two assists in just seven top-flight games this season.

The prolific gem – who has previously scored 18 goals in just 39 games for Brighton’s U21 side – had been earmarked as a real talent even prior to making his first-team debut, having been described as a “goalscoring machine” at youth level by former League of Ireland player and manager Alan Mathews.

Also lauded as “phenomenal” by team-mate Solly March, the twice-capped Republic of Ireland international has already made a big impression in his embryonic senior career to date, having also lined out four times for his former club Bohemians prior to joining the Seagulls in 2021.

As previously stated, those at Newcastle will also be intrigued by the towering marksman’s apparent likeness to club legend Shearer, having been described by pundit Tim Sherwood as similar to the former England skipper “in his pomp” after netting against Leicester City earlier this season.

To think that Howe and co could have a potential successor to the now-retired Geordie hero – who remains the club’s highest-ever scorer – is a truly exciting prospect, with getting such a talent through the door this summer possibly allowing for Wilson to be moved elsewhere.

Tottenham Hotspur did hold an interest in the Southampton youngster Thierry Small over the January transfer window but the 18-year-old made a short-term loan move to St Mirren.

What’s the latest?

Spurs had a steady January transfer window with two first-team arrivals coming through the doors of Hotspur Way in Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro.

And Fabio Paratici was also able to bring in a young prospect in Jude Soonsup-Bell from Chelsea who will join the club’s U23s side.

However, it seems as if he was not the only young prospect on the north London club’s radar with the 18-year-old defender, Small, believed to be a player of interest.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has suggested the club showed an interest in Small but they did not follow up on their interest:

(54:40) “They also showed interest in Thierry Small he’s a Southampton, 18-year-old defender early in the window, left-back but they didn’t follow up on that as the weeks wore on.”

“So I think Spurs were looking at maybe getting in there but yeah, I was kind of told quite early yesterday [Tuesday] that wasn’t something that was going to be kind of reignited this window. Maybe something they look at in the future.”

One for the summer?

Small is yet to make his Premier League debut but has played in the FA Cup during his time at Everton where Carlo Ancelotti provided him with some minutes against Sheffield Wednesday.

However, he has taken no time in getting settled in the Scottish Premiership having played against Aberdeen on Wednesday night and providing an assist in his 14-minute cameo off the bench.

So it is apparent this is a player who could become a real player to watch in the remaining months of the 2022/23 campaign given his bright start to life north of the border.

And there have been some who have suggested he is a player who could become a real talent in the future with journalist Alfie House saying Small’s “potential is scary”

Going from Gold’s comments, it does seem as if, perhaps, this could be a player Spurs may come back to in the future given they did show a real interest in January.

In the summer, Destiny Udogie is set to return from his loan spell with Udinese and it will leave Ivan Perisic going into the new campaign at the age of 34.

With Ryan Sessegnon not showing many signs of consistency (in a positive sense) or improvement, perhaps this could be a position in which Spurs look to provide some further strength in depth over the summer.

And with Small, there would be the possibility to send him straight out on loan for the season – as they did with Udogie – as Perisic potentially sees out the remaining year in his contract.

West Ham United could be set to further bolster their attacking options if reports are to be believed…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Gianluca Di Marzio (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Hammers are in the picture for AS Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo.

The 23-year-old has just 18 months left on his current deal, yet talks have not progressed to tie the Italian down. Therefore, it seems they have reluctantly opened the door for his sale.

Jose Mourinho’s side will hope for a fee of around €40m (£35m), with the player’s agent actively seeking options for the attacker to explore in the near future. David Moyes will be keen to jump at this opportunity.

Their next Payet

Having endured a tough season thus far, the West Ham faithful deserve something exciting to look forward to for the second half of this season.

In Zaniolo, they would certainly gain that, with this dynamic attacking midfielder expected to become a true star in the future.

Should this move materialise, it boasts shades of their signing of Dimitri Payet, who went on to become a sensational talisman for the east London outfit. The Frenchman etched his name in Premier League folklore with his free-kick prowess and flair, combined with incredible efficiency back in the 2015/16 season.

He would notch nine goals and assist a further 12 in the league, with his two assists against Manchester United at the end of the season imperative in winning their final game at the Boleyn Ground.

Despite the manner in which he left, few fans at the London Stadium will forget what he did for the club during his short stay.

Now, they could secure a long-term version of the midfielder in Zaniolo, who has shown flashes of brilliance that suggest he could occupy this maverick role that has since been vacant.

