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According to a recent report from The Daily Record, Lewis Morgan looks like opting for a January move to Sunderland. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Scottish giants Celtic and has done so since leaving St Mirren back in January 2018, although struggles for regular game time under Bhoys manager Brendan Rodgers has plunged his future at Parkhead into doubt.

And a recent report from The Daily Record suggests that the attacker, who has attracted interest from Jack Ross’ Sunderland and indeed Aberdeen, is set to choose the former over the latter this month in his bid for the regular first team football he simply isn’t going to get at Celtic Park.

And with Ross having worked with the highly-rated £675,000-rated sensation (as per Transfermarkt) at St Mirren, a reunion with the 42-year-old at Sunderland would go some way to enhancing the Black Cats’ League One promotion hopes.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, former St Mirren boss Ross swapped Scotland for the North East during the summer to take charge of a faltering Sunderland side who had just lost their Championship status – this all after only one season in the second tier.

As such, the 42-year-old was faced with a tricky task in arresting the slide and providing much-needed stability at the Stadium of the Light, and he has done that admirably given his team are currently sat fifth in the League One table, just four points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

And while his side have only suffered defeat on two occasions in the league this time round, their tally of 11 draws has very much hindered their progress in pursuit of the top two – in fact, four of their last five league matches have ended in draws.

As such, Ross may seek that star quality needed to turn those recurrent draws into more victories in the second half of the season, as doing so would see them climb the division and knock on the door of the promotion places – Morgan’s arrival might do just that.

The 22-year-old may well have struggled to break into Rodgers’ first team at Celtic this season, appearing just nine times in the Scottish Premiership for the seven-times defending champions, yet one mustn’t overlook his great form at St Mirren, under the guidance of Ross no less, to suggest that he has what it takes to seriously improve Sunderland’s attack.

The Scotland international, capped twice by his country last year, scored 18 goals and laid on 11 assists in just 42 appearances for the Scottish Championship side last term to help Ross’ men win promotion to the top-flight – only two players netted more than him (14) in the league.

And in bagging ten times and laying on six assists the campaign before for the Saints, it’s clear that Ross knew exactly how to get the very best out of the attacker – prior to his arrival, Morgan hadn’t shown even close to the level he produced under the 42-year-old.

Yet the Scotsman came on leaps and bounds under Ross to suggest that a reunion at Sunderland this season could be what Morgan needs to rediscover his best form – and from a Sunderland point of view, his arrival would give Ross another option in attack.

Significantly, such was the 22-year-old’s level under Ross in the past, reuniting with the Black Cats boss at the Stadium of Light would go some way to seriously enhancing Sunderland’s promotion hopes in the second half of the season.

Sunderland fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Aston Villa have seen many players move in and out of the club over recent years on loan and permanent deals, highlighting how active the Midlands club have been in the transfer market.

With the next summer window in mind, it seems as though the Villans could have the chance to get rid of one of their current outcasts and replace him with a new fresh-faced talent.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from 90min, Villa are one of the clubs interested in signing Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.

The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United have been in contact with Nunez’s representatives to check on the sort of deal it will take to land him.

The striker apparently has a release clause of more than £100m, but a deal worth around £65m is set to be enough to land his signature.

Time to axe Wesley

With Wesley spending the season on loan at Club Brugge and then Internacional in his homeland, it seems unlikely that he will have a future at Villa Park under Steven Gerrard.

With just one goal scored in 14 appearances in this campaign across three different clubs, it would be hard to see the £46k-per-week striker being able to make a name for himself back at the Midlands club.

This, therefore, could present the Villans with a chance to strengthen their attacking force by signing Nunez, who has racked up 40 goals and 14 appearances with Benfica, showing just what a capable striker he is at just 22.

To further highlight the youngster’s offensive prowess, he has managed to register more shots on target (35) than any other player in the top-flight of Portuguese football this season.

Labelled as a “predator in front of goal” who “holds the ball up well,” as well as being “tenacious” on the pitch with a “superb” work ethic by journalist James Dodd, Nunez could be an ideal replacement for Villa’s Brazilian outcast and really give some competition to the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings.

In other news: AVFC can land Gerrard’s own Grealish in “super-talented” gem who won’t cost a penny 

Kevin Phillips has tipped Robert Snodgrass to leave The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with West Brom News, the former Premier League centre-forward stated his belief that, due to the versatile midfielder’s high wages and lack of first-team minutes under the management of Valerien Ismael, the Scotland international could be set for a move away from West Brom this month.

Speaking about the 34-year-old’s future, Phillips said: “From all parties concerned, Snodgrass might go. It’s been made clear he’s not in the plans. I’m pretty sure he’s on a decent wage there so if they can get him through the door and free that up, that might be the option to bring a couple of players in on his salary alone. It makes sense. Snodgrass will just want to go play football somewhere.”

