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Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus is set to miss up to several months due to needing surgery for his knee injury sustained at the World Cup. 

The Lowdown: Gunners talisman 

Many may have questioned Jesus’ decision to depart a serial-winning Manchester City side led by Pep Guardiola, but his switch to Arsenal couldn’t have gone any better.

The Brazilian got off to a flying start in pre-season and has sustained his stellar impact among the frontline across the first half of this season.

Ten goal contributions in the form of five goals and five assists are just a small inclination of his huge impact, with his presence alone so significant in Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Latest: Major blow

According to football guru Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are set to endure somewhat of a winter nightmare and will be without their star for an initial three months, with that spell potentially going on for ‘several’ months.

Taking to his personal Twitter page to issue the update, Romano said: “Bad news for Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus will need to undergo surgery on the knee he injured at the World Cup, so it’s more serious than expected — confirmed as reported by @mcgrathmike.

“Gabriel could miss several months, could be three months.”

The Verdict: Nightmare

With the World Cup being timed the way it has, injuries were always going to be a concern. 

But, it goes without saying that this is one of the worst things that could have happened for Arteta and co, as they will now have to defend their lead at the pinnacle of the Premier League table without their Brazilian talisman. 

It makes things unnecessarily tough for the Gunners, who may now be forced to dip into the winter market upon its recommencement in January.

Aston Villa could be set for a busy January transfer window following the appointment of Unai Emery with the manager likely to want to put his own mark on the team and now a new potential transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, the Villa boss is plotting a swoop for Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma in the January transfer window.

As per the report, Emery is keen to address the lack of wide forwards available at Villa Park and is planning to raid his former club to acquire the services of the talented winger in order to strengthen his team over the second half of the season.

A “nightmare” for opponents

It is no secret that Aston Villa are in need of some clinical and high-quality wide forwards after Steven Gerrard let go of Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore, so if Emery could convince Danjuma to make a move to Villa Park in 2023 it would be a major addition.

The 25-year-old ace – who was dubbed a “nightmare” by Kevin Phillips – has scored 71 goals and registered 36 assists over his career so far with a goal contribution every 130 minutes, proving that he is a reliable and consistent performer in front of goal.

The former Bournemouth man certainly lives up to that billing as far as his ball carrying is concerned where he has terrorised defenders for years. Indeed, he made 1.4 dribbles per game last term and has made as many as three per match in World Cup qualifying for the Netherlands.

Sadly, Danjuma has not been consistently featuring for his Spanish club this season after suffering an injury a few months ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from scoring two goals over six La Liga appearances with the winger averaging out at just 53 minutes per game.

The former Villarreal manager may have a huge advantage in snapping up the services of the Netherlands international due to Danjuma’s huge admiration for Emery, something he expressed in an interview with ESPN:

“Emery is special: he’s one of the main reasons why I came to Villarreal,” Danjuma claimed.

“It’s such a privilege to work under him as a coach. He is so open with the players and I am learning so much from him. It is really enjoyable to work with him. He is one of the best. He is different.”

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Emery would put Ollie Watkins back in the centre-forward role to partner Danjuma or whether he’d play alongside Danny Ings instead should the club secure the player’s signature in the coming weeks.

Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the middle of the park, with many of their midfielders coming to the end of their contracts or entering the latter stages of their careers at Anfield.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will be out of contract at the end of the season whilst Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both into their 30s and not playing as consistently for the team as in previous campaigns.

As a result, a rebuild of the presence in the heart of the Liverpool team will likely be a top priority for the powers at Anfield, with moves for Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez reportedly in the works already.

Despite the desperate need for midfielders, it should be important to the club and manager that they identify the right players with the right attitude who can seamlessly fit into the squad and be the positive, hard-working influences needed for Liverpool to rise to the top and compete for multiple trophies again.

One player who has been recently been offered to the Merseyside outfit is Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with the Reds believed to have been in contact regularly with his agent over a potential deal.

However, a move might not be the wisest of ideas considering he has a history of being difficult.

Despite ranking in the top 20% of his positional peers over the top five European leagues in 2022 for non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, tackles and aerial duels won, Rabiot has a reputation for ruffling a few feathers over his career so far.

The most public spat in which the midfielder has been involved is one with Paris Saint-Germain’s former

sporting director Antero Henrique, who criticised Rabiot’s professionalism by calling his behaviour “unacceptable” after heading to a nightclub just hours after the club crashed out of the Champions League in 2019.