Only last season saw him notch eight goals and nine assists in all competitions, with his five goal contributions thus far this campaign also impressive given his youth.

It was even noted by journalist Nick Mercadante that, when in form, he is “a nightmare for the Serie A” as well as “The Answer for Italy” before labelling him “an absolute monster”.

A consistent goal threat from deep, he is further likened to Payet as he ranks in the top 4% of players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for total shots. During the aforementioned campaign, the 35-year-old himself would average 2.3 shots per game too, as well as a mammoth 4.0 key passes.

There is a long way to go before Zaniolo can hit the heights of his potential predecessor, but with time and steady growth, there is reason to believe that he could well be the ‘answer’ to conjuring up some of the magic that has been lacking since the Frenchman’s departure.

Newcastle United centre-back and captain Jamaal Lascelles could seal a move to Wolves during the January transfer window, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Lascelles struggling for minutes

The 29-year-old was once a key figure at the heart of the Magpies’ defence, helping them return to the Premier League and becoming a popular player.

Lascelles has found himself out of favour at St James’ Park this season, however, with only six league appearances and three starts coming his way in 2022/23 to date.

Fabian Schar and Sven Botman have become Newcastle’s undisputed centre-back pairing, and for that reason, Lascelles may be eyeing a move elsewhere.

The Latest: Wolves line up move

According to Football Insider, Wolves are ‘plotting a move’ for the Magpies skipper, should they fail in their attempts to sign West Ham’s Craig Dawson.

They want to bring in a ‘proven’ player in the Premier League and believe Lascelles falls into that category.

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The Verdict: Wait until the summer?

This is a tricky one for Newcastle, who may be willing to sell Lascelles, but only if they bring in a sufficient replacement before the end of the month.

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Should he be sold, there is the risk that Eddie Howe’s squad depth is affected, with an injury to either Schar or Botman having the potential to damage their top-four hopes.

The first-choice pair are certainly an upgrade on the Lascelles, who have made 4.3 and 3.1 interceptions per game in the league this season, compared to his tally of 1.7.

The Englishman is a leader in the dressing room, though, which is the reason he is captain, and he has been hailed as ‘absolutely superb’ by manager Eddie Howe, so allowing him to leave in the summer arguably makes more sense.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is facing the prospect of a busy month of business at the Stadium of Light during the January transfer window.

The Black Cats boss was hit with an early blow to his squad as Premier League side Everton decided to activate their recall option on striker Ellis Simms and the forward has now returned to Goodison Park, having initially been on a season-long loan.

He had averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 17 appearances in the Championship for the club – scoring seven goals and assisting two whilst creating five ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

The Englishman was consistent and reliable at the top end of the pitch for Sunderland and Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman must dip into the market to source a replacement.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie recently claimed that the Black Cats could pursue a deal to sign Blackpool centre-forward Jerry Yates to replace Ross Stewart if the Scotland international were to depart this month.

However, this was before Simms’ recall and the club must now swoop for the Tangerines marksman to take the Everton striker’s place in the squad, to compete with Stewart instead of replacing him.

Yates, who has been hailed as “immense” and “on fire” by Blackpool journalist Sean McGinlay, has been in terrific form in the second tier this term and could provide the goalscoring threat that Sunderland have lost at the start of this month.

The 26-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 and found the back of the net nine times in 25 appearances in the league this season. This suggests that he could have a similar impact to the one that Simms had in front of goal for the Black Cats, as both players have proven that they can score on a semi-regular basis at this level.

Yates has also shown that he can link-up play and provide for others by creating six ‘big chances’ for his teammates and registering two assists in the Championship, which means that he could replace Simms’ quality in both scoring and setting up goals.

Bringing him in on a permanent deal would also secure the long-term future of Sunderland’s striker department instead of having a player on loan until the end of the season, which would mean that there would be less cause for concern heading into the summer.

Therefore, Mowbray must push Speakman to strike a deal for Yates in the coming weeks as he could be a dream replacement for Simms.

Leeds United are reportedly one of a huge number of clubs who are interested in signing Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin after he shared a come and get me plea on social media.

The Lowdown: Raskin impressing for Liege

The 21-year-old is maturing into an influential figure for the Belgian giants, registering four assists in 14 Jupiler Pro League starts so far this season.

Raskin also has five caps to his name for Belgium’s Under-21s, and with their golden generation parting ways, a senior call-up may not be far away.

There appears to be a huge amount of interest in the midfielder and a fresh update suggests that Leeds are right in the mix to acquire his services.

