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Wolves could sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha as a potential Ruben Neves replacement, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Palhinha impressing for Sporting

The 26-year-old has been an influential figure at the heart of Sporting’s midfield this season, with 16 Primeira Liga appearances to his name, not to mention three goals.

Palhinha has been linked with a move to Wolves in recent days, as Bruno Lage continues to eye up squad reinforcements moving forward.

It could be that the Portuguese is viewed as a long-term successor to compatriot Neves, who has been tipped to move to Arsenal at the end of the season.

The Latest: Journalist talks up move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Palhinha could be the ideal man to come in and fill the possible void left by Neves this summer:

“In the summer, if Ruben Neves wants to leave, Palhinha might be a ready-made replacement.”

The Verdict: Ideal Neves replacement

The hope is that Neves stays put at Wolves for many years, given his quality, but there is always the risk that his head could be turned by a big move elsewhere.

Should that happen, Palhinha looks tailor-made to come in as a replacement, having been described as a ‘special player’ by Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

The midfielder has enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in the league this season, as well as averaging a hugely impressive 3.4 tackles.

In comparison, Neves has 82.6% passing and 2.2 challenges per game, showing that the Sporting star could even prove to be an upgrade if he transitions well into English football.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gushed over a key transfer update. Read more here.

Manchester City are reportedly leading the race to sign in-demand Fiorentina striker Dušan Vlahović, according to reports by La Repubblica (as shared by TuttoJuve).

The Lowdown: Vlahović is hot property

The Serbia international has been gaining plenty of attention ahead of the January transfer window following his fantastic start to the 2021/22 Serie A campaign.

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Vlahović sits as the top scorer in Italy this season, having netted an incredible 16 times in 18 matches. This has made the 21-year-old one of the most highly sought-after players in European football right now.

Vlahović looks set to be on the move in either the upcoming January window or over the summer, having rejected Fiorentina’s contract proposals, with his current deal set to expire in 2023.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Juventus have all been linked with the player, so Pep Guardiola will be up against some stern competition as he attempts to bring the Serbian to Manchester in January.

The Latest: Manchester City lead the race

According to reports by La Repubblica (as shared by TuttoJuve), it has been suggested that City have the best chance of anyone of signing Vlahović, with Juventus not at the forefront of the transfer race.

Reports have suggested that the 21-year-old’s preference is to remain in Italy until the end of the season before making his move in the summer, and it appears that City are the front-runners in securing the player’s signature.

The Verdict: Would be an unbelievable signing

With many of Europe’s top clubs fighting it out for the striker’s signature, this would prove to be a phenomenal signing for Guardiola. National teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has described the youngster as ‘outstanding’, saying that ‘he’s bound to become one of the greats’.

After failing to bring Harry Kane to the Etihad Stadium in the summer, the City boss is still on the lookout for an attacker, and it is claimed that Vlahović is his priority. He is said to be ‘in love’ with the Serbian’s goal-scoring ability, so this could be a dream transfer for all parties involved.

In other news: ‘Take the £50m and run’, ‘Let him go’ – Lots of Man City fans erupt at Fabrizio Romano transfer claim

Celtic have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Zinedine Ferhat to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Objectif Gard (via the Daily Record), who reveal a fresh twist to the story, suggesting the Algeria international is actively pushing for a move away from Nimes this January, with the 28-year-old being absent from the Ligue 2 side’s training on Wednesday.

This will come as a huge boost to Celtic and AS Saint-Etienne, both of whom are reported to be interested in a move for the winger – whose current contract at Stade des Costieres is set to expire at the end of the season.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of ability Ferhat quite clearly possesses, the news that the forward is very much keen to secure a move away from Nimes this January is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing.

Indeed, over his 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £4.05m-rated winger scored six goals, provided a highly impressive ten assists – the joint second-most in the league alongside Dimitri Payet – and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £13k-per-week 28-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him by far and away as his side’s best performer in the top flight of French football last time out.

And, with Celtic having suffered a number of injuries to their wide attacking options so far this season, it would certainly appear that, should Postecoglou wish to give his side the best possible chance of sealing the Premiership title this season, greater depth is very much needed on the wings.