He raged:

“I find the attitude and lack of professionalism of a player like Adrien Rabiot towards the club, his team-mates and the supporters unacceptable.”

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi also criticised Rabiot for his “lack of respect” towards the club after the £148k-per-week midfielder went on to push for a move away from the club through the media.

The last thing that Klopp needs right now, on top of the upheaval of FSG potentially selling the club and sporting director Julian Ward resigning from his position, is investing in a player who has a poor reputation and has shown a questionable attitude.

With that in mind, signing Rabiot could be an absolute nightmare for the Reds, and his previous unprofessionalism is a problem that the German could do without, so it would instead be best for FSG to invest in the many other midfield options that Liverpool could attract.

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Alex Iwobi signing a new contract at Everton is ‘absolutely massive’.

The Lowdown: Deal agreed

As per Football Insider, the Goodison Park outfit have agreed the terms of a ‘big money’ new deal with Iwobi after months of talks.

There has been a ‘breakthrough in negotiations’ ahead of the January transfer window, and claims a significant pay increase is coming the midfielder’s way.

The Latest: ‘Absolutely massive’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips has claimed that Iwobi signing a new deal is ‘absolutely massive’, as he has been ‘colossal’ since Frank Lampard came in:

“Absolutely massive. He’s been colossal for them since Lampard came in, he’s really stepped up, and he’s really transformed his game.

“And I think that has been off the back of Lampard’s man management with him. He sees him as the go-to man on and off the field, and he’s been a very reliable player for Lampard.”

The Verdict: Deserved

Iwobi’s new deal would be fully deserved given his performances under Lampard.

The Nigeria international has only missed five games under Lampard’s reign, and has recorded five assists in his last 11 Premier League games (Transfermarkt).

He has been the highest-performing midfielder for the Merseysiders in the top-flight so far this season, and has ranked highly among his team-mates for average tackles, shots, dribbles and crosses per game, while no player in the squad matches his average key passes (1.8) per match (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, at 26 years of age, Iwobi is entering his prime, and so the Toffees have done very well to keep him for the longer term considering how important of a player that he has proven to be for them.

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for Freiburg winger Roland Sallai in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

West Ham are currently struggling near the foot of the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone after losing four games in a row.

They have only managed to score a mere 13 goals in the division so far, the fourth-fewest of all 20 teams, and should be looking at attacking reinforcements in order to help bolster their squad for the second part of the season, which includes a UEFA Conference League campaign as well.

The Latest: Sallai interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Bence Bocsak has revealed that the Hammers are one of five clubs ‘interested’ in signing Sallai in January, and Freiburg want €20m (£17.7m) in order to sanction a move:

“Many clubs are interested in Roland Sallai (25) in January. He switched agencies recently and is open to a move. Lazio, Wolverhampton, West Ham, Sevilla and Fiorentina are all possible destinations. He has 4 G/As in his last 4 Hungarian caps. Freiburg want €20m.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

David Moyes could do with some more attacking options in his squad, and Sallai would offer excellent squad depth.

Hailed as a player who ‘can decide a game on his own’ by former Bundesliga and Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, the 25-year-old boasts 32 goals and 25 assists at club level in his senior career so far (14 goal contributions in 38 caps for Hungary.

Sallai is not afraid to have a pop at goal, ranking in the 83rd percentile for average shots per game of all wingers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, while he also boasts a significant aerial threat, ranking in the 94th percentile for aerials won per match (FBRef).

He actually shares a similar playing style to Irons wingers Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma, so should be able to settle in quickly at the London Stadium.

Celtic could reportedly look to sign Banik Ostrava forward Ladislav Almasi if they fail to land Cho Gue-sung.

The Lowdown: Almasi profiled

Almasi is 23 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward who has won two senior caps for Slovakia. He stands at 6ft 4’ and has netted 52 goals during his club career to date – 21 of which have come for his current employers.

The striker was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer, and it looks as if recruitment chief Mark Lawwell and manager Ange Postecoglou may still look at a move in 2023.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Daily Record relayed an update from Rudolf Ludvik, who has a following for covering Banik Ostrava stories on social media.

He claimed that the Hoops could look at Almasi if they miss out on signing Gue-Sung, with the Slovakian potentially costing €2.5m (£2.2m).

The Verdict: Smart alternative?