The Latest: Leeds join the race

According to Voetbal Nieuws [via Sport Witness], the Whites are keen on bringing Raskin to Elland Road, with Liege willing to sell him in the January transfer window after he tweeted publicly to dispute reports he would sign a new contract.

Leeds are far from alone in expressing an interest, however, with Club Brugge, Braga, Genoa, Fiorentina, Marseille, Lille and Rangers all mentioned as suitors, too.

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The Verdict: Much-needed midfield depth

Raskin could be exactly what Jesse Marsch is looking for in the middle of the park, with the Belgian an exciting young footballer who could add energy and quality in that area.

Tyler Adams has been a superb midfield signing by Leeds but won’t solve their issues alone, and it is time to bring in a long-term replacement for the likes of Adam Forshaw and Stuart Dallas.

Raskin has been picked out as part of a ‘superb’ next generation of Belgian players by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and he could be a big part of Leeds’ growth under Marsch and beyond.

West Bromwich Albion will finally make their long-awaited return to Championship football tonight, as they travel to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

With the Baggies’ last competitive game being a 2-0 win over Stoke City a month ago today, Carlos Corberan could have a tough task reigniting the momentum which had his team on a three-game winning streak.

That’s because the Black Cats are in similarly impressive form, having already returned to action in the league with a comprehensive win over Millwall last weekend. This marked a third win for Tony Mowbray’s side in their last four Championship games.

With the gap between the Baggies’ last fixture and tonight being so vast, however, Corberan will likely boast a near-clean bill of health for this clash.

With that in mind, here’s the West Brom XI that we’re predicting for this all-important game on Wearside…

It is expected that there will be just two changes from the West Brom side that cruised to victory over Stoke on 12 November.

Alex Palmer will likely remain in between the sticks, as he has played a vital role in maintaining clean sheets across their recent upturn in form.

It is also expected that Corberan will maintain the same back four for similar reasons. Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend will therefore occupy the flanks, whilst youth and experience merge in central defence as Dara O’Shea partners Kyle Bartley.

Given the unprecedented nature of this month-long break, Jake Livermore could return to add experience in the place of Jayson Molumby in midfield, with the Irishman having been one of Albion’s more subdued performers against Stoke. Livermore will likely feature alongside Okay Yokuslu.

Despite having somewhat underperformed this season, the attacking outlet at the Baggies’ disposal has now had a full month to adapt to the methods of the new coach on the training field. Therefore, fans can surely expect a more free-flowing performance than their dogged displays to snatch narrow wins.

John Swift will continue in the middle of the attacking midfield three, flanked by Jed Wallace and Matt Phillips.

At centre-forward, considering Daryl Dike’s return from injury as the World Cup began, an extra month of rehabilitation could see him fit enough for a start given the form of his competition up front. Both Brandon Thomas-Asante and Karlan Grant have disappointed this term, netting just six league goals between them, although the former scored in their most recent win.

Corberan could start the American “beast” Dike – as dubbed by Nigel Quashie – and then bring him off after he has reached his physical limit. The West Brom boss could be cautious about overworking the 22-year-old, who has suffered various injuries since his move to The Hawthorns last January.

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is facing increasing pressure after his side dropped points again in the Premiership on Saturday.

Football Insider reported on Sunday that the board are set to hold talks this week and that one source told them the Dutch head coach is likely to be sacked in the coming weeks.

The Light Blues are currently nine points off the top of the Scottish top-flight table after drawing 1-1 with St Mirren at the weekend and Ross Wilson could now decide to ditch the head coach and opt for something new heading into the second half of the campaign.

Rangers could now land an upgrade on van Bronckhorst by replacing him with Sean Dyche before they return to action against Hibernian in December.

Charlie Nicholas recently claimed that Dyche and Ralph Hasenhuttl, who are both currently out of work after leaving Burnley and Southampton respectively, could become “serious contenders” for the Gers job if van Bronckhorst is sacked.

Dyche worked with Wilson during their time at Watford together and has admitted that he would be open to taking a job outside of the Premier League, which suggests that the possibility is there for him to make the move to Scotland.

Paul Robinson recently lauded the 51-year-old manager, telling Football Insider: “He is unfairly tarnished with a style of play. He played that way because of the players and the budget that he had. He is more than capable of playing an attractive brand of football with a bigger budget with better players. A lot of what was done at Burnley was down to the personnel at his disposal.

“Man-management is one of his best attributes. Sean will be desperate to prove himself at the next club he goes to.”