Ismael must axe Snodgrass

While Snodgrass’ impressive positional versatility and experience in the game would both appear to make him well suited to Ismael’s setup at West Brom, the fact that the midfielder is reported to be earning a hefty £24k-per-week at the Championship side means that, if he really isn’t part of the 46-year-old manager’s plans, then the Frenchman simply must axe the Scot this winter.

This would seem to be the case, as, so far this season, the £720k-rated man has made just six Championship appearances with only four of these coming as starts.

Over those outings the 34-year-old has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Baggies’ 13th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

And, while his displays for Albion have been far from disastrous in the current campaign, with it being reported recently that Ismael will have to sell before he is able to bring in any further January additions, it would indeed appear as if the sale of the club’s third-highest earner in Snodgrass would be a very wise move this month.

In other news: West Brom dealt big transfer setback as new development emerges, Ismael will be fuming

A number of Wolves supporters have expressed their delight at seeing a photo of left-back Jonny continuing his injury recovery in training.

The 27-year-old has been absent since April, having picked up a knee injury which ruled him out of action for several months.

Jonny has been working hard to make a return to the fold as soon as possible, hopefully playing a key part in Wolves’ push for a European finish this season. He had been a near-constant presence in the first team under then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo prior to his lengthy lay-off during 2021.

On Friday, the club’s official Twitter channel posted a photo of the Spaniard doing more training work, perhaps suggesting that he is edging closer to what will be a hugely popular comeback, judging by the replies from a plethora of supporters.

It could be that Jonny is available within the next few weeks, although it is important that he isn’t rushed back after such a serious injury.

Wolves fans react to encouraging Jonny photo

These Wolves fans reacted to the image on Twitter, showing their happiness at seeing Jonny making good progress on the training pitch.

“Keep forgetting Jonny will be back soon, I love that man. Viva Espana hijo”

Credit: @neve_bradley

“Sincerely hope Jonny can make a return to something close to the player he was in 19/20. He showed during his brief return last year that he’s capable of it. On his day, he’s our best defender and does plenty going forward too. The reception to his return will be huge.”

Credit: @WolfInDerby

“Now this is a sight I’m happy to see”

Credit: @JackPLoftus

“Happy Jonny new year!! Woohoo!!!”

Credit: @blurtonwolf

“Gerrim in”

Credit: @SeanWSnoddy

“Can’t wait to have him and Neto back”

Credit: @PhilBethell

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has delivered a transfer blow with Wolves. Read more here.

Leeds United have had a bid knocked back for Brenden Aaronson this week, according to reports.

The Athletic claim that RB Salzburg have rejected the Whites’ offer of £15m for the 21-year-old midfielder and also believe they are intent on signing him before deadline day on January 31st.

Historically, the Austria Bundesliga champions have rarely hesitated to cash in on their biggest and brightest stars but they remain in the Champions League and Aaronson’s influence to the side makes him invaluable right now.

Therefore, the Yorkshire giants may need to turn their attention elsewhere and it’s another name that they have been linked with that could prove the be the perfect solution.

Forget Aaronson

Just last week, Foot Mercato editor-in-chief Sebastien Denis claimed Leeds were one of several teams looking at a potential move for RC Lens midfielder Seko Fofana

And what a signing he would be.

Soon after these links, the Ivory Coast powerhouse captained his side to a last-gasp victory over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1, where he bagged the winner in one of his typical box-to-box runs.

It was his eighth goal of the campaign.

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One of these strikes came during a 1-1 draw with financial giants Paris Saint-Germain, where he bullied Mauricio Pochettino’s engine room, leading to journalist Zach Lowry describing him as a “phenom”.

Fofana is currently Lens’ second highest-rated player (7.09), per WhoScored figures, whilst he’s averaged a squad-high 2.8 shots, 2.2 dribbles, 1.3 key passes, 0.8 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game.

That only goes to show how well-rounded he is – not only is he getting forward and contributing in the final third with cutting-edge passes and an incredible ability to carry the ball but he is also putting in the dirty work in his own half, as evident above.

It’s no wonder his manager Franck Haise dubbed him “the most complete player.”

“On the pitch, he is able to stay organized to adjust the team’s balance. At the same time, he has a great ability to create and to be decisive on the last pass. He is also capable of scoring a few goals in a season,” he said (via Newcastle World).

Having begun his professional career at Manchester City, there have been interesting comparisons made to his former youth coach Patrick Vieira, who was an absolute box-to-box machine in his day at Arsenal, as well as Yaya Toure.

He’d only need to be half of either to be an instant hit at Elland Road. All of his attributes point towards him being an exciting fit for Bielsa and his high-intensity system.