Almasi appears to be a physical striker who knows where the back of the net is, so he could a shrewd alternative to Gue-Sung.

The Hoops seem to be on the hunt for a forward to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis in the long run after contract talks broke down between the two parties.

Gue-Sung may well be Celtic chiefs’ top target, but Almasi could still be a handy signing if they fail to sign the South Korean international, as you’d expect he still has plenty of room for improvement at the age of 23.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Koffi Kouao to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that, with David Moyes looking to add a new right-back to his squad this winter, the 59-year-old has now placed the FC Metz defender on his shortlist ahead of potentially launching a move for the 24-year-old this month.

The report does not go on to state whether or not the Ligue 2 side would be willing to part with the Ivory Coast international in January, however, Sport Witness add that Metz only signed Kouao from Liga Portugal side FC Vizela in the summer of 2022, with the full-back’s deal at the Stade Saint-Symphorien running until 2026.

Sell Coufal, sign Kouao

Considering just how impressive Kouao has been in France so far this season, coupled with Vladimir Coufal having desperately struggled for form in the current campaign, it is not difficult to understand why Moyes would be interested in a deal to bring the former to the Premier League in January.

Indeed, over Kouao’s 13 Ligue 2 appearances in 2022/23, the £1.1m-rated talent has been a rock at the back, helping Metz keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 1.9 clearances and winning 4.0 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

The 24-year-old has also impressed going forwards, creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.5 key passes, 0.6 crosses, 1.8 long balls and completing 0.6 dribbles per match.

These returns have seen the two-cap international average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Laszlo Boloni’s seventh-best performer in the second tier of French football.

In comparison, over Coufal’s 12 Premier League appearances this season, the £8m-rated right-back has failed to help West Ham keep a clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 1.9 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

Going forwards, the £52k-per-week defender has scored no goals, registered no assists and created no big chances, as well as making an average of 0.9 key passes, 0.7 crosses, 1.5 long balls and completing no dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the player who Trevor Sinclair claimed “hasn’t got a clue” average an extremely disappointing Sofascore match rating of 6.79, ranking him as Moyes’ eighth-best performer in the English top flight this term.

As such, with Kouao undoubtedly being a player with a much higher ceiling than that of Coufal, in addition to the 30-year-old being linked with a move away from the London Stadium this winter, it would indeed appear wise for Moyes to cash in on the Czech Republic international before reinvesting the funds raised into a move for the FC Metz talent.

Chelsea have made contact with the agent of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram to discuss a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: After Nkunku

The Blues have already agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku in the summer, but that hasn’t stopped them from wanting to bolster their attacking ranks this month in a bid to secure a top-four finish.

Thuram will be out of contract at the end of the season and could be available on a cut-price deal having not yet signed fresh terms at Gladbach, and following a recent update, there’s a possibility that he could soon be making his way to Stamford Bridge.

The Latest: Chelsea hold Thuram talks

According to 90min, Chelsea have ‘spoken with the representatives’ of the France forward to discover his availability, with the club ‘hoping to secure’ a deal before the end of the January transfer window.

Graham Potter’s recruitment team are believed to be ‘sensing a potential bargain’ given the striker’s contract situation, and Gladbach are ‘keen’ to sanction his sale this month, with the west Londoners’ interest ‘welcomed’.

However, the 25-year-old wants to ‘explore’ his options before making a final decision on what his next destination will be.

The Verdict: Massive coup if it comes off

Thuram has previously been dubbed a ‘beast’ by Jacek Kulig, and it would be a massive coup for Chelsea should they be able to fend off competitors and secure the Frenchman’s signature this month.

The 25-year-old has clocked up an outstanding 67 goal contributions (41 goals and 26 assists) in just 119 Bundesliga appearances, highlighting how prolific he can be in the final third (Transfermarkt).

Armando Broja has been ruled out for the season after sustaining a serious knee injury, so Thuram would also provide excellent cover and competition for places for the other attacking members of the squad at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is making sweeping changes from head to toe as he looks to assert his authority in the Premier League and create a force to be reckoned with over the coming era of football.

Having already parted with £371m since arriving at Stamford Bridge last year, the Blues’ owner is showing little sign of being deterred from continuing to inject vibrant life into the outfit, with high-profile forward moves for Mykhaylo Mudryk and Joao Felix already struck this winter.