These quotes suggest that Dyche has the ability to get the best out of the players he has and that quality could make him an upgrade on van Bronckhorst by allowing him to maximise the talents of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

In Steven Gerrard’s last full season in charge, the former produced ten goals and nine assists and the latter managed 12 goals and four assists in the Premiership.

In comparison, Morelos has three goals and one assist in 12 outings and Kent has one goal and five assists in 13 matches in the top flight under the Dutchman this season.

This suggests that van Bronckhorst is not getting the goalscoring best out of the pair and that Dyche, with his man-management skills, could improve Rangers by getting a lift out of them.

The former Burnley man has also shown that he has what it takes to lead a team to a title as he won the Championship with the Clarets in the 2015/16 campaign, racking up 93 points in the English second tier, before keeping them in the Premier League for five straight seasons.

Therefore, he has the potential to be a big upgrade on van Bronckhorst as he knows how to get the best out of a group of players and has shown that he can coach a winning team, as well as one fighting against the odds at the top level – whereas van Bronckhorst lost all six of his Champions League group stage matches.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Nicolas Jackson ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are one of the Premier League clubs eyeing up the 21-year-old winger after being impressed by his performances.

The report claims that Everton and Newcastle have both been tracking the youngster this season, whilst Aston Villa have now joined the race for his signature due to his pre-existing relationship with Unai Emery – who managed him at Villarreal.

It is stated that the attacker will be available on a pre-contract deal in January as his current terms with the Spanish side expire at the end of the campaign.

Eddie Howe’s own Neymar

Newcastle could land the manager his own version of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar as Jackson has been compared to the Brazil international in his home country of Senegal.

Journalist Ashley Preece described him as a player with “bags of potential” and, at the age of 21, he is not someone who would be joining the club with the expectation of being an instant star.

Jackson is a player who could be signed with a view to the future as he is someone Howe could work with over the course of a number of years to help him live up to the Neymar comparisons.

The wide man, who journalist Josh Bunting once dubbed “exciting”, has shown plenty of promise in his short career so far. He scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 27 appearances for Villarreal B, playing 25 of those matches in the third tier of Spanish football.

His form in the B team led to him being given a first-team chance this season and he has caught the eye with two goals and two assists, whilst creating four ‘big chances’, in eight La Liga starts. He has also scored one goal in one start in the Europa Conference League for the Yellow Submarine, which shows that he has the potential to thrive on the European stage as well as domestic level.

This means that he has five direct goal contributions in nine starts between those two competitions and shows that he could be a terrific signing for Newcastle, as he has the scope to develop into a player capable of regularly delivering quality in the final third.

He may not go on to score 289 career goals like Neymar but he is a versatile and tricky player who can play anywhere across the frontline and has the ability to be a difference-maker in matches, just like the Brazilian.

It appears to be, on paper, a worthwhile gamble for Newcastle to snap Jackson up on a free transfer as he has shown huge potential at Villarreal and could develop into Howe’s own phenomenal wing talent.

Wolves’ decision to sign Willy Boly on a permanent deal sadly backfired as the centre-back was never able to really reproduce the levels of performance that he showed during his loan spell at Molineux.

The towering 6 foot 6 Ivorian centre-back joined Wolves on loan from Porto for the 2017/18 campaign and was a huge part of their Championship title-winning season. He made 36 appearances in the second tier, contributing three goals and two assists, and he earned a superb 7.52 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the top performer in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side for that season, so it was something of a no-brainer for the Old Gold to sign him on a permanent deal ahead of their return to the Premier League, with Boly joining in a transfer worth £10m.

That fee looked to be something of a bargain when the Ivorian was one of Wolves’ outstanding players in their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, averaging a strong 7.12 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Sadly, an ankle injury proved to be the beginning of the end for Boly the following season, as he was limited to just 22 appearances in the top flight, before making 21 in the subsequent campaign.

Ruben Neves spoke highly of the defender upon his return from injury in March of last season, saying: “He’s a great player, of course. I think we have a great squad. He’s been an important player for us and unfortunately got some injuries, but the players who were playing did a fantastic job as well.”

However, it was clear that, when Bruno Lage arrived at the club, the former Porto man became more of a backup. He made just 11 appearances under Nuno’s successor before he was sold to Nottingham Forest during the summer, with the Reds paying a mere £2.25m for his services.

Given Wolves’ defensive woes this season, which have arguably come about after the exits of important centre-backs such as Boly, Romain Saiss and Conor Coady, the Old Gold would have perhaps been better off keeping the Ivory Coast international at Molineux, especially considering that they made such a significant loss on him.