As such, considering his rather extraordinary returns in Ligue 1 last term, it would indeed seem like a move for Ferhat would be an incredibly wise one for the Bhoys this January, and, following the latest on the winger, it certainly looks as if there is a deal to be done for Celtic.

In other news: “Opened talks”: Joseph drops major transfer update that’ll have Celtic fans buzzing

After an impressive start to life as Aston Villa manager, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard returned to Anfield on Saturday, looking to build on his side’s recent run of three league wins from four.

Despite a battling performance, the Villans left Merseyside empty-handed as Mo Salah’s 67th-minute penalty separated the two teams.

With the Reds the league’s top scorers with 44 goals prior to the match, the Midlands club were always going to need their front men to perform if they were to come away with a result, particularly Ollie Watkins. However, the striker had a quiet afternoon at Anfield.

Starting in a front three alongside Ashley Young and Jacob Ramsey, Watkins struggled to make any sort of impact, with the centre-forward failing to get a single shot away.

Furthermore, according to SofaScore, the 25-year-old lost possession 14 times alongside making just 36 touches, meaning that he lost the ball every 2.57 touches. There was a lack of physical presence up front from Villa’s talisman too as Watkins lost 75% of his duels.

The £44k-p/w forward has made a good start to life under Gerrard, scoring against Brighton and Manchester City under the 41-year-old since he replaced Dean Smith, and there is still little doubt that Watkins is the club’s best striker, his four league goals the most of anyone in Villa’s squad so far this season.

However, fellow forward Danny Ings returned from injury on Saturday, having not played for three games, which will increase competition in the attacking department once again. The two started alongside each other in Gerrard’s first game against Brighton, with Ings playing as a centre-forward and Watkins playing on the left of a front three.

It’s plausible that this could happen again, but if both were to purely play in their preferred centre-forward role, then one would have to miss out. This must be used as an incentive for Watkins has his place in the starting line-up is at greater risk after today’s soporific performance, especially with the renewed availability of Ings.

In other news: Aston Villa can start January with a bang by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated machine

Tottenham Hotspur progressed into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Antonio Conte’s former club, Chelsea, following a 2-1 victory over fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United on Wednesday evening.

Three quickfire goals inside five minutes in the first half decided the contest, with Spurs outcast Steven Bergwijn notching a goal and assist on his return to the starting XI.

In what was only his fifth start across all competitions this season, the Dutch winger excelled and was arguably one of the standout performers for the home side.

But forget his outing because it was another man – also on his return – that ran the show in north London this week.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s industrious and no-nonsense presence has been sorely missed recently and he made his influence show throughout the 90 minutes on the pitch – it was telling that he could finish the game, whilst his goal-contributing counterpart was hooked after just an hour.

The great Dane also provided a wonderful assist when he drove forward from midfield into the Hammers’ penalty box before laying the ball beautifully for Bergwijn to tap home.

But his contribution didn’t stop at just that. He was everywhere and proved to be the Lilywhites’ main focal point as he registered a team-high 76 touches.

With this possession, the £36m-rated powerhouse pinged off 55 accurate passes, which was also the most in the Spurs side, whilst he also did an astute job defensively, something he is well renowned for.

As per SofaScore, Hojbjerg registered three interceptions, two tackles and one block as he put his body on the line to thwart West Ham’s advances.

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick waxed lyrical about his display in his post-match column, where he rated the Denmark international as one of Conte’s three best performers with an 8/10, alongside Lucas Moura and his fellow goalscoring winger.

It’s no wonder Hojbjerg has previously been lauded as a “monster” by ex-Denmark midfielder Morten Bisgaard as everyone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium got to witness exactly that on Wednesday night.

Defensively sound, creative and an absolute terrier all over the pitch. That’s what makes the former Southampton skipper so valuable to Conte and Spurs.

Arguably, he outshone the rest of the team to steal the show as the north London outfit advanced into the final four of a major domestic competition.

AND in other news, Fabio Paratici could secure Conte’s next Vidal at Spurs with “powerful” £18m-rated “machine”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s transfer plans for January, regarding Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly…

What’s the talk?

According to 90Min, the Magpies are interested in a deal for the Cherries defender as they look for alternative options to Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

The Clarets centre-back is said to be an unlikely target due to Burnley being unwilling to sell to a rival, with Kelly now being eyed instead.