A further area that is being targeted for reinforcement is the defensive right flank, with established right-back Reece James battling injury issues this season and stalwart Cesar Azpilicueta now 33 years old, several names have been underlined.

And one budding talent that could indeed find themselves in Chelsea blue in short time is Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who has been earning plaudits for his offensive skills, pace and physicality in the German Bundesliga.

And now, according to GIVEMESPORT, Frimpong is mulling over a move with initial enquires having been made, but is hesitant to plunge headfirst into the waters at Stamford Bridge following concerns over playing time.

And rightly so, James is one of the Premier League’s best full-backs, if not the gl0be’s, and the 22-year-old and €30m (£26m-valued) Frimpong boasts an offensive calibre that deservedly earns a place under the lights at one of Europe’s premier outfits.

Having faith in his capabilities on the pitch would go a long way, with his 22 appearances for Leverkusen this season an indication that he boasts the acumen to flourish for an ambitious outfit, with his five goals and three assists indeed telling the story of his attack-minded demeanour on the pitch.

As per FBref, the “exciting talent” – as dubbed by Transfermarkt’s Stefen Bienkowski – ranks among the top 3% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for rate of goals, the top 7% for assists, the top 1% for dribbles completed and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box.

Bearing this in mind, a deadly connection with Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech could be swiftly achieved, with the creative ingenuity of the Moroccan phenom creating pockets of space and prompting effective overlaps that will only enhance Potter’s prospects of success, the two players working in intrinsic tandem and merging the contrasting skill-sets together with aplomb.

As per Whoscored, the left-footed Ziyech averages 2.6 key passes a match over the entirety of his career, as well as taking a remarkable 3.6 shots, and Frimpong’s destructive impact in the offensive third, both as a direct presence and creative auxiliary option, would reap the rewards for the club.

Chelsea must swoop for one of football’s most exciting wide options, bolstering the position and providing Potter with another excellent option to utilise as he looks to kick his Chelsea tenure into resounding life.

Everton fell to their 11th defeat of the season at the London Stadium this afternoon, losing 2-0 to West Ham United in their Premier League clash, and Frank Lampard will be feeling like his role at Goodison Park is massively under threat.

The Toffees remain 19th in the top-flight table with only 15 points tallied up over 20 outings and two points deep into the bottom three as it stands, which is putting the club in a more vulnerable position with every fixture that passes by.

During their visit to East London, Everton enjoyed far more possession (68%) but had fewer shots on target (2 v 4), fewer big chances (0 v 3) and fewer dribbles completed (3 v 7), proving that no matter how much of the ball the side had they just couldn’t create the chances needed to get back into the game.

In the first half, it was relatively uneventful between the two relegation-competing sides, however, Jarrod Bowen found his shooting boots in the 34th minute to take the lead and quickly doubled it just seven minutes later ahead of the half-time whistle.

In the second half, it didn’t get any easier for Everton even with the half-time substitutions of Tom Davies and Dwight McNeil and 72% possession of the ball – West Ham comfortably retained their lead without much trouble from their opponents and ultimately collected all three points at full time.

Indeed, Lampard’s tactics clearly failed yet again as the attacking threat looked uninspired in their attempts to give David Moyes’ side any trouble and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s inability to get stuck into the game may have ultimately cost the former Chelsea boss his job.

Over his 90-minute appearance, the Everton passenger completed just eight accurate passes, lost possession of the ball every two touches, lost nine of his 15 duels, failed to complete 100% of his dribble attempts and was dribbled past twice.

Calvert-Lewin has been an inconsistent feature for the Merseysiders following a number of injury complaints over the last 18 months and has only found the back of the net six times in the Premier League since the beginning of last season – which only puts more pressure on the powerbrokers at Goodison Park to sign a striker this month.

Football Insider have already tweeted to claim that Everton are expected to sack Lampard following the defeat today with the hierarchy already meeting ahead of the clash to decide on the manager’s future:

“🚨 EXCLUSIVE! 🚨

– Everton are expected to sack Lampard. Board met yesterday and owner Moshiri had been planning to dismiss Lampard regardless of result today, but West Ham defeat will seal his fate. 🔵

– Two weeks to find a new manager. Duncan Ferguson is a contender. 🚨”

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Lampard will get another chance ahead of their clash with league leaders Arsenal in two weeks’ time, however, it is looking increasingly likely that the manager’s journey with Everton is coming to an end.