Just imagine the £16.2m-rated dynamo sitting in front of an anchorman like Kalvin Phillips. He could really get forward to help Leeds in the final third, knowing that he has an international quality defensive midfielder behind him.

That’s a mouthwatering partnership that could bring the Yorkshiremen so much success.

As such, Victor Orta and co must turn their attentions to Fofana before deadline day in a little over a week’s time.

AND in other news, Leeds could welcome back key injured duo earlier than expected…

As per le10sport, West Ham United have made their intentions known as club chiefs make contact to sign Clermont striker Mohamed Bayo.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing new strikers…

As revealed by manager David Moyes, the club have been trying to sign a new striker over 2021 and attempts were made in the summer, with there being no shortage of links heading to the January window.

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Adam Hlozek and Andrea Belotti are just two forwards who have been mentioned as West Ham eye swoops for Michail Antonio alternatives.

The Jamaica international’s worrying injury history has been a cause for concern and more news has emerged on who West Ham could bring in to cope.

The Latest: West Ham willing to meet asking price…

According to le10sport, West Ham have ‘launched operations’ for Bayo whilst making ‘contact’ to sign him ahead of January.

As well as this, it is believed that Clermont have placed a €20 million (£17m) price tag on their frontman and it’s a fee West Ham ‘does not seem to be afraid’ of paying.

However, his club would prefer to insert a clause which would allow him to spend the rest of the season in France before making his Premier League move in the summer – an idea which West Ham wouldn’t entirely rule out.

The Verdict: Right man?

Scoring a prolific 22 goals in 38 Ligue 2 appearances last season, he’s continued in that vain over 2021/2022 with eight so far in the French top flight (Transfermarkt).

His career tally overall comes in at 47, impressive numbers for a 23-year-old, and his age indicates he would come with real sell-on potential for just £17m.

Bayo’s attracted praise from Ligue 1 critics also, with Norwegian football scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen explaining he is an opportunistic finisher with pace and great strength (ESPN).

As an outside option for a relatively cheap fee, the towering 6 foot 2 centre-forward could come as a shrewd option.

In other news: ‘Oh my’, ‘Yes yes yes’…ExWHUemployee news on ‘perfect’ striker has these West Ham fans talking, find out more here.

With the latest international break now over, Everton can turn their attention back to finally ending their four-game winless streak in the Premier League.

A 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur prior to the two-week stoppage halted a run of three consecutive defeats, but a return of one point from a possible 12 still makes for grim reading.

However, the Toffees’ recent form has been in sharp contrast to their early-season exploits.

Rafa Benitez’s charges climbed up into a European qualification place after losing just one of their opening seven top-flight fixtures, sparking hope that they could finally challenge the top teams in the upper echelons of English football.

Nevertheless, a string of injuries to key players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure soon brought the Merseyside outfit crashing back down to earth.

With summer signing Salomon Rondon failing to find the back of the net, and Mason Holgate struggling at the back, Benitez’s problems spread throughout the pitch, but arguably none have been as big as his engine room woes.

Doucoure was in the form of his life prior to his fitness setback, scoring two goals and providing a further four assists in just eight outings as he catapulted the Blues up the Premier League standings.

His enforced absence left Benitez with a set of problems to solve, and the 61-year-old has so far struggled to come up with the answers.

Tom Davies was first trialled alongside Allan in central midfield against Watford, and despite his early goal, was sacrificed the following weeks after the Hornets handed out a humiliating 5-2 thrashing.

The unfortunate Jean-Philippe Gbamin then got his chance in the trip to face Wolves, but he looked every bit a player who had featured just four times in the last two years in the opening 45 minutes at Molineux and was substituted at half-time.

Former England international Fabian Delph was his replacement, and the tough-tackling dynamo has certainly been an improvement on his predecessors.

Delph’s commitment, tactical intelligence and full-blooded nature have helped Everton to stop the rot, yet his physical and technical attributes remain far inferior to that of the £22.5m-rated Doucoure’s, limiting Everton’s attacking threat in the final third of the pitch.

Therefore, with the box-to-box “revelation” approaching his return to full fitness, Benitez must unleash Doucoure as soon as is safe to do so.

The former France U21 international has the ability to revive Everton’s season and resurrect dreams of a top-six finish, his manager just needs to be brave enough to throw him back in at the deep end.

And, in other news…Everton could find a new Holgate in £50k-p/w dud who’s an “accident waiting to happen” 

According to Calciomercato, there has been an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update as they eye a permanent deal for loanee attacker Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Decky shines at Spurs…

The winger, who is nicknamed ‘Decky’, has shone for Spurs since joining the club on an 18 month loan-to-buy deal from Juventus in January.