Imagine him & Lascelles

Eddie Howe must ensure that he is reunited with the England under-21 international, having managed him at Bournemouth, as he could be a superb addition to the squad. His arrival could end being a dream deal as he could form a strong bond with Jamaal Lascelles at centre-back.

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The £9m-rated Cherries beast has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 in the Championship this season, winning 64% of his duels and making an outstanding 5.2 clearances per game. This shows that he is playing to a high level in the second tier and could be ready to make the jump to the Premier League.

Ex-Bournemouth coach Jonathan Woodgate previously hailed Kelly as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ of a defender and pointed to his pace as an eye-catching attribute. He said:

“He’s got talent. He’s got a lot of attributes which Premier League teams look at. But he needs to be consistent week in, week out now.

“At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City).

“I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him. It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’.”

This highlights one of the reasons why he could form a formidable partnership with Lascelles at the back. The Magpies skipper is not renowned for his turn of pace and these comments from Woodgate suggest that Kelly could be the sweeper of the two and cover runs in-behind, allowing Lascelles to avoid being caught out due to a lack of pace.

It could also allow Howe to deploy a higher line across his defence as the pace of Kelly would facilitate it. Playing a high line with slow centre-backs is a recipe for disaster due to how easy it would be to turn them and get in-behind, but having a defender who can cover ground quickly will alleviate that particular issue. Therefore, the arrival of Kelly could get the best out of Lascelles and be a dream signing for Howe…

AND in other news, NUFC played blinder with “outstanding” gem whose value has soared 1900% in 2 years…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been bemoaning Naby Keita’s absence from training ahead of the weekend clash with Southampton.

The Reds have made an impressive return after the international break, thrashing Arsenal 4-0 in the Premier League and winning 2-0 against Porto in the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have a third Anfield match in a row coming up on Saturday afternoon, as they return to league action against the Saints. It is a must-win game in the title race, given the consistency of both Chelsea and Manchester City, with dropped points feeling disastrous.

Liverpool’s players have been working hard in training ahead of the match, but in photos shared by the club’s official Twitter channel on Thursday night, there was no sign of Keita.

The Guinean has been out injured since the 2-2 draw at home to Brighton at the end of October – the Reds blew a lead after he went off, highlighting his importance to the side – but it was hoped that he would return to training this week.

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Liverpool fans frustrated by Keita’s ongoing absence

These Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to Keita not being part of the group in training, with the 26-year-old’s persistent injury woes showing no sign of abating.

“Admin, where is Keita Lad?”

Credit: @Pizzmantwit

“Thought Naby Keita is back, where is he?”

Credit: @firstclassjerry

“Wheres Naby? Was down to be re-training this week, suppose it’s another 2-3 weeks for him going off past ‘little’ niggles…”

Credit: @lfcmli4eva

“WHERE IS KEITA?”

Credit: @LFCYussef

“We wanna see Naby lad”

Credit: @LFC_AM17

“We need to sign at least two midfield and to attack to solve midfield problem and miss Salah and Mane in January”

Credit: @realbrantz

In other news, some Liverpool fans have erupted over an official club post. Read more here.

Everton slumped to tenth in the Premier League table after goals from Max Kilman and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-1 victory for Wolves at Molineux.

A consolation effort from Alex Iwobi couldn’t prevent the Toffees from slipping to their third consecutive defeat on Monday night, and the visitors could have little complaints after their dreadful first-half showing.

Rafa Benitez’s charges were missing several key players through injury once again, but that was no excuse for their underwhelming opening 45 minutes.

Kilman was allowed a free header at the far post following a Wolves corner after 28 minutes before a horrendous Ben Godfrey back pass was punished by Jimenez just four minutes later.

No Everton player covered themselves in glory bar goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, although some were more disappointing than others.

Godfrey was one of the main culprits but experienced midfielder Allan was one of those who particularly struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity, and he once again looked lost and exposed without the protection of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Admittedly, his engine room partner Jean-Philippe Gbamin was well off the pace after making his first Premier League start of 2021/22, but the 30-year-old Allan was the one expected to drag his teammate through the evening, not the other way around.

As per SofaScore, the Brazil international received a match rating of 6.4 out of 10, the third-lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch. And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

During the 90 minutes, Allan achieved a measly passing accuracy of just 71%, failed to pick out a colleague with any of his three attempted long balls and lost possession a whopping 17 times.

And the South American was equally as frustrating when trying to stop the opposition’s attacks, an aspect of his game in which he usually excels.

Allan won just five of his 12 duels, was dribbled past on three occasions, and failed to make a single clearance or block a shot.

His improved second-half display will have been some comfort for Benitez and co. but the damage was already done by then, and his poor showing didn’t go unnoticed.

“It was not a great game by the Brazilian’s standards, as it was riddled with plenty of sloppy moments. However, Allan’s hard work and consistent shift throughout the game cannot be faulted,” wrote The Hard Tackle after awarding him a five out of 10.

With Tottenham coming up next for the Blues, Benitez will be hoping his influential midfielder can get back to his best and help put an end to their lengthy losing run.

And, in other news…7 duels lost: Everton lightweight who’s “really struggling” let Rafa down again v WWFC

According to Calciomercato, there has been yet another contract development out of Rush Green as news emerges on West Ham starlet Ben Johnson.

The Lowdown: West Ham in new deal flurry…

Over these last few months, it appears West Ham officials have made tying down first team stars a major priority going by reports.

Firstly, the club attempted multiple new contract offers for star man Declan Rice, over for them to be rejected over the summer, while Czech Republic duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have also been heavily linked with signing fresh terms.

Angelo Ogbonna is another name who could be handed a new deal at the London Stadium according to reports, especially considering his current contract runs out at the end of this season.

Sharing news on another West Ham first teamer who’s contract also runs out in 2022, Calciomercato have some big news on Johnson.

The Latest: West Ham table offer…

According to their sources, the Hammers 21-year-old has now been offered a new contract as West Ham put fresh terms on the table.

When it comes to specifics like the length, salary or any clauses, Calciomercato are pretty vague in their claim and simply state that an extension has indeed been put forward to Johnson.

The Verdict: Great move…

The Irons starlet has hugely impressed under Moyes this season, leading the Scotsman to call him a ‘really important player’ in the squad.

In Coufal’s brief injury absence before he returned to the side against Genk in midweek, Johnson filled the right-back’s boots impressively – holding his own in huge games against the likes of Manchester City and bitter London rivals Tottenham.

Statistically, you only have to look at the player’s impressive Premier League numbers when it comes to holding his own defensively.

According to WhoScored, no West Ham teammate has managed more tackles per 90 on average than Johnson so far this season and, if he can keep up this run of form, Moyes may be presented with a huge dilemma at right-back over this season.

The club certainly can’t afford to let his contract run down for a second longer and it is imperative the promising youngster is tied down as soon as possible.

In other news: ‘Woohoo’, ‘Going for the title’…ExWHUemployee’s transfer claim has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is likely to stay put at the Hawthorns for the whole of this season, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with move

Johnstone ended up staying put at West Brom this summer, despite constant reports claiming he would move to a Premier League club.

Tottenham have now been tipped to sign the England international in the January transfer window, seeing him a possible replacement for Hugo Lloris.

The Latest: Johnstone tipped to stay

Speaking to Football Insider, however, former Leeds United striker Whelan claimed Johnstone would likely see out the campaign with the Baggies, highlighting his importance and explaining why allowing him to leave wouldn’t make sense:

“You’ve got to look at West Brom’s predicament. They’re sitting at the top, they’re looking to get promoted back to the Premier League. He’s a big part of that.

“Can you afford to lose a player like that or sell a player like that in January when you’re so close to maybe getting back to the Premier League? I’m not so sure.

“They might be better off keeping him until the end of the season. Making sure you’ve got a quality international goalkeeper in between your sticks.

“It could be that the fine line of you’re getting promoted or not. It’s a double-edged sword, risk and reward. You’ve got to take that chance to keep as many international players in that team as possible.”

The Verdict: Vital player in promotion push

Johnstone is a massive player for West Brom – he has been hailed as ‘magnificent’ by former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce in the past – so losing him in January would be a huge blow.

The goalkeeper is integral to Valerien Ismael’s side’s promotion push, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.

It could be that Johnstone wants to move on at the end of the season – whether or not West Brom have gone up could be key to that decision – but they need him to stay for the time being.

In other news, some West Brom fans are keen for one player to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.