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Indeed, Kulusevski has gone on to bag three goals and six assists in 11 Premier League appearances, becoming a key part of Antonio Conte’s front three alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Following his brilliant run of form, reports have since emerged of Spurs moving to make his deal permanent already, with Calciomercato now sharing the latest out of N17.

The Latest: Conte pushes for permanent Kulusevski deal…

As per their sources, Conte personally ‘pushes’ behind the scenes at Tottenham to make Kulusevski’s deal a permanent one, with the club – and by extension Spurs chiefs – ‘considering’ the move which would cost €35m (£29m).

The Lilywhites are apparently ‘very happy’ with the Swedish gem, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy may well back Conte by making Kulusevski an indefinite Tottenham player.

The Verdict: Get it done…

For just £29m, transfer chief Fabio Paratici could back Conte with one of the most promising starlets in European football, going by Kulusevski’s start to life at Spurs.

His goals and assists tally since arriving in the English capital provide a glimpse as to how he could evolve into a capable Premier League star for years to come.

Still only 21 years old, the Sweden international has already dazzled fans with some brilliant performances, prompting Conte to lavish praise on Kulusevski to the media.

A match made in heaven so far, this moves surely seems like a no-brainer, with ex-Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson also claiming a permanent deal for Kulusevski looks like a ‘real bargain’.

In other news: Conte unhappy with ‘perfect’ Spurs player behind-the-scenes, he’s now set to leave! Find out more here.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Celtic want to make Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan spell from Tottenham permanent as quickly as possible, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Various reported fees

The Hoops secured a season-long loan for the centre-back last summer, which included an option-to-buy clause.

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Ange Postecoglou confirmed that signing the 23-year-old on a permanent basis is a priority, with a £6m fee touted.

GiveMeSport have suggested that there is a £10m price tag, whereas Tottenham insider John Wenham believes that a deal could be done for around £3m.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson has reportedly opened talks with Spurs regarding a full-time transfer for Carter-Vickers.

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke had this to say on a possible permanent move, believing the Hoops want it finalised ‘quickly’.

He outlined: “Celtic would ideally love to get this deal wrapped up quickly, but I think £10m would be a bit too much for Celtic right now, so they may have to wait to the summer.”

The Verdict: Good to see

It’s good to see that the Hoops are being proactive in the January transfer window, with moves for Japanese trio Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda all being announced on New Year’s Eve.

Following that with a permanent deal for Carter-Vickers could be another smart step, which could then give the club plenty of time to assess further targets, with another defender and winger possibly on the radar.

It remains to be seen as to how much the American could cost, but should it be under £6m, it might turn out to be a great piece of business, especially when you take into consideration that he has been a near ever-present figure this season and the club’s best-performing centre-back, as per WhoScored.

In other news: Celtic may swoop for 6 foot 1 beast who had Sadio Mane in his ‘pocket’ 

With three matches in the space of a week, West Ham boss David Moyes has some tricky decisions to make as he targets top spot in Group H.

The Irons have already advanced into the knockout stages of the Europa League but can seal first place with a win over Austrian outfit Rapid Wien this evening, so it leaves him with a dilemma in terms of team selection.

There’s the small test of defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday before finally returning to the London Stadium to host Brighton and Hove Albion next Wednesday.

Moyes will also be looking for a reaction after a run of seven games without defeat was put to an abrupt end last weekend, with the Hammers being defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers in an utterly drab affair.

West Ham talisman Michail Antonio’s struggles in front of goal continued but he also looked rather fatigued, having travelled back from Jamaica in midweek.

It’s now one goal from nine matches across all competitions from the 31-year-old, a disappointing return considering he began the season on fire with six goals and four assists in just seven appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

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Indeed, the £10.8m-rated Irons frontman “looked knackered” at full-time, according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, and that’s hardly a surprise given the sheer volume of minutes he’s played this campaign (1,368), compared to this time last season (530).

Antonio, who is on around £70k-per-week, is hugely important to the Hammers’ success and will need to be fully fit and firing if they are to stand a chance of a result against Pep Guardiola’s side, especially after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain this week.

Only Jarrod Bowen (7.35) and Declan Rice (7.39) have managed a better average WhoScored rating than the 31-year-old (7.29) this campaign, whilst no one scored more goals than him last season.

Dubbed a “complete monster” and an “absolute revelation” by Daily Star journalist Paul Brown to GIVEMESPORT, Antonio is clearly a vital part of Moyes’ set-up in east London right now but his poor injury track record is worrying, so he ought to be rested for this trip.

It would be a ruthless call to make with the top spot on the line but a necessary one for the greater good of their season. Moyes must axe Antonio from his starting XI over in Austria tonight.

AND in other news, West Ham could discover their next Declan Rice in “clinical” 19 y/o “on the radar” of Moyes…